"I assure ye, this is quite real, Joey," I tell him."Though I cannae explain how ye came to be here.A tempest pulled you down from the sky, then you fell into a whirlpool."
Guilt settles in my heart as I wonder if I should explain who and what I am.But my parents would lock me away in the tower bedroom if confessed everything to a stranger.
Joey aims his golden eyes at me once more, and I'm struck by the intensity of his gaze.I sense fear there, yes, but also a sharp intelligence that makes me wonder who this man is.
Joey stares at me for a long moment before he speaks again."A tempest?A whirlpool?That's impossible."He shakes his head, sending droplets of water flying."Look, I appreciate you fishing me out of that moat, but this has to be some kind of elaborate prank.Where are the cameras?"
I tilt my head, not understanding his strange words."Cameras?I know not what ye speak of.There's only you and I here on this bank, Joey Finnegan."
He scrambles to his feet, swaying slightly as he takes in his surroundings.I rise too and watch as his eyes widen and he notices the looming stone walls of Dùndubhan Castle, the ancient drawbridge, the wooden gates, and the dense forest beyond.
"No," he mutters, shaking his head."No, no, no.This isn't right.Where's the parking lot?The gift shop?The moat is where the driveway was, but..."He scratches his head."I must be dreaming."
"I know not of these things you speak of.There is only the castle, the forest, and the village beyond."
Joey knifes his hands through his hair, his eyes wild.The poor laddie seems incapable of comprehending the situation.
"What year is it?"he demands suddenly, grabbing my shoulders.
I recoil slightly at his touch, surprised by the intimate contact, but hold my ground."The year of Our Lord 1621."
His jaw drops.
Chapter Five
Joey
I stumble backward, feeling as if I've been smacked down by a large, angry lumberjack.I'm kind of dizzy too, but that's ridiculous.Men don't get light-headed."Look, Rachel whoever-you-are, what you're saying is impossible.This is the year 2025."
"Are ye certain of that, Joey Finnegan?"
"Yeah, absolutely."
Rachel seems oddly delighted by this turn of events.Maybe she doesn't get out much.Insane asylums are full of nutjobs who think they're Cleopatra or Joan of Arc, so this girl might think she's Mary Queen of Scots.
"This is bullshit," I declare as if I have a frigging clue what's happening to me."You must be pulling my leg.The year is 2025."
"Afraid not, Joey."The certainty in her voice and on her face is damn convincing."I once met a laddie who had calculated years greater than three thousand.But that's a tale for another day.Right now, we need to get you inside and dried off before anyone else sees you."
A shout rings out from the direction of the castle."Rachel!Where are ye, lass?"
"Och, it's my father," she hisses, grabbing my arm."Quickly now, we must hide you.Kieran MacTaggart willnae be pleased to see what his daughter has brought home."
My head is spinning now for sure.I've never felt this bewildered before, and so I let Rachel pull along with her a cluster of bushes near the moat's edge.We crouch down just as more heavy footsteps approach.
"Rachel MacTaggart!I told ye to come inside, not go for a swim!Ye look like ye jumped into the moat."
No, it wasn't Rachel who did that.
She peeks through the branches, where we can both see her father's imposing figure as he scans the area.
"I'm here,Athairich!"she hollers, sounding remarkably steady."I'll be along in a moment.I, um...dropped something in the water and had to fetch it out."
I shift my position minutely, and Rachel throws me a warning glance over her shoulder.I mouth, "Sorry."
"Ye'll catch your death in those wet clothes," Big Daddy grumbles."Come inside now, lass.Whatever ye've lost can wait until tomorrow."
"Aye, I'll be there shortly," she replies, and I'd swear she's rifling her brain for a way to smuggle her new toy into the castle undetected.
