Kent was with Shay at Merritt’s house doing his Pinkerton bodyguard duties as she tutored Devon in reading. Emma was in the kitchen making sandwiches, having passed off the McGuffey Reader to Shay.
Kent saw Tom, Addison, and Jacob approaching. Tom had a telegram in his hand.
“Looks like something is up,” Kent said. “We might oughta get Hannah and Merritt.”
“Yes ‘ir, I’ll hurry,” Devon said, getting up from the table.
Kent had meant that he would do it, so he went along with Devon. In a few minutes, everyone was gathered—Addison and Jacob had time-shifted back from 2024, so present were Addison-2002, Jacob-2002 along with those normally in 1880: Merritt-2000, Hannah-1962, Emma-1965, Shay 1857, Devon-1858, Kent-1958, and Tom-1838.
Tom got right to the point. “Western Union says Addison, Jacob, Kent, and Hannah are to get to the train station today and get a round trip to St. Louis. Then, a quote from the Declaration of Independence… ‘all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ It’s from Justice For All Society.”
Kent had to explain what the Pledge of Allegiance was to the people actually born on that timeline, then he said, “So we should hurry and pack. And be looking out for some… injustice…”
“Sounds right,” Merritt replied. “So, Shay can stay here while you’re gone…”
They worked out the details and everyone got ready for the trip.
As they approached the train station, Addison and Jacob were all-but laughing. Kent asked why.
“I’m a girl in 2024, you know…”
Kent nodded.
Jacob smiled. “We were cuddling when we shifted… That had to be a shock for these guys!”
~~NOTE: out of respect for human dignity in the 21st Century, the historically correct term for people with African ancestry will NOT be used.
Reaching the train station, there was a bit of a disturbance around the ticket window. Four rough-looking white men were badgering a black man.
Addison and Jacob shared looks, shaking their heads. Jacob led the others.
“You men mind if I buy a train ticket?” Jacob stared at them.
“Go ahead… we ain’t stopping you.”
Jacob looked at the black man who seemed to be traveling with a little girl. “He’s ahead of me. Way I see it, I can’t get mine until he gets his.”
Kent watched as the four men’s faces twisted, all differently—laughter, anger, confusion. Addison moved up beside Jacob.
“You fellas back off. You’re holding up progress.”
When Hannah and Kent got in line behind the black man, the four others gave ground, and Hannah said, “Do we think this is all we were to do?”
Kent shook his head. “It said get a ticket. I say we keep going.”
Jacob introduced everyone to the black man and the little girl; his daughter, and the man said, “M’ name’s Clayton. I ain’t fairin’ well. Got blood coming up when I cough… Eliza’s momma died o’ yellow fever. We got kin in St. Louis, an’…”
Clayton frowned and shook his head. “My sister an’ her man… they’ll take her in.
“We can help you get there,” Hannah said when everyone had tickets. “We’ll see you to your kinfolk.”
The train had a small section of a modified box car set aside for black passengers. It had benches along the walls and in rows. Given how Clayton had been treated at the ticket window, Kent wasn’t surprised that there were only a few passengers.
It did have a gangway to the cars for white travelers, so once underway, Kent and Hannah made their way back to check on Clayton and Eliza. He wasn’t sure who was more surprised—the black passengers or the white ones—when he and Hannah took a seat on one of the benches.
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