Guardians of Time by Sarah Woodbury Page B

absently as he was still reading on his phone. “We’re
going to have to bin these and get different ones.”
    “That’ll be a trick on Christmas Eve,” Meg
said.
    “Tesco’s open,” Cassie said. “A sign on the
front of the store said they’re open for a few hours tomorrow
too.”
    “Damn American influence,” Callum said with
a smile directed at his wife, who was, of course, an American.
“They ruin everything.”
    “What about identification?” Dafydd said. “I
don’t have any.”
    “It’s only you, Math, and Papa who don’t,”
Anna said. “I brought my driver’s license. Even though it has
expired, I thought it might do in a pinch.”
    “In England, the authorities aren’t allowed
to ask for identification unless you’re suspected of a crime,” Mark
said with the same absent tone Callum had used. He was focused on
his laptop, which he’d hooked up to his phone by a long cord. Math
knew that Mark had kept his laptop charged thanks to the electric
power available in the bus barn, just so he could use it the minute
they arrived in Avalon. “Checking for weapons is different.”
    Dafydd spread his hands wide. “If they stop
the bus, they’ll find my many weapons, but I’m just a student who
forgot his ID at home.”
    Anna coughed and laughed at the same time.
“Anyone who believes that is an idiot.”
    “It’s how I’ve been treated whenever I’m
here,” Dafydd said. “I can’t see why it’ll be any different this
time.”
    “Ideally, you won’t get separated from us
this time,” Callum said, “so it won’t be an issue.”
    Jane exited the motorway and, a few moments
later, stopped the bus near a well-lit complex of buildings with
the words ‘Ysbyty Gwynedd’ emblazoned on a large sign at the
entrance. Ysbyty was a word Math hadn’t known until Rachel had
introduced the concept of a hospital and suggested he build one in
Llangollen. His hospital was called ‘Ysbyty Gwynedd’ too.
    Anna patted his knee. “Why are you
smiling?”
    He pointed with his chin to the sign. “I
like the continuity of it.”
    “Right,” Dafydd said. “This is where you
guys get off.”
    Math peered at the hospital entrance. A man
in green was standing several paces away down the sidewalk, a white
stick that smoked and glowed orange between his fingers. He was
watching the bus with interest, smoke pouring from his nostrils as
he breathed out. Math stared at him, confused as to what modern
devilry this could be. Then, with a flick of his fingers, the man
shot the stick into the snow and strode back towards the glass
doors at the front of the hospital.
    Jane stood up. Carl had taken Shane in his
arms for this part of the trip, and he stood too. But even though
the bus had stopped and the hospital was only a stone’s throw away,
he hesitated.
    Dafydd canted his head. “What else do you
need from me? Just name it.”
    “Nothing.” Carl shifted Shane more to his
left shoulder so he could stick out his right hand to Dafydd.
“You’ve done more than we ever—” he stopped, his voice choked with
emotion.
    Dafydd clasped his hand. “It is the least we
could do.”
    Carl looked around the bus. “I want to say
this to all of you. The others may not be grateful. They may think
they deserve more than you’ve given them, but every one of you
risked your lives for Shane, and I want you to know that we will
remember you forever. I’m only sorry we may never see you
again.”
    “You never know.” Meg stood up and hugged
him, kissed Shane’s cheek, and then hugged Jane.
    “If you find yourselves in trouble, call
us,” Jane said as she held Meg’s shoulders and looked into her
eyes. “We might be able to help.”
    “Thank you.”
    The other women hugged her, and then the men
shook hands all around. Math eyed the hand Carl offered him before
accepting it for what it was. He didn’t understand how the custom
of shaking hands instead of clasping forearms had started. The
whole point was to know if