VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
TASTES OF FREEDOM - BOOK 2
(Sequel to Discoveries)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
March 2007 (Revised 05/2009)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 4 – A LITTLE BIT OF SURVELLIENCE
The two voyagers arrived at the Jamestown settlement. Even though there were scores of colonists all about the area, Bogg and Jeff plummet to earth unnoticed and come to a stop on top of a wagonload of soft, fresh hay.
"What a landing!" Jeff exclaimed. "Why can't this happen every time?"
"I told you kid, Voyager Technical is working on it."
"I know, I know. I wish they would work a little faster." Jeff grumbled. "Those hard landings are beginning to take their toll on me. At this rate, by the time I'm your age, my body will be toast." Once he had made his point, Jeff turned and started to climb down.
Having taken offense to his partner's age insult, Bogg quickly grabbed the back of Jeff's shirt and pulled him back. "Hey, now just a minute…" he said with a raised brow and a cheesy grin on his face.
"What?" Jeff exclaimed.
"What did you mean, 'by the time you're my age?'" Bogg quipped "I'll have you to know. I'm not old; I'm in my prime." He boasted as he held up his arm and flexed his bicep. "I'm in perfect shape! You just feel THAT. You don't have that when you are passed your prime."
Jeff squeezed Bogg's arm. "OWWW! You didn't have to squeeze it that hard." Bogg moaned as he winced in pain. He quickly lowered his arm and shook it briskly in an attempt to thwart his suffering.
"In perfect shape, huh? That's questionable." Jeff said snidely.
"Well smarty britches, let's see yours.", Bogg said brusquely.
Jeff held up his arm and flexed it. Bogg reached over and squeezed his bicep. "What? You call that a muscle." Bogg said as he laughed.
"What do you expect, I'm just a kid." Jeff puffed on his bent fingertips and polished them on his shirt. "I guess you could say 'I'm before my prime." He said mockingly.
"Yea, way before it." Bogg teased.
"Bogg!" Jeff reached over and punched his partner on the arm.
"OWWW!" Bogg exclaimed as he rubbed away the pain.
Once Bogg regained the feeling in his extremity, he retrieved the omni and opened it.
"Looks like we're here. Jamestown, August 7, 1607. And a green light! Everything looks ok here." He closed the omni and clipped it to his belt.
"Bogg, even though everything is ok here. Can we stay for a while and observe?" Jeff asked. "Please Bogg? I have always wanted to see what life was like for the colonists."
"Sure kid, but only for a little while. Remember, Philadelphia is depending on us, as well as the nation for that matter." Bogg replied. "C'mon, we've got to hide before someone sees us. He surveyed the area and spotted a shed a few feet away. "C'mon, there's an old shed over there. We can hide inside."
Bogg and Jeff looked around to see of the coast was clear, climbed down off the wagon and ran for cover inside the shed.
"Whew! That was close." Jeff said as he leaned over to catch his breath.
"You said it, kid. We dare not let anyone see us in these clothes. It would raise some rather awkward questions." Bogg said. "If we're going to venture out into the colony here, we are definitely going to need some clothes of the period. Not only will we need them here, but for our visit to Plymouth as well. You stay put. I'll go see if I can rustle up some."
As Bogg turned to leave, Jeff grabbed his arm.
"Oh no you don't! You're not going to leave me here! I'm coming with you." Jeff whispered.
"No Jeff! Not this time. With these clothes, if I'm discovered I just might be able to convince someone I'm a colonist. But, your red striped shirt and sneakers would be difficult to explain. Just wait for me here, ok."
"I guess you're right." Jeff conceded. "There was no red striped clothing in the Jamestown era. I'll stay here, but YOU HAD BETTER COME BACK!"
"Don't worry, I will!"
"You be careful, ok." Jeff said with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Right!" Bogg agreed as he slowly exited the door.
Bogg weaved his way inconspicuously through the rows of buildings in the area. As he continued toward the center of town, he was almost spotted by a man carrying a large bag of grain down the street. Upon noticing the colonist headed in his direction, he ducked behind an old barrel until he had passed. When the coast was clear, he stood up and continued with his quest.
After fifteen minutes or so, Bogg finally found what he had been looking for. In front of him there stood a lone cabin, where earlier in the day, some freshly laundered clothing had been hung on the fence to dry.
"YES! Just what I've been looking for!" Bogg thought.
