In better news, it appeared the Yankees had taken New Madrid with few casualties. He found no mention of his sister, but one article reported his home was being used for Union headquarters. The thought of Union soldiers living in his house, sleeping in his bed, and eating from his dishes left a bad taste in his mouth, but at least the house still stood. There was no mention in the article about violence to civilians. Janet should be safe.
After reading news of the war, Jesse skimmed the other stories, all the while monitoring the entrance to the hotel. He was almost out of reading material when Diamond returned to the hotel. One glance at her grim expression and drooping shoulders told him things had not gone as she had hoped. He set the newspapers aside and entered the lobby.
She didn’t notice him coming and jumped when he laid a hand on her arm. “Jesse,” she said, her hand flying to her throat. “You startled me.”
“Is everything all right?” He blamed himself for allowing her to go off alone with that woman. “Where did you go when you left the shop?”
“To Ari’s house.”
“Were you able to get what they took from you?”
“No. They can’t help me, Jesse.”
To his surprise, she didn’t sound angry. She sounded defeated. “Can’t or won’t?” he asked, barely able to recognize the Valkyrie who had dragged him across Reelfoot Lake in the woman in front of him.
She shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“It matters. They are powerful people, but we will keep after them.”
“It won’t do any good, Jesse. They no longer have what I need.”
“What is this mysterious thing? You might as well tell me now.” He didn’t understand what could be so important that she refused to trust him.
“Can we go up to my room to talk?”
“I can’t come to your room without destroying your reputation.” As capable as she usually was, at times she appeared naïve.
“I don’t care—” she broke off. “Where else can we talk in private?”
He considered suggesting they get a cup of tea in the restaurant, but Diamond looked ready to shatter. “Let’s go for a walk.”
She took the arm he offered, and they left the hotel. They kept quiet as they passed other pedestrians. Carriages rumbled through the streets, but he steered them away from the center of town. By the time they reached a grassy area where cows grazed in front of a building with arched windows and a central tower, Diamond appeared less vulnerable, but still unlike her usual self.
“How strange,” she said, pointing to the cows. “We’re not that far from the city.”
“I’ve heard there used to be a lake here. City officials filled it in after a cholera epidemic.”
“Do they happen often? Cholera epidemics?”
“Filling in the pond helped. I don’t think St. Louis has had a major outbreak in a decade.” They strolled around the edges of the depression where the lake had once been, avoiding the cows. It was impossible to avoid the smell, however, which lingered in the air.
“I might as well tell you everything—not that you’ll believe me.”
“You’re not a liar, Diamond.” Not by nature, anyway. If she was a spy, she lied for her trade, not for inclination.
“I’ll exaggerate if it makes a better story, but no, I don’t lie.” She picked her way through the field, dodging the cow patties. “I’m not from here, Jesse. Until two weeks ago I was living in the twenty-first century. I followed Bryce and Ari because I knew there was something suspicious about them. They led me into the country where they used a time travel device, a magic stone, which transported them to 1812, but since I was farther away from the source, I only came back to 1862. That’s the theory, anyway.”
Jesse stiffened, his hand curling into a fist. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, but I think after all we’ve been through, you wouldn’t try to fob such nonsense off on me.”
“See. I said you wouldn’t believe me. I threatened to go to the press, but Ari’s right. They would only think I’m crazy.”
Jesse frowned. She didn’t argue with him or try to defend her ridiculous story. He remembered her pack, knife and water bottle, all things he had never seen before. Was there any chance she was telling the truth? “Who wins this war? If you’re really from the future, you must know.”
She turned somber eyes upon him. “The North will eventually crush the South.”
Jesse felt like she’d stabbed him in the gut. Sure, things were going poorly for the Confederates in the west, but they were winning battles in the east. Then he realized the other word she had used. Eventually. This horrible war had already lasted almost a year. The South had predicted a quick and easy victory against the incompetent Northern Aggressors. That had not come to pass, but how much longer could the war drag on? How many more people would have to die? “How long does the war last?” She has no more knowledge than I do. Does she?
“The South surrenders in 1865.”
Three more years of this suffering, only to end up in defeat? Jesse didn’t think he could bear it. He wanted to walk on forever, vanishing into the horizon. But that would mean desertion and Weber’s didn’t desert. They finished their assignments.
The sun shone down through the clouds and the cows grazed contently, unaware of the violence not too far away. “Assuming I believe you, how is such a thing possible?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think it was possible, but here I am.”
Did he really believe her? He wasn’t sure, but continued as if he did. “You went after the Pooles to find this magic stone, but they no longer have it? Do they know where it is?”
“They claim their daughter used it to return
