High Time: The High Sierra Sequel

Chapter Nineteen: The Journey Begins

At the dining room table, Arthur was feverishly drawing. Eliza entered the room with a cup of coffee in each hand and set one down next to him. She took a seat across from him and watched him intently. He didn't even notice her there.

"Arthur?"

He finally looked up at her. "Huh?"

She pointed to the cup of coffee with one finger. "Your coffee is right there."

"Oh, thanks." He looked back down and continued to draw.

Eliza sat up more to try to get a look at what he was drawing. "What are you doing?"

He put his pencil down and turned the paper to face her. It was a map. It had roughly labeled spots. New Hanover, Ambarino, Lamoyne, all places she didn't recognize. He had lightly drawn landmarks all over the map.

"Is this your world?"

"Yes," he answered solemnly.

"Are these markings the carvings you found?"

He pointed to an indicated 'x' on the map. "This is one of them. There were ten in total. I think I remember all of them."

She looked up at him. "You think or know?"

Arthur leaned back in his chair. "I'm pretty sure that's where they are. I've been thinking long and hard about this and after drawing it out, I remember now. But they are not around here."

It then dawned on her. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"How are you going to get there?"

"Horseback. I can't drive a car."

"How long will that take?"

He laid his hand on the table and shrugged. "I don't know. Each location is about a day's ride from each other, at least. But I have to go eastward, first."

Eliza thought it over for a moment. "I can take you."

Arthur looked up at her. "What about the children?"

"Isaac can come with us. I think it would be good for him to get away for a while and I think he wants to help."

"And Alice?"

Eliza lifted her hands off the table. "She can come, too. It isn't going to be dangerous, is it?"

"I would hope not, but it could take weeks. Months. These carvings may not even be there."

Eliza responded with passion in her voice. "But we have to try, right? If we take my car, it would get us there faster."

"But a car can't get to the cliffs or to the top of mountains. What then?"

Eliza thought up a solution. "We can do both. Take Boadicea in the trailer."

Arthur looked down and sighed. "I had forgotten about her."

"Is she in your world, too?"

"Was."

Eliza leaned back and her expression softened. "Have you lost everything, Arthur? Eliza? Isaac? Alice?"

"There wasn't an Alice. She doesn't exist."

Suddenly, something dawned on Eliza.

"Wait, Arthur. What if she does? What if she exists, and is alive?"

Arthur resisted the notion, shaking his head. "That isn't possible."

Eliza chuckled. "I don't think we have rights to claim what is and isn't possible. Seven months ago, I never thought my husband would be secreted away into another universe."