by Jane Stain
Luag looked over at Roland and was pleased to see the man was just as flabbergasted as he was. This inn was larger than any castle he’d seen, except the one in Edinburgh.
Smiling superiorly, Katherine led them inside, where it seemed even bigger, with ceilings several stories tall like in a cathedral, but all in white. Katherine got a key from one of ten lasses sitting behind a large desk and took them inside a tiny room whose doors opened by magic. "Brace yourselves," she said. And then, laughing, she pushed on a glass panel in the wall.
The room moved! Luag could feel movement, as if he were on a horse that ran uphill. But the room moved far faster. So much faster that if Katherine hadn't told him to brace himself — and if he hadn't listened to her — he would've fallen to the floor.
The magic doors opened and it was different outside than it had been before. A window showed only sky and clouds.
Gawking, Luag asked her, "Can it possibly have…"
Nodding, she led them out of the small room and up to the window. “Yep. That tiny little room moved us up 15 floors."
Luag felt like he was flying. He could see the ocean and that pier with the carnival rides in front of him, and to the side buildings stretched out as far as he could see. He would have gladly stood there gawking all night, but Roland started to keel over, so Luag resentfully dragged the smaller man away from the window.
Katherine led them down the carpeted hallway, which was lit by more gold sconces, stopped in front of a door, and used the key she'd gotten to open it, then gestured for them to precede her inside.
Still holding Roland’s arm, Luag entered the cavernous inn room.
Katherine picked up what looked vaguely like a large seashell. “Make yourselves at home. I know I plan to. If you need anything at all —food, blankets, towels, ice, what-have-you— just pick up this thing here and push the button that says ‘Front Desk,’ then hold it to your mouth and ear like this and talk. They will help you."
4
Katherine smiled in relief to be in a suite at the Miramar. This was much more like it. She deserved some first-class treatment after the year she’d had: cold-water sponge baths. She had to admit though, the food had all been delicious. You just couldn't beat homemade meals with farm-fresh ingredients.
She clicked the TV on, made herself an espresso martini at the bar, and plopped down on the L-shaped sectional, complete with a floating section to put her feet up on. "Ah, this is the life I missed."
It was just the news on TV, but having missed a year’s worth, she found it comforting. Earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, and crime all over the world. She laughed. “The celebrity gossip’s just icing on the cake!”
Maybe it was mean of her, being their hostess and all, but she didn’t lift a finger to help the men adapt. No, she just sat there with her feet up and watched TV, chuckling at their foibles.
“Hello, Front Desk. Verra pleased I am to meet you. I am Luag MacDonald. … Verra well, I'll get on with it. Can we have some food here, please? … Do you have anything from Scotland? … Aye, that sounds verra good. … I thank you. We look forward to sampling some of your cooking."
A few minutes later.
"Hello, Front Desk. I am Roland Cheyne. Pleased I am to make your acquaintance . … Verra well, there are only two beds in this room, and there are three of us, all unmarrit. Is the third person expected to sleep on the floor — not that I'm complaining, mind … I dinna see a door. … Ah, there it is."
A door opened.
A gasp.
Roland’s voice coming from the next room. "Och, aye! This will do verra nicely. I thank you for your warm hospitality.…”
Her phone had been buzzing all afternoon, and now she finally got back to it.
Mom: Got any photos of the Celtic Rock musician you toured with?
Katherine: No, but it's over, and I'm home.
Mom: Ooh! Can I come see you?
Katherine: Yes, but wait a few days. I have company.
Mom: A new someone special, I hope.
Katherine: No, no one special.
Mom: Are you sure?
Katherine: Yes, I'm sure. Just people I met on my trip. They tagged along home with me for a free place to stay.
Mom: I hope you’re being careful.
Katherine: Yes, of course I am.
And then Roland was wailing, "My grove. I need to be in my grove. Tending my trees. I can't hear them. They can't be all gone. All my trees!"
