A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn Read Free Book Online Page B

husband? Does she mean me? Excuse me, but Im not Talia . . . Lady Brooke says. You cannot mean to invite this . . . this . . . commoner to
     supper. It is the eve of your birthday ball.
    Talia starts to cry again. No, Lady Brooke. Do you not understand? I have touched a
     spindle! A spindle! We have all been asleep for a great while, and this . . . She gestures
     toward me. This commoner has awakened me.
    You have touched a spindle, you say? Lady Brookes puddingy jaw is hanging.
    Talia nods. A spindle, you say? Yes!
    Lady Brooke cradles her forehead in her hands. I have left you alone for ten minutes, and
     you touched a spindle and slept for . . . for . . .
    Three hundred years.
    Ah! Lady Brooke looks like shes been stabbed. Oh, not again, not again . . . She recovers.
     And you have been awakened by a . . . a . . .
    Really great guy? I volunteer.
    Talia nods. He will stay for supper. She looks at me. You will stay for supper?
    I nod. I can handle it if thats what it takes for them to let me goeven though theyll
     probably serve squirrel or something. Thats fine. Just let me call the hotel and tell them
     where we are. I take out my cell phone.
    What is that? Princess Talia says.
    A phone. She keeps staring at it. In fact, everyone stops what theyre doing, gathers
     around, and stares. You can, um, talk to people on it.
    Except I cant get a signal. Duh. Theres no tower here. Suddenly, it dawns on me what Talia
     said: I have been asleep nearly three hundred years! If thats true, this place is like a
     time warp. Princess Talia really did screw things up.
    And all Im thinking is, How did they go so long without eating or peeing?
    Everyones still staring at the phone, which lights up and makes beeping noises. Think how
     jacked theyd get if it actually worked. We have to go there, I say. Theyll be waiting for us.
    But surely your friends must have known of your jour- ney, Talia says.
    We sort of sneaked off.
    Then we must send a messenger, Talia says. Simply tell me the name of the inn in which you
     are staying, and it shall be done.
    Problem one: I have no idea where the hotel is. Problem two: Theres a huge hedge around
     the whole country. Problem three: I am notand I mean notmarrying this princess.
    Does this help? Travis pulls a postcard out of his pocket. It has a photo of our hotel on
     the front. This causes another spasm of activity as everyone has to gather around to look
     at the photo. Finally, Travis says, The address is on the back, I think.
    Talia hands it to Pudding Face, who looks dangerously close to fainting. She examines it a
     moment, then says, That is two days journey.
    It seemed pretty far but not two days.
    Nah, Travis says. It was about two hours on the bus.
    Pudding Face looks puzzled. Bus?
    Yah. Its sort of like a car only . . . you got the wheel here? Has that been invented yet?
    Talia straightens her shoulders, and even Lady Brooke seems to have recovered enough to
     glare at Travis.
    I guess it has, Travis says. Well, a bus is sort of a wheel thing with a motor, and fast. He looks at them. Okay, I can see you dont get the bus
     thing. Maybe I could, like, take your guards out and show it to them if, um, theyd let go
     of me and get their swords out of my butt.
    Talia nods. Do as he says.
    The guards look disappointed, but they let go of Travis, and he gestures to them to follow
     him. Hey, do you guys have a chain saw? Travis is saying as they leave.
    When he is gone, Talia turns to me. Well, then, we must find you some proper clothing. If
     we are to marry, you must meet my father. Then, in case I dont get it, she adds, The king.
     So we can arrange the wedding.
    Lady Brooke finally topples to the ground. Im pretty close to joining her.
    I should have stayed with the tour!

A Kiss in Time

Part III

A Kiss in Time

Chapter 1
    M
    
    
     y life is ruined. I dispatch Lady Brooke to find Jack a room and some clothing. Then I go
     back to the task I began, I thought, this