Hamelton (Dr. Paul) Read online

  "You can get me home," said Jeff with a mouth full of food. I shot him a dirty glance. Then looked at each member of my group as if taking a vote. "Okay." I turned to William. "I think I can tell you some things that will not do any more damage to the situation than we have already done. I will not tell you anything that may change things that are not yet to come. We are from sometime in your future, and we found your book, tried your experiment to the Garden of Eden. The result was we fell easily through the gate you must have opened in this time. We are more shocked that it worked then you are to see us. Now as Jeff said we are nervous about attempting to go home."

  "That answers a lot for me and I understand how it may damage the future if I learn too much from you. Let me think for a minute", William said slowly with compassion. This gave me a chance to turn and look over this John fellow who had sat just outside the circle of chairs. He had a well kept beard covering his thick neck. His hair was a dark black with a few lines of gray in it and he wore it straight back. He was slightly balding in front. He looked about fifty with a serious face. He must have known I was looking at him, but he stared straight ahead like an outside observer. His outfit was all dark almost black. He had a silver necklace on, but I could not make out the pendent from where I sat. I saw between two chairs that he seemed to be wearing a dress or a robe. "'The Friar”, I said under my breath.

  William spoke, "It is urgent that I help you return to where it is you came from. I had decided to slow down on the experiments due to some minor mishaps. However now I see that I must forge ahead no matter what the consequences are immediately." He stood up with enthusiastic energy. "Will you meet me in one hour at the front of the house?" Without waiting for a response from us he said, "John, prepare as needed." John stood up and went for the door. William turned back toward us saying, "You know, this morning I was supposed to leave to advise the king, but when I saw you yesterday, I knew a greater destiny awaited me here." He left through the door in a hurry.

  I was stunned with his last statement. He just turned down an invitation from the palace. That is what happened in history! Did he turn it down before for a different reason and for us this time or did I read history the way I was creating it myself? Should I make him go see the king, and if I did would it save William or destroy the fabric of time? I just became aware of the very delicate situation we were in and how badly we may have been handling it. Seems William understood our situation more than we did.

  In the years since I left Hamelton many advances have been made in understanding time and multi-dimensions. But still to this day the theoretical physicists argue on how many dimensions there are. I have come to believe that even the smartest people who say they understand don"t have a clue how things work. If your field of study is so limited that no one can counter your conclusions then you could say anything you wanted even if there is no way to prove a thing in your thesis. No senator could turn down your funding if they don"t know you have discovered nothing and will not admit they don"t understand what you are researching.

  But still there is the unfailing question, “What if you went back in time and killed your own grandfather, could you have ever been born to have gone back in time?” This all happened 11 years before the movie Back To The Future movie was filmed and time travel was not widely talked about, let alone thought about. There were a few dusty books, “B” movies, and a couple episodes of Star Trek that touched on such concepts. However I had never thought about it and the sudden realizations that there was a situation, which could change the world as I knew it, and I had no training, was frightening.

  Handy suggested we all carry the same clothes as we did when we arrived because maybe it makes the return easier. The girls agreed, but feeling shy knowing that the men of the time thought them half naked decided to carry their 20th century clothes and change at the Hidden Six. Which was an interesting concept to me that women can wear a revealing bikini at the beach but if the wind lifted their dress to show their non revealing slip for a short moment, she would be very embarrassed. I suppose that it is a matter of perspective, that seeing something that is historically personal as an invasion, when on the other hand, a string bikini can be considered socially acceptable clothing. Anyway, we agreed among ourselves to meet at the front when ready.

  When I arrived at where the fish fountain would someday be, I realized that it was more like a large bird bath or children's wading pool. It was about ten feet across and filled with clean water. Probably because I was busy baffling my overworked mind with puzzles, I wondered why they did not have the fish spitting fountain here at this time? They had no electricity to pump the water up, seemed to be the obvious answer. My mind started to wonder. I had 300 years of knowledge over the people of this time. I knew scientific information that could revolutionize the world. This fountain for example, I could motorize the water and make a fountain that kings would come to see. But, I don't know how to make motors, or make wire, or cast for the rotor, or for that matter make electricity. I thought about cars, washing machines, air conditioners, and telephones. All these things need parts I did not know how to make and had parts I was not sure what their function was. Well, of course now you and I can think of easier inventions we could have stolen the credit for like Velcro, but try to figure it out when you are in a strange world and uncertain of your own future.

  One of the men from the dinner table the night before joined me at the fountain area and said he was told to show us the way to the Hidden Six once we were all ready. I asked the man what he thought about the Friar.

  The man told me, "John was once a fierce soldier. He was loyal to king and country. During a skirmish, which I'm told he slew over twenty of the enemy, he turned and ran threw one of his own men before he looked. He repented for his ways right there on the battlefield and swore to spend his life in the service of the Lord. Now that he has met William, like the rest of us here, we feel we can best serve the Lord by understanding the true meaning of the Holy Bible. Our aim is to reach Heaven when still in this life. John does go one step further then most here. I think that John believes William is a God. He is so faithful he would die for William. John still has his sword, but only carries it in William's defense, as you will soon see. He is a strange man, but a good man."

