Todd Daley
A merry-go-round sitting on a beached barge in the murky waters of the Kill van Kull is discovered. The story takes place in the post covid-20 era when local and state governments have slashed their budgets. Three men from Elm Park attach a rope to the barge truck and pull it onto the litter-strewn shore. It would be a nice diversion for kids in the neighborhood, where schools are closed and shopping malls shuttered. Freddy and Hank help Gregg chain the merry-go-round to his flatbed truck and haul it to Eggert’s Field in Elm Park on Staten Island’s north shore. The three men repair its gasoline engine and replace a broken horse with a chair. Nancy, a woman in her 30s, helps with the cleanup of the merry-go-round. On the advice of Lora, a clairvoyant, Nancy and Freddy place magnets along the whirligig’s circumference. Immediately, it begins to glow and a high-pitched sound emanates from the amusement ride. Staring into her crystal ball, Lora asserts that the people can take time trips while holding a large horseshoe magnet found in the area. Apparently, there’s a connection between magnetic fields and time travel. The story depicts colorful characters: Nancy, deadly accurate with a gun, Lora, crystal-ball gazer, Freddy, energetic octogenarian, Charlie, a retired detective, Mildred, the prim woman, Rev Staller, soapbox preacher, Billy, side talker to his invisible sidekick, Blanche, ex-gogo dancer, Dr. Emil, alcoholic doctor and his young assistant Alfred. A trio of villains, Darren Trupp, David Bloom, and Lance Landum, appear from time to time - forcing Nancy and her friends to deal with them -ultimately dispatching the trio to a fishing village in the Caribbean.
