Book 9, page 10
“Good morning, Katrina.”
“Good morning, Matt. What would you like today?”
“Three jelly doughnuts and three black and whites, please.”
The baker put the six items in a low white box and using blue and white striped string tied it up for carrying. “60 cents, Matt,” she said as she passed the box to him.
Matt paid her as Samson had his black, wet nose pressed up against the glass case.
A smiling Katrina came around the counter and offered him a cookie, which he almost swallowed whole.
“Good day, Katrina.”
“Nice to see you again, Matt.”
Matt opened the screen door and they headed home. He was one block from the garden when a tall, slim man with a white beard that reached the middle of his chest came towards them. Matt now saw that he had his long white hair pulled back into a ponytail and his long black coat flapped as he strutted along. When he was right in front of them he stopped. Samson growled and Matt saw the hair on his neck stand up. Matt also saw that the man was old and he apologized, “Excuse me, sir, but he doesn’t bite. In fact, I know of no reason why he would even growl.”
The man answered, his black eyes almost slits as he studied Matt’s face, “Perhaps he senses things that are beyond human comprehension?”
Matt squinted his eyes and asked, “Please, sir, excuse me for staring but have we met?”
“Shall I answer that question or shall I ask yee a question: “Have yee settled all of your worldly duties and art thou ready for the end, should it be near?”
Matt nodded and almost in a whisper answered; “Now I know you, sir. Of course, my worldly duties are complete. Is it soon?”
The man held up his boney index finger and said, “Soon means different things to different people. I shall endeavor once again to honor the pact.” He stepped around Matt and Samson and quickly walked past.
Samson tried to follow the man and in doing so wrapped his leash around Matt’s legs. Matt stooped and untangled the leash and looked up to see the street empty.
“Come, Samson, let us go home.”
DATELINE: NOVEMBER 5, 2013 PLACE: THE 1800 CLUB, NEW YORK CITY
Bill heard the door open and before he could greet them Samson was on his lap.
Matt walked in and with a smile held up the Ebinger’s Bakery box.
“Mission complete?” asked Bill, rubbing his hands together.
“Mission complete, sir. Shall I serve them?”
“Matt why not grab two napkins and we’ll sit here and eat them now? I mean, no tray or dishes, just kick back and relax. What do you say?”
Matt looked at Bill and a smile broke across his face. “Sir, I do believe that to be a sensational idea. Allow me two minutes to get the napkins.”
Five minutes later Bill sat across from Matt at the coffee as they snacked on goodies from 1954.
Bill looked across at his friend and said, “Matt, there’s something I have to tell you.”
“Is it about the upcoming mission, sir?”
Bill was slightly taken aback, “Ahh, yes, kind of. What makes you ask that?”
“For one reason or another, sir, I feel that I may be leaving the club.”
Bill sat back, “What? No, you can’t leave.”
“Sir,” said Matt, “It would not be my wish to do so. But I’m afraid it may come to that and I wish to tell you that the club’s billing is up to date and anything you need to know about is in my computer and my password is . . . “
“Wait! Stop Matt! You’re not going anywhere. Just chill.”
Matt grinned, “Just chill? Well sir, if you wish, I shall chill.”
“Did anyone from the future tell you about the mission?”
“No sir.”
“Then what makes you think the mission is about you?”
“There have been many times over the years that we Worthington’s' have had rather strange things happen to us, so to speak.”
“And you had one today?”
“Yes, sir. The first one was when I was a child of nine back in London. I was playing with my chums and a ball rolled into the street. I went for it and a man grabbed me as a bus went by. He carried me to the curb and I said ‘Thank you sir.’ He had a long white beard and was tall, at least to me, and said, ‘Tell your parents about this and that the pact still holds.’ I looked for my chums and they ran to me asking what happened. I told them and they laughed and said from what they could see I went after the ball and somehow stopped and, in mid-air, deposited myself on the curb.” Matt shrugged his shoulders and continued, “You see sir, they never even saw the man even though it was early afternoon.”