  The girls came out of the mansion. We told the man we could find our way to the Hidden Six. He followed us nonthe-less. The walkway itself was more defined in William's time. There were stones placed on both sides of the path and occasionally some nicely trimmed bushes lined the way. The path was not overly prominent just visible. Hanna said it did not exist in our time, but she knew this was the right way to go.

  The Hidden Six was quite well maintained. The paint was fresh and the garden cared for. There was a small outhouse that could be seen behind it. John, the Friar, was standing on the front step. As we approached, I could see he was wearing a sheath with a large sword in it. John said in his rough voice, "William is inside awaiting you." Noticing our awareness of his weapon he remarked, "We like to keep our experiments private."

  Upstairs William was waiting for us. As I stood at the top of the stairs, I looked around. Inside the large room was William sitting cross legged in the center seemingly in deep thought. The other rooms seemed to be set up for meetings because they had no beds just chairs. The room William was in was absent of furniture, as it was in the twentieth century. William looked up at us.

  Handy said, "If you don't mind, the women wanted to wear the same clothes back. Maybe it will make the journey easier."

  William replied, "From what I have learned, it will make no difference. You are welcome to use any room you wish to change in, if it will make you more comfortable. Gentlemen, if you will sit with me, it will be most kind." Of course we sat before him and he continued to speak. "I do not know how much you know about what is about to happen and I do not want you to tell me anything that I do not already know because it may change the future. I also have no desire to know how my life will go from he
re. On the other side, if you see a reason to know the past, I see no reason to keep it from you."

  "Why is this place called the Hidden Six?" I asked. Very complacently he said, "Before I enlarged this room there were six bedrooms, now of course there are only five."

  "Tell me about the journey we are about to take. Why do our outfits come with us? What is really happening when we go?" I asked.

  He spoke like a teacher now, "As far as how do we do it, I will go over that thoroughly when we are all present. Your apparel traveling with you is simple once you have the concept of what is happening. A gate or opening has been created. When we enter, the area around us seems to be part of us for a short time, taking it with us. At one time I went with a cat sleeping on my chest." The girls entered the room in their own things. William, the gentleman he was, would not look directly at them. "Sit, please. I was just going over how the experiment happens. Although I also can go while sitting, I find that groups work better lying down. When the gate is opened we will all travel at the same time and somewhat as the same unity. It is best if all involved try to travel; it makes it easier for those of us that are carrying the rest. Never has a woman traveled with us before. I see no problem." He went on to explain in vivid detail the relaxing technique. "...once we arrive in the in-between stage, is when I am going to try to make the difference. There is a tunnel that I easily find that takes me to the Garden of Eden. Recently, I noticed a new tunnel opening that was not there before. I think that is the way you came in. I have tried to get to it, but a force holds me back. I will try to push your party through it at the right time. Good luck to all. Let's start."

  We lay down as before except of course William was with us. Things went by as before until we arrived in the inbetween stage. This time I could see what was going on. 'See' is not the right word for it. I know of no word that can describe the sense of seeing without using eyes. I could "see" one hundred percent of my surroundings, including behind me and through myself and my companions. My body looked much as it felt like swirling gases that vaguely resembled a human being. My essence was mixing with the souls around me. I could not make out who was who from their look only from a feeling about their thoughts. The surrounding area was a bright blue mixing with a white color. In the distance behind me was a red opening, and in front another, and still one more off to one side. What seemed to be a moment last time was taking a long time now. I felt a strong presence in front of me gently blocking the path. The presence was intelligent, caring, and did not seem to be winning the fight it was having. It was William. I drew myself to him and tried to copy his actions. I became more aware of the inner feelings of my friends, despite the overwhelming fear that engulfed them. Handy was easy to spot, after all I've known him the best. I could feel mostly what I expected to and there was not the time to go deep because behind me I was watching the red tunnel coming closer. Suddenly we accelerated through the tunnel. When I awoke I was sitting in the large room and William was standing by the window.

  "Welcome to the Garden of Eden," he said.

  My other companions were just starting to wake up. William had one foot up on the windowsill and his hand on his chin as if in deep thought. He turned to face out the window while speaking. "I assume you never reached this place in you previous exposure to the experiments." The others, still dazed, sat up and listened. "This is the most wonderful place in the world. A mixture of earth and the accomplishments of man without the people who are destined to destroy it. A most wonderful place."He shook off his daydreaming and stood straight and said, "Since you have made it this far, you might as well tour the Garden of Eden." He walked out through the room door, down the stairs with his arms swinging at his sides as if we were to follow him, and we did so.

