Page 46 of The Empire and the Wolf King

I said, “Tae that end, how will I kill Asgall? Ye said ye hae a monitor that shews which vessels are being used, within a certain distance. If I were near enough would I be able tae precisely locate him?”

“As long as he has a vessel on him, aye.”

“Good, I will need the monitor.”

She took a bite of a cake and chewed, then dabbed at her mouth. “I don’t loan out the devices on principle, not since I was blackmailed intae giving one tae… och, many times: Sir Padraig, Reyes, they hae all used my devices for their nefarious ends.”

I said, “But I am yer grandson and I daena hae a nefarious bone in m’body.”

“As my descendant, ye ought tae hae at least a few nefarious bones, especially since ye’ll be needing them against Asgall. Perhaps ye will hae tae ask nicely; I am still irritated by yer rudeness earlier.”

I stood, pushed out my chair, and dropped tae one knee in front of her. I had heard Uncle Fraoch say it once, that the way tae Lady Mairead’s heart was by taking a knee.

I bowed my head. “Grandmother, I apologize for being rude. Might I hae the monitor and the last workin’ vessel in the world so that I might rule time as the one and only Wolf King, hell bent on destroying Asgall and rescuing the mighty Magnus the First?”

She lifted my chin and looked down on me. “Och, tis well done, Prince Archibald, I hae not one complaint, ye may hae my treasures — but my monitor isverradear and I want it back. I am not sure how ye will accomplish it, but yemustreturn it.”

I grinned and took my seat once more.

She said, “I will also arm ye well. Dost ye ken how tae shoot a rifle?”

“Nae, but I am well-armed with a sword and I hae a sharp eye with the longbow.”

“After dinner I will give ye an instruction on the devices and then we will give ye a shooting lesson in the armory.” She sighed. “I suppose twill hae tae do.”

She raised her voice tae ask the voice in the room, “Dost we hae any weapons for a young man who is good with a longbow?”

The voice said, “He could be armed with a crossbow.”

“Oh, I had forgotten, aye, we have a crossbow, verra modern. The arrows are lethal and if ye aim well, ye will become proficient at it, I think.”

She looked like she was considering it all.

Then she pushed away her dessert plate and leaned back in her chair, checking her watch. “Dost ye see, Archibald, that the help haena removed our plates? Yer father would never stand for it, yet for my needs, there is nae consideration.”

She leveled her eyes on one of the servants along the wall who rushed forward and began taking our plates away.

CHAPTER 20 - ARCHIBALD

THE KINGDOM OF RIAGHALBANE - 2391

Lady Mairead said, “It has been nice tae hae ye here, I enjoy the company.”

I patted m’stomach. “I enjoyed the meal.”

“Good. This has been one of the great pleasures of time traveling, the opportunity tae meet our descendants. I am always impressed by the men and women they hae become such as this young man afore me with the Scottish brogue and the verra fine way of kneeling tae ask for what he?—”

The room interrupted with, “Lady Mairead, there has been a discrepancy discovered in the historical record.”

She walked tae the wall. “What is it?”

Tae the side of the cityscape a large projected image of a handwritten journal page appeared.

“We have found the name Magnus included in one of Thomas Jefferson’s journals. Beside it is the name Kaitlyn.”

Lady Mairead’s eyes went wide. “Both of them! Hallelujah!”

“Yes, Jefferson met them in a tavern called the Coachman’s Rest. He also wrote at length about a modern pen.”

---