Bill wiped the sugar from his lips and asked, “You said that was the first one, was there another one today?”
“Yes sir. And it was the same man as the first time.”
“Same guy? I mean wasn’t he kind of old by now?”
Matt shook his head, “No, sir. He seemed to be the same age: old then and old now.”
“May I ask what he said?”
“He simply asked the question I would ask someone if their end was near: Have you finished up all your worldly duties and are you ready for the end?’”
Bill looked incredulously at Matt. “That’s what you would ask? Are your loose ends all tied up and are you ready to die?”
Matt shrugged as he answered, “Sir, as long as I am your manservant I must make sure that should I pass on you are not stuck with chores that are beneath your status. Therefore, I must make sure that I am up to date with all things that could interfere with the missions.”
Bill rubbed his temples and said, “Matt, the mission is about you. Your great grandfather is out west in the town of Coffeeville in Kansas with his boss. Anyway . . . “
Matt interjected, “The Dalton Gang! Yes, I know of the trip. My great grandfather hid in a store as bullets flew all about. The family speaks about that every time we get together.”
Bill gritted his teeth and said, “Well, as you know history sometimes screws up and now some prospector tossed a lit stick of dynamite into the same store that your ancestor is in.”
“I see,” said Matt as he sat with folded arms. “And I am to guess that you will be going back to stop that from happening?”
“Yes. I looked up their timeline and intend to get to Coffeyville earlier and prevent them from going through town.”
“Sir, I offer my services for this mission. I can be of service to you.”
Bill shook his head vigorously, “No way! I do it alone. I don’t want to have to watch two of you! Out of the question, Matt.”
Matt spread his hands and tried to convince Bill, “But, sir, I can . . .”
“Matt! No way! Please, I feel bad enough. Please don’t try to change my mind.”
Matt nodded, “Very well, sir. When will you be leaving?”
“As soon as I have my clothes and tickets. Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is fine, sir. I know where Coffeeville is located so I just need a date.”
“The shootout is on October 5, 1892.”
“Very well, sir. Best I start getting your clothes and tickets together.” He stood and walked to the door then looked back, “Shall I put out your six guns?”
Bill just nodded and Matt closed the door behind himself.
After breakfast, the next morning Bill was working on his laptop when Matt tapped on the door before entering. He carried a valise, which he placed on a hassock and opened it.
“Sir, the trip is a long one and as usual I’ve tried to select clothes that can be mixed and matched to give you more of a selection. Six pairs of pants, four jackets, ten shirts, ten sets of underwear, ten pairs of sox, one money belt and one pair of suspenders. Your riding boots and this,” he said as he removed a crushed cowboy hat from the valise. He snapped it as though he was shaking dust off of it and just like that the hat popped back to its original shape. “Brand new technology from our friends upstream, sir. Please note that all of your garments are lightweight and may be washed. They are also wrinkle proof so simply hang them over a chair if needed and wear them in an hour.”
“Fantastic, Matt.”
“I also put in a pair of black canvas deck shoes and these,” he held up a gun belt complete with two six guns and extra bullets in the pouches surrounding the wide belt. Next he opened a manila folder and said as he picked up the tickets, “One round-trip from the 47th street dock here in Manhattan aboard the ship, Clayton. Her trip is unique as she is a coastal ship, meaning she is never out of sight of land and every morning a boat meets her from the nearest port and delivers newspapers of the day. She leaves port at four o’clock in the afternoon, goes from New York, down and around Florida and docks seven days later at New Orleans where you transfer to the River Queen, and take her north to St. Louis.” He held out another ticket and went on, “A round trip ticket aboard the St. Louis/Nevada train line to Independence, Kansas where you rent a horse and ride ten miles south to Coffeeville. Total travel time is twelve days, however, with all of the connections, I do think that you should add in an extra day or two.”
Bill went to the calendar and said, “If I left on September 21 that should give me a couple of extra days.”
