He entered the laundry room, found the large bag of dog food with a scoop inside, pocketed two treats and a bone, and then stepped outside. Bear looked at him with suspicion, but did not back away. The dog’s eyes flicked hopefully to the scoop in Teddy’s hand.

  “Here you go, buddy.”

  He poured the contents into the dog bowl, and Bear trotted over with a wag of his tail, and began to eat. As the dog crunched bits of kibble, Teddy sat down. His carport had a red picnic table. This one had a series of aluminum lawn chairs. Other than that, they were the same. He shuddered, thinking about the last time he’d been here. The cement platform had been covered under a thick, wriggling layer of worms. And then later, with water.

  This was where he’d died. Right here, on this slab.

  He glanced out at the tool shed, which occupied the same spot it had on his world. He shivered again, remembering he and Carl confronting the giant worm that had been inside.

  “There are no more worms now,” he muttered. “We fixed that. No more worms, ever again.”

  He noticed that the shed needed a new roof, or at least a patching. He wondered about the possibility of getting LeHorn and Sarah to agree to waiting long enough for him to repair it. He didn’t relish the thought of climbing around up there at his age and with these achy knees and joints, but he figured he could manage. It needed doing.

  Something brushed against his hand. Teddy glanced down in surprise and saw Bear, sitting on his haunches next to him. The dog’s tongue lolled from his mouth, and his ears were up.

  Teddy chuckled. “You like me now, huh?”

  Bear wagged his tail in agreement.

  “Well, then,” Teddy whispered. “I got something else you might like.”

  Bear’s eyes followed his hand as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the treats. He scattered them across the carport and the dog wolfed them down, and then turned back to him for more. Laughing, Teddy produced the rawhide bone. Bear grew visibly excited at the sight. Teddy tossed it overhand out into the yard. It landed near the shed. As Bear happily darted after it, Teddy’s eyes were once again drawn to the roof. Then he stared up at the sky.

  “Yes, indeed,” he said. “I’m fixing to fix everything, in time. I just hope I have the time to do so.”

  Despite the sun, a cool breeze blew over him, and Teddy shivered a third time.

  WHEN HE CAME BACK INSIDE, Teddy found that both Earl and Sarah were awake, and seated at the kitchen table, while Rose bustled about in the kitchen. The aroma of bacon filled the room as it sizzled and popped on the stove, and coffee percolated on the counter.

  Earl nodded. “Howdy, Teddy. You sleep well?”

  “Best sleep I’ve had in ages.” He crossed the room and moved up behind Rose at the stove. He placed his arms around her waist and gave her a kiss on the head. “Although I reckon I could have stayed in bed all day today.”

  Blushing, Rose smiled and slipped away from his grasp. “Go sit down. You know I don’t like people getting underfoot when I’m cooking.”

  Grinning, Teddy did as requested, and pulled out a chair across the table from Sarah. She smiled at him.

  “You must have slept well, too,” Teddy observed.

  “I did,” she confirmed. “But that’s not why I’m smiling.”

  “Oh?”

  Sarah shook her head. “I’ve never seen you this happy. It’s like…I’m finally seeing the real you. Who you really are, when we’re not fighting giant worms or shark men.”

  Teddy opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, they heard footsteps coming down the hall. A moment later, LeHorn peeked his head into the kitchen. His face was still puffy from sleep, and his hair was askew in a way that reminded Teddy of the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson. It had looked ridiculous on the politician, but on LeHorn, it was sort of endearing.

  “Morning, Nelson.”

  “Good morning, folks. Mrs. Garnett. Is that bacon I smell?”

  “It is. And call me Rose. Have a seat.”

  LeHorn pulled out a chair and sank into it with a sigh. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I had bacon.”

  “There’s eggs and rye toast to go with it,” Rose said.

  “Rose, can I do anything to help you?” Sarah asked.

  “No, dear. You sit a spell and wake up.”

  “Really,” Sarah insisted, pushing back her chair and getting to her feet. “I don’t mind.”

  “Well, okay. The coffee is done. If you could get those while I finish up here, I’d be much obliged. I take mine with milk and Teddy drinks his black. Or at least he used to.”

