Relations
Puzzlement, Daniel had seen many times on the faces of those he had rescued. Confusion, suspicion, even gratitude he had seen. Contempt, even if kindly and tolerant, he had not seen before. The Reverend Brightman had listened to Daniel’s description of himself, LeClerc and Mei Ling as time travelers plucking the doomed from out of history and bringing them into new lives in the future. He had seen the holoviewer presentation of the Empress watching the ship as it turned and plunged to the bottom of the river. When it ended he had turned to Daniel and had asked him, “are you saved.”
Papa had smiled when Alice had called their rescuers angels.
“No child. Whatever they are, they are not angels. Even so they may be going about God’s work as many non-believers do.”
One of them, the Chinese woman, Mei Ling, Colin had not approved of. She was too assertive, too disrespectful of the proprieties. She was, he feared, an immoral woman. When Alice asked what that meant he told her that he would explain it when she was older. It was not that he was not grateful for their saving of their lives but such gratitude he reminded Alice should not allow them to blind themselves to certain unpleasant truths. His own foolishness had blinded him to his wife’s unfaithfulness. So they had fled Cobourg, he and Alice. He had told the neighbors that they would do God’s work in the wilds of Central Africa but it was not only God that had called Colin forth. The looks of pity and smirks of contempt in the faces of his neighbours had also helped
As for going deep into the future: stuff and nonsense. The Day of Judgement would have ensued long before any such estimate of time as that given by this Chinese woman. If given the choice of choosing of believing the messiah or her, he, Colin Brightman, would prefer the Messiah and so would his daughter. He reminded himself that even Satan was only God’s servant using only such power as god had granted him
“How many others from the empress,” he asked.
Daniel wondered if he were going to ask if they were saved.
“Twenty-seven.” The last, a young musician from Hamilton, they pulled out just minutes before the Norwegian freighter struck.
“Including us?”
“Yes.”
“Out of a thousand?”
“Yes.” Daniel looked down at his mug of cocoa. He waited for the coming accusation of failure.
Colin touched him on his shoulder. “You saved twenty-seven lives. Do not assume blames for lives you could not save. They are with God now. We thank you for our lives.”
Daniel nodded. “Thank you,” he muttered.
“When do we meet the others?” Colin asked.
“As soon as you like,” said Mei Ling. “but there is someone who would like to speak to you first.”
“Who?”
“My father. A hundred years after your ….. he developed the first working prototype of a time portal, a doorway between your time and ours.”
“China must be very proud of him.”
“My father is not Chinese. He is a Canadian like you.”
“I see.” There were a few Chinese in Canada. The government had failed to rid the land of them.
He had no quarrel with Chinese living in China. Once they abandoned their heathen superstitions and became good Protestants China could take its place among the civilized nations. However he just saw no reason for them to be in Canada, a white man’s country. A great part of the world’s problems Colin thought stemmed from people moving around too much.
“Why would he wish to speak to me?”
“You married an Elizabeth Foley?”
“Yes?”
“My father is her great nephew. His name is Matthew Foley.”
Colin blanched. “Dear God.”
***
He seemed so unFoleylike, a ancient wisp of a man bent over a bush of blue roses. Most Foleys being farmers took an interest in crops but flowers had never been considered to be a crop. However it was not only the doctor’s interest in roses that struck Daniel as being unFoleylike. He did wonder about the change color of the roses. They seemed unnatural somehow but then so did everything else here.
“You asked Mister Bishop to bring my daughter and me out of the Empress. May I ask why?”
The old man smiled. “We’re family, Colin.”
“Family? That was your only reason Doctor?”
“According to Mei Ling you don’t seem to approve of my name.”
“My apologies, doctor. The Foleys tend to recycle names. They are not a very imaginative lot. But Matthew….”
“You didn’t like Matthew Foley?”
“I knew him. If ever a soul was damned….”
“I’m afraid I have trouble with the idea of eternal punishment.”
As do most sinners thought Colin but he allowed the old man to ramble on.
“Are you implying that the sins of the fathers….?”
“No doctor. What I’m saying is what I learned as a minister in Kilmarnock, that the man that you were named after murdered his own children to keep his land. Your family’s wealth rests upon the blood of murdered infants.”
Matthew thought for a moment. “Well, most fortunes do.”
***
Mei Ling studied the readings of Colin’s body as Louise watched the two men stroll through the garden. He seems to be telling the truth,” said Mei Ling. Louise nodded but said nothing
“What do you think of him?” asked Mei Ling.
Louise shrugged. She had not objected in principle to retrieving survivors from the Empress but to do so just to satisfy a whim? “A man of his time. Colin. Abysmally ignorant. Hopelessly biased but he’s not unintelligent. By the standards of his time he has a good education. We should be able to make use of him. A community leader perhaps.”
“Not as a traveler?”
“No.”
“Elizabeth?”
“No. Alice though. Maybe.”
***
“So what do we do now?” Colin asked.
“Go forward.” said Matthew. “I would be pleased if you and your daughter were to be my guest for a few weeks. I may find myself in need of your …. advice.”
Advice? To serve as spiritual advisor to the most powerful man in this world; God must have been keeping him for a very special purpose. Colin smiled. “I would be honored sir.”
“Good. Excellent. We are establishing a new colony combining the survivors of the Titanic with those of the Empress. You could be of great use to us.”
Colin nodded. “Kilmarnock so I was told was established by a man who believed people were entitled to second chances. Perhaps that’s what this place is.”
“Perhaps.”
Colin smiled. Here lost somewhere in space and in time he could find God’s purpose for his life. He bowed his head and prayed.
Notes From A Traveler 