The Battle for Duncragglin (33 page)

A cold blustery wind whipped Alex's hair as he stood, hands folded before him, high up on the cliff-tops. Around him were neat symmetrical rows of small markers that protruded from the rocky soil. Don-Dun's cart stood empty, its shrouded cargo having been lowered into the ground.

A priest called for a moment of silence, but there was none. The wind moaned and howled its way through the crags and crannies of the cliff-tops. Gulls shrieked. From below came the sound of crashing waves. And then there was the rushing noise coming from inside Alex's head.

Be quiet! Be quiet!
Hands to his ears, eyes shut tight, Alex demanded a silence that was not to be.

Everyone began their walk back to the castle – everyone, that is, except two gaunt men who casually leaned on their long-handled shovels beside a mound of freshly dug earth. Alex followed the others along the cliff for several minutes before venturing a look back. The men were hard at work, swinging dirt from the mound into Katie's grave, over and over. Alex watched them, remembering how he had woken and reached over to touch Katie's cheek. It was cold. Mrs. McRae said she was gone, that she was back with her family now, that she was in a happier place….
No
, Alex thought angrily.
Do not give me this happy place stuff. She's dead and there's nothing happy about it.

He forced himself to turn away.

A
lex followed the others along the cliff toward the castle. Up ahead, Don-Dun's hefty ox, Rhua, plodded along in his usual unhurried gait, chewing non chalantly as he pulled the empty cart. Alex skipped into a brief jog to catch up.

“There ye are, my wee friend!” Don-Dun made an attempt to be cheery when Alex fell into step beside him. He gave him Rhua's rope to lead him down the winding path.

“So where will ye be off to next? Planning to conquer any more castles?”

“We sure made short work of the last one, didn't we?” “Aye, and ye never told me that was what we were to do. Ye tricked me, ye did.”

“No, I didn't. I told you nothing but the truth.” “The truth, aye – people flying in airships, walking on the moon – ha! Ye are a fine storyteller.” Don-Dun gave Alex an affectionate clap on his shoulder. “Don't ye take offense to this, Alex, but do ye remember when I told those guards that ye were struck dumb at an early age? Well, at that moment,
I meant it …
ow, ow,
stop!” Don-Dun laughed as Alex punched him on the arm. “Ye're gittin' Rhua all riled up!”

Rhua had come to an abrupt halt. His big eyes rolled nervously.

“Cm on, c'm on,” Don-Dun coaxed him. “Alex is no hurting me – don't ye worry.”

Still eyeing Alex with suspicion, Rhua took a few hesitant steps and settled back into his swaying stroll.

Random events of the past few days popped into Alex's mind. “Did anyone ever pay you for the hay and vegetables?”

“
Ha!
” Don-Dun laughed uproariously. “And who would I ask for payment, the kitchen master? Nae, m'lad, that was my contribution to the new rulers of Duncragglin. But I've got something much better. It seems Sir Ellerslie was so impressed by my soldier imitation, he's asked if I would stay on as a sergeant at arms. Called me loyal, he did; said he needs men like me to defend Duncragglin from future attacks.”

“What about William Wallace? Have you thought about joining him?”

“Aye, that would be grand.” Don-Dun's eyes glowed. “But those are
very
hard-riding men he's got. I'd be hard-pressed to keep up with them. Ye've got to be a younger, fitter man than me to be of any help. Thanks, but I'll do better here at Duncragglin.” He paused. “But what will ye be doing, m'laddie buck?”

“I don't know.”

The shadow of Duncragglin's outer wall fell over them and they passed through the open gates. Alex repeated to himself, “I don't know.”

Inside, they nodded farewells and parted company. Don-Dun led Rhua over to the stables, and Alex, uncertain of what to do, remained with Sir Ellerslie and William Wallace.

