Finngarick (Order of the Black Swan, D.I.T. Book 2)

by Victoria Danann

  “That’s a terrific idea, Gillis,” Rosie said.

  The woman drew back slightly. She’d never been called ‘Gillis’ before. It wasn’t that she resented it, or even disliked it, it was simply a unique experience.

  “Um, thank you, Ms…”

  “Commander.”

  Eyebrows shot straight up at that before Gillis said, “Yes, ah, Commander. I wasn’t told your title.”

  Rosie smiled. “No problem and no surprise. Everything about this is new. Do you have your phone on you? I’d like you to have my direct number in contacts. Just in case.”

  While Gillis was fishing out her phone, she said, “Just in case of what?”

  Rosie took the phone and, as she typed in information said, “Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Right?”

  “Of course. When you say, um, prepare for the worst, what are you thinking that might be?”

  “Honestly, I think the worst thing would be the twins getting away from you in the middle of Edinburgh with bows and arrows and without knowledge of how things work in our age.”

  Gillis nodded, looking serious. “Yes. I see how that could be potentially…”

  “Disastrous.”

  Rosie instantly wished she could take back the last part of their conversation, because Gillis was looking freaked out. Rosie set the phone down on the table, but didn’t return it to Gillis.

  “You know, maybe that’s overstating a little. Let’s come up with a failsafe.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Rosie motioned to the server who came to the table immediately. “Could you bring me a house phone?”

  He nodded and hurried away.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “The concern I read on your face made me realize that you need backup. We hope that everything about this will be uneventful, but we’re dealing with a freak basket of unknowns.” Rosie stopped and looked away. “Just a second. I need to make a note of that. It’s a good way for the pre-interview people to describe D.I.T. to my future hunters.” She grinned as she typed that into the notes app on her phone. “That will either pique interest or it will send them running in the other direction.”

  Gillis nodded in agreement. “I can see that. Yes. As I’m probably in the category of running in the other direction.”

  “No. No. You’re perfect. I just need to make a slight adjustment to the conditions of this…” She wiggled her head on her shoulders, “time travel experiment.”

  The server handed her a wireless version of the house phone. Rosie didn’t know the Headquarters directory by heart, as Grieve probably had within an hour of receiving it. But she did know how to reach Simon.

  “Simon?” She looked at Gillis and realized she shouldn’t use the familiarity that was hers by virtue of family connection in front of the Director’s personnel. “I mean, ah, Director?”

  “Ms. Storm.”

  “Commander Storm.”

  “So it’s Commander today, is it?”

  “I thought you knew. It was settled three days ago.”

  “Well, then, I suppose I’m out of touch.”

  “That’s another conversation. Can you spare a brace of hunters for, oh,” she scrunched up her mouth as if calculating, “three days?”

  “No.”

  “Two days?”

  “What’s this about?”

  “The O’Malley twins.”

  “I’m too busy to play guessing games.”

  “Oh, sorry, so much happening.” Rosie gave Simon a quick summary of why the twins would be in residence within hours and the potential problems that might entail. “Gillis is taking on the job of acquainting them with life in the here and now, but she’d be no match for those girls if they decided to… I don’t know. Leave her behind and go exploring the wilds of Calton Hill?”

  Simon’s displeasure was evident when he answered. “And who got us into this predicament that is fraught with obvious missteps? Rammel? No surprise. You? Elora Rose. You’re going to have to think through ramifications before you make decisions. Like chess. Someone in your position must be able to think several steps ahead.”

  Rosie smiled. “Is this a reprimand? I’ve never had a reprimand before. It’s not so bad.”

  “Then I’m not doing it right. Why don’t you come to my office, post haste, and let me give you the full on-the-carpet treatment?”

  “Uh, no thanks. This is good. Consider me reprimanded.”

  “You’ve left me no choice but to provide Gillis with security. That doesn’t please me. Are you getting that?”

  Rosie nodded even though Simon couldn’t see what she was doing. “I’m getting that. Yes. Definitely. Next time I will ramify thoroughly. Especially when dealing with Ram’s suggestions.”

  “Are you being funny?”

  “Absolutely not.” She looked up at Gillis and gave a slight shake of the head to indicate that there was nothing to worry about. “Sir.”

  “When will Gillis be beginning her tutelage?”

  “Eight o’clock tomorrow morning.”

  “Very well. Two of my knights will be in your office tomorrow morning at eight, but mind you, knights are accustomed to being asleep at that hour.”

  “So Gillis needs to have a backpack with Monster drinks?”

  She heard Simon sigh over the phone. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “We got it covered, boss. And thank you. I mean that.”

  “Don’t let it happen again.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  When Rosie ended the call she knew Simon was thinking that wouldn’t be the last time she’d be asking for help to correct an error. Truthfully it was comforting for her to know that someone as supremely competent as Simon had her back. And that D.I.T. had his complete support. But still, she didn’t like appearing to be flighty or disappointing people. So she made a personal vow to try to avoid making messes he’d have to clean up.

  To Gillis, she said, “You’re covered. You’ll be bird dogged by two of the knights. If the twins try to get away from you, they won’t get far.” Except that the knights will be sleepy and not on their A game. “Believe me.”

