Page 174 of Long Live the King

Lochie glanced at the book and met my eyes, he nodded. I nodded.

Beaty offered to take the rest of the kids to the nursery, and said to Quentin, “Whatever ye decide, Quennie, I am good with, as long as Mookie and Saddle can come.”

She put Noah on one hip, Jack on the other, and Zoe and Isla followed her out of the Great Hall.

Fraoch said, “So we ought tae discuss if all are coming with me.”

Lady Mairead took up a piece of bread and began to butter it. “Asgall is still at large, and menacing. I am verra pleased he has been removed from the line of kings, but he has still gained a lot of power and has amassed a good deal of land?—”

Sean said, “Mother, if Asgall is amassing land and power, Magnus ought tae amass land and power first.”

Lady Mairead punctuated the air with the butter knife. “Exactly, Sean. Asgall is behaving as if he is the first person taeeverthink of buying up property, tis infuriating. He is slighting us. I hae been collecting art since before he first placed his grubby paws upon a vessel, how dare he? That initselfrequires I buy everything.”

Quentin said, “Everything?”

“Aye, all the art, the land, the gold, theeverything.He canna be first.I am verra glad ye advised Magnus the way ye did, Fraoch, taking the throne before Asgall could take it was verra well done.”

Fraoch said, “Og Lochie advised him as well.”

She nodded to Lochie. “Ye have both proven yerselves verra helpful advisors tae Magnus.” The corner of her mouth went up, as she joked, “When I buy the world I will gift ye a land somewhere.”

Lochie said, “Thank ye, Lady Mairead, ye can give me Skye, where I grew up, I would like tae walk in tae Dunscaith as the owner.”

She scowled and shook her head. “Ye rose in my estimation, Lochinvar, until ye asked for something so diminutive. This request makes ye sound like a poor orphan, wanting revenge upon a lord who is long dead. Ye hae won that battle already, ye want Dunscaith? A pile of stones on the edge of Skye? Fine ye can have it, but the men who advise Magnus ought tae hae the wisdom and fortitude tae ask for a much larger piece of the world — let us begin again. I am the mother of a king, founding an empire, and I hae told ye I am grateful for the advice ye gave my son, the king, and ye would like a gift of land — what land would ye want?”

“Och, in that case it ought tae be France?”

“Good boy, if I gain France, tis yers.” She smiled.

Quentin said, “So, Lady Mairead, will you head back to Riaghalbane?”

“That seems the best place for me as I assume my place in the battle.” She gestured toward Ash, “Ash McNeil has given me some details that perhaps ye ought tae hear, Colonel Quentin.”

Ash cleared her throat tentatively. “I only spoke to Asgall once, he was a real jerk, just horrible. He didn’t really tell me anything, nothing too useful, but he really hated the place. He said he was desperate for a cigarette and he wanted to go to a place where he could smoke freely.”

Quentin nodded. “Narrows it down a bit. He’s in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries, maybe.”

Lady Mairead said, “Or Paris in any century.”

Lochie chuckled, “Then let me handle it.”

Quentin said, “You know French?”

Lochie said, “Lady Mairead just offered tae give me France!”

Quentin laughed. “Oh, right, I forgot already. We’re dividing up the spoils before we’ve even met the enemy.”

Fraoch said, “We hae narrowed it down, tis good that he inna in every century, there are verra many centuries. Narrowin’ it tae two is good.” He grinned, and said, “Lady Mairead, ye dinna ask me which piece of land I would want.”

“I daena need tae ask, Fraoch, I will give ye the United States.”

Fraoch grinned. “I daena need the whole place, just a few states with good fishing.”

“Consider it done.”

Fraoch said, “Back tae the decision — Lady Mairead will go tae Riaghalbane.”

James said, “So my choice is stay here or go to the thirteenth century? Can we return tae Fernandina?”

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