General Hammond said, “When did you first notice these things that seemed to be shifting?”
“What do ye mean?”
“I have noticed that things once seemed orderly, and now they are shifted and disorderly, I am sure you noticed the same.”
“I have.” I pursed my lips.
“Mairead, is this one of those instances where you think if you say it out loud it will make you seem weak?”
“Nae, but… perhaps a little of it is true. I have been noticing the disorder for a while.”
“It seems to have been alongtime that things have been disordered.”
I nodded. “I daena ken why, but…” I brought the book out for the third time, thumbed through it, found a note, and tapped the page. “Twas on the night of the ball, in Riaghalbane, that I told Master Cook that he could find his wife, my great-great-granddaughter Sophie, at Dunscaith castle in the year 1589. I believe that was when our trouble started.”
“It can not have been that you told him, that is not…”
“It was that he acted on it, he looped there, tae 1589 and now we have…”
Hammond leaned forward. “A what?”
“An unraveling.”
CHAPTER 22 - MAGNUS
Iwas sore from the jump and without comfort in the castle and wasna sure what my next plan would be. I had been certain that I would be in the different timeline. I was usin’ the vessel that had transported Zach there and back.
I supposed our test proved that twas nae the fault of the vessel, but if nae, whatwasdelivering some of us tae a different timeline?
I met Caillean for dinner in the Great Hall. Over a horrid meal of overcooked, unspiced salmon, he asked, “How come ye are quiet Mag Mòr?”
I shook my head. “I hae a great deal on m’mind, m’wife has nae returned.”
He nodded solemnly. “It weighs on ye, I understand.”
“Beyond all the troubles of the kingdom: the English king at the border who wants power, William Wallace gatherin’ an army, beggin’ for turmoil, the terrible fish for dinner; I am worried upon m’Kaitlyn.”
He remained quiet and sipped from his ale.
I asked, “Do ye ever think about the long line of time?”
“What dost ye mean, Mag Mòr, a long line?”
“That we start on a path, headed in one direction. Our grandfather also traveled this path, we are all on the path — but dost ye think there might be other paths?”
His brow drew down. “Are ye speaking of heaven and hell? Ye ought tae choose the righteous path and follow it dutifully. Ye canna stray from a divine—”
“Nae, Caillean, I mean… tis hard tae describe. Ye ken how ye are in one path, and yer children are walking along behind ye, following ye? Could ye step ontae another path…?”
I stood up a bit drunk at this point. “I will act it out, ye will be amazed at m’talents.” I chugged some ale and called two men over. I instructed them tae follow me in a single line as I walked around the room.
They were laughin’. “Why are we doin’ this?”
I said, “Daena question, follow me, I am tryin’ tae model somethin’.”
More men joined and the group of men, laughin’ and drunk, followed me down the Great Hall. I said, “Now ye keep walking while I…” I stepped away and continued walking beside them. “Keep walkin’ in yer line.”
They kept walking in their line, until they grew confused and forgot the instructions. Young Clyde turned from their line and joined behind mine.
