The rock samples.

The rock samples.

When he got back to the truck, Linc tossed the pack in the back of the
truck and headed home. He was all wet and hoped he could get into his
room with out having to explain how that happened. He was luck there
and got to his room with out anyone catching him. He got into some dry
clothes and took the rocks from the trip through the portal and
placed them in a drawer until he could find stuff to pack them and
the ones from the pack, with.
What a day. He was exhausted. He would love to just lie down and
take a nap, but Lucas would think he was sick or something.
He went down to find Lucas was still asleep at his nap, so he got the
pack from the truck. Took out the bag from the mine, and took it up to
his room, and put it with the other rocks. He would have to get some
material to pack them in and a box. He also wanted to get some of the
heavy rust sludge from the cabin. He wanted to see what his old
teacher thought about that stuff too.
He went to the office and sent an e-mail to his old teacher. Told
hem about the minerals and that he was going to send them to him to
see if he could identify them.
He knew his Uncle Vernon had been taking the kids on camping trips
like he used to take him, so he also sent an e-mail to his Uncle
Vernon. He wondered if he thought it a good idea if he could bring
the kids over to the farm for a week. Sometime before school started.
It would give the folks a few days by them selves. He wanted to tell
him all about the time masters and he wanted to take him to the
retreat.
He heard Lucas come down the stairs and go out to the porch, so he
went to join him. He was sitting in the swing drinking iced tea.
Linc poured a glass and sat down next to him.
"Grandpa" he said. " I've been thinking about something, and I think
it is maybe time to tell you. You may have a hard time believing it,
but it's the God's truth. I haven't told the folks yet, so you are
the first to know." Linc then went on to tell Lucas everything about
the time masters and all that he had done so far for them. He also
told about the retreat and what he found there. Told him how he
needed his help with the French papers he found. " I want to take
you there, if you believe me and feel up to it". Lucas just sat there
a minute. He was a bit dumbfounded at what he had just heard. Not
that he didn't believe what Linc told him, but because he didn't know
what to say. He then took a deep swig of tea and turned to Linc,
smiled and said, "lets go". "Great, we can do it tomorrow. We can
do it from the cabin. I want to get some packing stuff, and we can
check the traps while we are at it". As they sat there waiting for
Trudy to call them to supper, Lucas asked Linc a great many questions
about the places he had been and the people he met. Told Linc he was
jealous because he hadn't been chosen to this too. He thought it was
fantastic.
The next day, they told Trudy they were going to town, then up to the
cabin to check the traps. Asked if she needed anything from town,
piled into the truck and went on up to town first. Linc got some
packing material and a box from the Post office.
Up at the cabin, they saw the skunk had been caught. Linc took the
skunk and buried it. He opened the cabin to let it air out. They
went up to the trench and saw there was little change, and got a
sample of the rusty sludge and put it into an empty pill bottle..
Back at the cabin he took hold of Lucas's arm, touched the broach and said,
' retreat'.
At the island, Lucas gasped and said, "you mean to tell me, all this
is your's"? "Yep"! said Linc., who led them on down the shore line
to the cave. Lucas asked if the altitude was different here because
he felt lighter. And even felt a bit frisky, younger somehow, if that
was possible. Linc explained that the retreats were a place to recoup
the stamina for the time masters. It may even give them a boost, who
knows.
At the cave, Lucas marveled at how it was fixed up. They went inside
and Lucas had to check the whole thing out. He looked at everything
and just stood there and shook his head. He remarked on how smooth
the walls of the cave were. "So hard to believe it all". Linc took
him into the big bedroom and showed him the desk. Lucas looked at the
packet and whistled. " Looks like a lot of legal papers. Marriage
permit, birth certificates. Two deeds to property in France, the keys
must be for them. A legal grant for payment of service. An IOU for
funds from a private party. Anther permit of some kind, and the pack
of money, with a note attached said for sale of a painting. "The
money is about a hundred years old. All new uncirculated bills, just
like they come from the printer, the serial numbers in consecutive
order. There are twenty, five franc notes, or one hundred dollars.
They would be worth a fortune to some collector," said Lucas.. Linc
made a mental note to check it out later. The desk had mostly personal
papers and recites. "Looks like he sold a few paintings. Looking at
that monstrosity hanging in the other room, how, I'll never know".
He whistled again as he looked at the dueling pistols. "beautiful" he
said. Lucas picked up a trinket box on a dresser, that Linc had
overlooked. It held some old jewelry that looked quite expensive.
Mentioned it to Linc.
Linc went over to the wardrobe and gave it a tug. It swung away from
the wall and then Lucas could see the tunnel. " What on earth"? he
asked. Linc turned on the flashlight and they went in. There were
twenty notches in the walls. Ten on each side . The pink light in each
of them seemed a bit brighter than he was here last time. Linc told
Lucas he hadn't found out what this was all about, but he had
suspicions it had something to do with the historical artifacts the
time masters brought back with them from their time travels. He would
find out somehow.
Lucas put the things back in the desk and they went on up to the house.
Linc had to speed up his pace, because Lucas was stepping right along.