  “Still do,” Teddy replied.

  “Black for me as well, please,” Earl said.

  “Just a little sugar,” LeHorn said, “if you have it.”

  Sarah grinned. “You can get up and give me a hand, Nelson.”

  He winked. “That’s just what I was planning to do.”

  Once breakfast was served, they all sat at the table together. True to Rose’s word, there were mounds of scrambled eggs with diced green and red peppers, and an overflowing plate piled high with crisp bacon. Teddy bit into one with relish. His wife had always had a knack for fixing bacon just right—crispy to the point of almost, but not quite, being burned. There were also blueberries, strawberries, rye toast, coffee, and milk. They talked while they ate. Rose told Sarah and LeHorn stories about Teddy, and Earl and Rose caught Teddy up on all the gossip and doings of people he knew. Eventually, the conversation turned to the Old Home Week celebration.

  “You two will have fun,” Teddy promised Sarah and LeHorn.

  LeHorn wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’m sure we will. We used to have the same, back in Pennsylvania. It was always neat, seeing folks come back to visit for a weekend.”

  “Seems almost like…” Earl paused. “I can’t think of the word.”

  They all stared at him, expectantly. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and his expression brightened.

  “Karma. That’s the word I was looking for. Or karmic, maybe? I dunno. I barely made it out of high school. But whichever is the right word…Old Home Week is all about people returning to the community, and celebrating that. And here you are, Teddy.”

  Teddy sighed. “I reckon there’s a big part of me that would love to go for an hour or two. It’d be nice to see Carl again, and some of the other folks. But I’d rather spend what time we have here with Rose.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “And besides, y’all are right. Me being back from the dead would probably be a shock to most folks. There’s no way to hide my face.”

  “There are ways,” LeHorn said, “but sadly, I never learned any of them. We’d need Bloom or Lucifer or maybe the Exit to accomplish something like that.”

  They fell silent for a moment.

  “I wonder how they’re doing?” Sarah said.

  LeHorn shrugged. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

  “And you’re sure about Lucifer being alive?” Teddy asked.

  LeHorn hesitated. “I mean…am I one hundred percent positive? No. It could be some kind of trick. But I think he is. Once we’ve regrouped with the others, our first order of business should be to track him down.”

  “Can you do that?”

  LeHorn nodded.

  “Well,” Teddy said, “I’m in no hurry to leave, and y’all promised me a day with my wife, so go have fun. Our friends are all fine, I’m sure, as is Lucifer. They can wait a little bit longer.”

  AS THEY ATE Sarah watched the interactions between Teddy and Rose, and her heart was very full. The love the two had for each other was so very clear, and it made her all the sadder, not only because soon the two would be parted again, but also because she had never experienced a similar love in her own life. The closest she’d come was Steph, whom Sarah had met at a protest march when she was twenty-five. Steph was older, and more self-assured than Sarah had been, and in many ways, she’d been a teacher more than an equal partner. But Sarah had loved her fully, and their break up had left her devastated for over a year. She chewed a scrap of bacon thoughtfully, and wondered if this world had a version of Steph, and if so, what it would be like to meet her. Had they been a couple here in this reality? Or had they never met?

  When breakfast was finished, Earl excused himself to go home and quickly shower and put on fresh clothes.

  “A shower sounds good,” LeHorn said.

  “You’re welcome to it,” Rose told him. “There’s clean towels and washcloths in the linen closet there at the end of the hall. I can’t help you much with fresh clothes, though, I’m afraid. I don’t think Teddy’s will fit you.”

  “That’s okay,” LeHorn replied. “Just getting clean will be refreshing enough.”

  Sarah stood up and began to clear the dishes from the table.

  “Here, dear,” Rose said, slowly getting to her feet. “I’ll get those. You sit back down and relax.”

  “Not a chance,” Sarah said. “You’ve been kind enough to open your home to us, and make us breakfast. The least I can do is the dishes.”

  Teddy grinned. “She’s not going to let you do it, Sarah. If you’re lucky, she might let you help, though.”

