Page 21 of Time for You
“How do we know that for sure?” Daphne asked.
“Um, because time travel isn’t real? Once you eliminate wrong answers, you have to go with whatever’s left. Which is apparently magic.”
“Are we sure it’s not a multiverse? Shouldn’t we putEverything Everywhere All at Onceback on the list?” Vibol asked.
“You’re just saying that because you’re in love with Michelle Yeoh and want an excuse to watch her again,” Michelle called from the other side of the room.
“Who wouldn’t be?” he asked.
“So those are not books?” Henry asked.
“Movies. Plays, but you watch them on a screen,” Ellie explained. She was sitting across the table, scrolling through astrology websites. “You said your birthday was January 5?” She was typing into her phone, face screwed up in thought. “What year again?”
“1856. How will this help?”
“It’s a long shot, but I’ll do your chart and see if that might have anything to do with it.” At his blank look, Ellie hastened to explain. “Your star chart. You’re a Capricorn, but knowing the rest of your whole chart might help if there’s a supernatural element.”
“And nothing like, brought you here, right?” Michelle asked. “No ... ships?”
“As I said, I was walking, and I saw a shimmer in the air, and then I was here.”
“I can confirm that,” Daphne chimed in. “He just appeared out of thin air.”
“Which means no time-travel device, got it,” Vibol said, and crossed outBill & Tedwith a sad look on his face.
“Which means we’re talking about a portal, not something man-made. Have we considered ley lines?” Ellie suggested.
“The hell are ley lines?” Brittany asked.
“Explain them to me like I’m five,” Daphne asked.
“Magic places. Spots where there’s a thinner veil between our world and supernatural forces. They crisscross the world, and some junctions are believed to have stronger powers than others.”
“Wouldn’t people be randomly time-traveling all the time, then?”
“For one thing, we don’t know they’re not,” Ellie replied. “But there’s probably a confluence of factors, like moon position, his star sign, that sort of thing. It’ll take some research, though.”
“How long might that take? I wouldn’t want to impose upon your hospitality too long,” Henry said. “Unless—would it be breaking some sort of twenty-first-century taboo if I stayed with Vibol?”
“No taboo, I just only have a studio. One room, that’s it,” Vibol said. “I’m a cuddler, but don’t really want to spend however long sharing a bed with you, and I’m assuming you don’t, either.”
“I see. How long is the other flat open?”
“Helen’s not back for over a month, so we’ve got time,” Daphne said.
“I certainly hope it won’t take that long.”
“I’ll go as fast as I can, but it’ll take at least a few days, maybe a week?” Ellie was standing next to her, but Henry only made eye contact with Daphne.
“Then it seems you must put up with me for another week.”
Chapter Eight
Slowly their friends trickled out the door. Vibol had a shift to get ready for, and Michelle had promised her uncle she would drop by that afternoon. Brittany’s excuse was that she had to go back to her apartment and sleep since she hadn’t gotten much the night before. Henry fortunately didn’t seem to understand the implication there, at least.
But before they left, they had decided on a few things, mainly that Henry was obviously staying for at least a little while, so he needed to blend in better. That meant new clothes, but before Vibol would agree to loan Henry anything, he had to shower.
Ellie had taken the bull by the horns while Vibol went upstairs to get something that would fit Henry. They were approximately the same height, although Henry was somewhat broader in the shoulders. “Now you’re going to take a shower,” Ellie explained.
