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9a36b8c Things settled into a lazy pattern. School, chores, and long hours down by the river. Kiernan talked about the books he read sometimes, even loaned me a few. But I liked it better when he read to me or just told me the stories. The words were more real that way, more exciting. Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Ragged Dick, and all the others seemed flat and dull on the page, but Kiernan was good at making them come alive. the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
cdde906 "You need one of those recap sequences," Trey says. "Like, 'Hi, I'm Kate. Here are a few things you might need to know.'" Charlayne smiles. "Previously on ." "Or," Ben says, "' The Timeline So Far,' like on ." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
539ad58 "As I suspected, innuendo is even more effective at bringing on her blush, but the sly grin that follows close behind is a surprise. "You weren't supposed to be married back when you met her in 1776. Why didn't you arrange an invitation to her chamber?" "Um... because that would have blown my cover as an aspiring celibate." "It's your third trip to this region. If that cover's not already blown, you must be slipping." Her comment almost causes me to miss a step. I'd classed her as . She apparently catches my near-stumble, because a tiny little smile sneaks onto her lips." the-chronos-files the-gambit Rysa Walker
0272859 Each kid got a small allowance for helping with the harvests, and Kiernan would always head straight to the tobacco shop. Not for cigarettes. At first, he even threw the cigarettes away, but later he'd save them and sell them to the older kids to get enough money for another pack. Kiernan didn't want the smokes. He wanted the baseball cards. When we got back to the Farm, Kiernan would sketch out a baseball diamond in the dirt and we'd stage games with the players from the cards he collected. the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
4ebbbde "He said he doesn' have it. Pick on someone your own size." You could really hear the Irish in Kiernan's voice back then. I mean, you can still hear it, but it's more of a lilt when he's older. Back then, it was a full-on brogue." the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
6b6f0f3 "Where's Kiernan?" I asked. "He's with Brother Cyrus. Your turn." The blood drained from my face and I stepped back, toward the wall. One of the older women, Glory, had died from a heart attack the year before. At the burial, all of the adults patted each other on the back and said she was with Brother Cyrus now. The key suddenly felt like a lit coal in my hand, and I dropped it to the floor. Patrick must have realized what I was thinking from my expression. "No, stupid," he said, as he bent down to pick up the key. "He's not dead. He's Cyrus. In the future. He's fine. be fine." the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
ffc1228 "Well, I'm expecting great things from you, young man!" "Th-thank you, Brother Cyrus." As soon as he released my shoulders, I hurried over to the glass wall where Kiernan was sitting, frowning out at the ocean like it had done something to piss him off." the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
36d9e3e That surprised me. Not that it wasn't a damn good game. We saw it again, in fact, after he took up with Kate. Not that either of them paid much attention to what was going on down on the field. That was actually the day I had to accept that things had gone too far between the two of them. Otherwise, she never could have taken his mind off baseball. the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
fd53b27 "Take that and go play. I don't care if it takes a year. Get the boy out of your system and then get back here. We've got work to do." At the time, I thought Saul meant I needed to take some time to grow up. Get the boy out of my system and come back a man. But thinking back on that conversation a few years later, I'm pretty sure Saul believed there was something going on between me and Kier. I seriously doubt Saul ever had a relationship with anyone unless it would bring him sex or power. I'm not sure he understood anything else. But it wasn't ever like that with Kiernan, no matter what Saul thought. I had all kinds of half-siblings, full-siblings, too, maybe, but I never thought of them as family. None of them ever stood up for me in the play yard, although I guess many of them were actually younger than me, so maybe that wasn't a fair expectation. None of them played "kick the cones" with me, none of them taught me about baseball. That's the kind of thing brothers do. There was a whole big world out there to explore, and it would be a lot more fun exploring it together." the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
ca7206c Kiernan and baseball--it's like waving a carrot in front of a mule. Put tickets to a ballgame in front of Kiernan's face and he'll follow you pretty much wherever you want to go. After that first game we attended in 1905, it didn't take much for me to convince him to see another game in 1912, and then one in 1924, and so on. the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
44cdfbb "You ever heard that bit about don't look a gift horse in the mouth?" "I've heard it. Although the Trojans would have fared better with Athens if they had ignored that advice." I had to look up that reference when I got back to Saul's." the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
