The Historians
Chapter 6
Kitty was opening all her packages and hanging the new clothes in the two closets she had found in the bedroom. There was also a chest of drawers for items that would not hang.
She heard the door open.
"That you Matt?"
"Yes Kitty," he headed towards the bedroom to find her. "Who else were you expecting?"
"Looks like you had fun this afternoon," he comments as he surveys the clothes still on the bed and in the open closet.
"I got some stuff for you too, I figured you would need a change of clothes before long."
She shows him the 'Wranglers', the dress pants and the two shirts she found for him. Then she giggles and hands him the boxer shorts.
He looks at them from different angles, carefully examining the elasticated waist.
"They're called boxer shorts," she tells him. "I have it on good authority that all the best guys wear them." He returns her look.
"Mebe," he says, not convinced. "Whatever happened to my union suit?"
"They don't have those here. Thank goodness," she added. She thought about the little outfit she had hidden and intended to wear tonight and smiled.
A buzzer interrupted their discussion. To begin with they looked at each other, then Kitty remembered how Thomas had shown them how to let a visitor in the front door. She pressed the small button on the device on the wall and the small screen lit up. She could see their friend standing there and pressed the green button to let him in. Shortly afterwards he reached their apartment door and as he entered they noticed that he was carrying a large flat box.
"Pizza," he answered their unasked question.
He opened the box and the smell was enticing. They sat around the table and watched as Thomas showed them how to eat the famous food. It didn't take long before the box was empty.
"I need to explain some of these other gadgets to you before we go much further. and at some point I am going to have to teach you to drive, Matt."
Taking the envelope from the safe once more, he shows them how to use the cell phones and programs the devices with several useful numbers, including each others. He explains texting and tells them how useful it can be. The last thing he needs to explain is an ipad. Maybe that should wait.
Matt and Kitty are experimenting sending texts.
"How does all this work," asks Matt. "How do my messages get to Kitty's…" he has to think of the word, "phone."
"I have no idea," Thomas replies, "but it does and it makes life much easier."
"One other question, whet is a private jet?"
Thomas laughs, "How did you come across that?"
Matt explains how he met Allen Cranbourne and how they are going to a place called Cornwall tomorrow.
"He told me it was about 250 miles from here, but we would go there and back in a day – by private jet."
Thomas put his head in his hands, grinning. "I have no idea how to explain this to you. Now I understand why the Historians don't usually send people forward in time. About 25 or 30 years after I was there in Dodge with you, the Wright brothers, I believe in your state of North Carolina achieved powered flight. They actually built a machine that a man could sit in and fly. From there it was not long before airplanes got bigger and better. People could fly from one country to another, even one continent to another. The next advance was the jet engine which was much more powerful than the propeller engines used up until then. You are going to fly to Cornwall Matt.
"You mean leave the ground."
Thomas nodded. "Just pretend you have done it many times before. In your country, people fly from city to city all the time, so it wouldn't be something new to you. And remember you would have had to fly to get here if the Historians hadn't arranged it."
"I'll do my best. We were planning to walk over to the hospital and check on Doc."
"I'm going that way myself. As far as I know he is doing well and Jennifer thinks he will be waking up soon. By the way," he turns to Kitty, "did you ladies enjoy your shopping this afternoon."
She smiles to herself thinking of the little nighttime outfit she bought. "Oh yes we certainly did."
Doc was still asleep when they got to his room. Kitty took his hand and started talking to him.
"Doc it's Kitty and Matt, aren't you gonna wake up and talk to us."
It seemed he stirred a little, squeezed Kitty's hand, but did not say anything. At least he wasn't fevered now and seemed to be improving.
They stayed about an hour and then headed back to the apartment.
Kitty put her hand through Matt's arm as they crossed the street, strange she thought, that all this stuff was beginning to seem normal to them both.
"So how was your afternoon?" She asked him. "And what is this about flying?"
He told her about Allen Cranbourne, how they would be going to a place where smugglers used to hang out. He would be leaving early in the morning but should be back by evening. She couldn't help but worry. Matt didn't understand the ways of this world they found themselves in.
"I'll be fine," he assures her. "Allen is a good man. Just stay with Doc in case he wakes up and starts asking questions."
She smiles just imagining what their friend will say when he finds out when and where he is.
The apartment seems warm and welcoming when they return. Kitty had found a bottle of brandy in a small cupboard in the sideboard. There were brandy snifters in one of the kitchen cabinets. She poured two shots and brought them to the couch.
They sat sipping the amber liquid, gradually winding down after a hectic day for each of them. Matt was somewhat excited – but at the same time a little concerned about this flying he was going to do tomorrow.
After a while he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him.
"This'll all work out just fine Kitty. Don't worry – we'll be back in Dodge before you know it."
They sat there for a while – each in their own thoughts.
"I'm going to get ready for bed Matt. All that shopping made me tired."
"I'll be there in a minute."
He sits thinking as he takes the last few sips of brandy. What could he possibly know that would help these people. It seemed that things had changed so much since his time, he felt so far behind. Finally he puts his glass down and heads for the bedroom.
He opens the door quietly to find dimmed lights and Kitty emerging from the bathroom wearing something he can barely think of words to describe.
"You like it Matt? Jennifer said it was something fun to entertain my good looking man."
The little silky jacket tied with a small string across her cleavage only just reached her hips, and as she swirled around it flared open to reveal some very scanty garment that barely covered the essentials of life.
Kitty was pleased to note that he was at a loss for words.
"I.. er .. hope you're not planning to leave the bedroom in that."
"No way Mister, you and I are staying right here. I am thinking that 2012 has a lot to be said for it."
TBC