Dinosaur Beach

24

I let a few long seconds slide past. The old lady’s eyes fluttered and opened. “Mother!” Mellia said again and grabbed for her hand.

The old lady smiled rather vaguely. “No, no, I’m not anyone’s mother,” she said. “I always wanted… but…” She faded out again.

I took her along to an empty room and put her on the bed. Mellia sat beside her and rubbed her hands and made sure she was breathing properly.

“What’s this about your mother?” I said.

“I’m sorry. She’s not my mother, of course. I was just being silly. I suppose all elderly women look alike…”

“Is your mother that old?”

“No, of course not. It was just a superficial resemblance.” She gave me a small apologetic laugh. “I suppose the psychologists could read all sorts of things into it.”

“She said she was expecting us,” I said. “Said the instruments predicted it.”

Mellia looked at me. “Predicted? There’s no such instrument.”

“Maybe she’s slipped her clutch. Alone too long.”

The old lady sighed and opened her eyes again. If Lisa reminded her of anyone, she didn’t say so. Mellia made encouraging noises. They smiled at each other. Love at first sight.

“Now I’ve made an old fool of myself,” the old lady said. “Fainting like that…” Her expression became troubled.

“Don’t be silly,” Mellia said. “It’s perfectly understandable…”

“Do you feel well enough to talk?” I said, in spite of the dirty look Mellia gave me.

“Of course.”

I sat on the side of the bed. “Where are we?” I asked as gently as possible. “What is this place?”

“The Dinosaur Beach Timecast station,” the old girl said, looking just a little surprised.

“Maybe I should say when are we…”

“The station date is twelve thirty-two.” Now she looked puzzled.

“But—” Mellia said.

“Meaning we haven’t made a Timejump after all,” I told her, as smoothly as you can say something as preposterous as that.

“Then—we’ve jumped—somehow—to a secondary line!”

“Not necessarily. Who’s to say what’s primary and what’s secondary, after what we’ve been through?”

“Excuse me,” the old lady said. “I get the impression from what you say that… that matters are not as well as might be hoped.”

Mellia gave me a troubled look. I passed it on to the old lady.

“It’s quite all right,” she said. “You may speak freely to me… I understand that you are Timecast agents. That makes us colleagues.” She smiled faintly.

“Field Agent Mellia Gayl, at your service,” she said.