Chapter 13

As far as housing goes there is a definite difference between ‘necessary’ and ‘want.’ Necessary is small, heated, and convenient. Want tends to thousands of square feet, attractive views and miles of garden walks that need shoveling ... preferably by the help.

My home is a ‘want.’ Certainly the construction was regulated. There are covenants ... and not a few state requirements ... that have nothing to do with ‘necessary.’ But necessary does not ‘befit Our status and station,’ Daddy was often fond of saying.

Standing here ... where is here?

Post glacial continental north america ... about seventeen thousand BC or 19 thousand BP. The invaders from Mongolia aren’t here ... yet. Coming soon, though.

Standing here with my mind paying attention to the lecture, watching the distant thunderstorm, the herd of buffalo that are crossing the burn area and the depredations of several prides of lions hunting the young, old and injured bison that were part of a herd that must have numbered in the millions, looking down at the efforts of a family of beaver building yet another dam and watching the skies for the gigantic eagle, I heard the date and boggled.

“Nineteen thousand?”

“About ... do you need the exact date?” asked the anthropologist.

“Close enough,” I said.

Seven continued, “As I was saying ... this watch,” holding up the fake, “Was an escape route. It goes to this date and nowhere else. The ability to escape capture to the past had its problems ... you always returned to the place you left ... or so we think.

“Our watch,” she said, holding it out, “Has its limitations too. Twenty two thousand years in the future ... but ONLY that future and several hundred in the past ... depending on the number of clicks of the winder. A single click won’t be noticeable ... but unless you push the stem each additional click is cumulative ... a dozen clicks is a hundred years. The watch changes your clothes, money, ID to suit the times. And it keeps excellent time.”

“Does all that?” I asked. “How?”

“Magic,” she said. “AC Clarke’s interpretation.”

“Sufficiently advanced and what not?”

“Got it in one,” was the reply.

“The technology, even the metallurgy, doesn’t exist. It works ... close enough,” she said. “There are rules.”

“And,” I said.

Seven said, “The watch works for males but the women own them. Continued and constant use by a male eventually brings disaster. Women have a bit more common sense. Men tend to adventure. Adventure in places of daring deeds.

“Rule two ... well ... you’re already in violation of number two. You should have a daughter who receives the watch on her thirteenth birthday. You need to get busy.”

“Drat!”

“Ah yes, you’re already an Austin ... throughout history, the women watch holders are either Wanzors or Austins. Our particular branch of service is concerned with those people.”

“Wanzors?” I asked. “You mean the Egyptian Seer or fortuneteller.”

That got me a look,

“Come on, now,” I said. “I have a good education. Anthropology 101 taken as an elective.”

“We forget...”

“I didn’t,” said the corporeal anthropologist. “Did you like the class?”

“Fascinating,” I said. “Archaeology 201 I took as my sophomore science elective ... field school in the summer.”

“You’re a lawyer?” she said. “Ah well ... can’t win them all.”

“Daddy,” I explained.

“Parental expectations,” she sighed. “I defied my dad.”

“What did he want?” I asked.

“Johnson, Jackson and Jankowsky, Accountancy,”

“Escaped did you?” I asked.

“Math inadequacies,” she blushed.

“Dyscalculia,” I said. “Sometimes called math dyslexia, causes problems for people when it comes to reading, writing and understanding numbers. While people with dyslexia struggle with letters and words, people with dyscalculia often have have trouble copying and writing math numbers and symbols.”

“You understand,” she gushed.

“Couple of court cases,” I said. “The accused couldn’t possibly have done the crime ... couldn’t understand the numbers.”