Back at the Truck

Back at the truck.

Linc was flabbergasted to see the time masters waiting there. He
wondered why they were there.
His time master said to him, " Roland Hancks would not like to have
been buried back in that time period . He would have wanted to be laid
to rest at his retreat. You now have his broach and the key to his
retreat. We want you to return and get his body and take it to his
retreat. Even if we could go back in time and get it, we could not
take it to his retreat No one can go to an others retreat with out
being taken or invited. Since Roland is dead, he can do neither.
Will you do it"?
Linc was stunned. How on earth did they expect him to do this. One
person alone could not do it. He wondered if Bernard could go back
and forth through portals and take stuff with him, then why couldn't
he take the time masters back in time to help him? He asked the time
masters if this could be done. The two he saw with Roland said they
would try it,
They went back toward the mine and as they entered, a portal opened up
and they were back at the mound. They quickly dug Roland out of the
mound and took him back to the mine. The time masters that were left
at the truck, had procured a coffin, and Roland's body was placed in
it.
The time master told Linc to pin the broach on his shirt, Tell them
they were all invited to take the coffin to the retreat. Linc did
this, then was told to place his hand on the broach and say, "
Retreat" He no sooner did this, than they were transported to a
beautiful Island.
The time master said, " Roland had a cave where his parents were laid
to rest. That is where we should put Roland as well."
They carried the coffin down the beach to a huge cave that had been
partly rocked in and had glass the rest of the way to enclose it.
They went in a glass door and went into an opening on their right
that led to a small grotto with a high window in it. There were two
caskets along one wall. The time masters placed Roland's coffin along
side them and one of them had a bronze plaque with Roland Hancks
engraved on it that he placed on top of the coffin.
With heads bowed, they all said their final words to their friend.
The head time master led them all back into the cave. Linc could see
that the cave was quite large and surprisingly light inside. There was
one main room that looked to be kitchen, dining room and living room
combined. There were three curtained off doorways leading from the
main room. There was a fireplace cooking area and a large table with
benches on three sides of it. Lots of cupboards and cabinets. Couch,
big comfy chairs, desk and book cases. The place looked very
comfortable indeed.
The head time master bade Linc to sit as he wanted to tell him about
the retreat and what it means to him. The other time masters went out
of the cave and back to where they came from.
Linc pulled one of the benches out from the table and sat down.
The time master told Linc the retreat was really his and his alone.
To travel to it from anywhere, all he had to do was touch the broach
and say "retreat" to get here, No one else could access it with out
him or being invited and no one else could use the broach unless they
were a Hanks.. This was not considered time travel because coming
here is the same time as were he was at when he touched the broach.
On a retreat, the time stood still. It was constant. To leave, he
would only have to touch the broach and say "back" and he would be
back at the point where he started from. He also said if he needed
to talk to a time master, he could touch the broach and say, " time
master" and he would come to him here at the retreat.
He told Linc how Roland's Father started this retreat and spent most
of his time here after his wife passed away. When Roland became time
master when his father died, he built the house at the end of the
island. He wanted things more modern. He spent most of his time in
Italy and Egypt chariot racing, than at the island. He said Roland
was reckless and a bit foolhardy, but he wasn't the only one. There
was another time master they haven't heard from in quite a while.
Last they heard of him, he was experimenting with the idea of making a
permanent steel arch portal that he could go through and get to other
planets. He said he could use different minerals on the arch to
accomplish that. So far he had only went to the moon and back. Who
knows what he did since no one has seen the arch nor him. He told
Linc he hoped he would be able to find out where they lost the powers
soon. There were millions of portals all over the world, and Linc
could go through any of them.
The time master then got up, shook Linc's hand and went out the door and left.
Linc looked around the cave. Looked into two bedrooms, a bathroom and
a storage room. The he left the cave and walked on up to the house.
It was surrounded by lots of trees, shrubs and flowers. It had a nice
big patio, and a veranda that went all around the whole house. He went
inside and saw it was very modern indeed. Very nicely decorated . Big
kitchen and dining room combined. Large living room. Den to the side
with a bar and pool table. Office, pantry and two bedrooms with
bathrooms. He could also see that Roland was a terrible house
keeper. Place was dirty, cluttered, and needed airing out bad.
Well he wasn't going to do anything about it now. He better get home.
He went outside, touched the broach and said "back".
Back at the truck, he headed back to the house and hit the shower.
Trudy called to him just as he left his room. She said she called him
earlier, but he must have been in the shower. She said Lucas had
asked about him after the ladies left and when he found Linc went for
a hike, he decided to take a nap. He had just woke up a while ago,
She told Linc, supper would be ready in about a half hour so Linc went
to find Lucas. He was sitting in a swing that hung on the porch.
Lucas said he had a grand visit with the ladies. What flirts they
were. He was smiling when he said it so he must have been flattered.
There was a pitcher of ice tea on a side table. Linc poured
himself a glass and went and sat by Lucas in the swing. He sat in
thought for a moment then asked Lucas, if he was up to it, how about
packing up and spending a few days at the cabin. Maybe ask John and
Trudy up for a picnic since they hadn't been up there yet. Linc
thought for a minute then told Lucas about the rusty water coming out
of the mine tunnel. He thought John was pretty astute, and he wanted
to see what he might have to say about the rusty waster that was
leaking into the creek. Some of that water made it's way to the pond
by the corrals.
Linc figured after supper he would head into town and pick up the
supplies needed for the stay at the cabin, gather up the clean bedding
and anything else they would need, and load it in the truck. At supper
he would talk to John and Trudy about it. And ask Trudy if she needed
anything for a picnic, while he was in town.
There was a lot of things he wanted to do right now, and he had been
offered a job as search geologist with the big mine out of town a
ways. He was glad he had given his Uncle Vernon one of the diamonds
Bernard had given him to sell. He was going to need the money his
uncle put into his account when he sold the diamond. A job could come
later.
Trudy and John were glad to be invited up to the cabin. They had
heard a lot about it. Linc and Trudy loaded things they would use for
their stay at the mine and for the picnic into some coolers the next
morning. With everything in their trucks, they headed up to the
cabin.
It was a glorious morning. The sun was shining, the air was crisp,
flowers were blooming and the birds were singing their hearts out when
they got there.
To be continued.