At first, Katherine ignored the man, hoping he would stop or fade into mumbles.
But no. “They’ve murdered all my trees! All the trees! It’s so silent!”
The man needed sedation, and looking over at the bar, she saw the means within reach. So she went over and gathered all the scotch she could find, and then all the whiskey. Heck, she threw the rum in as well. Mini bar bottles cost what, ten dollars each? Well worth it. She poured them all into one pitcher, threw in some ice, and stirred it up.
With a sympathetic face, she offered it to the wailing man. "Here. You look like you could use this."
It worked. Roland absentmindedly took the pitcher by the handle and gulped down some of the potent cocktail. Then some more. The more he drank, the more talkative he became — but also less whiny, thank God.
“I will convince my druid brothers to save our precious groves o’ trees. I will na help Donald turn Scotland into this monstrous unnatural type o’ place, no I will na.”
Katherine felt a thrill go through her at this. "This is wonderful news, Luag!"
"How do you figure that, lass?"
"Don't you see? Roland will tell the other druids about the damage world domination does to nature and then they'll call off the whole war!"
But Roland’s face wrinkled up in sadness. "Donald was gaun'ae march on Scotland regardless o’ us druids."
Katherine gave Luag a look, trying to share a moment where they agreed Roland was off his rocker. But to her shock, his face agreed with the little man. A distinctly highlander determination accompanied this agreement, and for a moment, all she could do was admire him. But that moment passed quickly.
She used their Charades hand signals to ask him behind Roland’s back, “Why don’t you look surprised?”
His eyes said, “Oh, come on,” while his hands signaled, “Everyone knew the Laird o’ the Isles coveted the region when he chose his bride. This is the reason Leif has been training the militia extra hard. He has been expecting this war.”
Toward the end of the pitcher, Roland said something that changed Katherine's mind about going back with the two of them to the 1400s.
"Your friends are in grave danger. Even now, Donald marches on Aberdeen. We druids hae seen that Donald, as Scotland’s king, will make the kingdom a world power. I am na longer gaun'ae help him. I now see what being a world power does to our precious groves o’ trees, the poor darlings! Howsoever, I will na be able to stop Donald. I only hope I can convince my druid brothers to save the trees!”
The druid broke down into sobs.
Over his bowed head, Katherine signed to Luag, “Help him into the other room, put him to bed, and hope he falls asleep and gives us some quiet.”
Leif signaled "I thought the bedroom was yours."
Opening her eyes as wide as she could to emphasize that this warranted a change of plans, she signed back to him, "You and I can sleep out here on these two arms of the couch."
"Very well," Luag signed back just before doing as she said and escorting the now woozy and stumbling Roland into the bedroom.
Katherine had vague fears of the man peeing the bed or something similar, but surely the fine wouldn't be too high. And it would be worth it to have him off their hands.
Luag came back into the suite's living room just as there was a knock at the door.
"Room service!"
The waiter left the table in front of the couch.
Luag dug in with enthusiasm at first, grabbing the bread and meat together in Medieval fashion. But he stopped
with a disgusted look on his face after just one bite. “This isna Scottish food.”
Katherine picked up her fork and daintily demonstrated proper 21st Century manners. “Of course it isn’t. You’re in the USA, not in Scotland. This is our version of your fare.”
He watched her use her fork for a minute and then tried it. He did pretty well, only fumbling once.
While they ate, Katherine watched a never-ending series of surprises on the news. Stealing a sidelong glance at Luag, she saw that he was watching too. His eyes were so big with amazement that she was impressed he was able to keep on eating. It softened her heart. Back in his time, he had seemed so arrogant, so smug. She liked this naïve and surprised look on his face.
They were watching a commercial with several businessmen shaking hands with each other, and it gave her an idea. "I've changed my mind. I'm coming with you back to your time. I can't abandon Lauren and Jessica — or Amy, for that matter. Just promise me something."
