Digging things up, that would be one of my many talents. Like language. Sometimes English isn’t that easy for aliens, there are nuances, so I was digging up what “burn” might mean, aside from the obvious.
Fires were not what the Cheem meant. It was burn as in “inflame”. The land had its small mines , but if the likes of Quatermaine were allowed to dig in here, they would bring disease to the locals, and ill health for generations to come with mining development. These were things we could deal with as the time came so I searched the maps for smaller caves, just below the glaciers . We could retrieve the raw stones , without revealing the locations for centuries to come. When it came to time. . . I had ways to deal with that too and a friend or two that were time-agents. Not something every student had access to.
So I dug out the maps. Told Quatermaine to start having the porters – not my idea but here we were in the late 19th century. I figure I can come back or who knows who might show up. I needed to talk with Jabe and the Cheem.
Running through the muggy and muddy tropical paths, the Cheem were still at grove where we had met them. I struggled up the short hill, until wet and muddy, I stood before Jabe.
“Honorable Forest of Cheem, I have searched all of time and know that you speak of the peoples here being burned, but I believe you mean inflamed ? ”
She raised one eyebrow, “The human tongue does not sit well with me, continue. . . “
I took a very deep breath, “These lands will be targeted for mining, but the humans will in 50 years realize that there is something more here. A person, a new climber named Shipton, will explore and save the peaks for a while. I have spoken with the others in my party, they will search in other places for riches. There are humans that will not be deterred. “
Jabe scowled “You have knowledge of the future ? How is this so. ”
“Well, I’m going to be an archaeologist, you might say I dug it up. . . but I request a boon. . . “
“What is the boon ?” there was hesitance in her voice.
“A single, uncut diamond from near the top of the glacier, and I will close the cave once I have it. “
It was only a nod. My boon was granted. The Forest of Cheem vanished as if they were never there.
I headed to the top of what became known as Mount Baker, found the diamond and headed back to meet Quatermaine.
“Sir Allan, I won’t say it was a pleasure, but you have helped to shape me. A word of warning, be careful who you admit to your League. . . “
He snorted “Go on girl, you’re stronger than my son, or wives, but I feel you are out of your own time. . . ”
He was right. My time to go back to Uni . . .