Jacob stopped pacing again directly before his grandfather.
"Say I believe you and go along with all of this. Then what?"
"For right now," Joseph began, "nothing really is going to change. You will remember this dream when you awake, vividly. But there is a caveat. You cannot tell anyone. Not even your mother. If you tell her, she will not understand and she may even be frightened. This has to be your secret, your burden to bear and yours alone. At least for now. When you meet the woman you are intended to, then you will be able to share this with her. But for now, if you speak of this dream and the things I have told you, you will find yourself tongue-tied and unable to continue."
"But that is metaphorical, right?" Jacob asked. "I don't speak to anyone. I have never heard my own voice other than in my head, outside of this … Whatever this is, wherever I am. "
With a grin, Joseph looked at his grandson. "Things are going to change, Jakey, in ways you could never have imagined. It is hard to say when but they are going to change."
A thrumming began in the distance and Joseph looked to the sky. "It looks like we are running out of time, my boy. Your mother is on her way to your room to wake you for school. When you wake, you will feel rested, so do not be concerned with that."
"You mean, I have been here that long?"
“Only in spirit,” said Joseph. "Your body is still back in your bed. In many ways, this is just a dream. But it is also very, very real and you cannot ignore it. The time will come, Jacob. And it may be sooner than you think."