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Authors: Stephen Measday
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to see you! How’s the family?’
‘They’re all right, Bigdad.’
‘And further news about Danice?’ Lines of worry made his face look even older than usual. The word had been brought to Bigdad earlier in the day.
‘Nothing. We still don’t know who took her,’ Damien said, and hurried through the details of the incident. ‘Then I just ran off,’ he finished. ‘I went back to the timeline and left.’ He hung his head. ‘I don’t know how to forgive myself.’
Bigdad put an arm around his son’s shoulders. ‘You reacted quickly, as best you could in the circumstances. There was nothing else you could have done.’
‘That’s what I keep telling myself,’ Damien replied unhappily. He unhitched his bag. ‘Anyway, I brought you food—plenty of it. And a pair of boots as well.’
‘Thanks. Now, sit down, son. In a while we’ll talk some more.’
Damien slumped onto the old couch, letting his head fall back on the cushion. Sometimes the pressure was too hard to bear—the food-carrying trips; skulking through the dark streets at night; the endless, wearying trips through time. And now Danice’s disappearance.
Perhaps for the next few hours he could pretend it didn’t matter. He could just enjoy the warmth of his father’s company before returning to the tunnel and the perils of the world beyond.
14
‘C ome on fella— hup! Hup! ’
Simon urged the grey gelding into the woods at the northern boundary of Mayfield Manor’s grounds. Low branches whipped past his head as the horse extended his stride into a canter. Simon had ridden as often as possible since that first lesson, and his confidence had grown. He liked it like this, with the wind full and fresh in his face and the hoofs of his horse pounding the turf. Maxi seemed to enjoy being pushed to the limit. Weaving through the trees, they raced back out into the open.
‘Good boy!’ Simon yelled. He gave Maxi his head and they shot towards the hedge at the bottom of the field. ‘One more round of the course, old fella, then we’ll call it a day.’
Just then the alarm pinged on his wristwatch. Maxi nickered.
‘Easy, easy now!’ Simon said, checking the time. ‘Geez—I forgot! I’m late for training!’
Simon enjoyed the way that riding helped him forget his worries, but this time he had taken it too far. If he missed training, he might be banned from his missions.
Simon turned Maxi and spurred him into a gallop. Even so, it took him five minutes to get back to the stables.
‘Maeve! Hey, Maeve!’ Simon called, sliding out of the saddle.
The young woman mucking out the yard looked up at him wearily. ‘In a hurry, then?’ she asked.
‘Sorry. Really sorry. I’m late for training. Can you unsaddle Maxi and give him a rub-down? Please, big favour!’
‘Sure, but you owe me one. Another one! ’
‘I won’t forget!’ Simon called, sprinting out of the stable yard. He still had to get up to the manor house and change before getting off to training.
At the main training field, Simon sneaked to the back of the line of temponauts. It had taken him five minutes to change into his full training suit (a simulated version of his real time-travel suit) and then run to the field. He was twenty minutes late.
‘So, you made it!’ Nick said, turning around with a grin.
‘Savage! Front and centre!’ Cutler ordered.
Simon grimaced, then sauntered past the others and stepped out in front. He came rigidly to attention.
Cutler glared at him. ‘So, you’ve decided to join us!’
‘Yes, sir!’
‘Twenty minutes late means twenty laps round the jogging track—when we’ve finished,’ Cutler said. ‘Is that clear?’
Don’t debate, Simon told himself, you’re in enough trouble. ‘Sir! Yes, sir!’ he said.
‘Back in line!’ Cutler barked. ‘And Spenser …?’
‘Sir!’
‘Next time you speak out of turn, you do twenty laps as well. Understood?’
‘Sir! Yes, sir!’
‘All right,’ Cutler said. ‘Savage,
‘They’re all right, Bigdad.’
‘And further news about Danice?’ Lines of worry made his face look even older than usual. The word had been brought to Bigdad earlier in the day.
‘Nothing. We still don’t know who took her,’ Damien said, and hurried through the details of the incident. ‘Then I just ran off,’ he finished. ‘I went back to the timeline and left.’ He hung his head. ‘I don’t know how to forgive myself.’
Bigdad put an arm around his son’s shoulders. ‘You reacted quickly, as best you could in the circumstances. There was nothing else you could have done.’
‘That’s what I keep telling myself,’ Damien replied unhappily. He unhitched his bag. ‘Anyway, I brought you food—plenty of it. And a pair of boots as well.’
‘Thanks. Now, sit down, son. In a while we’ll talk some more.’
Damien slumped onto the old couch, letting his head fall back on the cushion. Sometimes the pressure was too hard to bear—the food-carrying trips; skulking through the dark streets at night; the endless, wearying trips through time. And now Danice’s disappearance.
Perhaps for the next few hours he could pretend it didn’t matter. He could just enjoy the warmth of his father’s company before returning to the tunnel and the perils of the world beyond.
14
‘C ome on fella— hup! Hup! ’
Simon urged the grey gelding into the woods at the northern boundary of Mayfield Manor’s grounds. Low branches whipped past his head as the horse extended his stride into a canter. Simon had ridden as often as possible since that first lesson, and his confidence had grown. He liked it like this, with the wind full and fresh in his face and the hoofs of his horse pounding the turf. Maxi seemed to enjoy being pushed to the limit. Weaving through the trees, they raced back out into the open.
‘Good boy!’ Simon yelled. He gave Maxi his head and they shot towards the hedge at the bottom of the field. ‘One more round of the course, old fella, then we’ll call it a day.’
Just then the alarm pinged on his wristwatch. Maxi nickered.
‘Easy, easy now!’ Simon said, checking the time. ‘Geez—I forgot! I’m late for training!’
Simon enjoyed the way that riding helped him forget his worries, but this time he had taken it too far. If he missed training, he might be banned from his missions.
Simon turned Maxi and spurred him into a gallop. Even so, it took him five minutes to get back to the stables.
‘Maeve! Hey, Maeve!’ Simon called, sliding out of the saddle.
The young woman mucking out the yard looked up at him wearily. ‘In a hurry, then?’ she asked.
‘Sorry. Really sorry. I’m late for training. Can you unsaddle Maxi and give him a rub-down? Please, big favour!’
‘Sure, but you owe me one. Another one! ’
‘I won’t forget!’ Simon called, sprinting out of the stable yard. He still had to get up to the manor house and change before getting off to training.
At the main training field, Simon sneaked to the back of the line of temponauts. It had taken him five minutes to change into his full training suit (a simulated version of his real time-travel suit) and then run to the field. He was twenty minutes late.
‘So, you made it!’ Nick said, turning around with a grin.
‘Savage! Front and centre!’ Cutler ordered.
Simon grimaced, then sauntered past the others and stepped out in front. He came rigidly to attention.
Cutler glared at him. ‘So, you’ve decided to join us!’
‘Yes, sir!’
‘Twenty minutes late means twenty laps round the jogging track—when we’ve finished,’ Cutler said. ‘Is that clear?’
Don’t debate, Simon told himself, you’re in enough trouble. ‘Sir! Yes, sir!’ he said.
‘Back in line!’ Cutler barked. ‘And Spenser …?’
‘Sir!’
‘Next time you speak out of turn, you do twenty laps as well. Understood?’
‘Sir! Yes, sir!’
‘All right,’ Cutler said. ‘Savage,
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