  Rose nodded. “You can help. Just put them all in the sink.”

  “No dishwasher?” Sarah asked.

  Rose shook her head. “I don’t like them. They don’t get the dishes as clean as I do.”

  Still grinning, Teddy patted his stomach and then stood up. “I know better than to get in the way. Reckon I’ll step outside for a minute.”

  Rose scowled. “You’re going to have a dip, aren’t you?”

  “No. I told you, I quit tobacco. Haven’t had a dip in…well, it’s been a long while. But I would like to walk the yard, and maybe down into the forest a bit. I never figured I’d see any of it again, and now that I’m here…” He shrugged. “Well, I missed it. Not as much as you, of course, but…”

  Rose hugged him. “Go ahead. Sarah and I will talk about you while you’re gone.”

  “Reckoned you would.”

  They gave each other a quick peck on the lips and then Teddy went outside. After he’d closed the door, they heard him talking to Bear. His voice was muffled, but they realized that he’d snuck the last piece of bacon out for the dog.

  Rose smiled. “That man never changes.”

  “He really is something, isn’t he?” Sarah smiled, as well, carrying dishes to the sink. “They don’t make them like him anymore. You’re a lucky woman, Rose.”

  “I was. Or, I mean, I am.” She paused, flustered. “I’m sorry. This coming back from the dead thing takes some getting used to.”

  Sarah carefully placed the dishes in the sink. “I can imagine. And it must be doubly hard…knowing that he has to leave again.”

  Rose joined her by the sink, and turned the water on. Then she sighed. “It is. It surely is. But I feel better knowing he has you and Nelson to look after him. And he loves you. I can tell.”

  Sarah smiled. “I love him, too. I wish he was my grandfather.”

  “He treats you the way he treated our grandkids.”

  “They were pretty lucky, then.”

  “We all were.” Rose tested the water temperature with her finger. Then she stopped up the sink, added a squirt of detergent, and let the suds rise. “Losing him was…well, I don’t guess there’s a word for it, really. But I consoled myself, knowing that I’d see him again. I just figured it would be in Heaven. I didn’t think it would be here on Earth again.”

  “I wish I had your steadfastness of faith,” Sarah replied.

  “You don’t believe in God?”

  “No. Well, at least, I didn’t before all of this. And from what Teddy and the others have told me, it doesn’t sound like He’s anything humanity thought He was.”

  “He’s not, and yet He is. God is love. I still believe that. I saw the way you watched Teddy and me in there at the table. What we have? That’s God.”

  Sarah reached out and gently stroked the old woman’s arm. Tears welled in her eyes. “I wish I knew more Christians like you. My own experiences with them have been…not so good.”

  Rose nodded. “More people have done harm in His name than those who don’t use His name at all. But you look like you’ve risen above all that. Am I right?”

  Blinking tears, Sarah nodded. Then she turned away, grabbed a napkin off the counter, and blew her nose. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Rose said softly. “Just remember that you are strong. I can see it in you, and Teddy does, too. You’re strong as nails, girl. That’s why I’ll be at peace with letting him go again. I know he has you watching over him, Sarah.”

  She sniffled. “I don’t know how much good I’ll be. I don’t have powers like the rest of them. Bloom, LeHorn and the Exit can do magic, and Tony and Frankie are fighters. And Teddy’s their holy man…whatever that means. I guess he’s supposed to be their… their heart? Me? I’m just along for the ride.”

  “Nonsense.” Rose turned off the spigot and stepped toward her. They embraced. “Every holy man needs someone to believe in. Teddy believes in you. It’s as clear as the nose on his face. He needs you, Sarah. So you take care, and take care of him for me.”

  The two stood there in the kitchen, crying together, and they hugged in silence for a long time.

  THE BATHROOM WAS COMPACT, consisting of a toilet, shower, and a sink with a mirrored medicine cabinet affixed to the wall above it. There was barely room for anything else. LeHorn felt self-conscious at first, given the rooms proximity to the rest of the house, but after flicking both light switches, the exhaust fan in the ceiling came on, and he was reassured that it’s noisy thrumming would mask any bodily sounds he might make.