Walking around the house, Lucas whistled again. "Mighty nice there Son"
Lucas went all thru the house, remarking at how he liked certain
things. In the kitchen he opened the fridge and exclaimed, "hey this
thing is on. Stuff looks fresh. Did you bring this up yesterday"?
Linc then went on and told him how time stood still on the island, how
he brought the stuff up a few days ago. Lucas said, "Looks good, why
not make some lunch".
Lucas went out and sat in a lounge chair on the patio, And Linc
brought lunch out and set it on a table between them. As they were
eating, Lucas nodded his head a couple of times as he looked around
the area. "Yep, I could get used to this". Linc said he would bring
him whenever he wanted to come.
As they sat there, Linc told Lucas about what he found on Roland's
computer about the artifacts. He could not find them anywhere and
thought they may be stored somehow down in the tunnel. He just had to
find a way past the pink lights and see. If worse came to worse he
could ask the time master but not if he didn't have to in case it was
wrong for them to bring them back. He just couldn't figure out why
they would hide them since no one but who they asked were able to be
here. Strange to say the least.
Lucas wanted to explore the island. He said he felt great when Linc
asked him if he was sure. Might be a bit strenuous. Lucas said again
how he felt so good since he came.
They walked on down to the point of the island in front of the house.
There was no driftwood on the beach anywhere that they could see.
Must not ever have a high tide or storms here. Since the cave was on
the right of the house, they walked on down the beach to the left. The
water lapped the beach with very gentle waves. Not real loud. On
down the beach, the land rose on up into a mountain like on the other
side where the big cave was. They came up on a couple if smaller
caves. They were natural caves, not like the smooth walled main cave.
In one, were some child's toys. This must be a place where Roland
played as a child. They looked around in the other caves and found
nothing. The beach was beginning to be covered with fallen rock, so
they turned back to the house.
Back at the house they sat on the patio and drank some iced tea. Lucas
said he wondered just how long this island had been here. Why did the
old man have a cave instead of a house like this. A lot of questions
could be asked about this place. Linc asked Lucas what would he do if
he were to spend some time here Lucas said he didn't know for sure.
Maybe do a lot of walking a round. Maybe read, nap, who knows. Just
a thought. He said he did know one thing, it was a feel good place.
Next thing Linc knew, Lucas was sound asleep.
Linc went inside to the office, after he cleaned up the lunch stuff.
At the computer he looked for any reference to the tunnel, but found nothing.
He found he could not get on the web. He looked for any thing that
would tell him where the island was. He did find what looked to be
journal entries in a file labeled yeh. Different places he had been
and people he had encountered. Yep, old Roland did live an
interesting life.
After Lucas woke up from his nap, Linc suggested they go back to the
cabin, since it was late afternoon.


To be continued.