Page 90 of Long Live the King

The results were projected up on the wall. Lady Mairead said, “Slow scroll,” and the results went by, one after another, the results of Asgall, landowner, interspersed with headlines that read: ‘Secretive…’ and ‘…reclusive…’

I said, “What are we tae do?”

She scowled.

“I feel as if I hae a new nemesis and I had nae idea he existed.”

Quentin said, “You’re a king, you rule a kingdom, you have all the power in the world, but then check this guy, a secretive ass has been buying real estate and gathering power. While you’re famous and your name is in the books, he’s hidden.”

“Hidden, except for that he is a king.” I said, “And his power stretches verra far back tae the thirteenth century. Och nae, much farther back than I ever wanted tae go again.”

Quentin said, “Yep, I’m far more comfortable with a bookend at the year 1557, when we go past thateverythingalways turns bad.”

“He has made great use of a Trailblazer, I believe.”

Lady Mairead said, “It’s infuriating.” She looked around “Let this be a warning tae ye — we hae a cruel upstart and usurper, who we must contend with,again.”

I said, “He began amassin’ power back in the thirteenth century, yet he is an ‘upstart’?”

She smoothed her skirts. “Ye know as well as I do that it daena matter, in the circular nature of time, ye were king first and last, he would do well tae?—”

I was watching the projection, the Asgall results scrolling by, noticed something and commanded, “Stop!”

She said, “Magnus, daena boss me!”

I said, “Nae, I dinna mean ye, I meant ‘Look, there is anAsgall Holdingsaddress, dost ye see?”

There was a result that showed an image of a Celtic knot. The words Asgall Holdings ran through the middle.

She read over the result. There was a description, a short history, a mention that the company was active in the early twentieth century. I asked for more information, but there were nae records of the company except when it appeared decades later. The computer seemed tae believe that the Asgall Holdings of the early twentieth century and the Asgall Holdings in other centuries were not connected, until Lady Mairead asked the computer tae compare and tell us the chance of it being the same company. It gave us a possibility of fifty-three point nine percent.

She said, “Good enough. I hae a home in New York in that time, I will go and research about him?—”

I teased, “Ye could stay here and research on the computer.”

She said, “Daena be ridiculous, Magnus, tis far better tae go like a civilized person, and ask the people who are involved in the markets. They will ken far more than this God-awful machine. This will be a trip of discovery. Besides I hae been needing a vacation.”

I said, “Tis unlikely that a reclusive man will divulge secrets so easily.”

“Ye are all missing the point.” Her arm spread out toward the projection. “This is his first sign of weakness. He has made a mistake having a public company in New York in a century inwhich I dwell on my off days. I hae numerous friends who are verra well connected. If Asgall has made such a large mistake at this time, he will hae made more. The only question is after we discover where he is, what are we going tae do?”

“I suppose we will need tae deal with him. I haena decided if I will end his company with regulations, take his power by seizing his land, or tae battle him in the courts.”

Lochinvar said, “Tis too civilized, we ought tae draw swords against him.”

Quentin said, “He is a ghost. It’s hard to draw swords on a ghost.”

Lochinvar said, “But we ken he was a king in 1296, I ken where he was crowned. I can go right there and deal with him.”

Quentin said, “Put that in your back pocket, it might get to that, but it is not that simple, we would have to test the path first, we are assuming he used the Trailblazer, but we don’t know for sure. The last thing you want is to get stuck somewhere in the past. And you don’t want to rely onmeto use the Trailblazer to rescue you. I like you but itsucks.”

Lochinvar said, “Colonel Quentin, are ye sayin’ if I am stuck in the past ye winna rescue me?”

“No, of course I would, but I would complain the whole time. Let’s do simple first.”

Quentin was staring at the scrolling results. “Do you see that one?” He pointed at one that said: Asgall Holdings, ownership of Dunkeld Cathedral and surroundings.

I said, “Och nae, I haena seen that yet, he is buyin’ land around Loch Tay? Did ye see it, Lady Mairead?”

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