Emma said, “However they got to Scotland, I do like a man’s knees.”
Zach said, “My lady is hot for knee porn.”
She said, “This is true.”
Zach said, “But Fraoch just gave all the credit to one of the kids. Magnus, I want the credit.”
I said, “All right, ye can have the credit for the invention of the kilt.”
Emma said, “But you haven’t been to the thirteenth century yet, Zachary.”
“I haven’t? I felt sure I had, what about when...” He stared off into space.
Fraoch said, “I daena like any of this, tis too confused. We are loopin’ around and messing with history. I daena want any of us tae be the start of anything, history needs tae be unaltered.”
Hayley said, “So how did the kilt get invented then?”
Emma sighed. “Probably when a proper Scottish wife said, ‘Honey, I made you this cloth to warm you up, but can you raise it just a wee bit so I can see your knees, I do really like your knees.’”
Zach laughed. “And the husband said, ‘Iguessso, if that’s what does it for you, babe.’”
I asked, “Tae get serious, where is Quentin?”
Zach said, “He is behind in the thirteenth century with Katie and James.”
I shook my head. “Ye never came, none of ye came.”
“We were there, we arrived at the specified time. We were running from Ormr, some weird shit went down in Florida, we got scared and left under duress. But we were there on the agreed upon time.”
I said, “I was there, waitin’ for ye.”
Zach said, “Nah man, you weren’t there.”
“I had ten men accompanyin’ me—”
Zach said, “On horses?”
“Aye.”
Emma and Zach looked at each other wide-eyed.
I continued, “I arrived later than I liked, because the storm was different, twas barely perceptible, tis difficult tae explain, but I rode around the clearin’ lookin’ for ye, I searched the bushes lookin’ for a sign of yer havin’ been there.”
Zach looked at Emma and said, “Oh shit.”
Hayley said, “Explain all of this, we weren’t there,whathappened?”
Emma said, “We got up from the clearing, Quentin and James were dragging stuff to the side, under the trees, because no one showed. We sat behind some bushes, waiting for Magnus, when the strangest thing happened…”
Zach said, “It was insane, weird, mind-blowing: we heard horses. We heard a horse, right fucking there.” He held a hand in front of his nose. “It was practically breathing on Katie.”
Emma said, “And a dog barking! But very very faintly.”
I said, “Och, I was there, but nae there.”
Fraoch frowned. “I daena like the sound of this, tis as if there are demons afoot.”
I said, “I returned tae the castle, and when night fell I had a strange feelin’ as if she were in the castle with me, as if she was sittin’ beside me.”
