‘But why would he know Woodrow’s birthday and not Nancy’s? Father, he came here
knowing quite a bit about al his ancestors – those he claims as ancestors – that is
to say, Woodrow and his ancestors but not the birthdays of Woodrow’s brothers and
sisters.’
‘I don’t know. If he did have access to judge Sperling’s files, he could have
memorised just those data needed to back up his story. But the most interesting item
is his assertion that the War will end on 11 November, this year. I would have
guessed sometime this summer, with bad news for Britain and worse news for France,
and humiliation for us… or not earlier than the summer of 1919, with victory for
the Allies but a horribly expensive one. If it turns out that Ted is right – 11
November 1918 – then I’ll believe him. Ali of it.’
Nancy said suddenly, ‘I believe him!’
Father said, ‘Why, Nancy?’
‘Grandpa, do you remember – No, you weren’t here. It was the day war was declared, a
year ago. Papa had kissed us goodbye and left. Grandpa, you went out right after
Papa left -‘
Father nodded. I said, ‘I remember.’
` – and, Mama, you had gone up to lie down. Uncle Ted telephoned. Oh, I know that he
telephoned later and you talked to him, Grandpa. You… You were mean to him -‘
‘Nancy, I’m sorry about that.’
‘Oh, that was a misunderstanding, we all know that. This was before he talked to
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you, maybe an hour before, maybe longer. I was upset and crying a bit, I guess, and
Uncle Ted knew it… and he told me to stop worrying about Papa, because he – Uncle
Ted, I mean – had second sight and could tell the future. He told me that Papa would
come home safely. And suddenly I quit worrying and have not worried since – not that
way. Because I knew that he was telling the truth. Uncle Ted does know the future…
because he is from the future.’
‘Father?’
‘How can I tell, Maureen?’ Father looked terribly thoughtful. ‘But I think we must
assume as least hypothesis – Occam’s Razor – that Ted believes his own story. Which
of course does not exclude the hypothesis that he is as loony as a June bug.’
‘Grandpa! You know Uncle Ted isn’t crazy!’
‘I don’t think he is. But his story sounds crazy, Nancy, I’m trying to be rational
about this. Now don’t scold Grandpa; I’m doing the best I can. At worst we’ll know
in about five months. November eleventh. Which is little comfort to you now,
Maureen, but it may make up somewhat for the dirty trick Woodrow played on you. You
should have clobbered him, on the spot.’
‘Not out in the woods at night, Papa, not a child that young. And now it’s too late.
Nancy, you remember that spot where Sergeant Theodore took you all on a picnic a
year ago? We were there.’
Nancy’s mouth dropped open. ‘Woodie was with you? Then you didn’t – ‘ She chopped
off what she was saying. Father put on his draw-poker face.
I looked from one to the other. ‘You darlings! I confided my plans to each of you.
But did not tell either of you that I had told the other. Yes, Nancy, I went out
there for the precise purpose I told you about: to offer Sergeant Theodore the best
warrior’s farewell I could manage, if he would let me. And he was about to let me.
And it turned out that Woodrow had hidden in the back seat of the car.’
‘Oh, how dreadful!’
‘I thought so. So we got out of there quickly and went to Electric Park and never
did have the privacy we needed.’
‘Oh, poor Mama!’ Nancy leaned across Father’s legs and. grabbed my head and made
mother-hen sounds over me, exactly as I had over her for all those years, whenever
she needed sympathy.
Then she straightened up. ‘Mama, you should go do it right now!’
‘Here? With a house full of children? My dear! No, no!’