The Time Sphere (17 page)

Servants came around with bowls filled with water.  Everyone began to wash their hands, so Billy just did the same.  Afterward, more servants came with wine and ale, served with bread and butter.  Next, a broth type soup was served with pieces of white meat and unidentifiable vegetables floating in it.   The courses kept coming and coming. 

Thankfully, Leonardo noticed Billy and Jeanie’s curious stares as each of the platters arrived, so he proceeded to explain each dish to them.

“These are honey mustard eggs, this is a puffed pastry with cheese inside, and these here are pickled carrots and pears.”

All of a sudden, there came a murmur from the crowd.  Billy could see a peacock, with its beak and feathers still attached and very fancifully placed on a stand in front of the main table.  Billy felt himself turn green as he heard Dickens chuckle at his side. 

“Don’t worry, it’s cooked!  Chefs of this era love presentation.  They just put the feathers, beak and legs back on.”

This did not reassure Billy in the least.  “I still don’t think I can eat it.”

“Don’t worry, there will be more to choose from,” replied Dickens, smiling at Billy’s green expression.

And there was.  Billy was amazed at the amount of food served.  There was roast pig, roast duck, countless vegetable dishes, pastries and a different sauce to go with each and much more.

After the meal was done, Billy didn’t think he had ever eaten so much.  He looked around and wondered what the custom was after a meal.  He didn’t know much about Medieval Times, but he knew one thing.  Billy then let out a belch that seemed to ricochet off the walls and stun the room into silence. 

“That was great!” he said, as he pounded his chest, with a proud look upon his face. 

Every head in the hall turned to look at him; some even had a look of disgust on their face.  Billy felt his cheeks begin to burn. 

Horrified, he turned to Dickens and whispered, “I thought that’s what they did in the Middle Ages, burp and pass gas all the time?” 

Dickens was turning a faint shade of red and his hand was placed over his mouth.  At first, Billy thought it was because he embarrassed him, only to discover that Dickens was trying valiantly not to laugh.  People finally began to turn away and resume their meal.

The old man cleared his throat.  “No, my young man, most people think that, but it is a gross exaggeration.  In fact, it was considered very rude to do a number of things during a meal in Medieval Times, especially at an upscale meal such as this.  Belching, scratching your head, wiping your hands on the table cloth was all frowned upon.  Even blowing on your soup was considered vulgar.”

Billy gave Dickens an angry glare.  “Wow, I wish I knew all that before I totally humiliated myself!”

It seemed that Dickens felt it was finally safe to laugh and let it out with gusto.  “Don’t worry about it, Billy, they have all forgotten it by now, I dare day.  And besides, you
just gave me the best laugh I’ve had in a long time,” he said, as he wiped a tear from his eye.

“Glad to be of service,” Billy grumbled.

“Oh look, they’re starting to clear away the tables for more dancing,” exclaimed an excited Jeanie.

The band immediately began to start up again, and people moved to the centre of the hall.  Billy learned more names of the dances, like the ridda and the balloncchio.  He fervently hoped that Jeanie would drag Dickens onto the dance floor and not him, horrified at the idea of further embarrassing himself.  As if she could read his mind, Jeanie grabbed Billy’s hand and swiftly began walking to the dance floor.

“I can’t do this, Jeanie,” Billy said in a panic stricken voice, as he looked about at the people crowding around him.

Jeanie just looked at him and smiled, “Neither can I, we can make fools of ourselves together.”

They joined a lineup of people, where each partner joined hands, forming a bridge.  The couple at the end would then skip under the bridge of hands, joining together again at the opposite end as the group cheered them on.  There was a woman at the one end shaking a tambourine in tune with the music. 

Billy began to sweat
, as it was almost their turn.  Then with a laugh, Jeanie grabbed his hand and began pulling him under the man made bridge, skipping to the music.  Before he could think, they were at the other end, where everyone was laughing and cheering. 

Billy’s heart beat so loudly, it almost drowned out the band.  He had always been terrified of making a fool of himself, which was one of the reasons he worked so hard to not draw people’s
attention and kept to himself. Then he realized that no one was even looking at him.  Everyone was focused on just having fun.  He and Jeanie continued to dance every dance for the next hour.