  Leaving the house I noticed John the Friar's robe and sword lying on the ground, but there was no sign of him. William stopped over it and said, "This seemed odd to me at first too. There is no other animal life here besides us. You see it is as if the world stopped at the moment we left. There is no wind. I have stayed here the equivalent of five days in a row and the time of day never changed. There is just you, me, and all the orchards in the world that existed at the time we left. If we went back to the real world right now then came back everything would be as it was the next time we left. But there will be time for that kind of talk later."

  We walked over a short hill onto the small farm that was on the Hamelton property. We looked at all the produce that was there for the taking. William climbed a tree and tossed apples down to us.

  “Is this the real Garden of Eden?” Jeff asked.

  William smiled and he whimsically pulled down some more fruit and tried to juggle. “I am not sure where this place is. I do know it has internal peace. Maybe it is heaven. The name Garden of Eden fits because that was the last time the Bible told us that such a wonderful world could exist before people.”

  He then took us for a tour of the pond we had rode our horses to before and we drank from the crystal stream that filled it. The man was making the point that the Garden of Eden had a plentiful source of food.

  We walked to the mansion and saw food that seemed prepared for the chairs of empty clothes that sat around the table. Picking up a shirt that was once on a person who is now gone, William said, "Anything we need is just waiting for us to use it. And no one will ever miss what we take because they still have it in their existence." We found ourselves admiring William as apparently his followers do. He talked of love, emotions, God, and life itself.

  There is one interesting conversation that I had with William I would like to share because it involves a misunderstood fact of history. When I asked if his home had a dungeon, William explained that castles are designed for the purpose of withstanding attacks from unfriendly forces. A dungeon is simply the strongest part of the castle. Therefore dungeons have minimum living requirements and supplies in case the owner needs to try to hold out waiting for reinforcements. The strongest part of a castle is at its base. Since dungeons are far from the ears of the living quarters, occasionally some were used to temporarily hold prisoners until they could be moved to a proper prison. William said that his grandfather, who had the house built, was a man of God and felt there was no danger of attack, so Hamelton house is not fortified and therefore needs no dungeon.

  Handy, making a bit of a fool of himself, tried to hold Hanna's hand several times and made Adam and Eve jokes to her. She was starting to get annoyed now and repeatedly but politely avoided him. At the time I did not want to get involved with what would surely end up embarrassing my friend.

  William led us back to the Hidden Six. Entering the door and stepping over the friar"s sword, Cindy asked William why such a peaceful man needed an armed guard. William laughed at the way she phrased the question then said, "We will need to reenter the other world soon. What if someone put something on the floor in the place we will soon be? Will we not be able to get there? Or die trying? I do not know. And do not want to find out."

  As we entered the large room, I remembered the reason we had arrived. I must have been so overwhelmed with the Garden of Eden I had forgotten the trip we had taken two hours before. The tunnels and William trying to stop us. Everything must have gone wrong with the attempt to return to our own time.

  We all sat back on the floor at William's suggestion. He told us, "As I'm sure you have realized, it did not work, the experiment I mean. We must try it again on the way back." We prepared to travel again. This time when we entered the limbo stage William had instructed all of us to try to decelerate by thinking of being slow.

  Once we arrived in the limbo stage, I was even more aware than I was the time before. We all tried to slow down upon entering. I also tried to feel the souls of my friends. William was as earnest and sincere as before. Cindy, surprisingly, was very smart. She even seemed aware of my probe into her mind. Upon recognition of my thoughts of her intelligence, she seemed to flood her mind with miscellaneous thoughts to block me. So I went on. Jeff seem
ed as unaware of what was going on around him as if he was in standard conversation. Handy on the other hand was as directed as could be. He seemed to try to merge with Hanna's soul. He appeared scary to me in the strength of his desire for her. Hanna was easily readable. She had multiple complicated emotions. She was enjoying the trip as one would enjoy a roller coaster. She seemed to be trying to avoid Handy and his intentions. She also seemed hungry for something. Or at least that is how they seemed to me. I still wonder what they felt from me.

  In the limbo stage we were indeed slowing down more than last time. William expressed the thought of "Help me do this." We all tried to stop, but just as we almost stopped, the suction of the other tunnel took over and started moving us again. I watched as the tunnel to my own time vanished off to the side.

  Downstairs, John the Friar was still standing on the front step like a gargoyle. His sword was still on his side. After departing from the apologizing William, I excused myself to take a walk. I walked by myself to the tree that William had picked me an apple from in the Garden of Eden. There on the tree was the same apple I had eaten just one hour ago. I picked the fruit and sat under the tree and looked at it for some time. I tried to think things out but I just found myself coming back to confusion. I felt the answer to returning home was right in front of me, but I just couldn't see it. I took a bite of the apple to find it tasted the same in this world as in the last.

  When I arrived back to the mansion, it was late afternoon and my friends were playing some kind of a board game with wood blocks. We all retired at sundown.

  VII

  I had unusual dreams that night. I dreamed about wild chases through the typical Garden of Eden. I also had a dream that I was a helpless bug in a water hose, then someone turned the faucet on and the water flushed me out, with me spinning and turning as I spiraled down the hose.