Chapter 13

During the next two weeks, the things that were broken were fixed. The women had gone out into the woods and foraged for the wild vegetables. I had shot several deer to provide meat, for we now had over twenty people living within the village walls. Janesville was beginning to stir into life once again.

Once they were shown and under the guidance of Hygd the village was a lot tidier. I got down to showing some of the women how to cultivate the soil and using two of my potatoes, which were cut in small pieces, each piece with an eye were planted. I was at least hoping that I could get a crop of seed potatoes to be able to plant the following year.

The sound of horse harness - once heard is never forgotten. It was this sound I heard one morning vibrating through the air. It could only be one person - Wiferth. I ran to the North Gate, lifted the bar off and threw open the gates. Coming towards me was not just one carriage but three. My old carriage and two which obviously had been copied, being pulled by four horses each.

I spotted Wiferth and alongside him sat Easterhyld with a young child in her arms. The buggy was stacked and covered with hides and other personal items. To the rear of them were the other two wagons with four people on both. Each carried three men and a woman.

Wiferth jumped down and rushed to meet me and grasped my elbow. "I am glad to see that you have returned Chally! Wald spoke in awe of the wonders he had seen here. I have returned to stay, bringing some of my friends also."

"Wiferth I am glad you have returned your old house is waiting for you."

"Before I left I hid some of the items like the plough, deep in the forest, also as much of the furniture. I see you have the Druidess Feologid here; Wald said she was waiting on his return."

"Yes, Feologid will be staying in the village; I have given her the old cabin. So it looks like we will have to build ourselves a new meeting place."

"I will get my friends settled and then come and see you and introduce you to my daughter."

"You can tell your young men there are single women already here, just looking for husbands, which should cheer them up."

"It certainly will, I have told them the women in this village have equal say, also there are no slaves. If they hadn't agreed to the terms I wouldn't have brought them."

"Well they had better choose a home each, for soon they will have to accommodate a wife as well, but I must tell you the houses are in a terrible state."

"Leave that to us we will soon tidy things up in the houses." With that he and his companions made there way to the east side of the village.

Feologid, had moved back into the cabin the day after she had first had her shower, after I deloused her sleeping furs and had them beaten to ensure that all the loose DDT powder was removed. The cabin was now the domain of the Druids and already three had passed through and I suppose the word was now spreading.

I was expecting Nothhelm to return, but as time went by the chances of this happening became more remote. July was upon us and the few seeds that we had left had now grown into full plants and would be ready for harvesting soon.

The ground we had started to clear outside the village was now ready for cultivation, but not until the next growing season. Also three new latrine pits were dug, to reduce the traffic to the one I had dug and was now being gradually filled in with earth as decomposition took place.

I was up with my marking stick, watching for the appearance of the shimmering when a large covered fixed tray truck entered the clearing. The speed it was travelling I thought it would never stop, but the driver brought it to a halt only inches from the south wall.

The driver got out of his cab and just stood scratching his head.

"Bit of a shock isn't it?" I called.

"Where the bloody hell did the road go to?" He said with a broad northern accent.

"Not so much the road, you have travelled back in time as well."

"Come on don't piss me around."

Just then the rest of the villagers had come out of their homes and gathered around.

"The names Charlie, welcome to Janesville. I am sorry these people don't speak the English we know, but Gaelic. This is the common language of the time."

"Whay man, your kidding me."

"No Geordie, that's a fact."

Just then a woman dressed in a nun's habit got down from the passenger side of the truck and looked at the people standing around. She kept her back to the truck as she moved to the rear where we were standing. Her eyes were wide open, looking the people up and down.

"Who are these people and why are they dressed like that. Is this a hippie commune or something?" She stammered, but her accent was south-east.

"A nun," I exclaimed.

"Yes, I picked her up just ten minutes ago, her car had broken down and I was taking her to the next service area. My name is Bill Thornton, but you can me Geordie if you want to."

"Well Bill, you are stuck here for at least until October and by that time it's as cold as in midwinter that you know."

"You're serious, aren't you, about where we are?"

"Where are we?" Chirped in the nun.

