jug back, my lord?” he asked.
“Nay, we’ll have need of it. Just pull up yon stool and tell me what the devil Davy Stewart means by disturbing an old man’s peace with his royal affairs.”
“He prefers to be known as Rothesay, sir, and he spoke not of your age but only of your power. That, he assured me, is vast enough to serve his ends.”
“Ye’ll no be telling me that he thinks my power exceeds his own.”
Knowing it would be tactless if truthful to say that Rothesay believed no man’s power exceeded his, Fin said, “As heir to the throne and now Governor, he is well aware of his power, sir. He is also aware that he has powerful enemies.”
The Mackintosh cocked an eyebrow. “One in particular, I warrant.”
“Aye, for when Parliament and the King agreed on Rothesay’s coming of age that he should assume the Governorship for three years in the Duke of Albany’s stead, to show that Rothesay can govern, Albany was most displeased.”
“Ye’re being diplomatic, lad. I heard that he was infuriated. But I’ve nae patience with all these new dukes of ours—like the devilish English. Faugh, I say!”
“Scotland still has only two dukes,” Fin assured him. “Rothesay and Albany.”
“Aye, well, Albany was dangerous enough whilst he governed in the King’s stead. To my mind, a man who has no interest in ruling shouldna be King.”
Fin said, “Rothesay will be a much stronger ruler than his father, sir.”
“That will not be hard, if Albany lets the lad live that long,” Mackintosh said. “And if his reputed recklessness and profligacy are overstated. Sithee, Davy Stewart is Albany’s own nephew, but Albany is evil. Auld Clootie put the mark of his hoof on him in the cradle. And the older he gets the plainer it becomes that he’ll ever be the devil’s own. Even so, he wields nae power here in the Highlands or in the Isles.”
“Just so, sir, although he did name his own son Lord of the North.”
“Aye, sure, when he was Governor. But he kens fine what will happen if that whelp of his ever tries to seize the Lordship from Alex Stewart,” Mackintosh snapped.
“Alex does hold the Lordship close,” Fin agreed.
“Aye, he rules from Lochindorb as strongly as ever his own sire did.”
“I should tell you that Rothesay also sent word to Lochindorb,” Fin said.
“That castle lies but fifteen miles north of here,” the Mackintosh said. “But if Davy… if Rothesay hopes for his message to reach the Lord of the North, he’s missed his mark. Alex is in the Borders with my own people, aiding the Earl of Douglas.”
“They will soon return,” Fin said. “Douglas is still the most powerful lord in the Borders. And, thanks to such aid from many powerful nobles, he has routed the English again. My men carried the message to Lochindorb, so I could go on to you at Moigh. But after we parted, whilst seeking a path into the mountains west of here, I walked farther south along the Spey than I’d intended without finding a ford—”
He broke off when the Mackintosh chuckled.
“Sakes, lad, we take good care to create no tracks through our mountains east or west,” he said. “If a man does not ken his way, he’ll not find it without help.”
“One of my men knew the way to Lochindorb,” Fin said. “And I ken the Great Glen fine and can reach it from here just by going west.” To avoid further discussion of his error, he added, “Rothesay also sent a message to the Lord of the Isles.”
“So he seeks allies amongst his uncle’s enemies, does he?”
“He does, aye.”
“What does Davy expect from us… from me, especially?”
“He wants you to host a meeting for him at Castle Moigh with the Lord of the Isles and the Lord of the North.”
“To what purpose?”
“To keep Albany’s ambition in check, he said. Beyond that, I cannot tell you. I do not know his exact intent.”
The Mackintosh said thoughtfully, “His provisional term as Governor ends in January. So I’d wager that he wants to be assured of their votes when Parliament meets to consider whether they will extend it or give it back to Albany.”
“I would not bet against your wager, sir. But my orders are to deliver his message and send word to him at Perth if you agree to host the meeting.”
“I see. Then, before I trust your word on this, I would ken more about ye.”
Having hoped that he had diverted the old man from the