Luag gave her a wary look as he sipped from his bottle of craft beer. "I need to know the promise first, lass."
"Fair enough. The next time you get exasperated with me because I don't know something that everybody knows, you'll remember how you feel right now watching TV — something everybody knows around here and has done their whole lives. Do we have a deal?"
He smiled. "Aye, we have a deal."
She reached out her hand to shake, and slowly at first, then with more determination, he shook it. She thought they held hands longer than strictly necessary for a handshake, but she didn't want to let go either.
At long last she did let go so that she could pick up the room phone and call the front desk. “Yes, please get us an Uber up to Big Bear in the morning. … Hm. Send us a variety of breakfast foods at eight and ask the Uber to be here at nine. … Thanks. And I’m emailing you a list of other items I’d like delivered to our room along with breakfast.”
5
Luag dreamt Katherine had schemed somehow to be his wife. She had bargained for him and won, and he had to live with her. Be nice to her. Dote on her. Leif and Taran thought it was the best arrangement possible, as she was friends with their wives, and the six of them were rearing Leif and Taran’s younger sister Amena together.
His eyes popped open. A ray of sunshine had come through the gap between the odd tapestries that hung in front of the windows. Good thing. Roland likely had to relieve himself, and Katherine had muttered something about a fine for any damage to the bed. And speaking of Katherine, she smelled so nice, like roses touched by a summer rain.
Wait, why could he smell her?
There was movement around his head, why?
Oh no.
What he had thought was a pillow was actually Katherine. She was curled around his head like one cat around another.
Slowly, oh so slowly, he lifted her arms off his shoulders. No need to wake her just yet. It was so peaceful and quiet without her talking. Holding his breath, he got up, watching her peaceful sleep — just for the slightest sign he had disturbed her and needed to run, mind.
He went into the other room to check on his prisoner. The druid was awake, and badly in need of relieving himself, just as Luag had suspected. Roland wasn't quite straining yet against the bonds that tied him to the bed, but Luag could tell he was close.
Silently, Luag cut the bonds and escorted the small man into the bathroom. He'd seen some very eye-opening stories last night on what Katherine called the TV, and he showed Roland how to operate the toilet and the shower, then trapped him in the bathroom by dragging the heavy dresser in front of the door. The druid was so blocked from magic that there was no way he'd be able to get out.
Secure in that knowledge, Luag used the other toilet and the other shower, all the while marveling at how easy it was when the water came to you, rather than you going to get water. And this water was hot! Eager as he was to get home and warn his friends about Donald's imminent plan to raid Aberdeen, he could get used to this.
Katherine was awake by the time he finished dressing. She had been into the bedroom and seen the dresser in front of the bathroom door, because her face was a bit stricken. To her credit, she didn't comment on it.
She brushed by him on her way into the bathroom. "I see you've already showered. Good. Breakfast and some other things I ordered will come in a few minutes. Would you please let the man in when he comes with them? Go ahead and eat. I'll grab a quick bite once I'm done in the shower."
Curious what she'd had sent, he raised his eyebrows and nodded her into the bathroom. He let Roland stay in the other bathroom until after both the food and Katherine's things had arrived. One of them was a masterfully crafted leather satchel.
The breakfast was amazingly variable, but like all food here, it tasted a little… bland. He couldn't put his finger on the reason why, but the milk had barely any flavor to it, and neither did the eggs. They filled his stomach though, and so he shrugged it off.
The telephone rang and Katherine answered. "Okay, go ahead and check us out, and we'll be right down."
Luag resisted the urge to stare at the vast expanse of the open ceilings on the way out, but it was difficult because they seemed even more grand in the daylight than they had at sunset the day before.
Out the front door, they were greeted by one of those jeweled monstrosities complete with a stranger to drive it. He was standing on the smooth walking surface beside the machine chewing something but not swallowing it. The monstrosity had doors, and they were all wide open.
The most disturbing thing was that hideous music came out of the monstrosity, loud and thumping and frightening.
