I said, “But we have to finish the song.”
I rocked her back and forth and continued humming the song about red clay and rolling rivers... Junior finally slept.
Once they were settled in our bed, I whispered, “I’m going to the walls.”
“Aye, m’laird, will ye leave me the radio?”
“One is under your pillow, the other in my pocket.”
“Good...”
“I’m just going for an hour, I wanted to speak to Quentin, I’ll be back long before dawn.” I kissed her on the cheek and went up to the walls.
The night was clear and the stars were flung across the sky, it was cool out. Quentin was at the end of the wall. I strolled down the parapet, asking one of the guards I knew by name, “Have you seen Liam tonight?”
“Nae, he ought tae come soon, we had a visitor arrive, he is seein’ tae his horse, showin’ him tae a room.”
“Oh, who?”
He shrugged, but he was notoriously a man of few words, so I met Quentin at the other end of the wall near the stairwell. “You heard why Liam isn’t here?”
“Yep, he’s showing?—”
I heard Liam’s voice as he emerged from the closest stairwell. “James! Yer squallin’ bairn has quieted enough that ye can come get some peace?”
“You heard him?”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “The whole castle heard him, my Lizbeth said he has good lungs because he is from the magical land of Florida where everyone is verra loud.”
A man climbed up the stairwell behind him.
I said, “Robbie! Rob Roy MacGregor!”
Quentin said, “That’s what I was about to tell you.”
“Well well, if it inna James Raw-Bottom Cook, ye hae returned from yer lands? M’lads and I were cattle drovin’, just last month, and I was speakin’ on ye — ‘Dost ye ken what we need?’ I asked m’lads, and they replied, ‘What dost we need?’ I said, ‘We need Raw-Bottom Cook tae drove with us, his tales and songs kept us company on our long rides and his complainin’ about the blisters on his arse gave us a reason tae continue on, we had tae get ye tae a soft bed so ye would quit yer squawking.”
Quentin laughed. “Oh man, James, I’m glad I was here for this. Rob Roy calls you ‘Raw-Bottom’? That’s hilarious.”
“Very funny, Quennie, it was a long ride, your arse would have been raw too.”
Robbie said, “I’m certain yer arse inna chapped anymore, yer wee bum want tae come for another drove?”
Liam said, “He canna go with ye, he has a new bairn, and I winna permit him tae leave us here listening tae his bairn, och nae, ye haena heard squawkin’ until ye hae heard the bairn of James Cook — the castle rings with his wails.”
“Tis what I heard when I arrived? Och nae, I bet ye want tae get some rest, the snorin’ of Bone MacUilliam would be a fine trade over the shrill shrieks of a bairn — is he a fine son?”
I nodded. “He’s a big strong bairn.”
“Good, I am glad for ye, when ye dinna hae a bairn at yer auld age I thought perhaps the fae had cursed ye.”
I chuckled and nodded. “I used to think I was lucky, but now he’s here I want about five more sons.”
He said, “Tis a fine idea. Ye hae tae remember tae thrust from the west or ye will end up with daughters.” He scowled.
Liam asked, “How many daughters do ye hae?”
“None, because I thrust from the west, do as I tell ye!” He pulled the cork from his bottle of whisky and did a hip-thrust and a hip swirl, three times. “Tis the movement, ye hae tae do it. I heard Magnus had a daughter, ye need tae tell him next ye see him. Daena face yer arse tae the east or ye will hae more lassies and naething but trouble.”
