Page 87 of The Empire and the Wolf King

“Find me a contact there, in the twentieth century, I’d like tae purchase it.”

I admired the note, but there was a confusing drawing underneath it. A drawing of a jar, labeled with the word, Mandrake, with an arrow that said, ‘here’ and the name Doctor Everett. “What does that mean, I wonder?”

Wilfred said, “I do not understand a bit of it.”

I turned tae him and said, “Iwouldhae preferred a verra small ‘A’ with the date, but here he has writtenthisinstead, big and glorious. ‘Archibald Killed Asgall.’ I am not angry at all. I am verra proud of him. Tis well done, well done indeed. Daena ye think?”

He raised his glass. “To Prince Archibald not following your will and preferences.”

“Hear hear!” I drank and put the glass down on the desk and leaned against it.

“He is like his father in that respect, and his handwriting looks much like his father’s as well. I daena understand the meaning of the drawing, but I am certain the meaning will come tae me.” I asked the voice in the room, “Ye said there was more than one note?”

The image flipped pages in the book and then centered on a large drawing of a man with a sword, it was drawn with a firm confident hand, and underneath it said:

Mag Mòr. King of Scots. 1291.

Then tae the side it said:

May 15, 2025 is a verra good day

Wilfrey asked, “Did the older Archibald also draw the man here?”

“Nae,thatwas the work of his father.” I huffed at how he had taken up so much of the page.

He said, “King Magnus?”

“Aye, King Magnus is also Mag Mòr, King of Scots, in 1291. He was crowned on November 21, 1290 at Scone, Scotland on Moot Hill.”

He chuckled, eating another chocolate, “King Magnus, Mag Mòr, Duke of Awe, same guy, it all makes perfect sense. I just learned about time travel last night, now I’m drinking to the death of your enemies.”

I said, ignoring him, tapping my chin. “And somehow this book managed tae get lost through the years tae become a message for me.”

He said, “It is an astonishing turn of events.”

“Are ye just saying that?”

“Yes, I have no idea what is happening.” He raised his glass and we clinked ours together.

I said, “Tae the death of Asgall. Finally. But how I ended up seeing this book is a mystery. IwishI could hae been a witness tae the murder… I do enjoy a bloodbath as long as I am on the winnin’ side.”

The corner of my mouth went up and though I looked straight ahead I could see him admiring me.

I asked, “Hae ye ever watched one of the arena battles?”

He said, “Of course, whenever I can get tickets.”

“Next time I will give ye a box?—”

The voice in the room interrupted, “Yer Highness, there is another discrepancy…”

“Another one? Tis odd, out with it.”

“In Thomas Jefferson’s library historians found a modern ballpoint pen that also houses a flashlight and screwdriver. It was kept in his desk with other prized possessions, but disassembled as if Jefferson were trying to figure out how it worked. Each part was kept in a small box with a note describing the contents and there were diagrams for reassembling it. It is empty of ink and the battery is dead.”

I sighed. “Only Magnus would give Thomas Jefferson a modern pen. He will ruin history just tae show off.”

Wilfrey said, “Perhaps he gave the pen to Jefferson as part of the message so you could find him.”

---