Crouching down to keep from being seen, he slowly and cautiously made his way over to the fence and hid behind one of the posts. He paused for a moment as he surveyed the area to see if there was anyone around. Seeing that the coast was clear, he grabbed what he and Jeff needed and darted off, unnoticed. Once he was out of sight, he stopped to take inventory of what he taken and then returned to the shed where his partner now anxiously awaited his arrival. Without warning, the door to the shed swung open and a tall, shadow of a figure stood in the midst.
"Bogg is that you?" Jeff whispered nervously from behind a barrel.
"No, it's the clothes fairy!" Bogg quipped. "Who do you think?"
Jeff stood up and walked over to greet his partner as he came through the door.
"Whew! You're back!" Jeff exclaimed as he walked over and closed the door.
"Here kid, put these on." Bogg said as he handed him some clothing.
Jeff took the garments from him and sat down on a small wooden box. As he began to put them on, an unpleasant look came over his face. He stopped momentarily and looked over to his partner. "Ok Bogg. Where DID you find these clothes? Aren't they just a wee bit damp?"
"Kid, if you must know, I found them draped across a fence behind a cabin." Bogg quipped as he stepped into a pair of breeches and pulled them up on his hips. "I believe they were put there to dry after they had been washed."
"Couldn't you find something a little less clean and a little drier?" Jeff teased.
Bogg picked up a pair of white stockings lying near him and pulled them over his feet and up to his knees. After he had tied them off with garters, he turned to his rather sassy partner and put him in his place.
"Mine are damp too, so quit your whining and put them on." Bogg quipped. "A little bit of water won't hurt you. Now hurry up."
"Ok! OK! I'm putting them on…Don't have a coronary!" Jeff barked.
"A what?" Bogg asked innocently.
Jeff nodded his head in disbelief. "Never mind!" Jeff replied curtly.
A few minutes later, the two voyagers had finished dressing themselves. Bogg in his black doublet and breeches, white cuffs and white stockings, looked as if he had just stepped off the Mayflower. Jeff, dressed almost identically, looked like his diminutive twin. They were now ready to blend in and observe those in the settlement.
"Ready to go kid?" Bogg asked.
"Yea, I guess I'm ready."
The two walked toward the door. Before they could step outside, Jeff noticed his partner's hat lying on the floor and grabbed his arm.
"Bogg, you forgot your hat." Jeff whispered.
Bogg walked over, picked up his hat and placed it on his head.
"Thanks kid. I bet I would have looked quite strange around here without a hat on."
Jeff smiled and nodded. "Yea, right!"
Bogg opened the door and the two stepped outside.
As the two proceeded through the main street of the settlement, they observed the colonists going about the tasks of daily living. To Bogg, these activities were nothing out of the ordinary, since very little had changed by the time he was a kid, some 100 years hence. However, to his young partner, the whole of the Colonial existence was fascinating. There were men in the fields plowing with oxen and mules. Still others were cutting hay with their scythes and gathering it for their animals. Several women were outside their homes, slaving over large iron pots of what looked like washing, while others were watching over their children. Along with all this varied activity in the area, there were also several buildings now under construction.
After a while, Bogg and Jeff noticed a lone colonist on in the process of building a cabin. As they got closer to him, they realized he was building the structure unaided. While the two observed, unobtrusively, he attempted to set a difficult timber. Moments later, he lost his footing and almost fell off the structure.
Bogg looked at his partner. "It looks as if he could use some help, don't you think?"
"Yea Bogg. A little bit more and he would have been seriously hurt or even killed."
"C'mon, let's see what we can do."
The two walked over to the structure and stood near the makeshift ladder. Bogg attempted to get the attention of the colonist by waving his arms at him.
"Sir! My partner and I couldn't help but notice you were having some difficulty setting that timber. Could you use some help?"
The colonist cautiously made his way over to the ladder and then climbed down to greet the two.
"My good sir, I would welcome thy help with this difficult task. " The colonist replied. He then introduced himself. "My name is John and who mightst thou be?"
"Sir, my name is Phineas Bogg. This is my young son Jeffrey." Bogg replied.
"A pleasure to make thy acquaintance." John said as he held out his hand. "Hast thou been here long?"
Bogg suddenly realized the question that was to come next, so he interrupted the colonist and redirected his train of thought.
"We came over on the ship with you, remember?" Bogg replied. "Good sir, why are you building this structure by yourself?"
"Well sir, there were others." John replied. "They had other commitments and had to leave. I must continue the work, lest it not be complete by winter."
"Please allow us to help. First, let me help you set that difficult timber." Bogg said as he made his way over to the makeshift ladder.
