BOMBAY, INDIA - 1879
Jack raised his index finger then got down on his knees and peered under the bed. Grasping the telescope he stood back up and held it in Lydia's direction.
"I used this. And I'll tell you all the details. But first, you need to fill me in on some things."
"It worked." Lydia took the golden object from her grandson's hand and gazed at it, a small grin turning up the corners of her mouth.
"Yes. You deserve an explanation." She sat on the bed behind her and looked up at him, patting the space next to her, and raising her left eyebrow.
Jack nodded, then moved to sit next to his grandmother.
Lydia inhaled deeply and reached up, tucking a stray lock of chestnut hair behind one ear before turning to look at Sam.
"Sweetheart, would you mind? Jack and I have a lot of catching up to do."
The girl's cheeks flushed a rosy pink and she bit her lower lip.
"Of course, Mam." She blinked rapidly and shook her head back and forth before giving a quick curtsy, a slight nod to Jack, then exited the room, closing the door behind her.
Lydia's gaze returned to the telescope, now resting in her lap.
"Where to begin?" She sat quietly for a long moment, considering.
"This," she started, patting the scope lovingly, "has been silently waiting to be discovered," she paused, then turned to look at Jack, "for more than one hundred and thirty years."
Jack's chin dropped and his mouth fell open.
"What?" His eyes were wide and brows shot up high on his forehead. "I mean...how?" He shook his head back and forth as the impact of her words registered.
Lydia lifted the telescope, then looking behind her, placed it carefully on the bedside table, before turning to look at him. Readjusting, she twisted, lifting her crunchy red skirt just enough to pull her legs up and cross them, Indian-style, so that she was facing Jack. He responded by mirroring her action, and they sat across from one another on the bed.
"It's a very long story, Jack," she blinked hard and licked her lips.
"Ok," he interjected, "how about starting by telling me WHEN we are, right now, then?"
She nodded, her eyes brightening at his suggestion.
"Good idea. Brace yourself," she inhaled again. "You are now in the year 1879." She dipped her chin, tipping her head slightly to the right. "And, you should probably know that we are currently in Bombay, India...otherwise known as Mumbai, in your time."
Jack swallowed hard then pursed his lips.
"Umm...so, that's crazy," he began. "I'd love to hear all about why you're here, and how you arrived and all...maybe after we get back to our real time. Ya?" He leaned forward, shifting his gaze past his grandmother, and pointed to the telescope. "I'm assuming you can reprogram that thing to take us back there, right?"
Lydia's hand shot to her lips and she tapped them, eyes glancing from side to side.
"Well, actually, it's not quite that easy." She paused, staring at him.
Jack's chocolate eyes narrowed and they drilled into hers intently. His lips were pressed into a tight line.
"What do you mean, it's not that easy?" He paused, crunching his eyebrows together. "Can't you just set a new date and destination or something like that? And we voop together back to the twenty-first century?"
Lydia slowly shook her head back and forth.
"I'm afraid not. Technically, that should work, for most people. But not for me." She paused, inhaling deeply and licked her lips again. "You see, time-travel is not without it's consequences. The DNA gets altered...damaged...ever so slightly," she added when Jack's eyes flew open wide. "The potential damage is minimized when using a transporter that's been spell-crafted specifically for you, using your own DNA."
"Like those magic hats Grandpa Edward makes." Jack interjected.
"Yes! Exactly like those." Lydia's eyes sparkled at the thought. "But when using other 'generic' devices..."
"Like the telescope?" Jack asked.
Lydia nodded. "Well, the risk is much more significant"
Jack's eyes glazed over and he squinted in her direction.
"I get that," he started, "but then, why can I use it and you can't?"
"Because I've already jumped centuries too many times using generic devices. I can't take the risk again. We can discuss details later. But trust me when I tell you the recovery time has become...intolerable. Think jet-lag, and then compound that across decades or more. It can be deadly."
Jack nodded and pulled his mouth to the side.
"So, then...why me? Why did you reach out to me? And why the telescope? How did you know I'd end up touching it? I mean, I'm not even the one who found it. My friend's dad discovered it under his store. Actually...now that I think about it...how did you even know my name?" Jack paused, scrunching his eyes and shaking his head back and forth. "If you went missing when my dad was only twelve years old...then, I'm confused."
Lydia nodded her head and slowly blinked her eyes.
"You should be confused, Jack. It's a complicated situation. Long story short, I never intended to be in the past. And I didn't plan to end up in India at all. The truth of the matter is, your Grandfather Edward sent me to the future, to Portland, Oregon, when you were 5 years old."
She paused for a long moment and Jack waited, silently.
"I was trying to prevent your parents death."
YOU ARE READING
The Kidnapping King
Teen FictionA double-crossing brother. An unexpected trip to the past. Friends with magical powers. It's a race through time for 12-year-old Jack Mac Paidin to learn how to use his powers, escape from his evil family members, go back in time to find his grandmo...