1ebfbb6 "Before you start what?" He shakes his head. "Not telling. You have to come and see." There's a mischievous light in his eyes, and in that moment he looks so very much like his eight-year-old self, waiting for my decision to hire him as a guide at the Expo. Who could say no to those big, dark puppy-dog eyes? I laugh. "Okay, okay. You win." And even though I don't want to give him false hope, I can tell from his smile that I have." the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
898e066 "She doesn't say anything for a few seconds. "Are you sure, Kate? A year is a long time, especially at your age." "True. It would be a shame for you to miss my first step." She rolls her eyes. "You know what I mean." the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
af582e8 "We both look up as Katherine, Connor, and Dad enter the kitchen. Kiernan tries to be polite and stand, but I'm on the outside of the bench, and the table has him wedged in, so the most he can manage is a half crouch, which looks terribly uncomfortable. I grab the back of his shirt and tug him back down to the bench. "Dad, Connor, this is Kiernan. Katherine, you've already met." "He's changed quite a bit in the past thirteen years, however," she says. "And I suspect that I've changed even more in the past five decades." Kiernan returns her smile. "It's good to see you again." Dad steps forward and shakes Kiernan's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." "My privilege, Mr. Keller." "It's Harry, please. You saved my daughter's life, so I think we can dispense with the formalities." I've rarely seen Kiernan blush, but he does now, and then he nods. "Harry, then. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Connor follows Dad's lead and steps forward to take Kiernan's hand. "I'm Connor Dunne. And you can call me Mr. Dunne." There's a slight twinkle in Connor's eye, so I think he's joking. But whether he meant it that way or not, Kiernan laughs. "The hell I will, sonny boy. You need to show your elders the proper respect, or I'll take you behind the barn and give you a good strapping." Connor snorts. "No barn, and I'd love to see you try." the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
0f47951 "Connor follows Dad's lead and steps forward to take Kiernan's hand. "I'm Connor Dunne. And you can call me Mr. Dunne." There's a slight twinkle in Connor's eye, so I think he's joking. But whether he meant it that way or not, Kiernan laughs. "The hell I will, sonny boy. You need to show your elders the proper respect, or I'll take you behind the barn and give you a good strapping." Connor snorts. "No barn, and I'd love to see you try." the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
3539857 "I fake an annoyed look at his interruption. "As I was saying, your ego doesn't need to be inflated." But as I say the words, I realize that I don't think they're true. Every now and then I catch him watching me at an unguarded moment, and his eyes are so vulnerable I almost feel like I'm looking at his eight-year-old self. He clearly enjoys the banter back and forth, however, and we seem to drop into that routine naturally." the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
65a426e "And I'm just thinking he doesn't have the right to guilt-trip me about this when he says, "I'm not out to make you feel bad. You were upset, and it's only natural you'd seek out comfort. It's just . . ." "You needed comfort, too." "Yeah. I'm not asking you to hold my hand and tuck me into bed at night, not that I'll argue if you find yourself so inclined. But we're partners until this is over, and I'd like to think that you at least consider me a friend--oh, Kate, don't cry, okay? You look like a shamed pup, and I never want to make you feel that way. If you cry, I'll end up crying, too." the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
37bbba9 Kiernan doesn't answer. He just turns toward the door and walks out, limping. He bangs both the cabin door and the porch door on his way out. Pretty sad for someone who seems to think he's being the adult here. the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
c022b28 "Not bad," he said. "Chewy and sweet, too. They sell these in New York?" I nodded, washing it down with lemonade. That wasn't where Connor had bought it, but I was pretty sure they sold them in New York and pretty much anywhere else in the country, although definitely not in 1893. I wondered how much Kiernan knew about the CHRONOS key from his time on the Cyrist farm, and what his reaction would be if I told him he was eating something purchased by his great-grandson." -- the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
e2a4952 The mistakes of one generation build upon the mistakes of the next and you get a society that no one really wanted. the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
0ec8b8b Kiernan. I had a sudden memory of the small, scuffed-up shoe I'd seen just before I fell. He must have snatched the bracelet when the crowd gathered around me. If I managed to get out, I resolved to give him every last penny I had and cover his little face with kisses. the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
