BOMBAY, INDIA - 1879
Sam gazed at the door behind her for a long moment before turning to head down the hallway of the elaborate Bombay estate. Turning the corner she slammed right into her uncle.
"Whoa there, Lassie!" Bunko exclaimed, grabbing his niece by the shoulders and lifting her chin to look up at him. "What's yer big hurry?" He patted her on the top of her strawberry blonde head then raised his hand to smooth the sandy-colored mustache hugging his upper lip.
"Oh, Uncle Joe! There's exciting news!" She brushed the front of her dress and wiped a stray strand from her face before continuing.
"Exciting news, you say?" Joe asked, a small grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Well, now, don't keep it all to yer self! Do tell, do tell!"
Sam's sky-blue eyes were bright and the freckles dusting her nose shivered as she wrinkled it up with enthusiasm.
"You're not going to believe this, Uncle Joe, but right this very minute, Lady Lydia's grandson, Jack, is in her chambers with her! He just showed up out of nowhere!" She exclaimed, tossing both hands up above her head. "Oh, yeah," she added, "this is completely crazy, but he got here using this strange golden telescope!"
Bunko Kelly's eyes shot open wide and his mouth dropped.
"It worked. It worked??" An enormous smile broke out across his face and he grabbed Sam's hand in his.
"Come on! I want to meet that young man!" They looked at one another and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Ok, yeah! Let's go!" Sam shrieked with delight as they dashed off in the direction of Lydia Mac Paidin's bedroom.
Arriving in front of Lydia's doorway, Joe looked down at his niece and cocked an eyebrow at her. She nodded vigorously and he knocked assertively on the door.
"Come in," came the response and Bunko twisted the knob and thrust the door open wide.
"Sorry for the interruption, Lydia, but Sam told me..." Joe's voice trailed off as he laid eyes on Jack, sitting cross-legged across from his grandmother on the ornately carved, 4-poster bed.
"Not a problem, Joe." She smiled at him then turned back to the boy in front of her. "Jack, this is my friend, Joseph Kelly. Some people know him as 'Bunko.' He's the one who gave me that telescope and helped me hide it so that you would find it some day." Then turning to Bunko, "Joe, I'm very pleased to introduce you to my grandson, Jack Mac Paidin. He has come a very long way to meet me." She said with a smile, reaching out across the bed and patting Jack's knee.
Joe strode across the room in two long steps and put his right hand out in front of Jack.
"Young man, I am honored to finally meet you. We have been waiting for this moment for quite some time now."
Jack reached out to grasp the man's hand, then paused abruptly, when his eyes came to rest upon the large, gold and black ring glowing brightly on his ring finger. Jack's eyes shot up to the man's face and he quickly withdrew his hand.
"It's YOU!" He exclaimed.
Bunko looked down to his extended hand, and the ring upon it, then dropped his arm to his side.
"Oh, that," Joe murmured. He wiped both hands down the front of his dusty brown suit jacket before reaching up to smooth his hair before continuing.
"You probably have a lot of questions...about what you saw through that telescope. And how you had those visions. Am I right?" He stood gazing at Jack, when he felt a tug on his coat tails. Glancing down to his side, Sam was gazing up at him, her eyebrows scrunched together and her lips pressed into a straight line. She tipped her head to the side, questioningly.
"Yes, I definitely do have questions," Jack drew their attention back across the room.
Joe patted his niece lovingly on the shoulder. "That's understandable," he began, "You see, I'm what's known as a Traveler."
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...
