Page 45 of Kiss Across the Universe
“He can probably do that no matter where I am,” Alannah pointed out. “But if I keep moving…”
“I need a moment to think this through.”
“You haven’t been doing that already?”
“I was…distracted,” he admitted grimly. “You said you can jump anywhere you want. Any time and place, I presume that means.”
“No one can access the timescape the way Aran and Marit and I can.”
He gave her another thoughtful look. “That’s a conversation for another time.Time.” He let out a breath. “Look, we both agree that Iron Grey probably can’t jump through time by himself, yes? That’s why he wanted you?”
“Agreed,” Alannah said. Into her mind flashed an image of the flesh colored box with its mohawk of needles.
“So even if he can locate you the way he did the first time, he can’t reach you easily?”
Alannah said cautiously, “If he’s from the future, he probably accessed highly detailed historical records to figure out where I would be. Those sorts of records—detailed records of the past—don’t exist here and now.”
“We’re making those records for the future, every day,” Kit said, his tone thought-filled. “The internet, every photo we take with our phones. Everyone is a historian now.”
“Yes,” Alannah agreed.
“So anywhere out of his physical reach would be safe?” Kit asked.
“Well…” She sighed. “It would be safe fromhim.”
Kit tilted his head. “Because travelling to any time but our own is high risk…” he finished. “Yes?”
“Yes,” she said flatly.
He nodded. “So, we go back to our own time.”
“Where Iron Grey is. You said he’d reacquire me.”
“Not if I’m with you,” Kit replied.
She bent forward and coughed. Hard. Her eyes were watering. “We have to go,” she wheezed, waving the smoke away from her face.
Kit cleared his throat. “Can you take us back to the moment we left?”
“Sure. But he’ll be there still.”
“Not if you take us back to my truck. He’ll be two kilometers to the west.”
She stared at him. “Your truck. The one without gas?’
“That one,” he agreed. “Can you do that? Right time, different place?”
She rolled her eyes. “I said I was good.”
“I know. What Idon’tknow are the limitations of time travel. I didn’t even know it was a reality until a few minutes ago, so give me a break.”
Alannah looked at him. Noticed the furrow between his brows.Stress, she realized. “You’re right,” she admitted. “Sorry.”
His furrow cleared away. He seemed startled. “Okay, then. I’m guessing you have to be touching me in some way to take us both back…?”
She nodded. “My parents first learned about time travel because of a kiss.” She held up a finger. “We know now that kissing isn’t necessary.”
Kit didn’t look abashed, or upset or even disappointed. Instead, he just looked thoughtful. “But close contactisnecessary…” he concluded.