William Wallace was not a man to tarry long, not even when the company was good and the surroundings comfortable. As soon as Wallace was inside the castle gates, he instructed his commanders to have the men ready to ride out at first light of the morrow. He also ordered the burying of those who'd died during the battles on Mount Grenochy and at the Falloch Pass. The digging of mass graves was to be completed by the survivors of King Edward's armed contingent and Sir James's two companies.

Stripped of armor and weapons, most of the captives turned out to be no more than frightened young men, many not yet out of their teens. They needed to be guarded by only a few of William Wallace's men. Wallace ordered that when they were done with the digging, they were to be set free to march south, with instructions not to stop until they were well past the borderlands.

There were few seriously wounded to tend to. The men either had minor wounds that could be sewn up, or they were dead.

Wallace set about the disposition of the time chamber. “We cannae have people popping in and out on us all the time,” he said, ordering that a meeting be held to determine what to do.

The meeting was held later that afternoon in the castle's petition chamber. As instructed by Wallace, in attendance were Sir Ellerslie; his wife, Lady Marian; and all those who had “popped in” from another time. The petition chamber
was an ornate room bedecked with tapestries with royal motifs. At one end was a thronelike chair on a raised platform, where the castle lord would sit and hear petitions. Wallace had everyone gather in the other end of the chamber, where a few benches and tables could be pulled together.

“I intend to reinforce Duncragglin's defenses by adding two turret towers to the battlements,” Sir Ellerslie announced. “The earth from the turret foundations can be used to fill the shaft that leads to the caves. It would be hard for anyone in the future to find their way in, and should they discover the way, they'd have a lot of digging to do.”

“Excellent idea,” Wallace said. “I suggest further that some boulders be levered into place to block the seashore access, though we know that, o'er time, the sea will erode the rocks and
some
will find a way in.” Wallace looked pointedly about the room.

“If I may,” the professor interjected. “Before sealing the caves, we would be grateful if you would allow us to use them to access the time chamber one more time to return from whence we came.”

Wallace leaned forward. “You can do that? From what I've been told, it only propels people further back in time.”

“That is what Hesselrigge believed,” the professor replied. “And it's likely that that's what has happened to him. Based on my reading of the settings he used to open the portal block, he indeed has gone back further in time. He may well have shown himself in history in the manner he predicted to Alex. If he went back far enough, he may even have found himself in a time that predates mankind, indeed, he may
become the original man – the very missing link our scientists have so long puzzled over.”

Mrs. McRae looked horrified. “Are you suggesting that all of mankind, indeed all of us, may be descendants of this evil man? And people call
me
crazy!”

“It would explain much.” The professor gave a wry smile. “But this is conjecture. All we know is that whatever Hesselrigge has done in our prior history has been done. Nothing will change that any more than what we do now will change the future as we know it. What will be, will be; what has been, has been.”

Fingers pressing hard against her temples, Mrs. McRae said slowly, “Professor, I am trying hard to recover from a state of great confusion. The gibberish you are speaking is not helping matters. Please tell me in plain English, can you bring us back to our own time?”

“Absolutely! I didn't come back here just to join everyone in some distant time. I came here to bring you all back to the time from whence you came. It's a bit tricky – my study of the settings is far from complete – but I believe I can do it.”

Annie clasped her hands together. “We're going back to Dad!”

Willie and Craig gave each other solid high-fives.

Craig's offer of a high-five was met halfheartedly by Alex.

“What's the matter, Alex?” Willie asked. “Don't you want to go back to our farm?”

“To your farm, yes.” Alex struggled to know what he wanted. “But that is not where I live. And I'm not sure I want to go back to my uncle Larry's place.”

“Then don't,” Craig said. “He can stay with us, right, Mum?”

“I'd love to,” Alex said, part of him yearning to do just that. “But my parents are still missing….”

Annie placed her hand on Alex's arm. “They may be impossible to find. They may have gone back to a completely different time…. Oh, come back to stay with us, Alex.”

“I would love to, but my parents might be here right now, and we just don't know it. Or they might as yet show up, like Mrs. McRae did. Wouldn't that be amazing?”

