Part 3

Lunch had been what the three boys had on them, which consisted of sandwiches, something called soda and potato chips. Barnabas had been curious about that but hadn't said much as he knew they were not from here. He and Sarah had eaten what they had but Jason had insisted on sharing what the three boys had as well. An act that made the young man in the red shirt rise in Barnabas' estimation. Barnabas had not said why he had Sarah with him that day but Jason figured it was because she wasn't wanted around the sessions the tutor was giving today

In the late afternoon, Barnabas looked at a clock he had in his office and realized it was getting late when the device read four o'clock.

The clock was something of a luxury, he admitted to himself during his not so rare bouts of self-examinations, but he tended to lose time here if he didn't have it. He preferred the shipyards to the house some days because he preferred the honesty of sailors in their manner and speech than the lies in thought and deed of his supposedly more civilized father, aunt and mother.

Not that his father understood that at all but then again, he did not realize that Barnabas was sometimes more a sailor than a gentleman. He looked at the three boys who had helped him sort some orders out while they sat around the office. They were surprisingly well educated in spite of their strangely neutral accents. Sarah was particularly taken with Billy and seemed to enjoy discussing numbers with him. Jason had teased Billy with a good-natured ease borne of what was obviously a long standing friendship and affection and had told Sarah to ignore what she'd learned unless she wanted to be an astrophysicist-whatever that was.

"I'd like you to come up to the house with me tonight," Barnabas said. "I'm not sure what Billy needs from me but if I can answer his questions, I will."

"You sure it'll be okay?" Jason asked as he looked at Tommy. His friend's mixed heritage, Jason was afraid would cause problems but so far none of the sailors in the yard had said anything about it. "It will be fine. After all, you, like Miss Winters, are not from this time. I'm not as out-of-touch as Peter thinks I am. Billy, whatever you need to ask me, or have your friends ask me, you can. I've had a few visions about the future in regards to myself. It's a gift come from my mother's side of the family."

"And you don't want to change it?" Billy asked.

Barnabas sighed and shook his head as he looked at Billy. "If it means that one day you will exist then no, I won't change it. You are important, Billy. To me, now that I've met you in reality as opposed to just the boy I see in my dreams sometimes, and to others, many others." He looked knowingly at Tommy and Jason and smiled. "Now, get your jacket on, it gets cooler here at night."

Billy nodded and slid his jacket on. Sarah walked next to her brother on one side and Jason and Tommy put Billy on his other side.

"So, what did you want to know?" Barnabas asked as they walked.

Billy looked carefully at Sarah before proceeding. He didn't want to give too much away to the little girl, but he did want answers to his questions. Choosing his words carefully, he asked, "Would you say the heritage that I carry- the darkness if you would, could lead to me tainting others with evil?" Billy asked

Barnabas stopped and turned to Billy.

"Dark does not mean Evil, Billy. I've traveled this world to places where Western ideas of good and evil don't hold sway. Those people are no more evil than Sarah here is. You are not evil or tainted. You are Billy and if that isn't enough for whomever it was that hurt you and made you doubt yourself then frankly, that person is not worth your time."

Seeing the approach of the other guest at Collinwood who too was out of their time, he called, "Good evening Miss Winters. Can I help you?"

The dark haired young woman smiled at him and said, "Oh, we were just wondering when you'd be getting back.” Then turning to Sarah, and in the manner that had impressed Barnabas from the first time he'd met her, addressed the child as a person and not as an object that was in the way, "Hello, Sarah, did you have fun with your brother today?"

"Yes, Miss Winters," Sarah said. She smiled up at Billy and said, "This is Billy. He saved me from a runaway wagon." The little girl looked down, her face flushing with embarrassment, "I sort of run away from Barnabas while playing and didn't see it coming. I shouldn't have but I did."

Suddenly her face lit up as she looked back up at Billy and said, "Billy was amazing."

"Billy's not amazing," the youth in question said blushing deeper than his aunt, "He's just fast."

"And agile," Jason chimed in obviously teasing his friend again, "Can't forget the agile he is. Right, Tom?"

"So right, Jase," Tommy said with a smile as he picked up on Jason's intent. Looking around he said, "So, nice place you have here."

Victoria Winters was staring at the teens. She recognized their manner of dress and was confused. Barnabas smiled at her and she realized he knew her secret and had said nothing. He understood.

"Barnabas?" an older male voice asked. "Who are these young gentlemen?"

"Father," Barnabas turned and nodded before indicating the boys in turn, "this is Thomas, Jason and William. They are just passing through the area. They happened to see the drunk on the wagon that nearly hit Sarah. William's quick reactions saved her."

"Well, thank you, young man," the man Barnabas had referred to as father said, nodding to Billy. "If you haven't made other arrangements, perhaps you'd care to stay here until you are ready to move on? It seems I owe you a debt and I always repay those."

"Uh... sure, of course," Jason said. He knew Billy was on the verge of shock right now, and the young genius was probably unable to think clearly. Far too much had happened in the last few hours, and he would need some time to process it all. He knew it would be up to him and Tommy to deal with things for the time being.

The older man frowned slightly as if noticing their strange dress for the first time.

Jason jumped in and said smiling, "Our baggage was stolen so we're wearing what we had. We'll have to get some more proper attire for this area eventually but we can make do for now."

"Some of my clothes should fit them, father," Barnabas said. "I'll see what I have; for the time being however, I think they'd prefer to stay as they are."

"Yes, of course," the older man said. "My name is Joshua Collins, he introduced himself. "Please, come inside. I'll have the kitchen alerted three more for dinner."

"Thank you," Tommy said, finally remembering the manners his mother had drilled into him.

Jason steered Billy inside, not bothering to explain, just hoping they'd let it be. He so did not want to explain it right now.

He looked over his shoulder at Barnabas and the man he was talking to and prayed Barnabas could swing an excuse for Billy's silence.

"Barnabas," Jason heard as they were ushered into a sitting room. "What's wrong with that boy?"

"I believe the robbery was a bit much for him," Barnabas said.

"He was bleeding earlier but it stopped. However, I am going to assume he was injured. Perhaps he's in slight shock? I think he will be well after a good meal and a night of rest."

"We can definitely give him that then. Come along, I believe your mother wants to know how the day went."