“Very well, sir. And cash? How much will you need?”
“Five hundred and another five dollars in change. That should be plenty.” He rubbed his chin and said, “Matt, why don’t you get dressed and join me at the Pig & Whistle on 48th street for lunch? Steaks are the best there.”
Matt smiled and nodded, “Sir, I would enjoy that very much. I shan’t be but ten minutes.”
Fifteen minutes later both men stood in Bill’s den. They were dressed the same but in different colors. Bill’s long coat, pants and vest were charcoal gray while Matt’s were black. Both wore the stiff white shirt of the day with black stays down the center and while Bill wore a black string tie Matt had a gray bow tie. Both had a pocket watch in the small pocket of their vest and a golden chain that hung from the watch over to the other vest pocket.
Finally, both wore black pointy shoes and while Bill wore black spats, Matt wore gray and both of their tall hats were black.
DATELINE: SEPTEMBER 21, 1892 PLACE: THE 1800 CLUB’S GARDEN, NEW YORK CITY
Bill and Matt entered the garden on a bright sunny day. It was eleven o’clock and as the ship left at four, they had plenty of time to relax. Matt tried to take the valise, but Bill said no, “Matt, besides it being light, I have to get used to carrying it.” It looked to Bill like Matt didn’t know what to do with his hands.
Bill noted that some of the flowers in the garden showed signs of starting their winter nap while others, like the Montauk Daisies were in full bloom. While there were plenty of birds flying about, the butterflies were nowhere to be seen. Once out of the garden the aroma changed and they were both reminded that the main source of transportation was still the horse and the main thing one looked for as they crossed the streets was the horse dropping. But, thought Bill as they crossed the street, this is what it’s all about! We are here by choice and soaking up as much of our past history as we can. We are one with the people of this time and any club member would do anything to be here.
A carriage was parked at the corner and Bill asked the driver who was munching on a sandwich, if he was working or on break.
“Hop in, gents,” the man answered. “Breaks come too often an’ they don’t feed the family. Where to?”
“The Pig & Whistle on 48th street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue.”
The two time travelers climbed in and both lowered the window on their side of the carriage to observe the sights of the past.
Although it was a school day, there were children all over the streets enjoying the weather that they knew was going to change soon. A group of boys were playing box ball, the boxes being drawn on the sidewalk in chalk. A group of girls had chalked in a Hop Scotch box and were hopping through it on one foot. At the corner, there was another group of young boys choosing sides for a baseball game. Bill grinned as he remembered there were no television or electronic games and they had to come up with their own games. The clanging of a bell was heard getting louder and louder and the cab driver pulled his horse over to the side. They almost climbed the curb as a team of four horses went running by at top speed pulling a red and gold fire wagon with smoke streaming out of the apparatus. It seemed like the five men hanging on were still putting their rubberized suits on with one hand as they held on with the other.
Bill grinned as he said to Matt, “These are the times I feel out of place. Every one of those men had a huge handlebar mustache and I feel baby faced.” Matt grinned as he had none either.
Finally, they pulled up in front of the Pig & Whistle and after paying the driver, went down the three steps to the door. Temporarily blinded going from the sun into the dark interior was a disadvantage as a booming voice sounded, “Bill and Matt! Lord, hide the beer!”
Both men shielded their eyes and finally could see enough to recognize the owner, Dan Fitzsimmons behind the long bar grinning at them as he pushed back his light brown hair from his face.
“Hi, Fitz,” said Bill. “Matt and I came from downtown just to have one of your steaks.”
“And a beer too, I would imagine,” he quipped as he pulled two frothy beers and placed them on the bar. “Are ya goin’ away?” he asked seeing the valise.
“Just a short trip, Fitz. How have you been?”
“Grand! Just grand and how have you two been?”
“Just fine.” Bill answered and then turned to Matt, “A table or sit at the bar?”
“The bar is fine with me, sir.”
