He quickly snatched the item in question out of her reach, just in case she wasn’t joking. After a short bit of explanation as to what the mysterious slithery material was (he made note of the word “plastic,” since Io used it a lot), he donned the male undergarments she said were commonplace, not at all displeased with how the silken material caressed his nether parts. By the time he had clad himself in the shirt, long breeches, and shoes, he felt very much like an adventurer about to step onto unknown shores.
“Well, it is kind of an adventure,” Io agreed as they left the hotel. “I know I felt that way once I figured out I had traveled back in time. Oooh, a burger place, just what I want. You aren’t going to mind if I eat in front of you? I hate to be rude, but I’m starving, and I know you can’t eat.”
“I can if I have to, but I see no need to do so. I am quite satisfied after dining earlier,” he said, unable to keep from pinching her adorable bottom.
She squealed, and, with a promise to be right back, hurried across the road to a small building that bore pictures of odd-looking food products on its walls. He contented himself with watching her, frowning when a man nearby turned to look at her as she walked past, automatically reaching for the saber he wore at his side.
Dammit, Io had made him leave it back at the hotel room, claiming that a weapon like that would attract attention from the local magistrates.
“I am the law at my home,” he said under his breath as he waited for Io. “No one would dare look at my woman in such a manner. No one would tell me I cannot defend what is mine. I dislike being incommoded in this fashion—”
His grumbling stopped abruptly when he caught sight of a familiar shape suddenly made visible as a wave of local villagers, strolling around the shops and businesses, parted briefly. Although the man had his back to Nikola, he could have sworn that it was his brother Rolf.
Had Rolf produced descendants after all? Ones who resembled him? He moved through the crowd intent on seeing the man better, but he disappeared into the crowd by the time Nikola had reached the spot where he had stood.
Nikola glanced around him, but was unable to find anyone who resembled the man he sought. He did, however, notice a shop behind him that had the words WE BUY GOLD on the window. He was reminded of Io’s explanation of how money worked in her century, and accordingly stepped into the shop, a few of his coins in his hand.
When he emerged a few minutes later, having sold only one coin, the shop owner saw him to the door saying, “I wish I could buy your entire collection, but as I told the other gentleman who offered me some silver coins, I cannot buy more than one without some form of identification. It is the law, you understand. If you bring me your passport, then I will be able to purchase more coins from you.”
“I will discuss your offer with my woman. She knows more about these things than me,” Nikola said politely, carefully putting into his pocket the paper money the man had given him. He had to admit that even though he wasn’t used to wearing long breeches, the ones that Io had given him were quite comfortable, and had handy pockets that he would make sure were included in all his breeches from that moment forward.
“Er…all right.” The man waved him off, and as Nikola returned to the shop where Io had gone to find food, he felt much more in control. He had clothing that would allow him to blend in, and now he had currency that would allow him to purchase anything he might need.
He was planning on buying some sort of present for Io when she hurried up to him with a small bag in one hand, while jamming some sort of long strips of food into her mouth with the other. “Sorry to take so long. You sure you don’t want anything? I got two burgers, and a jumbo fries in case you wanted to try modern food. You know, the kind without maggots all over it.”
He sniffed at her food, but it held no appeal to him. It certainly couldn’t come close to the scent of her that perpetually teased his nose and left him halfway aroused just being near her. “I do not require food other than you, thank you.”
She sighed blissfully as she ate another handful of the strips, sliding one arm through his and directing them to the main street that led out of town. “I’ll eat as we walk to the fair, if you don’t mind. It’s not a long walk, and although I could rent a car, I think we’ll have to ease you into the complexities of modern vehicles.”
“You wouldn’t have to do so if you had allowed me to examine the FedEx,” he pointed out, turning to stare at a woman who emerged from a shop clad in small scraps of clothing that barely hid her breasts and woman’s parts.
“Oh, that lady would have loved—what’s wrong? Oh.” Io smothered a laugh as his gaze went from the nearly naked woman to her. “That’s a bikini. It’s what some women who don’t have any body fat wear when they go swimming or, in that woman’s case, to a tanning salon.”
“I begin to see that there may be some merits to your century,” Nikola said with a little smile.
