The Time-Traveller's Choice

if there's a strong mind

The people around me faded, and I found myself in an echoing hall with a stage up the front, as Amy grabbed the arm of the woman named Cathy, who shook her off and put up her hand in a warning gesture.

I dropped the brooch and shuffled my chair away from it.

"I'm sorry," I said, standing up quickly. So I could get pulled backwards even though I was already in 1921. I hurried through the cinema lobby and out into the fresh air, and leaned against the metal fence, looking up at the sky.

It was a clear night, and I was struck by how many stars I could see. Without the light pollution of modern London, I felt like I could almost see the Milky Way.

Imagine how much better the view would be if I got myself accidentally pulled back to 1821. What would happen then? Would I have to try and undo that pulling just to find myself back in 1921? Would 1921 seem like a blessing from the perspective of 1821?

I choked out a helpless laugh and ran my hand through my hair.

"You all right, odd 'un?" said Charlie, coming to lean against the fence next to me.

"I'm fine," I said, aware that I neither looked nor sounded fine.

"You will be," said Charlie. He took my hand, patted it twice, and set it down again.

"How do you know?"

"Well, because a body can go through just about anything and be fine, if there's a strong mind," said Charlie. "That's how I see it."

I felt the beginnings of a smile. "Do I have a strong mind?"

"Without doubt. What else could of brought a gel like you all the way from Durham to London by herself?"

"A trick of fate," I replied, looking back up at the sky.

"Then fate can get buggered," Charlie replied.

"You don't believe in fate?"

"I've seen enough to know that if you sits around waiting for fate, you'll most likely die waiting," he said. For the first time, I saw him with the joy wiped clean off his face.

"In the war?"

"Men died quick enough there," he said, "and it's hard to see or believe..." He shook himself. "But enough of that talk. Do you want to come back inside, odd 'un, or shall I walk you home?"

"I don't want you to miss the movie," I said.

"Nonsense." He pushed away from the fence. "I was sick of listening to Enid complaining about her fat ankles anyway."

I snorted. "I think we should go back inside," I said.

"Right-o." We turned back towards the theatre. "If you don't mind my asking, what was it really brought you to London? Most people don't ups and moves to Mile End if they has a choice to go somewhere else."

"I told you--I saw a job."

"At the Receiving Home?"

"No..." I trailed off. "At, uh..."

Charlie stuck his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders. "Odd 'un, I'm not going to ask you to answer anything you don't want to. A woman's secrets are her own. But if you ever want to share those secrets, you know where I am."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked.

He tilted his head and gave this some consideration. "You're unexpected," he replied, not looking at me. "I like that. There's not much of that around here. And there was a moment yesterday when you looked so sad and lost that I thought, if I could do something to make that expression go away, I'd do it in a heartbeat."