‘Yes, sir.’

Andrew Morrell turned the documents so that the president could see them.

As he took the pen that Andrew Morrell offered him, the president seemed to see Lexi and Al for the first time.

‘You’re the children who come on at the end.’ He had an accent that wasn’t quite American. ‘You’re – what is it – a symbol of our future? Try not to make me look too much like an old man.’ He smiled. ‘So, how do you see our future?’

‘I think—’ Al wasn’t sure if he was brave enough to tell a president what to do, but he had to give it a try. ‘I think you should end slavery now.’

Al knew there was a war to come if it didn’t happen, and President Lincoln would be shot at the end of it. In the meantime slaves in some places would be slaves for another quarter of a century. He couldn’t guess how different the United States or the world might be if the change came now, in 1840, and it didn’t take a war. Or maybe the war in 1840 would be worse. Maybe the slave states would win.

The president smiled again, and nodded. ‘I’m sure you know I have a moral objection to it, and that will not shift. I have never kept slaves and I never will. But our Constitution appears to allow it, and there are states that see themselves dependent on it. States have rights. I can’t make laws that trample on those rights.’

‘What about amending the Constitution?’ Al knew it could happen, because one day it would.

‘Amending the Constitution? Do you know what that would take? Become a lawyer, young man, and then a senator and then a better president than I dare to be, and maybe you’ll talk those southern states around, but I don’t see it being an easy matter.’ He looked down at the documents again. ‘It’s good to have high ideals, though. Don’t lose those.’ He paused before signing. ‘This is Texas?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Andrew Morrell said. ‘This is Texas. If you’d be so good as to put your name to it, give it the OK—’

The moment the president signed the first copy, the ‘a’ in Van Buren turned into an ‘& more’ button and started to glow. Andrew Morrell lifted the page away for the president to sign the next one. The button glowed against his white shirt front.

Al wanted a distraction, a chance to grab the page and run.

‘Sir,’ Lexi said. ‘It’s wrong of me to interrupt, but you were right about my brother. He has his heart set on becoming a lawyer and I know he’d be forever grateful if you allowed him a few minutes to read that first bill you’ve just signed.’

‘Why not?’ The president looked flattered. ‘He’s a bright boy. Why not?’

Andrew Morrell took the document and passed it to Al. He seemed less happy about the idea. ‘You’re not to leave this room with it. There’s light over there.’ He nodded in the direction of door that had a lamp next to it. ‘Just a few minutes, though. We’ll be starting soon.’

Al thanked him and took it. He and Lexi moved over to the door.

‘I bet it leads outside,’ she said. ‘We’ve probably got two days to get to Nantucket with this. It doesn’t matter if they lose it. They’ve got more copies, and surely Texas becomes part of America, anyway. Doesn’t it?’

‘But the next step’s Boston.’ Al put his hand up to stop her opening the door. ‘Boston in 1839. We already know that. Andrew Morrell said. Boston’s much closer to Nantucket. I googled it. Nantucket’s an island. Boston in 1839 – we won’t get much better than that.’

‘How much closer?’ She was looking back towards the president. She wasn’t convinced yet. Andrew Morrell was looking their way, as if they couldn’t be trusted.

‘Less than half as far. And a year closer. It’s got to be the place.’

‘Okay.’

She turned him to face the light, so that it would look as if he was reading. She reached into his backpack for the peg.