The Lost Princess [Hamliza Anastasia AU]

Chapter Twenty Eight: Local Merchants Don't Deny Aaron Assistance

Friday, March 11, 1927. Raritan, New Jersey. 

Eventually, they got things sorted out and explained to Herc (he had said that was what they should call him) that Beth and Alex were both in fact single, and he had just misread the signals a little bit. Beth was confused, and Alex was utterly mortified. 

Now, it was the next morning, Aaron's leg and Beth's head were bandaged, and the little group were trying to decide on the best way to get to Philadelphia without being arrested for illegal border crossing. 

"Well, all the roads are monitored," Herc told them. They were seated back in the main room of the small apartment, in their same positions from last night. Apparently, he liked to sit on the floor. "I suppose you could go through the woods or something."

"No," Aaron shook his head, dark eyes serious. "We would have to go on foot. It would take too much time, and I certainly wouldn't want to be caught in the woods at night. Is there another way we could go?" 

Herc thought for a second, then nodded. "There's the boats."

"The boats?" John queered. Alex didn't bother repeating the question, but he was just as confused. They were nowhere near the ocean, and hadn't seen a river coming into town.

"The port town up the road, Tom's River. A lot of them stop off in Philadelphia for one reason or another. The captains know how to get you into the city without your papers getting checked by the guards, for a price of course."

Alex laughed. "That's the one thing I miss about New York. Not everything was about money." 

First John, then Beth, and finally Aaron all start laughing with him. It was nice to be able to laugh at the state New York is in. John and Alex had tried before, but the joke had a different ring now the issues were no longer their problem. There was still a note of cynicism, but the fear that someone will report them for criticizing the government was gone. 

"Alright, focus," Beth ordered them clapping her hands to get the boy's attention. "Do you want to risk a walk in the woods at night, or should we go find someone to smuggle us into Pennsylvania?"

"Well," Aaron said, getting to his feet. "We're breaking the law either way. Let's do it in a way that's more comfortable and marginally safer."

"I agree," Alex told him, standing as well. "I'm always on board for comfort and marginal safety."

John groaned. "Alex, that was the worst pun you've ever made."

Confused, he stared at his friend, then realized. "On board," he said with a smile, "Because we're taking a boat."

John grinned. "The fact that you didn't realize improves that joke about one hundred percent. To answer your question Beth, yeah, a boat is fine with me."

"So how far is it?" Aaron queeried. "Can we walk it or...?"

Herc shrugged "I mean you could, but why would you want to?"

"Because we have no money!" Alex yelled, throwing his arms out in frustration. "Renting a car is not an option, and I don't want to take my chances on another train."

"Actually," Aaron spoke up. "I think traveling quickly is more important than saving what little we have at this point," He cast a glance at Herc. However helpful the young tailor was being, they couldn't afford to share their secret with him. It was clear he wouldn't turn them in, but he might very well want a cut of the reward. 

Hercules just nodded understandingly, like he had heard the request before. It had most likely been from nobles fleeing the country, but how was he to know they weren't secretly just that. "Don't you worry about that. I can't actually get my hands on a car, it's too expensive, but if you know how to ride a bike, you're set."