Page 79 of Long Live the King

Lochinvar scowled. “We ought tae play again — ye need tae give me a chance tae win.”

Quentin laughed. “Nope, you gotta let me have this. Next time you can ask for two out of three, but I won this fair and square.”

Then they both turned tae me. Lochinvar said, “Och nae, what’s goin’ on, ye look staggered.”

“Dost ye see it?”

Men named Asgall owned land in every century on most continents.

Quentin said, “Not conclusive.” He asked the room tae project all images of all the Asgalls so we could compare them.

It came up with zero images.

“Maybe I didn’t say it right.” He tried wordin’ the request in different ways.

Finally he found an article from 2035, headlined: The Secretive World’s Largest Landowner. The subtitle said, Hint: He’s named after Scotland’s most famous King, Asgall I.

I said, “Och nae. Not only is he the world’s largest landowner, they are callin’ him Scotland’s most famous king? This is heinous.”

That article had nae photographs except for the paintings and sculptures of Asgall the king, many more than Lady Mairead had put in m’file. There were nae photographs of Asgall the modern landowner.

Quentin said, “Dude, after the fourteenth century he’s a ghost.”

Lochinvar said, “Seems as if this is the verra thing that Lady Mairead’s fancy ChronoGuard ought tae be lookin’ for.”

I took a sip of m’whisky and said, “Aye.”

I told the computer tae send the results of the search tae m’mother’s room.

A moment later there appeared a projection of Lady Mairead in her robe, readied for bed. She looked frantic. “Magnus, did ye see? His power has grown since I last looked!”

“Aye, this is why I sent it tae ye.”

She patted the side of her head with a trembling hand. “I just remembered something... and it has me disconcerted.”

“What is it?”

“Did ye ever hear about what happened tae yer Great Aunt Ariana? She was Donnan’s father’s sister?”

“Nae, I daena think I...”

“I had nearly forgotten the story and I daena ken how, it came tae me tonight verra clearly... when she was young, a man she was familiar with, stole her away.”

I said, “Och nae, what was his name?”

“Asgall.”

I exhaled.

“And she was never tae be seen again! It affected the whole family, they never forgave themselves for not protectin’ her, but also... when she was taken, she had a vessel in her possession.”

I looked down at the papers, shakin’ my head. “Och, this is how he gained it, tis a tragedy. It must be the same Asgall.”

“I tell ye, Magnus, I daena want tae exaggerate, but Asgall is going tae be a great deal of trouble.”

“I daena think ye are exaggeratin’ at all.”

Then her look sharpened. “Why are ye still up? Ye were headed tae bed!”

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