She punched him in the arm, just as he knew she would do.
“Dawg. Did you people watch while I was in the fast-food place?”
“I exchanged one of my coins for your currency. Look.” He stopped and pulled out the wad of paper money, showing it to her. “Did I negotiate an adequate amount for one coin? The man was quite excited about my coins, and wished only to give me ten paper monies for one, but I told him I must have more. He did not like that, but I know merchants well, and knew he would not offer me a fair price at first. After bargaining for a few minutes, he gave in and gave me these many monies, and I felt that it was a fair exchange. He also wished to purchase the rest of my coins, but said I must have identification in order for him to do so. I do not have a passport.”
“No, but I have one. Maybe I could—” Io’s eyes widened at the sight of the money, and glancing around quickly, she shoved his hand toward his pocket. “Put that away! I don’t know that there are pickpockets around here, but fairs usually have them, so I wouldn’t be surprised. And yes, that’s a metric butt ton of money, so you did very well.”
“Good.” He was pleased that he had such success in her world with his first attempt. He must be sure to make notes about it later, so as to document how well he did here. “Now I will pay for our lodgings.”
“Just one of those bills will pay for a whole week,” Io said, unwrapping some food and taking a bite. “Not to change the subject, but I think we should discuss what you’re going to say when you see Imogen and your son.”
“What I’m going to say?”
“So you don’t freak them out by suddenly appearing from the past. Imogen said you had died, remember.”
“I find it difficult to forget something like my own death,” he said drily.
“Although oddly enough, Ben said you were alive and well and living in South America ogling nubile young girls.” She gave him a long look. “Obviously, given the fact that your brothers were trying to kill you, he was lying about your death, but I’m curious as to why he’d do that. I don’t suppose you have any insight into that?”
“If Benedikt felt it necessary to speak falsely about me, I’m sure he had a very good reason,” he answered with serenity. There might be many unknowns in his life—and certainly more so now that he found himself in a world that was full of oddities—but in one thing he was confident: the integrity of his children. “I cannot anticipate what that might be, but I am sure that Benedikt will explain himself. I admit that I will be pleased to see them. I was just returning home from leaving Benedikt at the university in Heidelberg when you ran into my horse. I assume they have done well for themselves over the centuries?”
“I guess so,” she answered rather indistinctly around a mouthful of food. “I told you that Ben had a wife now. She seemed nice enough, although…” Io wadded up her bag and tossed it into a round receptacle that was placed on the street. “At the time, I thought she was as bonkers as Ben, because she said she had some ghosts visiting her. But I guess now that I’m dating a vampire, and have traveled through time twice, I should just stop fighting it and go with the flow. Your daughter-in-law has Viking ghosts, Nikola. Ones that seem to think she’s some sort of goddess.”
“Fascinating,” he said, and pulled out his notebook to make a note about interviewing the ghosts. He wished to stop and make more comprehensive notes, but Io insisted that they stop by a bank so that he could get smaller denominations of currency.
“No one would be able to make change for the sort of bills you’re hauling around,” she told him as they emerged into the dusky twilight that enveloped the valley.
He had been careful to keep to the shadows earlier, but now with the sun setting, he was able to join the throng of people who were streaming out of town, on foot and in the metal carriages that Io had described earlier—and about which he badly wanted to make a scientific study—all headed to the field outside of the town where he could see colorful tents and small oblong buildings.
“Remember, we’re going to tell everyone that you’re Imogen and Ben’s cousin,” Io warned him as they stood in front of a wooden structure bearing the legend “Ticket Booth.” Io pointed out which notes he would need for the tickets to the fair. “And yes, I know that irks you, but there’s just no way we can explain your appearance otherwise.”
“I look older now,” he pointed out.
“A tiny bit, yes. Enough that I don’t feel like I’m robbing the cradle, but certainly not old enough to have kids who are Imogen’s and Ben’s ages. Hi, two adults, please.”
He followed after Io as she led him onto the fairgrounds, his quick gaze taking in many things. “I know what a tattoo is, but what purpose does piercing offer?” he asked, stopping in front of one of the booths.
Io pulled him away from the front of the intriguing images. “You truly do not want to know.”