a61555a "Miss Kate!" Kiernan exclaimed, pointing. "What happened to your toes?" "What?" I glanced down, half expecting to see a leech or a cut or some other trauma, but there was nothing odd. "What are you talking about?" "Your toenails. They're all --it looks like blood!" "Oh," I laughed. "That's just nail polish. It's chipped off in a few places." "It looks like paint." Kiernan sniffed disapprovingly. I sighed. This was one of the anachronisms that Katherine would probably have caught as I prepared to leave. Did young women paint their nails in the 1890s? Had nail polish even been invented yet? I had no clue. "Well, it is paint, sort of," I said. "Me mom says..." He shook his head and fell silent. "What does your mom say, Kiernan?" He didn't answer. "No, really, I won't be angry. What does she say?" "She says only whores wear paint," he said, staring down at the grass. "They usually wear it on their faces, though. I never even heard of painted toes." the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
c7d83a4 And with that, he began walking at a rapid clip toward the Sixtieth Street station. Several members of the crowd I'd just pushed my way through came over to help me up, and one rather gallant gentleman, who was eighty if he was a day, tottered a few steps after Simon, shouting and shaking a fist in the air. the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
9acc815 "Kiernan hoists one of the bags and slips the strap over my shoulder. I grab the other one, and soon I'm loaded like a pack mule, lugging two bulky military duffels in addition to my backpack. Trey leans down to give me a goodbye kiss, but his lips are quivering with barely suppressed laughter. "What?" "You should see yourself. The toga, the sandals, and now this. You look like a short Greek Rambo." "Athena, Goddess of Modern War," Kiernan cracks as they get into the car. And now they're both laughing. I pull up the stable point and blink out, now completely certain that the two of them riding in the same car was a very bad idea." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
2efdada "Kiernan spins around nervously, eyes flicking between the door we just entered and one at the other end of the room. "You forgot to mention the guards. , Pru!" "Why? You've got a gun. And Evie says your friend there is a baby ninja." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
100dfd1 Mom says I should erase it. That this present is our reality and everything on this little drive is fiction. She may be right. But there's plenty of truth in fiction. the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
8d84663 "I'm not sure why he's flustered until I realize there are now five of us and the table is set for four. Pru waves her hand dismissively. "Don't bother. The dark-haired one is just my bodyguard. He can stand." Kiernan seems entirely unfazed by the comment, but her tone pisses me off." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
01df34c "And don't get all pissy if they laugh at you." "Why should I take it personally? I didn't pick this costume, so they'll be laughing at you, not me." A faint ghost of his old grin surfaces, but disappears almost immediately." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
7b76258 "The manager rolls his eyes. "Sorry, miss, already picked my dozen--" "So make it a baker's dozen," someone yells from the back. "Bet she can't hit the bloody nail anyway. Give us somethin' to laugh at." That voice is clearly Kiernan's, and most of the men chuckle. - Kiernan comes back about ten minutes later and takes his seat. "Good work." I snort. "Don't give me that. I heard you back there." "Just seeding the crowd. A time-honored practice among showmen and politicians alike." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
356ae52 "I toss the formal dress from 1905 onto the chair next to him. He glances up, removing the headphones. "Did you decide to do a bit of shopping in London?" I give him a wry smile. "Does this look like something I'd buy? Your great-grandfather picked it out." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
2030c45 "Kiernan, the less you know, the better. You're always telling me to just trust you and do what you're asking, and I do--" He snorts. "When it suits you." "Okay, but I do when it seems important. And this is really, really important." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
4b5b542 "I'm not following any of this, you know. Beecher who?" "Henry Ward Beecher." Another slug from the bottle. "He's a preacher. Hey, that rhymes." Well, that answers any questions about whether the alcohol is working." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
59159fe Victoria Woodhull and her sister were the 1870s equivalent of the Kardashian sisters. the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
1536cc9 "And then I had to jump back and get my gun. I thought it was in your room." I glare at him. " gun was in my room. Yours wasn't, because this afternoon." "Because I couldn't find it in your--" the-chronos-files time-s-edge Rysa Walker
31a16d4 "A few seconds later, I heard Katherine's voice from below. "Kate, you have a gentleman caller." I rolled my eyes. "How is it that a grandmother from the twenty-fourth century sounds like she's from a Charles Dickens novel?" Connor shrugged. "Maybe both eras seem like ancient history to her. Could you tell me the difference between what they called a boyfriend in 1620 and in 1820?" This time I gave in to the temptation to stick out my tongue, and Connor surprised me by actually laughing." the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