  He looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was the first chance he’d really had to do so in…well, he couldn’t remember exactly. Definitely a long time. He was shocked by what he saw. His beard was peppered with white—not yet gray but definitely going in that direction. There were bags beneath his eyes, and the beginning of wrinkles in their corners. Hair sprouted from his ears and dangled out of his nose.

  “My God,” he muttered. “I’m a mess.”

  He turned on the shower and then stripped while the water heated up. His clothes felt stiff and matted to the touch, and smelled of sweat and dirt and worse. His nose wrinkled in distaste. He didn’t relish the thought of putting them back on again when he was clean. He hadn’t thought to ask Rose if there was something of Teddy’s he could borrow.

  He looked into the mirror again and whispered to himself. “At least it’s not March twenty-second, Nineteen Eighty-Five.”

  He shuddered, recalling how he’d been trapped for so long in that loop, emerging from the Labyrinth over and over again, always on that particular date. He remembered how insane it had driven him, and the guilt he had carried for what had happened to his wife and children. Amun had cured him of most of that. During the process of being born again in the Chamber of Spheres, all of his other selves had merged. Now, his mind was his own again. He was no longer just Nelson LeHorn the farmer, a husband, a father, and minor practitioner of powwow magic. Yes, he still had all of that Nelson LeHorn’s attributes and traits, and he was still those things. But he was far more than them, as well. He was a powerful, learned magus in addition to being a farmer and folk magic practitioner. And as for being a husband?

  Well…no. He wasn’t that anymore.

  Watching Teddy and Rose had started him wondering. Did this reality have its own version of his wife and kids? The odds were good that it did indeed. He recalled how during his panicked, confused time caught in the time loop, he’d continually emerged into the hollow—always on March 22, 1985, and catch glimpses of his alternate self and his alternate family and their alternate lives. If they had existed on those myriad of levels, then they probably existed on this one, as well. If he had the time, could he seek them out? Could he make up for what he’d done to them?

  Shaking his head, he turned away from the mirror. No. What he’d told Teddy was true. There were more important things at stake than their own emotional needs and histories. If they failed, then the Patricia of this world—and indeed all of the worlds—would die. Perhaps not by his hand this time, but certainly by his inaction or failure.

  Sighing, he stepped into the shower. It was a stall, with sliding doors and handles to help the elderly occupant keep her balance. LeHorn leaned on those now, fighting back tears. Then the water hit him and the steam rose, and it felt so good, so luxuriant, that he forgot about everything else. He shuddered again, but this time, it was with relief. The sensation of the forceful stream on his skin, the feeling of the dirt and grime of numerous different battles and dimensions sluicing away, was a baptism of sorts. He stood unmoving under the spray for far longer than he had intended. Then he squirted a dollop of body wash into a washcloth, and got to work on erasing the rest of himself.

  The man who emerged from the shower twenty minutes later was still Nelson LeHorn, but one who was no longer wracked with guilt. Yes, he still carried it, but it was a burden that he could once again shoulder. He wiped the condensation off the mirror with his towel, and then peeked inside the cabinet, finding a pair of tweezers. He used these to pluck his nose and ears as best he could, and then he nodded at his reflection.

  “Right. Kandara, Behemoth and Leviathan were dealt with. Only ten left to go.”

  He held up both hands, showing ten fingers to his reflection.

  Then Sarah knocked on the door and asked if he had left her any hot water.

  WHEN EARL RETURNED about an hour and a half later, he had a surprise for LeHorn and Sarah both—fresh clothes. He came in carrying several plastic shopping bags, filled with unopened packs of socks and underwear for them both, as well as shirts with the tags still on them.

  “You went all the way to Lewisburg and back in an hour?” Teddy asked.

  “Didn’t have to. Renick has one of those Dollar General stores now. Came in about six months after you…well…after you died.” He sat the bags down on the kitchen table and motioned to Sarah and LeHorn. “They didn’t have pants, but I got y’all everything else. I had to guess at your size, but hopefully they fit.”

 

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