After that, Billy fully engaged himself in the festivities.  There were jugglers and dancers performing for the crowd.  People recited ballads and sung love songs, which surprisingly, Billy didn’t mind in the least.  Sword swallowers and fire eaters walked amongst the crowd, showing off their skills.  He and Jeanie ate honey and fruit pastries and an assortment of other desserts.  If they weren’t partaking in their surroundings, they contently wandered about and avidly observed all of the excitement around them.

Finally, they hurled themselves into a chair laughing. 

“Ugg, this hat needs to go!” moaned Jeanie, as she took off the long cone hat.  “It was fun for a while, but now it feels like it weighs a ton.” She gave her head a shake.  “Ahh, that’s better.”

Billy rested his head against the back of the chair, his legs appreciating the break.  He couldn’t believe how much fun he was having.  Until that day, Billy had never danced a day in his life.  This was one of the best days of his life, he thought.  In fact, he realized, the time he had spent with Dickens and Jeanie had been the best time of his whole life. 

Ho
w can that be? he thought.  We’re running for our lives, we’re lost in time and my father is about to destroy the planet.  But everything seemed so distant at that moment.  Never in his life had he felt the freedom to just say what he wanted, to feel what he wanted.  Nobody judged him; no one bullied or humiliated him.  In fact, he had done things that he never thought possible.  Instead of fading into the background like he usually did, he had found that there was a leader in him. 

He looked over at Jeanie.  She was the best friend he ever had.  Maybe Leonardo was right; he needed to just appreciate their friendship for as long as he could.

Once again, they were disrupted by a familiar voice.

“Excuse me, my lady.”

Billy looked to his left to see the haughty profile of Niccolo, who was currently executing a low bow in front of Jeanie.  Again, his cronies were behind him. 

“It would be my pleasure if you would be my partner in the next dance,” he smiled, looking at her expectantly. 

This guy was unbelievable!  Was this kid that conceited and felt that entitled that he thought Jeanie would dance with him!

But before Billy could intervene, Jeanie met his stare and said, “No thank you, I don’t dance with mean and arrogant boys who pick on people smaller than them,” and she stood up to leave.

Niccolo grabbed her arm.  “I would advise you not to refuse me again,” he threatened in a low and menacing tone.

“Let her go!” demanded Billy.

Niccolo turned to the shorter boy and smiled that cocky smile.  “Or what?  I defeat you again?” Niccolo continued to stare at Billy and then abruptly released Jeanie’s arm.  He looked her up and down and said in a disdainful voice, “You are not worth it, you red haired wench.”

Billy took Jea
nie’s arm and began walking away, but Niccolo came to stand in front of them. 

He then said in a low voice so his companions couldn’t overhear, “You have humiliated me for the last time, first in front of my friends and now in my father’s house.  You will both regret it.  I promise you.”  As the boy walked away, Billy felt the cold chill of dread.

Everyone returned home that evening tired and ready for bed.  As much as Billy had come to love Pisa, he couldn’t wait to leave because of Niccolo.  He scared Billy.  He wasn’t a typical bully from his time.  Here he was the son of a powerful man and of noble birth, who had in his power to do something terrible to them. 

As Billy fell into a fitful slumber, a loud crash awakened him, followed by hysterical screaming.  Billy jumped from his bedroll and ran downstairs, only to see Jeanie being dragged from the house by uniformed soldiers.

“Billy, Dickens, stop them, please!” she frantically screamed.

Billy ran for the door.  The last thing he saw was a fist coming
toward his face. 

Then nothing.

C
hapter 25

It was early morning when Billy’s eyes fluttered open.  His vision was out of focus and full of shadows.  As he lay there, trying to remember how he came to be lying down, the dark outline of someone’s head loomed above him.  Georgii’s face began to materialize, a look of concern etched across his features. 

Billy attempted to sit up, only to experience a white hot pain shoot through his head, pushing him to lie back down again.  He then felt something cool being pressed against his temple.

“Lay back
, son, you’ve got quite the goose egg,” said Dickens in a hushed tone.

In the span of a second, everything came back to him.  The banquet, Niccolo, Jeanie…Jeanie!  Billy bolted upright, ignoring the searing pain. 

“Where is she, Dickens?  Where is she?” he yelled in a panic stricken voice.  The three faces surrounding him responded with only silence. 