0de8190 "He shrugged. "Yeah, but me dad said th' only way to learn is t' ask questions. An' it's hard to do that with buttoned-up lips. Anyway, I c'n tell that one you're followin' is a bad bloke. He has those eyes. He always give me the evil look when he comes up that hill, kinda like you did this mornin', but I could tell you was jus' scared. Not mean." "I was scared," I said. "'Course you were," he replied matter-of-factly. "You're new here and followin' some bad guy. But you got a good guide now, so you'll get your story and then your boss'll be happy, right?" It seemed pointless to argue with an eight-year-old kid, especially when he was essentially correct, so I just buttoned my lip and followed." the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
5384697 "I always dreamed 'bout ridin' the big wheel," Mick added, looking down at his shoes with a plaintive expression. "But me mom needs all the money I c'n make." He glanced around at the others and then back at me. Those big brown eyes--with long black lashes that were going to make him a real heartbreaker in a few years--were all the more effective because they were still brimming with tears from the ear twist. "But it's okay, Miss Kate. I don' wanna make no trouble for you." the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
8920377 "But oh, me mom is gonna be madder'n bloody hell." It clicked then, with his last two words, and I realized why I'd had the touch of deja vu earlier when he rubbed his temples. I probably would have recognized those eyes earlier, but when I had seen them before--both through the medallion and on the Metro--they had burned with a type of passion that the little boy in front of me wouldn't understand for several years." the-chronos-files timebound Rysa Walker
3cd780b I nearly miss it, given Tate's need for speed, but as we zip by the guy in the alley, I catch a brief glimpse of his face. It's Kiernan. How did he get out before we did when he was behind us? A few seconds after we pass, Kiernan darts out of the alley, but he can't keep up. Usain Bolt couldn't keep up with Tate. the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
cf336f2 "Do you still have the tux you wore as Boudini?" "It's in the loft at the cabin. Why?" "You'll need it in order to pose as a server. Unless you'd rather be a male companion?" "No thanks." An evil little part of me is dying to say he has more experience as a companion, given his time with Prudence, but I bat it down." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
0c37ff1 "I don't know anything for certain. You and I could both explode in the next two seconds. Or the swimming pool over there could have a clone of the Loch Ness monster swimmin' about on the bottom, ready to spring out and have us for a midnight snack." He's trying to make me laugh, but I'm tired enough and jumpy enough that I cast a wary glance at the pool before looking back at him." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
18b2d2a "One in particular catches my eye, because I've met him, and also his father. "You're kidding me? The little guy who came over on the boat last week? He's a baby!" Okay, not a baby , and I guess it was only last week from my perspective. Simon finally convinced the elder Kiernan Dunne to bring his family over from Ireland. I helped, mostly by spending a few minutes talking to the woman, Cliona. She seemed a little in awe of me, probably because Simon was laying on the Sister Prudence stuff really thick. I told Cliona about the Farm up near Chicago--one of the five we have in the US now--and how there was plenty of work for them, and plenty of food. The kid clutching her skirts couldn't have been much more than four, a dark-eyed little guy who didn't say much. He didn't look like he'd been eating much lately either. "A baby?" Older-Me rolls her eyes. "Do you know how stupid that sounds? By all means, jump forward to when he's eighty if that's what turns you on. You saw him back at the Cyrus Teed resurrection, didn't you? He's growing up nicely." the-chronos-files time-s-mirror Rysa Walker
c5da801 The Kiernan kid was there when it happened, near the back of the barn. He'd been hanging out earlier with a younger version of Simon and this electrical engineer we recruited. Kiernan helped them set up the lighting so that I'd look all ethereal and otherworldly. I saw Kiernan's face after those people slit their throats to show their devotion to Cyrus. The boy's mouth hung open and he just stared at the bodies, as huge tears rolled down his cheeks. Seeing him there, seeing someone else looking the way I felt--I think that's the only reason I was able to hold it together until I got out of there. the-chronos-files time-s-mirror Rysa Walker
6f85450 "So why didn't he vanish?" Charlayne nods toward Kiernan. "After Max took his key, he should have disappeared, right?" "I would have," Kiernan says, "except someone was wise enough to give me a backup when I was eight. This isn't the first time it's saved me." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
cf89fef Charlayne is in front of me, holding a rifle identical to the one in my hand, raised to shoulder height and pointed at Kiernan, who's sitting on the bed. He looks more bored than afraid. the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
