Page 76 of Long Live the King

Lochinvar said, “She daena, she is innocent of it.”

Lady Mairead said, “Well, this might hae been verra dire. Ye are sitting there dumbly, Lochinvar, as if ye hae not a care?—”

She interrupted herself, and waved a hand toward him. “But ye are young, ye daena ken any better.” She turned tae Quentin, “But ye, Colonel Quentin, I canna believeyedinna vet her! Ye are ignoring it, as if we daena hae a care in the world?”

“I wanted to vet her, Lady Mairead, but we don’t have access to all the information you have. I meant to ask you to look into her background, but we just got here?—”

She looked at her watch.

I interrupted, “I think I speak for Colonel Quentin and Lochinvar and all the other men ye hae harangued in yer current mood when I say from now on we will vetallthe maidens.”

“This is theleastye can do.”

I said, “Are ye dating someone, Mother?”

“My associations are nae business of yers and daena distract me, we have enemies everywhere, and we must be on guard.”

Colonel Quentin said, “Yes, ma’am.” And glanced at me.

I winced and jokingly pulled my collar from my throat.

I said, “We will make certain tae protect ourselves, and I am sure Ash McNeil is acceptable. She is local tae Amelia Island and haena had any troubles or raised any suspicions before.”

Lady Mairead leaned back in her chair admiring Ash McNeil’s image. “Beyond the lapse of judgment, she looks verra handsome, and her gaze is direct, I admire that.” She pulled up a book from the table and with a fine pen copied information from the projection. “I will hae my people look intae her further.”

I said, “Back tae the matter at hand —whydid Asgall put a photograph of himself intae a psalter?” I took the book up and turned it over, openin’ it tae see the photo. “It seems messy, it inna keepin’ history straight, and anyone could hae found it.”

I asked the computer tae project it so that I held it in m’hand and had it on the wall as well.

“He is sendin’ me a message.”

She looked the projection over. “Aye, it does seem like it, and it shows verra little respect for history. And because he is with yer friend Cailean, it seems as if he mocks us.” The corner of her mouth went up. “Thegallof him.”

Quentin said, “Unless he doesn’t know about us.”

Lady Mairead raised her chin. “That is highly unlikely. He is a time traveler. He has taken the throne a few years after twas Magnus’s rear keepin’ it warm.”

I said, “I was there first.”

“He is also standing beside one of Magnus’s allies?—”

“And one of m’sworn enemies.”

“And putting the photo commemorating the moment within the leaves of yer book.”

I asked, “Hae ye run a genetic test upon him. Is he related tae us?”

“I haena been able tae?—”

Quentin cleared his throat and looked down at the watch on his arm.

I said, “This is usually the first thing ye do, the simplest thing. Tis crucial.”

“I canna because he has been so reclusive.” She stood and walked tae the back of her chair and gripped it. “I believe he is imitating ye, Magnus, ye were once crowned king in the thirteenth century and ye are the greatest king Riaghalbane has ever known in the twenty-fourth century. Ye are the first man in the history of time tae be a king twice over.”

Lochinvar said, “Dinna Ormr and Domnall do it as well?”

Lady Mairead scoffed. “They are gone, mere footnotes. They might hae attempted it, but they werna a success. The only king tae hae a kingdom at two ends of time, successfully, wasMagnus. It might hae been short lived, but that is only because we put history tae rights. This man, who is he,Asgall the First?This is not a king’s name, tis ridiculous! He is mocking ye and I daena like it one bit.”

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