"Not where, you are in the same place as you were, but when. You are now back in Bronze age England, but it's not even called that. It's Albion at the present time. The people you see are two of the races occupying the country at the present time, the fair-haired ones, are the natives and the dark-haired ones are Celts. The woman you see standing by the cabin is a Druidess."

"I don't believe this at all, it must be a movie set or something," the nun said.

I turned and explained what had happened to Wiferth, who was standing beside me and the villagers. "These people have come from my land. They are confused and puzzled why they have landed here. We must try to help them as they don't speak your tongue. I will try to teach them but I ask all of you to help also."

"Why is it they cannot speak our tongue, all people speak our tongue? Marjorie was able to?"

"No not all, there are many lands where the tongue in which we speak would not be understood. I am sure Feologid will tell you this." I had put the explaining over to Feologid, for they will believe it if she tells them so.

"I had no idea what you were taking about," Bill said. "What were the people asking?"

"They were asking why you can't speak their tongue."

"Oh, this can't be right, this only happens on TV or the movies," the nun said.

"You never told me your name," I asked her.

"It's Sister Teresa; I'm a nursing nun on my way to a new convent."

"Well Sister Teresa and you Bill come on into my house and I'll make you both a cup of tea. The only thing it may be a bit weak for I haven't that many tea bags."

Sister Teresa and Bill followed as I made my way to my house. Sister Teresa was about my age, I would say, but didn't look the best at this time of the morning, she was dressed in her black habit with the white skull cap showing. She was about 5 feet 6 inches tall, and her face was a mass of freckles, which showed she was a red-head. Bill was about 5 feet 9 inches tall and must have weighed 18 stone at least. He was in his forties I would say and was only wearing boots, shorts and a blue singlet.

"I've never seen a house like this before," Bill said.

"I built it, I returned to the 21^st Century got the items I needed and returned with them. I have been back and forth a couple of times. I prefer it here rather than in my own time."

"Then this isn't what Sister Teresa thought a movie set?"

"Bill, there are a few tall trees here that you can easily climb. Climb one and see what you can see, then tell me if you have ever seen so much woodlands in England. Go on I'll have the tea ready for you by the time you return. Sister Teresa you go with him and look for yourself."

The pair left and in twenty minutes returned. "There are trees right to the horizons, trees everywhere," Bill declared in wonder.

"Now do you believe me?"

"Christ, what an experience," he said.

"Bill are you any good at making things? We need several things fixed. You have no place to go, so we would appreciate any help you can give."

"I'm a joiner by trade."

"Beautiful, that is the one man we need. I have a complete box of carpenter's tools for you and a house for you to live in, on your stay here."

"I suppose I'll have to get by without power tools then."

"Yes and you have to cut the trees you want the wood from."

"So it's all green wood carpentry then?"

"What were you carrying in your truck, is there anything we could use."

"No, you're not touching my load, I may be late but I'll deliver a full load."

"How are you going to deliver it?"

"You said you go back and forth, so I'll do the same."

"The opening lasts for just a couple of minutes every three months or so. How will you know when it opens again?"

"You'll tell me."

"Maybe I won't, what then? I'll tell you; you are stuck here for the rest of your life."

"I was carrying a load for a supermarket, mostly boxes of tinned goods, I think."

"You don't know?" I queried.

"No I just get the invoice numbers, and batch numbers and the number of containers. I couldn't care less what is in them."

"We won't worry for now, but we may need to look later. Come on I'll show you your new home."

"Can I come too?" Sister Teresa asked.

"Sure, where do you want to stay, we have a few single females who live in a couple of houses."

"I'll stay with you, I don't fancy living with a native."

"They are all nice people, funny ways, but once you get to know them they are all right."

"All the same I'll stay with you, unless you don't want me to."

"That's all right I have a spare sleeping-bag and room."

"I have a sleeping-bag in my lorry," Bill said.

I took him to Nothhelm's old house, "This will really suit me fine," Bill exclaimed.

Just then Hygd came up to me. "Does the man want a woman; he is a nice big man."

"Bill, Hygd wants to know if you want her for your woman. These people have no restraints and if they see something they like they will ask. I have known Hygd a long-time and she is a very capable woman. Also she speaks a little English, not much, but a little. She can teach you Gaelic."