Bill cringed slightly and said as Fitz went to get napkins and cutlery, “Matt for now stick with Bill. Okay?”
“If you insist, sir . . . or rather, Bill.”
“So,” said Fitz as he stood near the two men, “Where are ya off ta?”
“Short business trip out west. I should be back in two weeks. How’s business?”
“Wonderful! Why one dark night three weeks ago it rained so hard that the horses wouldn’t even move. They couldn’t see. So all of the sudden ten men run in and look around. I knew they was coppers right off and was about ta say so when the door opened and another two men carrying a big umbrella escorted in a very polished gentleman. Hugh J. Grant himself!”
“The mayor of New York?” asked Bill as he watched Fitz cleaning an already clean bar.
“The one an only an what is it that he seeks? A beer! Well, I give him a nice clean glass and pull the nicest beer with overflowing head that looked dandy! He downed that beer like he was in the desert. So he asks some questions about the business as I pour him another and I’m shocked ta find out that he owned a few pubs himself before getting inta politics. But here’s the kicker, he comes back two nights later and then again the following night and twice more since then. He’s become a regular and it’s me he always seeks ta talk to. So, ya ask me how’s business? Billy, business, is great! Now what can I get ya?”
Bill answered first. “I think that a steak, medium rare with fried onions and mushrooms would be great right about now.”
Fitz looked at Matt who answered his questioning look; “Same here but make mine rare, please.”
Twenty minutes later both time travelers were enjoying their steaks and twenty minutes after that they were enjoying a cigar and a beer with Fitz as Skippy, another bartender, served mugs of beer to a group of men at the end of the bar
Bill looked at his pocket watch and said as he closed it, “Two twenty-five. Best I start my trip now before I have too many beers.” He paid and as usual left a nice tip.
“Come back soon, gents,” said Fitz as he once again took a rag and started to clean the bar top. “An’ if the mayor is here, perhaps ya can tell the mayor to allow the bars ta stay open twenty-fours hours a day.”
Once outside the bar, Matt asked, “Shall I escort you to the dock, sir?”
“Naw, thanks anyway, Matt. I’m going to take a cab over.” He shook hands with Matt and said, “Matt, don’t even think about it. I’m on it.”
“Good luck, sir, and safe trip.”
The cab ride to the dock was quiet as Bill concentrated on the mission.
At the dock, Bill paid the cabby and walked to a low building with a short line of people all carrying luggage. The sign over the entrance read: ELLERMAN LINES, the bright red lettering stood out easily on the pale yellow sign. The line moved fast and soon Bill was aboard and searching for his cabin on the first-class deck. The time traveler grinned as he reached it, Boy! That Matt is the best! He makes sure that I always get first-class. He opened the door and stepped into the room and was surprised at the decor. The ceiling was painted a light blue while the walls were finished in floor-to-ceiling tan bamboo giving the feeling of a tropical island setting. The bed was against the wall facing the cabin door and the four-poster had mosquito-netting hanging from the tall posts. Bill smiled as he saw in the corner of the room a hammock complete with a pillow and small cocktail table within reach. Got to give that a try sometime soon, he thought as he placed his valise on the bed and opened it. To his left was a round bamboo table with four matching chairs tucked beneath it and next to that was a five-drawer dresser with a round mirror over it. Next to the bed was a small writing table with quill-pens, ink and writing paper with a drawing of the ship at the top and its name, SS Clayton printed beneath it. There were four oil lamps strategically placed in the room. Next to the table was an open door and Bill looked into the small bathroom. Besides the toilet and sink there was a sit-in shower that looked challenging to the time traveler. Next to it was a framed diagram on how to use it. The room had floor to ceiling hand-painted tiles depicting an island scene complete with colorful parrots, trees and exotic flowers. Mounted on either side of the round mirror located over the sink were oil lamps that reflected the light throughout the room. Bill grinned as he thought, I know the coastal steamers are considered the small boys of the ocean travel set, but I really like it. Less formal and more kick back and enjoy yourself.
