.
He bolted up. His surroundings were beyond his comprehension. There were carriages, but no horses pulling them. Men rode on two-wheeled conveyances. Overhead a metal bird went whup-whup-whup.
At the same time there was a constant humming in the background. As Wilfred became accustomed to the noise, he dared to look around. People! There were so many people! And they all seemed to be in a hurry, scurrying from place to place. He could hear their voices but could not understand their language. Wilfred recognized a few words but not enough to understand what they were saying. Was it English?
Everyone looked so clean. Their teeth were shiny and white, their hair clipped close to their heads. Wilfred noticed that their clothes were immaculate. Nearly everyone he saw was wearing breeches, even the women! And those women who wore female attire were showing ankles and legs. Wilfred shook his head as if trying to clear the cobwebs in his brain.
It was just then that he noticed the buildings. His eyes traveled upwards as he scanned the towers, his jaw dropping open at the same time. They were shiny, reflecting the sunlight and shadows. Wilfred had never seen anything so tall, reaching up into the sky as high as a bird could fly. He closed his eyes, his brain refusing to comprehend what he was hearing and seeing.
Suddenly a woman appeared next to him on the bench.
“Sorry. It wasn’t your time to come. You have not been properly prepared for the future. I will send you back. Good King Richard wants you for the battle with the infidels.”
Wilfred smiled gratefully and then he was gone.