it'? Please, spare me. I thought we agreed?" Amanda tried to look without showing interest, but she was kidding herself — she hated to admit it but she was curious too.
"I know we agreed but it's just been bugging me for months. I had to look. But I'll stop, you're right, this is silly." Dale got up and brushed ineffectively at his filthy jeans. He hadn't even put his waterproofs on and the December rain had soaked right through to his skin. Amanda was always amazed at the fact that however cold it got he never seemed to feel it, wearing little more than a t-shirt whatever the weather.
"Um, hang on," said Amanda, zipping up her own waterproof, pulling the hood over her head to try to stop her hair getting soaked.
"What?"
"Maybe you should, you know, just so it's done with. Look, when we had the conversation, the night before the madness, and we said we would bury proof that time travel existed, well, we know it does, so what can the harm be?" Am I just trying to convince myself here?
"You sure?" Dale stared into the shallow hole he'd dug, as if waiting for something to suddenly appear. The robin jumped in and grabbed a worm before retreating into the hedge to eat its prize in the dry.
"No, not really. But at least it will be over with. I don't know how many times I've looked at this damn spot, it must be thousands by now." It was impossible not to glance at it whenever she walked into the garden, or gazed out of the kitchen window — there it was, an innocuous patch of grass that taunted her with its hidden secrets.
"Haha, I know what you mean. I don't even walk over it in case I do something I shouldn't. Silly, eh?"
"Sensible, more like."
"Okay, here I go then." Dale got back on his knees and continued to use the trowel.
Amanda stood in the rain and watched as Dale dug deeper, the sodden earth coming out in small clumps before breaking up as he dumped it onto the lawn. It was ridiculous, she knew it, as whatever they dug up would mean little since they already knew time travel was possible. Still, it was the fact that something was supposed to be there. It was unfinished business and it irked her no end not knowing exactly what it was.
Clunk.
"There's something here," said Dale, tapping again with the tip of the trowel.
"What is it?" Amanda peered into the hole, but there was nothing to see but wet soil.
"Dunno, hang on." Dale dug around the item in the hole then put his hands in and pulled out what looked like a tin of her favorite chocolates: Quality Street. Dale held it up to her as if he was expecting her to reveal all the secrets.
"Don't look at me," shrugged Amanda. "I wouldn't go burying it. I guess this is it, the proof."
Dale shook the tin but it sounded empty. Then he did it again, putting an ear close to the dirty metal. "It sounds like there might be something inside, but it's hard to tell with all the rain. Come on, let's get it inside. I'm soaking and I'm getting cold."
"Wow! You, getting cold? That's a first. Here, let me." Amanda held out a hand; Dale gave her the tin. With the hole forgotten, and the trowel left on the grass, they made their way down the garden. After taking off their shoes they went into the kitchen, alternately smiling and frowning at each other, not knowing whether to be excited, terrified, or both.
Dale rinsed his hands under the tap; Amanda washed the tin and her own hands. Neither of them said a word, just stood staring at the brightly colored metal after she dried it then placed it on the counter top. She knew she was out of sorts as there was no way she would ever normally use a tea towel for anything but drying the dishes.
"Amanda, do you think we should?" asked Dale, watching the tin like it could explode at any moment.
"No, not really. Tellan said we weren't to dig it up, that we were just to put things right, do what we did, and to leave well enough alone."
"So we should do that, right? At least we've dug up proof, that's enough now, isn't it?"
"I suppose
"I know we agreed but it's just been bugging me for months. I had to look. But I'll stop, you're right, this is silly." Dale got up and brushed ineffectively at his filthy jeans. He hadn't even put his waterproofs on and the December rain had soaked right through to his skin. Amanda was always amazed at the fact that however cold it got he never seemed to feel it, wearing little more than a t-shirt whatever the weather.
"Um, hang on," said Amanda, zipping up her own waterproof, pulling the hood over her head to try to stop her hair getting soaked.
"What?"
"Maybe you should, you know, just so it's done with. Look, when we had the conversation, the night before the madness, and we said we would bury proof that time travel existed, well, we know it does, so what can the harm be?" Am I just trying to convince myself here?
"You sure?" Dale stared into the shallow hole he'd dug, as if waiting for something to suddenly appear. The robin jumped in and grabbed a worm before retreating into the hedge to eat its prize in the dry.
"No, not really. But at least it will be over with. I don't know how many times I've looked at this damn spot, it must be thousands by now." It was impossible not to glance at it whenever she walked into the garden, or gazed out of the kitchen window — there it was, an innocuous patch of grass that taunted her with its hidden secrets.
"Haha, I know what you mean. I don't even walk over it in case I do something I shouldn't. Silly, eh?"
"Sensible, more like."
"Okay, here I go then." Dale got back on his knees and continued to use the trowel.
Amanda stood in the rain and watched as Dale dug deeper, the sodden earth coming out in small clumps before breaking up as he dumped it onto the lawn. It was ridiculous, she knew it, as whatever they dug up would mean little since they already knew time travel was possible. Still, it was the fact that something was supposed to be there. It was unfinished business and it irked her no end not knowing exactly what it was.
Clunk.
"There's something here," said Dale, tapping again with the tip of the trowel.
"What is it?" Amanda peered into the hole, but there was nothing to see but wet soil.
"Dunno, hang on." Dale dug around the item in the hole then put his hands in and pulled out what looked like a tin of her favorite chocolates: Quality Street. Dale held it up to her as if he was expecting her to reveal all the secrets.
"Don't look at me," shrugged Amanda. "I wouldn't go burying it. I guess this is it, the proof."
Dale shook the tin but it sounded empty. Then he did it again, putting an ear close to the dirty metal. "It sounds like there might be something inside, but it's hard to tell with all the rain. Come on, let's get it inside. I'm soaking and I'm getting cold."
"Wow! You, getting cold? That's a first. Here, let me." Amanda held out a hand; Dale gave her the tin. With the hole forgotten, and the trowel left on the grass, they made their way down the garden. After taking off their shoes they went into the kitchen, alternately smiling and frowning at each other, not knowing whether to be excited, terrified, or both.
Dale rinsed his hands under the tap; Amanda washed the tin and her own hands. Neither of them said a word, just stood staring at the brightly colored metal after she dried it then placed it on the counter top. She knew she was out of sorts as there was no way she would ever normally use a tea towel for anything but drying the dishes.
"Amanda, do you think we should?" asked Dale, watching the tin like it could explode at any moment.
"No, not really. Tellan said we weren't to dig it up, that we were just to put things right, do what we did, and to leave well enough alone."
"So we should do that, right? At least we've dug up proof, that's enough now, isn't it?"
"I suppose
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