John and Bogg began to climb the ladder up to the top of the structure. After climbing about three rungs, Bogg realized his partner was following closely behind him. He immediately stopped and looked back at Jeff.
"Kid, you stay down here just in case we need something. It's just too dangerous for you to be up there."
"Ah Bogg!! I'm gonna miss out on all the fun."
"No, kid! There's nothing fun about falling and breaking your neck." Bogg chided.
"I guess you are right." Jeff said as he resigned himself to his fate. "I'll just stay here, but you be careful. It won't be too fun if you fall and break your neck either."
Bogg continued to climb the ladder until he reached the top of the structure. Cautiously, he and John made their way over and began wrestling with the timber. After several minutes of tugging, pulling and hammering, the timber fell into position with a thud.
"Way to go Bogg!" Jeff yelled.
"Thanks kid." Bogg yelled back to him.
Hours later, with Bogg and Jeff's assistance, John had managed to finish framing the entire roof structure. By this time, the sun had begun to set. The two, now exhausted from their efforts came down the ladder to meet Jeff on the ground below.
"I thank thee so very much for your help." John said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "How may I ever repay thee for such hard work?"
"Well sir, after all this labor, we both would appreciate a good meal." Bogg said.
"A good meal, is that all?" John asked, somewhat shocked.
"That's all we require, sir" Bogg replied.
"You two come with me. I'll see that you get a good meal, that's for sure." John said a he walked away from them.
Jeff looked at Bogg and whispered, "Wow Bogg. This is great. We get to try some real colonist food."
"Colonist food….Yea, if you say so." Bogg whispered halfheartedly.
"Why don't you show a little more enthusiasm, Bogg?" Jeff teased.
"Kid, you've never eaten 'colonist food' before… Just you wait." Bogg warned. "Once you've tasted it, you'll know exactly what I mean."
The two followed their friend into a small cabin several hundred feet from the construction site. Once they had walked inside, John invited them to be seated at the table. Soon after, his wife and young daughter approached them.
"My dear fellows, this is my wife Sarah and my daughter Elizabeth." John said with a hint of pride in his voice.
Bogg and Jeff rose from their seats almost instantaneously.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintances" Bogg said as he bowed his head in a gentlemanlike manner.
"It is our pleasure sir." Sarah replied. "Welcome to our humble abode. Please be seated and warm thyselves by the fire."
"Sarah, these men assisted me with the work on the cabin." John explained. "With their help, we were able to finish the roof trusses. I asked what would be an appropriate payment for their labors, but all they wanted was a good meal."
"Well gentlemen, if a good meal is what you want, then that's what you shall have." Sarah said boldly. "Mind you, 'tis not much. Only a bit of stew and some shortbread. But it's warm and filling."
"Whatever you have is much appreciated, ma'am." Bogg said humbly.
Sarah walked over to the hearth, kneeled down in front of a large iron kettle and began to dish up bowls of stew for each of their guests and her husband. Elizabeth set down a plate of shortbread on the table along with some butter and goblets of water. Finally they both served themselves and sat down at the table with their guests.
Just as Bogg was about to dig in to his stew, Jeff noticed that John had bowed his head in an indication he was about to give thanks for the meal. Jeff looked at his partner, cleared his throat and motioned to him to stop for a moment.
Bogg realized what was happening and mouthed to his partner. "Oh, sorry kid." He and Jeff bowed their heads.
John began his prayer.
"Our dear Lord and Savior. We thank thee for the food, which thou hast set before us today. We thank thee for the blessings, which thou hast bestowed upon us in this new land. We ask that you will continue to bless and guide us all through this time of struggle and give us the strength and courage to face the days ahead. In the name of the Father we pray, Amen."
"Please gentlemen, eat, before it gets cold." John urged.
Bogg and Jeff started chowing down on the stew with the appetite of a couple of hungry bears.
Jeff stopped for a moment and looked at Sarah. "Ma'am, this stew is quite good." He said.
Sarah smiled and then replied, "Thank you my dear. I'm flattered. It's a simple recipe I brought with me from the old country. "
"Mr. Bogg?" Sarah asked.
"Yes ma'am." Bogg replied.
"Please forgive me for being so bold, but, I'm curious. Your son is here with you, where is your wife?"
Not anticipating this sort of question from their hostess, Bogg choked on his stew and started coughing.
Jeff got up from the table and ran over to his partner's side. "Father are you ok?" Jeff asked as he slapped him on the back.
