The Kidnapping King

BACK TO THE FUTURE

BOMBAY, INDIA - 1879 

 "So, about making the trip back to your real time, "Lydia began, looking at Jack, "the sooner you go, the sooner your grandfather can make a new hat that will enable my return, as well." She bent over and opened the brown leather bag sitting on the floor next to her chair, retrieving the golden telescope, and placing it on her lap.

"As much as I hate to see you go, I know it will only be a day or two before you come back for me with the hat, and we can rejoin your grandfather at Mac Paidin Manor," a broad grin broke out across her face and she quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth, squeezing her eyes closed tightly, "Oh my goodness! I'm just so excited! I can't believe I'm finally going home!"

Jack sat in silence, staring at the telescope in his grandmother's lap. He pressed his lips together tightly, avoiding her gaze.

"What is it, Jack? Are you frightened about traveling through time again? Don't worry, Sweetheart, you haven't done it enough for those transcription errors I mentioned to effect you. You'll be just fine." She reached over to place a comforting hand on his knee.

"No, it's not that, Grandma," he slowly raised his head and looked into her emerald-green eyes, "It's just that..." he paused, shaking his head back and forth,"

"Yes, it's just that what? Jack, what aren't you telling me?"

Jack inhaled deeply then exhaled, long and slow, pursing his lips, "It's just that...Grandpa Edward isn't at Mac Paidin Manor," he rolled his eyes, looking up at the rough wooden beams supporting the upper deck of the ship,"

A deep line formed across Lydia's brow as she stared at him, and Jack squeezed his eyes closed tightly in response.

"Where...is he, then, Jack?" she murmured under her breath.

Jack opened his eyes wide, eyebrows high on his forehead, blinking rapidly, "Well, I don't know how to tell you this, Grandma, but Inez tried to kill him, too. And she thinks she was successful. There was a funeral and everything. Arthur wrote the obituary that was published in the newspaper. He showed me the clipping." He paused, noting the look of horror on his grandmother's face.

Lydia gulped and wiped at a tear streaking it's way down her cheek, "What in the world happened to my sweet, girl?" She gasped, wrapping her arms around herself, then looking up at Jack again, "But, you said Inez THINKS she killed him, right? So, that must mean she didn't actually succeed?" She turned in her chair to face Jack, leaning in close to him. "Please, please tell me he's alive, Jack!"

"He is!" Jack jumped up from his seat, "Yes, he's alive, Grandma...he is, but..." he walked to the porthole again, gazing out. There was silence in the room as the others waited to hear what he would say, "he is hiding from her, for self-protection...also in the past," Jack turned around and looked at Lydia, "I know he's ok, though, because he has been sending me messages."

Lydia heaved a sigh of relief and stood, pacing the small captain's quarters. "Ok, well, as long as he is alive, then we just need a plan. We have the telescope, so we just need to know where he is," She turned abruptly to Jack, her almond eyes bright, "Do you happen to know WHEN in the past he is?" She stared at him.

"Ummm...yes, he said he is in 1917." Jack watched as Lydia and Bunko exchanged looks with one another.

Bunko scratched his chin and pursed his lips, pushing his chair backward so that he was rocking on the back two legs. "Hmmm...do you know anything about where he is? Can you describe his environment?" Then turning to Lydia, "If Jack can give us a description, do you think you might recognize the location?"

Lydia tipped her head to the side and twisted a long strand of dark chestnut hair, "It's possible..." She looked at Jack, expectantly.

"Well, Jack began," he really only communicates with me through his reading glasses," Lydia burst out in laughter, "I'm sorry, but that is just so Edward!" She grinned, "please, continue,"

Jack pulled his mouth to the side in a sardonic grin, "uh, ok," he giggled, "anyhow, Grandpa mostly shows me stuff through his glasses...though he did send me a magical message in a parchment scroll one time, too. But when I'm seeing him through the glasses," he looked at Bunko, "it's kind of like when I touch the telescope, I can actually see his surroundings," he looked at Lydia, who was nodding at him and making a rolling motion in the air with her hand, "ya, so, yes, I can describe the room he is in," he paused again.

"Well, spit it out, already!" Samantha jumped in, twisting around in her chair to look at him over her right shoulder.

"Ok, ok...so," Jack closed his eyes and tipped his chin to the side, "he's in a small, old-fashioned-looking office. There's a couch on one wall, with a little round end table that has a kind of oil lamp on it...he had to light it with a match. Then, over to the right there's a big wooden desk with an office chair and a large window behind it. The heavy drapes are always closed,"

"Is there a little fireplace on the wall across from the couch?" Lydia walked to where Jack was standing and placed both hands on his shoulders. Jack's eyes flew open and he stared into hers, directly in front of his face. "YES! How did you know that?"

Lydia stared at him for a long moment, then turned to look at Bunko.

"He's in his office at Buckingham Palace," she blurted, throwing her hands in the air.

"Are you sure?" Bunko's chair made a loud 'thump' as he slammed it down onto the front legs and he shoved back from the desk, standing abruptly, and pushing his hand through his shaggy ginger hair.

"Yes! I'm positive!" Lydia replied, turning to wrap her arms around Jack. She lifted him up off the ground and spun him around in a circle.

"Well," Bunko began, "it sounds like we know both where he is, and when he is...so..." he looked at the telescope now resting on Lydia's vacant seat, "I think we have everything we need to send Jack to visit his grandfather," he turned and all eyes were on Jack, who was now also staring at the device, "if he is willing, that is."