ab47998 "But then he rolls his eyes and gives me a half smile. "Fine. But if you must give me the Mark of the Beast, at least put it where I don't have to see it constantly." "Such as?" "If we want to be in keeping with what I think of the damned symbol, I'll drop trou and you can stamp it on my ass. But in the interest of propriety . . ." He rolls up his left sleeve, and I stamp the inside of his arm." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
34390e0 "The manager is busy, and our policy is absolute. No respectable establishment--" The man breaks off in midsentence about the time I feel a hand on my elbow. Kiernan leans in and plants a quick kiss on my cheek. "So sorry to leave you stranded, dearest. You were right--my notecase was lying on the bed, right where I left it. Don't they have a table?" The maitre d' lets out a relieved sigh. "My apologies, sir. Your . . . wife . . . failed to tell me you would be joining her. Please follow me." "I do hope she wasn't battering you with the whole women's rights routine. If so, you have my sympathies. I hear it day in and day out." Two middle-aged men at the table we're walking past seem to find Kiernan's comment amusing. One barks out a cloud of foul-smelling smoke as he laughs. There's this scene in an old martial arts film I watched with Charlayne once upon a time in that faraway reality where the Cyrists and CHRONOS were of no concern. Jackie Chan, or maybe it was Bruce Lee, single-handedly took out every man in the restaurant. While I'm under no illusions that I could actually do that, the feminist inside me would dearly love to try right now." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
d50feb1 "Kiernan reaches to pull out my chair, but I beat him to it and then nudge the chair across from me out about six inches with my foot. He pulls it out the rest of the way and says, "Thank you, dearest," in a droll tone before retreating behind the menu." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
a56c71b "Kiernan leans forward. "I'm guessing that's because you make it work, Mr. Houdini. Maybe that's how you manage . . ." He pauses when my kick lands on his shin, but finishes the sentence anyway. ". . . some of your more elaborate escapes." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
fa79234 "You see, I've read Mr. Grumbine's treatise on auras, and while it does depend on the shade, a green aura can be a mark of deception or dishonesty." I shoot Kiernan a smug glance. While I'm certain this aura stuff is total bunk, he and Prudence both see the light as green. "Does this Mr. Grumbine say anything about blue auras?" "Again, it depends on the shade. But it's usually associated with truth." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
e6065e8 "Kiernan gives him a suspicious look. "You performed at the Expo?" "Yes," Bess answers. "Along with his brother, Dash. They headlined as The Brothers Houdini on the Midway Plaisance." "Really?" Kiernan shakes his head. "I was there as well. For the run. I knew every headliner on the Midway." Houdini eyes shift slightly. "Well, we weren't exactly headliners, but yes, we did perform at the Fair." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
5a9621e I pull my T-shirt over my face and am about to plunge in when it occurs to me that I'm approaching this, as Kiernan would say, far too linearly. the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
780e9ad Even though I can't hear or see it from this distance, I know that Katherine and my younger self are currently having a brief, nearly silent squabble over who goes through the window first. I'd promised Kate that I'd get her grandmother back to safety, and I took that promise seriously. On the other hand, I was used to getting my bottom whacked if I argued with my elders. And since Katherine's expression suggested she might just toss me out the window if I didn't go willingly, I didn't hesitate long before following her orders. splinter the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
7569dfa An annoyed huff when he sees Trey suggests Max considers him an add-on rather than true Fifth Column. But he probably thinks the same about me. Too bad we can't just step aside and let Max save the day. the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
fce3e25 Verse after verse follows, her voice rising to a crescendo and then falling, only to rise again with a new passage, each echoing the same refrain. I never realized how many verses of the Bible boil down to, the-chronos-files the-gambit Rysa Walker
d8321fe "He pushes his chair back and goes to the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" "Yes. I'm thinking Kentucky Fried Rooster." There's another chorus of cock-a-doodle-doo just as I finish speaking, and he laughs. "Henry's just doing his job, love." the-chronos-files time-s-divide Rysa Walker
a2d91f2 Kate has been in here every few days for the past eighteen months or so. Helped him behind the counter on many occasions. They flirt shamelessly with each other, and threaten to leave me and Amelia behind so that they can run off to Niagara Falls together. Jess has asked about Kate each time I've stopped by the past few days. splinter the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
c23d58f "Kate, please. You have to focus. I've pulled up a stable point, love. Just slide your fingers over it and go. I'll be right behind you. I promise." That promise is a lie in one sense, but hopefully, she'll never know it. Six will be there." splinter the-chronos-files Rysa Walker
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