  Gillis looked visibly relieved. “Thank you, um, Commander. I admit I was a little worried.”

  “My office tomorrow morning about eight. Bring the O’Malleys and the intern who’s gonna babysit them at night. The knights will be there. We’ll have meet, greet, coffee and scones all around.”

  Gillis smiled hesitantly. “Alright. Do you have a plan you want me to follow? Rules?”

  “Your job isn’t just to tag along and make sure the twins don’t get lost in Scotia. It’s to make sure they’ve been exposed to everything our time has to offer and feel comfortable with it. Three days from now they’re going to interview with me, like everybody else. By that time I want to see that they have what it takes to adapt. You have a little less than three weeks to make them twenty-first century women.”

  “No pressure.”

  Rosie chuckled. “Gillis. There are whole divisions of Black Swan that are nonstop pressure. My husband is part of that world.”

  “I know. That probably made me sound like a pussy.”

  Gillis had been so prim and proper to that point that the use of the word ‘pussy’ caused Rosie to bark out a surprised laugh. “No worries, Gillis. People who say they don’t want to sound like pussies are never pussies. You should get something and write that down,” Rosie teased. “Wisdom for the ages and all.”

  Gillis laughed. “I will.”

  “My assistant, Grieve, will call you when the twins are on the way from the whisterport so you can meet them.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Sheridan and Shivaun both felt their confidence melt away when the big wooden gates creaked open. They were firmly rooted to the spot where they stood. Rammel waited on the other side with arms crossed and a big wide grin.

  “Come now, little ladies. You’re goin’ on the adventure of a lifetime.”

  Th
ey glanced at each other and moved forward, each carrying a small burlap bag of personal belongings, bows and quivers strapped over their backs.

  “This is called a car,” he said. “Since you have no means for comparison, you do no’ yet know this, but ‘tis also an exceedingly fine example of automobile. Another name for car.” They looked at the Ferrari as if they were wondering what it was for. “This is our transportation for the first leg of our journey. We’re goin’ to Scotia.”

  “Land of the fae?” Shivaun asked with a large helping of incredulity.

  “Aye,” Ram said as he opened the trunk of the car for their bags. When he tried to take the bows and arrows, they resisted. “You’ll have them again when we reach our destination. Givin’ my word on that.” He waved toward the car. “But you can see that shootin’ inside this vehicle would be impossible.”

  They considered that for a moment then handed over their bows.

  “Excellent!” Ram declared. “Now who wants shotgun? That means who wants to sit in the front with me? We’ll get to what a shotgun is at another time.”

  “I will,” said Shivaun.

  When Sheridan got into the backseat, Ram said, “This is called a seatbelt. The car can go faster than anything you’ve e’er seen. So you need to wear it.”

  “Why?” she asked as she watched him demonstrate how to fit the pieces together.

  Ram started to say, “In case of impact,” but decided it might not be prudent to mention car crashes within minutes of them seeing a car for the first time. Baby steps. “Because it’s the law,” he said. “Now for you.” He motioned to Shivaun. After repeating the seatbelt demonstration for Shivaun, he trotted around to the driver’s side and got behind the wheel.

  “Okay. Here we go,” he said cheerfully.

  But when he started the powerful engine, both girls looked panic-stricken.

  “Do no’ worry.” He smiled. “You’re with me.”

  Seeing that they were nervous, Ram decided to start slow, because the fastest racehorse in the world cannot exceed thirty miles per hour. Because they’d be on dirt roads for half an hour, he reasoned that they’d be ready for more by the time they reached B blacktop roads.

  At that point in the journey the world didn’t look all that different. Lots of trees and sky. Ram’s philosophy was that filling the air with conversation always eased strained situations.

  “Are ye excited?” he said.

  He looked at Shivaun intermittently to get her reaction.

  “I suppose,” she answered.

  “You should be. There’s so much to the world you have no’ yet dreamed of.”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “Well, this fine automobile in which we’re ridin’ is one of millions that travel roads all over the world.”

  “Millions?” Sheridan asked from the rear.

  “You’re makin’ that up,” said her sister.

  Ram shook his head. “I’m no’. And there’s more.”

  “What?” asked Sheridan.

  “Do you feel like we’re goin’ fast?”

  “Aye,” both said in unison.

  He chuckled. “But ‘tis no’ fast. This car will go five times this fast.”

  Shivaun snorted. “You are makin’ that up.”

  “Pretty soon you’ll be takin’ that back,” he said. He noticed Shivaun look back at Sheridan. “When we get to paved road, I will show you.”

  “You’ll be makin’ this… car go five times this fast?” said Sheridan from the back.

  “No. I’ll be makin’ the car go twice as fast.” He let that sit for a minute before saying, “But the machine that will take us to Scotia will fly through the air and ‘twill go five times as fast.”

  “I do no’ believe you,” Shivaun said with the certainty of someone who’s sure she’s in the right.