“You might not recognize them,” Willie said.

“Sure I will.”

“But where would you stay, Alex?” the professor asked. “You do not have a home here.”

Sir Ellerslie cleared his throat. “Well, ye see …
er
, Marian and I have discussed this,” he began awkwardly. “We're getting on in years and, as you may know, we have no bairns, and … we thought it would be wonderful if Alex stayed here in Duncragglin with us. We would care for him as if he were our son … until, of course, he finds his own parents. We have no idea whether Alex likes our suggestion though.”

“Like the suggestion? I love it! Thank you so much!” Much to Alex's dismay, he felt tears prick his eyes. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. Lady Marian's hand brushed his hair.

“Rise, Alex. You are one of us now.” Sir Ellerslie clasped his hand and put his arm around his shoulders.

“Thank you,” Alex choked out. Apart from his brief time on the McRaes' farm, he had never felt truly wanted before,
certainly not by his uncle Larry or aunt Fiona, for whom he was but a burden. At that moment, a tingling sensation flowed through his entire body, boundlessly radiating from every pore.

“Do I understand this correctly?” Mrs. McRae asked, her eyes blinking birdlike from person to person. “Alex is to stay here? Isn't this somewhat mad?”

“Alex, think of what you are suggesting,” the professor said gently. “This is a dangerous time. Mr. Wallace is winning some battles, yes, but we know King Edward will be back. You will likely face great misery and hardship.”

“I'm prepared to take that chance.”

“And what are we to say to those back home?” Mrs. McRae said crisply. “How are we to explain Alex's disappearance?” She looked from Duncan to the professor.

“Well,
er
, I'm afraid the problem is bigger than that.” Duncan scuffed his feet awkwardly. “You see, I, too, intend to stay … that is, if Sir Ellerslie and Lady Marian will permit me,” he added hastily. “I am a farmer, and the kind of farming that's in me isn't done in our time. I feel like I belong here. With Sir Ellerslie and Lady Marian's permission, I would like to apply my farming methods here.”

“You are most welcome,” said Lady Marian.

“Thank you, m'Lady.” Duncan kissed the back of Lady Marian's hand.

“But, Duncan,” Mrs. McRae persisted. “How will you get the crops in on our farm?”

The professor pressed one finger against his temple. “Well, this could explain how the Macphersons came to
possess Duncragglin Castle in the fourteenth century. And there was also this hitherto unexplained increase in the farming productivity in this region back then.”

“Oh, you're no help at all!” Mrs. McRae stamped her foot. “Very well, if I can't dissuade you from this folly, I suppose the best I can do is wish you both well.”

“Mother?” Craig nervously sought her attention.

“What is it, child?”

“I want to stay too.”

“No! How can you even think such thoughts? What about me, your father, and your brother and sister? Have you no consideration for others?”

Crestfallen, Craig turned to leave, but Mrs. McRae forbade that too. He was left to slouch on the bench, with his back to everyone.

The talk turned to the logistics of returning to their time and to practical matters, such as which clothes to wear so they would not look so odd when they emerged in their own time. Alex slid over to where Craig was sitting, but Craig was in no mood to talk.

They made a solemn descent, that next morning, into the dungeons and down the shaft.

Out in the open chamber, Sir Ellerslie motioned for silence. Chalk in hand, the professor stood alone before the snake-haired monster. He was deep in thought. On the stone floor around him were his chalked scribbles: symbols, arrows, and numbers arranged in mathematical equations. The
professor muttered to himself and paced from the wall to his scratches on the floor, each time adding a few more or rubbing one out.

“Yes, yes, I've got it.” He waved his arm for the others to join him. “It's simple, really.” He pointed a stick high up on the wall. “Craig, I need you to go up to that iguana carving and twist it. I believe you will find its head will rotate one hundred and eighty degrees…. Excellent, now there are a few more things we need to do.”