78. Chapter 78 - Magnus

Twas after dinner, the third night. Cailean was in m'chamber, sitting with me, enjoyin' a whisky near the hearth.

"I ken ye are thrilled, Mag Mòr, that yer family will come on the morrow."

"Aye, I look forward tae showing them the castle and grounds. Stirling will reverberate with their high spirits, I canna wait."

"Ye hae been verra lonely without them."

"I hae, I daena like tae be too far away. As the wheel of time rolls, it seems we ought tae be ridin' alongside our family."

He chuckled. "Och nae, Mag Mòr, this again? Will ye once again argue the merits of a timeline?"

"Nae, ye hae won the argument, Cailean. I lay down m'weapon, I hae lost. The line of time was a laughable idea. I hae been convinced of the notion that tis a wheel. All ye must do is see the sun comin' up on the day, descending in the West, and comin' around again on the next. Time canna march, it must roll. Dawn tae dusk."

He sipped his whisky. And stared at his glass. "Unless..."

I said, "Och nae, ye hae changed yer mind?"

"Tis less that I changed m'mind, more that I am not so settled in it that I will crow at having won. Who am I tae tell the mighty Mag Mòr, who uses time travel tae rule the world, how it works?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Ye ken about the time travel?"

"Ye told me of it months ago!"

"Och, tis right, I had forgotten. The rolling confused me."

I watched him as the light flickered on his face.

"Have ye ever met another time traveler, Cailean?"

He looked deep in thought, not choosing his words so much as searching his mind. He said, "I hae a vague memory, tis of a man named Asgall. I met with him, seems certain twas at Scone..." He leaned back in his seat as he often did, his hands clasped across his stomach. He could ruminate and plod along in conversation for hours. I was verra used tae his pace, and it dinna bother me, I was willing tae wait, because his journey often ended in wisdom. "...I remember the sky, it had the paleness of winter, and the trees were darkly etched on the sky. I was wearin' m'finest tunic, I can see it, the turquoise, dost ye ken the one I mean?"

I nodded.

He continued, "So twas an important meetin', I suspect, and m'knees ached, so twas winter and m'age was settled, I am an auld man, ye ken, Mag Mòr, verra auld, and I canna remember why I was called tae Scone but... as I passed through the gardens, there was a glisten upon the snow, and I thought tae m'self, tis like a jewel, I ought tae tell the king of this, so he might add it tae his speech, that the lands around his Abbey are like a jewel of Scotland... Dost ye remember me tellin' ye of the glistenin' snow on the gardens of Scone?"

I said, "Nae, I daena remember..."

"But in my memory, I want tae tell ye, Mag Mòr, but instead there stands a man, I vaguely remember his name, Asgall... and he is the king but I canna tell him the story of the snow...."

"Why nae?"

He paused, his eyes traveling across the ceiling. "Because he is cruel, I hae learned tae remain quiet."

"Och nae."

"Aye." He exhaled, "But twas a dream, I haena met anyone named Asgall. And I canna place the time or how I got there."

"I ken Asgall, and ye are correct, he is a time traveler and it sounds as if ye hae met him once, though the wheel has continued turning on."

"Och, tis the work of demons. I am nae settled in it." He picked up his whisky glass and sipped from it again. "I would like tae travel, though..."

"Would ye? Where would ye like tae go?"

"Tae m'youth in Galloway, I would tell m'self ‘Daena make the contract with the Earl, tis goin' tae cause ye trouble.'"

I chuckled. "The only problem with this idea is ye canna loop on yerself. I could go back there and warn ye."

He waved his hand. "Och nae, I would never listen. I had the dimness of youth, the folly of strength. I believed if I wanted tae do it, it must be right."

"Och aye, I ken a man who was just like that."

He laughed. "Yer young self?"

"And m'brother Fraoch, and Lochinvar, Quentin, James, and Zach... tis not possible tae be young and not be full of trouble for yer older self."

He nodded. "Will ye be able tae sleep waiting for yer family?"

"Nae, I am goin' tae be worried and watchful."

"Would ye like me tae sit up with ye?"

"Nae, I think I need tae be alone with my thoughts. I hae been worried on my son, he was havin' nightmares, worried that I might die and he would be forced tae ascend tae the throne. It caused him tae grow fearful."

He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling once more. "My eldest son feels the weight of responsibility as well, and I am but a hand tae the king. I can well think of the immense pressure it must be tae be the son of a king. It will take strong broad shoulders tae bear it."

"He is but eight circles around the sun."

"Och nae, he ought tae take tae the drink." He finished his whisky, and banged the glass tae the table. He belched. "Ye are young, yer son inna goin' tae be king for many long years. Tell him ye hae a kingdom of subjects who pray on yer behalf, that will keep ye living! On the morrow I will ask all tae chant Long Live the King when yer son arrives, so he will ken ye are protected." He patted my arm.

"Thank ye Cailean, that would likely do it."

"I look forward tae meeting him, we hae the rooms all readied."

"Good, thank ye, I will be gone in the morn. I plan tae be up before dawn. I will go tae the park and wait for them."

"With the dawn comes a new day."

"Aye."

He rose, took his leave, and left me alone with m'thoughts and worries.

My family was goin' tae travel more than four hundred years, and with the time twists and turns, the rift that had opened up, changing the timeline from settled in one way tae another, and another traveler usin' the machines, I couldna be comfortable believing it would go as planned, but there was nothin' I could do but wait.