  “’Tis why I’m tellin’ you these things now. I do no’ want to be springin’ big surprises on you. So I’m givin’ you a chance to get used to the idea.” He glanced at the clock. “We’ll be turnin’ onto paved road in twenty-five minutes. By then I need you to be ready to go twice as fast.”

  Shivaun looked unsure of herself. “For how long would we be travelin’, em, twice as fast?”

  “For just a bit. Ten minutes maybe. Then we’ll fly the rest of the way.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “You have a pump in your kitchen that brings well water into your house. Do ye no’?”

  “Aye. We do.”

  “That’s probably the most sophisticated machine in the New Forest. But since the time the people of Black on Tarry decided to remain isolated from the rest of the world, there’ve been amazin’ developments in machinery. The rest of the world continued to invent and experiment.”

  “Aye, but how would we fly?”

  “Ah, then. You know the weathervane on top of Smith’s shed?”

  “Aye.”

  “Have you ever seen it spinnin’ very fast durin’ a storm?”

  “Aye.”

  “We’re going to fly in a contraption that has somethin’ like a weathervane on the roof of it. It spins so fast you can no’ even see it spin. So fast ‘twill lift us off the ground, raise us high, and take us to Scotia. You’ll be able to look out the windows and see the Earth pass below.”

  The twins seemed to take a minute to digest that. After a time, Shivaun said, “And you’re really no’ makin’ it up?”

  “Swear to Paddy. ‘Tis all true. The comin’ days are goin’ to astound you. And if you decide to work for Black Swan, you’ll become the only people besides myself and my family who are privileged to migrate between the two worlds. ‘Tis a grand way to be, because there’s much to be said for both.”

  He steered the conversation toward their education. Liam had recognized their potential and given them the same classical, great books education that Ram had received, which meant the twins would be head and shoulders above their peers in some ways and woefully ignorant in others. Such as non-European geography, chemistry, and history after Napoleon. He also asked what they were hoping to get out of the adventure on which they had just embarked.

  They were thinking about that when Ram pulled the Ferrari onto the road. Mindful of the fact that they were automobile virgins, he accelerated slowly. By the time he reached sixty, which was fast for the two lane winding road, he looked over to see how Shivaun was doing.

  To his surprise, she was wearing a big grin. “You’re right. ‘Tis amazin’.”

  As they began to pass other vehicles and farms, the girls got very quiet. Ram sensed that they were curious, but not afraid. He felt the tension he’d been holding in his muscles ease away. He hadn’t been wrong about the twins. They were going to be perfect for Rosie’s project.

  As they pulled up to the whisterpad and the small hangar Ram kept for the purpose of housing a car, the twins’ eyes went wide again.

  “That’s it? The flyin’ thing?”

  Ram pulled into the hangar, parked, and turned off the engine. “Aye. ‘Tis.”

  He got out and shook hands with the man who owned the sheep farm on which they stood. For a fair fee he leased the land for the whisterport and made sure the car was secure.

  “Prince Hawking,” the man said, offering his hand.

  Ram shook hands and smiled. “Mac. Is all well with ye?”

  “Aye. ‘Tis.”

  “I have some precious cargo to take to Scotia.” He motioned to the twins. “This is Shivaun and Sheridan O’Malley.”

  “All that Irish comeliness is enough to blind an elf,” Mac said.

  The twins weren’t sure how to react to that. Everyone they knew had known them all their lives. So it was their first experience with having a stranger comment on their beauty.

  Ram opened the trunk of the car for them to retrieve their things. When they pulled bows and arrows out, Mac’s eyebrows almost met his hairline.

  Ram gave no explanation, but offered a teasing admonishment. “No joy ridi
n’ in the car, Mac. I’ll be back next month. What would you like me to bring?”

  “I do no’ want to seem greedy. But if you’re offerin’, I would no’ turn away a bottle of Knappogue Castle 1951.”

  “You’re speakin’ my native tongue, Mac. I’ll bring ye a bottle if you’ll spare me two fingers and a minute by your fire.”

  The sheep farmer beamed. “Nothin’ could please me more.”

  “Well, we’re expected in Edinburgh. So we should be goin’.”

  “Safe travels,” Mac said with a wave as he began to close the hangar doors and punch in the electronic alarm code.

  The whister pilot was standing by.

  “Angus. This is Shivaun and Sheridan O’Malley.” Ram jerked his chin toward the twins as if the pilot might have thought he was referring to someone else.

  The pilot said nothing, but nodded at the girls politely. He opened the cargo space and stepped back, waiting for them to stow their bows and bags.

  They looked at Ram.

  “Go on,” he said. “Again, you’re no’ shootin’ inside the whister. You will get your things when we arrive.”

  The twins seemed to silently consult each other for a couple of seconds, then put their things in the cargo hold.

  Ram sat in the front with the pilot. He was gratified to see that the O’Malleys didn’t need help with seatbelts.

  When the whister lifted off, Ram’s head was turned toward the pilot so that he saw the twins grab hands out of the corner of his eye.

  No squealing.

  No shrieking.

  He took that as a hopeful sign.

  When they reached cruising altitude, he looked back. They were both rapt, practically had their noses pressed against the windows.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  “Everythin’ looks so different from up here,” she said.