The Titan Drowns: Time Travel Romance by Nhys Glover (highly recommended books .txt) 📕

‘There is not a lot in my past, which you do not now know and still cannot believe.’

‘You are truly several hundred years old?’ she found herself asking, though she really didn’t want to know.

‘Yes. Up until six months ago, I would have looked more like your father than your contemporary.’

‘So Cara said. I cannot imagine you old. Although you certainly behave more maturely than young men normally do.’

‘Yes. I hope the idea of an old man being in love with you doesn’t concern you. I will not force myself on you; I assure you.’

She gave a little laugh and felt the sadness that was her constant companion. ‘You would not be the first.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ His voice was tight with surprise and an emotion she could not identify. She cringed at her own stupidity, but decided it might be best to get it over with. If he knew, it might help him get back his much desired emotional equilibrium by shocking him out of his love for her.

‘I am not Mrs Jones. There was never a Mr Jones. I was accosted by my employer, the father of the girls I was governess to. The result was this child.’

‘Oh, my dear girl,’ Karl wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her in. It was the last thing she’d expected and the most welcome. ‘Did he hurt you?’

‘Not really, other than the bruising on my arms where he held me down and the blood and pain when he… you know. I was a maiden.’

‘Poor lass, how awful for you. Did you report him?’

‘No. Well not until my condition became apparent to my employer’s wife. However, she denied it could have been her husband. She terminated my employment, saying I was a bad influence on her daughters.’

‘She knew. She would have to have known. People can hide from the truth, but on some level, they cannot escape it. How do you feel about this child, knowing it is his?’

‘I do not think of it as his. His part was brief. This is my baby. It will always be my baby. I am the one who creates it from my flesh.’

‘I am glad. The child is innocent in all this. And it is a gift, no matter how it came into being.’

‘You really think that? I thought you would be horrified.’

‘I am; but not at you or the child. Only at the bastard who hurt you and the way you were treated after. How could you think otherwise?’

She nodded her head and wondered how she could have thought otherwise. He was the kindest, gentlest man she’d ever met. And lunatic or not, she knew she was also falling in love with him.

‘So, you see, when you kissed me, for a moment, I felt like I was back there with him on top of me… and I was terrified. I knew it wasn’t him. Your kiss was nothing like the horrible kisses he forced on me as he tore at my nightdress. Even so, for a moment, I panicked.'

‘Understandable, perfectly understandable. I will not put you in that situation again.’

However, when he started them walking once more, he continued to keep his arm around her shoulder, comforting her with his warm strength. At the end of the promenade, they paused and looked aft over the Well and Poop Decks and beyond to the white wake that broke the blackness of the ocean.

Lizzie turned in his arms. ‘Karl, I would like you to kiss me again, please. I really want you to.’

He looked down into her eyes. And even though the darkness of the moonless night was only illuminated by the dim lights along the deck, she could see his uncertainty. So, she stood on tiptoe and placed her mouth on his.

Karl’s response was immediate and stunning. It was like a dam was opened and he kissed her with all the passionate intensity he had displayed the day before. But this time, she didn’t draw away in fear. This time, it felt natural and good and she gave herself over to it, enjoying the sweet innocence and passion of his lips.

When he pulled gently away and looked down at her again, his breathing irregular and forced, she smiled up at him. ‘See, no fear this time. I liked it. Will you kiss me again?’

He gave a little bark of laughter and shook his head. ‘You do not have to ask.’ And his mouth was on hers again, opening and encouraging hers to open, too. She allowed the strange vulnerability of it and only gave a little start when his tongue licked in to taste her. That move felt wicked, yet delightful, and she opened to him, wanting more of the passion that was building deep inside her. Karl deepened the kiss, devouring her mouth wildly; his fingers stroking her back wildly, beneath the cover of his jacket.

Breath ragged, Karl finally dragged himself away from her and leaned against the railing. ‘If I do not stop now, I am not sure I will be able to.’

‘You are not experienced with women.’ It was more a statement that a question.

‘Is it that obvious?’

‘Yes. But I like it. It just seems strange that a man as old as you say you are…’

‘Would be an innocent? I have never had much need for physicality. I like my food. That is about the extent of it. So there have been no women in my past; except for one hasty interlude in a storeroom at a party back in my Original.’

‘Original?’

‘That is what we call the bodies we were born with. Those bodies functioned normally. The cloned bodies, with their sterility, rarely experience passion. Should I say, experienced, in the past tense. Which for me was good, as my whole life revolved around my work.