"Hello! I'm Gregory, but you can call me Greg. Going to Big Bear, huh? No luggage? Oh, can I take your bag?" The young MacGregor held out his hand to Luag for his knapsack.
Not wanting to offend, Luag looked at Katherine and signed, "Is it the custom for me to give him this bag? Because I don't want to."
She signed back, "Tell him you'll command it."
Luag mustered what smile he could and told the man, "I'll command it," in as serious a tone as he could manage, just so the man would know he meant it.
But the man raised his hands in the air in mock surrender. "Suit yourself. All right ma'am, I think you should sit in front," he said, helping Katherine into one of the doors. "And you sirs can sit in the back." He gestured for them to get in.
Just like he'd seen on the TV last night, Luag put Roland into the vehicle, putting a hand on top of his head to keep him from suing anyone, as Katherine had explained. After slamming the door shut with a satisfying bang that made Roland wince, Luag rushed around to the other side and got in before the druid could get out, rather pleased with himself for handling it so smoothly.
And then the man who had called himself Greg and so must be a MacGregor got in. “Fasten your seatbelts, gentlemen.”
Not knowing what he meant, Luag looked to Katherine.
Licking her lips, she leaned into the back from the front of the vehicle. Looking first at the seat and then at Luag, she grabbed some things on the seat to either side of him, held them up in front of his sporran, and then rammed them together with a snapping sound. “You fasten Roland’s seatbelt,” she told Luag.
But the little man had been watching and got it done by himself.
MacGregor started the engine.
Luag spent the next two hours with a white-knuckle grip on the seat in front of him. How were there so many of these jeweled monstrosities? And so much smooth white surface. How did they go so fast? How did Katherine stand this music?
Gradually, they left the city and re-entered nature, as Katherine had promised. They'd been going up a winding road onto a mountain with trees and flowers and plenty of other foliage for quite a while when Roland spoke up.
"I know I told you I'd take you back with me," he said to Luag in a whisper, "but my druid kindred will be gloriously angry with me—"
"I'm not letting go," Luag whispered with his hand on Roland’s
wrist, "and I know from speaking with Katherine and her friends that your contact with me will bring me back anyway. So I will be there with you, like it or not. And Katherine has changed her mind and wishes to go as well. That's not so critical. However, if you make me disappoint the lass, I will be very angry with you myself, ye ken?"
Trembling, Roland nodded that he indeed understood.
Softening a bit, Luag pointed out, "And anyway, they won't be too mad at you once you tell them you've seen the destruction of nature in so large an area and the implications for Scotland. They'll have other things to fash about."
Roland relaxed a little. "Aye, ‘tis likely ye hae the right o’ it. Already I can feel nature returning to me — though I canna do much about it inside this machine."
"Good," Luag said to himself loudly enough for Roland to hear.
That made even Roland chuckle a note.
"Okay, we’re here!" The MacGregor announced, opening the door on Roland's side of the monstrosity. "Here you are, sir."
Roland eagerly moved to get out alone.
But Luag still had firm a firm hold on his arm. Not wishing to give the little man even the smallest opportunity to escape back to 1411 alone, he told the MacGregor, "Close that door and come on around to this other one."
Obviously unaccustomed to taking orders, the MacGregor looked to Katherine, of all people, for direction.
She gave him a smile that would have convinced a man to give up his last copper. "Go ahead and do as he says, Greg. It's all right."
With a dopey grin on his face, the MacGregor did as she asked.
Once they were all out and the monstrosity had left, Katherine turned toward the top of the mountain and indicated a trail surrounded by the tallest pine trees Luag had seen yet.
Roland stared at the trees all the way up to the top of the trail. Several times he tried to break away toward one tree or another, and he would have forgotten to drink water if Luag hadn’t insisted. Even this high up it was quite warm here, and they emptied all the little water bottles Katherine produced from her new knapsack.