"Yes son…" Bogg reassured as he continued to cough and gasp. "I…I'm ok. I just had a bit of stew that went down the wrong way."
Once he realized Bogg was ok, Jeff walked back over and sat down at the table.
"Ma'am, to answer your question, Jeff's mom passed from this world some time ago." Bogg said sadly.
Sarah gasped. "Oh, I'm truly sorry. Did she not survive the voyage from the old country?"
"No ma'am, it was an accident involving a wagon."
"Phineas, could you and Jeffrey lend me a hand tomorrow." John interrupted. "I still have much left to finish."
"I'm sorry John." Bogg said with remorse. "We would love to help you, but we have other commitments tomorrow."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but I understand." John said with a hint of disappointment in his tone.
Bogg was now feeling a bit uncomfortable with this situation. He had finished his bowl of stew and now looked over at his partner.
"Jeff, it's getting late. I think we need to go and let these good people clean up and get some rest."
"But father, I haven't even finished eating yet." Jeff replied.
"Jeffrey!" Bogg said with a raised brow. "C'mon, let's go."
Jeff put down his spoon and took a gulp of water from his goblet. With a scowl on his face, he stood up, stomped over and stood next to his partner. He listened intently while Bogg attempted to make a hasty, yet courteous exit.
"John, Sarah, Elizabeth, it was a pleasure meeting you all and we thank you very much for the delicious meal you prepared. Unfortunately, we must now be on our way." Bogg explained graciously.
"It was a pleasure, Phineas." John replied. "I hope you will join us for dinner again in the future."
"Yes, thank you." Bogg assured as he opened the door. "Coming, Jeff."
Bogg and Jeff strolled out the door. John followed them as far as the edge of the porch and watched as the two walked down the street. Once they had disappeared into the darkness of the night, he went back inside and closed the door behind him. Quietly, he returned to his seat at the table and sat there with a puzzled look on his face.
"I can tell something is bothering you. John, pray tell me, what is it?" Sarah asked her husband.
He slowly raised his head and looked at his wife. "That was odd. I wonder what spooked them?"
By the dim light of a quarter moon, the two Voyagers ventured back to the little shed not too far from where they had landed. During their short walk, the only sound that could be heard was a lone owl screeching in a nearby tree. Jeff was far from pleased with their hasty exit and Bogg knew it all too well by the silent treatment he was getting. After a few minutes, Bogg couldn't bear the silence any longer and spoke up.
"Jeff…I…" Bogg said before being interrupted by his partner.
"Bogg, why did we have to leave so soon?" Jeff said impatiently. "I was really enjoying myself."
The two stopped in the middle of the dimly lit street. Bogg put a reassuring hand on Jeff's shoulder and tried his best to explain his actions.
"Kid, I know you weren't ready to leave yet." Bogg empathized. "I'm sorry we couldn't have stayed longer."
"You still haven't answered my question, Bogg." Jeff exclaimed. "Why DID we have to leave?"
"Let me explain. The main reason why we left so suddenly was Sarah was beginning to ask too many questions." Bogg replied patiently. "Didn't you hear her ask me about my wife? I was totally caught off guard by that one."
Jeff stood there, still miffed by Bogg's decision to leave, but in his mind he was beginning to realize what he had done was the correct course of action.
"Kid, you're not the only one that's disappointed about leaving." Bogg explained in a warm even tone. "I too was enjoying this experience. But, had we stuck around any longer, I'm sure we would have been asked some pretty awkward questions. Ones we wouldn't have been at liberty to answer."
After listening to his partner's explanation, Jeff's frustration with him had begun to subside. He looked up at Bogg and smiled a bit.
"Still mad at me kid?" Bogg asked.
Jeff breathed a sigh. "No Bogg. I'm not mad at you." Jeff reassured. "I understand the situation now. What you did was for the best and it had to be done."
Bogg put his arm around Jeff as they again continued to walk down the street.
"C'mon we need to get back to the shed and continue with our mission." Bogg urged. "We've got an appointment with the Pilgrims, you know."
Moments later the two arrived at the little shed and went inside. Bogg folded their street clothes, placed them in an empty burlap bag and handed the bag to his partner. , At this point, Bogg retrieved the omni from his belt and opened it.
"Ok, looks like we're got everything." He said as he scanned the room. "Next stop, a visit with the Pilgrims. What's the date, kiddo?"
"Hmmmm, Let's see now." Jeff thought. "Ok, got it! Plymouth, Massachusetts, December 21, 1620"
Bogg set the omni and with Jeff holding on to his arm, pressed the button.