‘It is because of my work, my research, in part, that humanity has been able to continue. I was involved in clone research back before the LGP.

‘That is how we measure time. The LGP was the turning point – the Last Great Plague. Nothing was the same after that. The population was further decimated and we had no way of continuing on without the use of clones.

‘Up until recently, we thought we only had nine lifetimes and after that, the race would end. So we started bringing in new life from the past. But then Jac met Cara and changed everything. Cara has been a catalyst for such regeneration in our world. She is amazing.’

Lizzie nodded and leaned in to rest her head on his shirtsleeve. He was cold and she felt guilty for taking his coat. Leaning in to him, she shared some of her body-heat.

‘She is very believable. Is she really from a hundred years into the future?’

‘The twenty-first century? Yes. She was a teacher of autistic children before being Retrieved. I doubt anyone but Jac would have Targeted her. We were very conservative back then and Cara was always asking why things had to be the way they were. She believes in change, and that was an anathema to us back then. We just wanted to stay the same so we could keep the chaos at bay. Batten down the hatches and soldier on. But she wouldn’t let us. Any of us. And because of her, we are alive again. Sometimes, painfully so.’ He stroked her arm as if reassuring himself she was real.

‘I cannot imagine such a calamity. For so many to die at one time. Terrible.’

‘It was just the last in a century of calamity we call the Second Dark Age.’

‘I am glad I will not live to see that time.’

‘If you come with me, you will live beyond that time. My world… it is beautiful. New Atlantis is the centre of the world government, which is called the “Gaian Confederacy.” It is built on the remains of the first Atlantis that rose again from the sea, not far from where we are now. It is classically beautiful, but with modern conveniences, like moving walkways for transport instead of wagons or cars… automobiles, horseless carriages. No one is in a hurry, because we have all the time in the world. We occupy our time as we choose and all our wants are met without the need for money.

‘I have a house up on the coast. It is far too big for me and I converted a portion of it into a laboratory; I do some of my work from there. The rest of the time, I work at the Medical Centre. My life is busy and worthwhile.’

‘But you have had no one to share it with?’

‘No. I have never needed that – up until now.’ He looked down at her and smiled. She felt her heart do a little dance and smiled back at him.

‘You would want me even though I carry another man’s child?’ she asked cautiously, thinking it was too good to be true.

‘As you said, this is your baby. As such, I would want it as I want you. But you must have time to decide. This is too soon. We have hardly met, but in New Atlantis there will be time for us to get to know each other better and you can decide if you wish to live with me then. Become my Bonded Mate.’

‘Bonded Mate?’

‘We do not marry formally. Well, we didn’t until recently. One of our number… a Researcher… fell in love with a girl from the early nineteenth century and for her he arranged a marriage. The minister was another Researcher who had spent most of his life in the early Christian era. Anyway, Rene married Livy and that has started a trend. Jane wanted a wedding then. And of course Julio could not deny her. Faith is talking about being next, but I am not sure how she will talk Luke into it. Luke is another Newcomer. He is from 1942 and was a soldier in the Second World War at the time.’

‘Second World War? When was the first?’

‘In a few years from now. 1914 until 1918. They called it, erroneously, “the war to end all wars.” It didn’t. It just opened the way for an even worse world war that… never mind, you do not need to know all that.’

‘I would like to be married. I do not think I would feel comfortable being with a man without vows being exchanged.’

‘I understand. If you would like to marry me that would be…’ Karl paused thoughtfully.

‘Good?’

‘Very good. I just had a thought but it is too soon. I cannot trust my judgement right now…’

‘What thought? Tell me!’

‘Captains can marry people.’

Lizzie felt the fear and excitement building. Could she do that, marry this man she hardly knew, a man who claimed to be from the future? Who may well be insane?

‘No. There was no record of any such wedding taking place on this maiden voyage…’ He corrected himself hurriedly.

‘Oh,’ she felt the disappointment keenly. Then she shook herself. This was madness, even thinking such a thing was possible.

‘But it can be arranged as soon as we get home. If you want…’ he sounded uncertain, a little lost.

‘I would like to marry you, Karl Langman. When and where is up to you.’

‘My name is Ontario. Karl Ontario. We take the last name of the state or province from which we came. I was Canadian. You would be Lizzie Kent, although if you married me you might change your name. It isn’t very clear, as marriage has not been part of our culture for hundreds of years. Livy took Rene’s name but Jane kept hers. However, that is because she thinks Santa Catarina is a mouthful. She