Chapter Seven - Explanations

"So why wouldn't you go to hospital?" Emmy asked thickly through a mouthful of sandwich. "Now that we know you're not an illegal immigrant..."

"It's... complicated," Emiliana said carefully, nibbling the edge of her own sandwich. "Where did you learn to treat my wound?"

"It's complicated," Emmy said with a smile. "Come on. How am I supposed to help you both if you won't be honest with me?"

Kat and Emiliana looked at each other. Kat shrugged.

"Okay, this is how it is," Kat said, making Emmy sit up a little straighter. "We both have amnes-"

"Oh, come on!" Emmy said exasperatedly as Emiliana smirked. "Don't make me laugh! Amnesia my ass! Tell me the truth now, what's the worst that could happen?"

"We could be erased from existence," Kat said seriously.

"Really?" Emmy raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"That doesn't matter right now," Emiliana said quickly, nudging Kat hard. "The reason why we are here is because we are looking for someone."

"Professor Layton?" Emmy said.

Kat and Emiliana exchanged another glance.

"Yes," Kat said hesitantly.

"Easy! He's at Gressenheller."

"It's not as simple as that," Kat sighed.

"Why?"

"Because that's not the Professor Layton we're looking for," Emiliana explained. "It's..."

"Complicated?" Emmy offered.

Emiliana nodded. "Si."

"So there's another Professor Layton running around London and you two want to find him?"

"Yes," Kat replied.

"What does he look like?" Emmy asked.

"He wears a t-" Kat stopped.

"A top hat?" Emmy asked.

Emiliana nodded.

"And let me guess, he's quite partial to the color orange? And he drinks a lot of tea, and solves a lot of puzzles too, I'm guessing?"

Kat sighed.

"And he is a professor? A professor of what?"

"... arch-"

"Archaeology! There you go! And where does he work?"

"We're from the future," Emiliana said, causing Kat to stare at her incredulously. "What? We might as well tell her. I know her, she won't let it go until we tell her."

This apparently was not the answer Emmy was expecting.

"The future?!"

"Si. The future."

"And this professor you're looking for-"

"Si. He is also from the future."

"Are... are you his daughters or something?" Emmy asked.

"I am," Kat replied.

"What about you?" Emmy asked Emiliana.

"I am a friend of Katrielle's."

"Do I know your parents?"

"... Not yet," Emiliana said carefully.

"Oh. I see. It's just that you do look familiar..."

"Haha, yes..." Kat coughed and tried to hide her smile.

"Your eyes..." Emmy said, frowning. "I feel like I've seen them before... but we've never met, right?"

"... Not yet," Emiliana said slowly.

They stopped a moment as they heard the front door bang shut.

"Ah," Emmy said. "That'll be my flat mate, Vicky..."

The trio listened as they heard a rusty female voice in the kitchen.

"Why are my books all over the floor..."

"I'd better fill her in on our situation," Emmy said quickly, making to stand.

"Jesus Christ, is that blood?!"

"Vicky!" Emmy called.

A tanned girl with long dark hair and wide ebony eyes burst into the room. "Emmy, what the fu-"

"This is Kat," Emmy interrupted quickly, "and this is Emiliana, whose blood is all over our kitchen table."

"How-"

"She got stabbed by your ex boyfriend."

"You know that man?" Emiliana looked aghast.

"What?!" Vicky looked upset. "Have you called the police?"

"No. It would be too difficult to press charges, seeing as how neither of these two ladies has been born yet, technically."

Vicky stared, confused.

"You don't want to know," Emmy said brightly. "But I'll have to sleep in with you for a while because they're staying in my room."

"Oh, no, it's fine, we already have somewhere to stay," Emiliana said quickly.

"Where?"

"The man who built the machine that brought us here, he is in prison at this time, so we are staying in his house."

"No. No way. Not safe. Colin could follow you there and cut you up a lot worse than you are now, believe me, he has form for that sort of thing."

"She's right," Vicky said glumly as she sat on the arm of Emmy's armchair. "He's a drug addict," she explained. "He probably just wanted your wallet. He'd do anything for his next fix, including stalking innocent girls. Stay with us. He's attacked all of us before, so we should look out for each other. The more eyes out, the better."

"Yes, I think that is a good idea," Kat agreed.

"So long as you two don't mind sharing a bed," Emmy added. "I already have another friend sleeping on my sofa," she added as Emiliana opened her mouth. "Don't worry; it's a double bed. You'll have plenty of room."

Emiliana glanced nervously at Kat, who looked suitably awkward.

"Anyway, now that's sorted, we need to get back to your dad."

"Okay," Kat said, sitting up straighter.

"I need you to tell me everything, from the start..."

"Okay," Kat said, closing her eyes for a moment. "I presume you've heard of Bill Hawkes?"

Emmy scowled. "Who hasn't?"

"Well, he used to work with a man named Dimitri Allen-"

"I've heard of him too," Emmy added. "He's a scientist, right?"