Finally, Leona
rdo spoke, his head hung low.  “She has been taken to the Pisan jail.”

Billy urgently looked into the stricken faces before him and
in a strangled voice he asked, “Why?  She didn’t do anything, she-”

“She has been accused of witchcraft.”  For the first time since Billy had known Dickens, he saw true fear upon his face.

“Witchcraft?   Isn’t that like in Salem or something?”

“Billy, there were
witch hunts in Europe for a thousand years.  Even a civilized metropolis like Pisa was not immune to them.” 

Georgii and Leonardo both exchanged a confused look.  Billy really didn’t care what they were thinking about Dickens’ and his conversation.

Billy stared at the pale faces sitting around him.  They knew something he didn’t.  “What?  What is it?”  His volume was beginning to reach deafening levels.

Dickens looked Billy in the eyes and calmly stated, “They are going to burn her at the stake at noon tomorrow.”

Never in his life had Billy felt such fear.  Even the danger in Syracuse was different.  This was about Jeanie.  Jeanie, who didn’t have a mean bone in her body; who liked everybody just for who they were.  Why was this happening? 

Billy looked at Dickens;
his expression must have communicated his thoughts.  “The mayor’s son accused her of giving him the evil eye and ill wishing him at the banquet.  His friends will bear witness to this.  Compounding the problem is her red hair.  Unfortunately, red hair is considered to be the mark of evil in these times.  So, we’re dealing with irrational fear and the word of a noble.  It doesn’t look good,” stated Dickens, his countenance straightforward and dark.

Billy was sitting in numb silence when a quiet voice to his right spoke out.  “A knight does what is right for rights sake.  Even done in small measure, one will be remembered.” 
With that glint of determination in his eyes, he added, “We shall save her.”

Billy returned Georgii’s gaze and gave him a knowing smile.  “Georgii is right, our lady is in distress.”

Leonardo began to sputter, “But the jail is heavily guarded, you are just boys!  Dickens, talk some sense into these young men!” he raged, jumping to his feet.  The two boys just gazed at him, their jaws set.  Leonardo continued to passionately argue, shaking his hands in the air. “This is absurd, what can children do against Pisan soldiers?”

Dickens put his hand on Leonardo’s should
er. “You were right, Leonardo.  Love is the ultimate reason for living.  Can you tell these boys not to do what needs to be done for someone they love?”  His voice was quiet and soft.

“But Dickens…” implored Leonardo.
  His shoulders sagged in defeat and his eyes shone with sadness.

“A knight must be unwaveringly loyal to those he deems worthy.  I know no other more worthy than our Gianna,” announced Georgii.  His mind already made up
, his manner silently stating his unwillingness to compromise.

Georgii had understood what it had taken Billy forever to understand.  He now understood the importance of Leonardo’s words.  No on
e can live without friends.  When you realize that, you have to do what you have to do to protect them. 

As he gazed at Georgii’s
unwavering features, he now understood the message of the knight’s code.  Being selfish and doing what you want to do, is the easy and safe path.  But doing what is right is narrow and filled with obstacles.  Only you can choose what path to follow.  There was no debate, no further contemplations. 

Billy turned to Georgii, his expression mirroring his.  “Ok
, Georgii, what’s the plan?”

The hours were passing
quickly and time was running out.  As Jeanie was locked away in her prison cell, soldiers were preparing her funeral pyre in the town square.  

The plotters sat around Leonardo’s kitchen table, trying to agree on a plan to save her.  The mathematician still had his reservations about the entire scheme. 

Leonardo looked exasperated.  “We cannot put our trust in this, well…baker’s son, no offence, Georgii,” he quickly added.

“None taken, Signor Leonardo,” replied Georgii in his usual casual manner.

Billy looked at Leonardo with incredulity.  “You know what!  No one in this town seems to even know Georgii!   Trust me, he knows this city like the back of his hand.  If he says it’ll work, then I, for one, believe him!” declared Billy.

“And I trust Billy’s opinion,” seconded Dickens.

“All right, all right!” exclaimed Leonardo as he shook his head, finally accepting that the two young men were not going to be thwarted in their plans.

Billy bent his head and in a conspiring whisper said, “Ok, so tonight…”