much like one when ye are nae a murderous king. Apparently ye hae killed our cousin.” He held his side gingerly. “I daena mind though, he was a contemptible arse. Imagine tae ask a man’s own brother tae murder him for food.”
“Aye, I also killed his father, Samuel. He was a contemptible arse as well, and Donnan. He was evil. Ye and I hae a great deal tae talk of, someday, if I am tae return.”
Tae Hammie I said, “Would ye witness the signin’ of a contract?”
“Yes, King Magnus.” He opened the door of a vehicle and brought out a notebook with a pen. I clicked the end and wrote on a page:
If I, Magnus Archibald Caelhin Campbell the First of Riaghalbane hae nae returned tae the kingdom within...
I asked Lady Mairead, “What date was it when ye left the future?”
“I daena ken, what are ye up tae?”
“Ye ken the date, ye always ken. Hammond, what date was it?”
“Twas November 24, 2386.”
I continued writing:
...one year past that date, November 24, 2386, tae the year 2387, the date of November 24, I, Magnus Archibald Caelhin Campbell, will abdicate my throne tae Fraoch MacDonald, the heir tae the throne, a direct descendent of Donnan II.
I signed underneath it.
I turned the page tae Hammond. “Read it and sign below it. Ye hae witnessed me writin’ it.”
After he signed, I ripped out the page and passed it tae him. I asked, “May I keep the pen?”
“Of course, King Magnus. There are always more pens.”
Lady Mairead asked, “What hae ye done, Magnus? What did ye sign?”
“Hammond, ye can tell her.”
“King Magnus, if he’s not able to return, is to abdicate his throne to his, um...?”
I said, “To Donnan’s son, my half-brother, Fraoch MacDoanld.”
Lady Mairead said, “This is unacceptable, Magnus, what if I canna get ye returned?”
“Then ye should be kinder tae Fraoch, beginnin’ now.”
She scoffed. “I winna, he is an illegitimate son of Donnan.”
“Then ye need tae go verra fast bringing me home so he winna be your ruler.”
“If ye remained here ye could help me figure it out, ye could raise yer children and be the king.”
“Nae, dost ye hear yerself? Ye are already actin’ as if it winna be possible. It has tae be possible. Ye need tae find the possibility. Kaitlyn winna survive alone, I am goin’.”
Hayley looked terrified.
“I beg yer forgiveness for scarin’ ye, Hayley, for threatenin’ ye and Fraoch.”
“I’m not forgiving you for it. I may never forgive you for it. Please bring Katie home.”
“I will do m’best.” I exhaled and took stock. Hammond had ordered soldiers to gather and pack my supplies. The horses’s packs looked well stocked for a long time.
Lady Mairead said, “I daena understand what you are carrying on about. Ye canna go, tis a death sentence for ye.”
“Nae, tis a death sentence for Kaitlyn if I daena go. She canna speak tae them, tae ask for help...” I scowled. “I ken it may not be possible tae come home, but do yer best.”
“Where do I start?”
“I would start at the beginning of the vessels. Ye hae the book. Kaitlyn verra kindly gave it tae ye, use it. If it daena hae the answer, go tae the future and ask the men who invented the vessels tae explain why it daena go farther back. Ask them tae teach ye how tae make it go. We will be waiting.”
Hammond brought me the horses. He shewed me the settings for the vessels he remotely activated. “This is how we set them, King Magnus, these numbers.”
I set the number sequence intae my own vessel and I led the horses, fully packed, farther away intae the field. I twisted the vessel as Hammie jogged away.
Then Hammond’s voice behind me, amplified by the drones. “Everyone find cover, please stand away! Step away from the walls, a storm is coming.”
Lady Mairead stalked after me, I could see from her face that fury was drivin’ her. “Ye are makin’ a mistake, tae go tae the past like this, it is tae die. I winna accept that ye are this driven tae die. I winna accept it.”
“Lady Mairead, in the beginnin’ ye dinna tell me anythin’ about usin’ the vessels. Every jump I thought I was tae die because I dinna ken how tae direct them, and I dinna ken how tae survive them. Every jump. Yet ye hae carried the truth of them. Ye had ways tae make the jumps better for yerself. I trust that ye are again keepin’ the truth from