"Yes. He and Hawkes used to work in the same lab, researching the possibility of time travel. Anyway, Allen discovered some vital information shortly before his arrest, and about twenty-five years from now, he's going to give it to Hawkes in exchange for getting out of jail. He applied for an appeal and Hawkes bribed the jury.

"A week after Allen walked free, my father went to see him in his home. Allen showed him the completed time machine, knowing that Hawkes was on his way, and he hoped that he and my father could overpower him so he could get revenge for their past feud. A struggle broke out, and my father tried to break it up, but Hawkes accidentally fired off the machine, sending him back to roughly this time. My father was knocked unconscious, and Hawkes grabbed Allen and went back to our time, leaving him stranded."

Emmy sat in silence as she took it all in.

"You say that he was sent back to "roughly this time"?" Vicky asked.

"Yes," Kat replied, "but when we went to Allen's house to check, the door was already unlocked and the house was empty."

"The door was already unlocked?" Emmy asked.

Kat nodded. "That's why we think he's here."

"But you don't know the exact date your father was sent back to," Emmy pointed out. "Sure, the unlocked door indicates that he is already here, but we don't know for how long. He could have been here for weeks, months, even years, and no one would notice, because all he would have to do is take off his top hat and he would be instantly unrecognizable..."

"So what do we do?" Kat asked. "We've already asked around, and no one appears to have seen him..."

"Is there anyone here he would have turned to for help?" Emmy asked. "Anyone who would be able to conceal him from his other self?"

Kat frowned, deep in thought.

"Wait..." Emiliana said slowly. "Doesn't he have a brother?"

Both Kat and Emmy turned to stare at her.

"How to you know that?" Kat asked her.

"My mother told me," she replied.

"Oh..."

Emmy frowned. "And I know your mother..."

Emiliana looked worried.

"I suppose you can't tell me any more than that?"

Emiliana shook her head.

"Alright..." Emmy frowned even more. "So you think he might have turned to Descole for help?"

"Si. It is the most logical solution, given his circumstances. I doubt he would want to put his family in such a compromising position, trying to conceal him for an indefinite amount of time."

"That and the fact that Descole has disappeared," Emmy added. "He himself is well hidden, but it's clear to me that the professor's safety is paramount to Descole. No doubt he has someone around London keeping tabs on him..."

"You mean Raymond?" Emiliana asked.

Emmy frowned again. "Yes..."

"So you think that my dad bumped into this Raymond, and he took him to Descole?" Kat asked. "And if he is watching Dad, that means he's likely hanging around London somewhere?"

"Exactly," Emmy smiled. "So we need to check your dad's old haunts, everywhere he goes, for the next few days, and we'll likely find him."

00000000

They decided to split up. Emmy and Vicky took the west side of London, near Scotland Yard, and Kat and Emiliana took the east side, near Gressenheller and the professor's home. As they walked down the road towards the professor's estate, Emiliana stayed close to Kat, constantly looking around.

"You're looking for him, aren't you?" Kat asked softly. "That man who slashed you?"

Emiliana said nothing, refusing to look her in the eye, until she suddenly felt Kat's hand in hers.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "This is my fault..."

"No, Katrielle. It's mine."

"But I..."

"You never asked for me to accompany you. That was my choice."

"I never wanted you to get hurt..."

"I know..." she squeezed Kat's hand gently. "But it is alright. Mamma... Emmy... gave me something for the pain. I feel okay."

"Emiliana..."

Emiliana's eyes widened as Kat wrapped her arm around her.

"Thank you for this."

They stopped walking and Kat looked into Emiliana's eyes.

"Katrielle..." she looked away, then her brow furrowed slightly.

"What?"

"Look over there. That man, in the red."

Kat looked over and saw the man begin to walk away.

"Do you think that's him?"

"Yes... I saw him before, in one of Mamma's old photographs..."

"With my dad?" Kat asked.

"Si. They were on an airship."

"That has to be him!" Kat exclaimed, removing her arm from around Emiliana and grabbing her hand. "Quickly, after him!"

"Katrielle!"

Emiliana suddenly lurched forwards as Kat dragged her in the man's direction.

"Wait! Sir! Mr. Raymond!

The man stopped and turned to face the pair as they ran towards him.

He frowned. "Yes?"

"I need to ask you some questions-"

"As do I, young lady. I have never met either of you before, yet you seem to know my name..."

"Emmy Altava told us," Kat said quickly. "Please, we need your help, can we talk?"

Raymond raised an eyebrow. "And why did Miss Altava think I could help you?"

"She knows that you keep tabs on Professor Layton," Kat said.

"Both of them," Emiliana added.

This time Raymond raised both eyebrows.

"We know that the professor has come here from the future," Emiliana continued, " and that you know where he is."

Raymond nodded. "Of course. You must be... Katrielle."

"Yes, I am," Kat replied.

"Of course. I have been expecting you for a while now," Raymond continued. "But I'm afraid the only way that I will be able to help you is if you help me to help you."

"Huh?" Emiliana looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Kat asked.

Raymond sighed heavily, his expression downcast.

"The master and Professor Layton disappeared several weeks ago."