Half an hour later, he was standing at the edge of the forest, looking at the meadow that wasn’t nearly as free of interlopers as he would have hoped. He made the man standing in front of him a small bow, then straightened.
“With all due respect, my laird,” Oliver said quietly, “please move.”
“You cannot do this.”
“I believe, my lord James, that I most certainly can.”
“You might be mistaken about identities.”
Oliver shrugged, though he felt anything but casual about the entire affair. He also knew exactly what had happened because he’d read the bloody facts in Patrick MacLeod’s library. “There’s one way to know,” he hedged.
“Knowing the future isn’t a good thing—”
“This is the past!”
Jamie rubbed his hands together as if they ached. Oliver didn’t want to even begin to speculate on the things that man there had done over the course of his life to keep alive those he loved.
“You can,” he said carefully, “bend a gate to your will.”
Oliver didn’t want to weep with gratitude, but he was damned close to it. “How?”
“I find ‘tis useful to fix my mind on either a particular event or the vision of a specific person at a specific time.”
Oliver considered. “Mairead in the kitchen, perhaps.”
“Too vague.”
“That damned witch hunter holding court by the fire the night before he…”
Jamie hemmed and hawed a bit. “That would work,” he conceded, “though you wouldn’t want to make any sort ofspiritual connection with him across the centuries. You might acquire a bit of his negative energy as a result.”
Oliver could scarce believe his ears. “What absolute bollocks.”
Jamie actually smiled. “I have many working theories, but I never said they wereallreasonable.”
“I’ll take my chances with the crazy bloke because I can remember exactly what he was saying.”
“’Tis likely enough then, that.”
Oliver looked at him seriously. “Thank you,” he said. “I know this goes against your code.”
Jamie shrugged. “I’m a romantic, as my beloved wife will tell you. And if you must know the absolute truth, I’ve always felt there was something lingering in that time that shouldn’t have been there. I’ve been keeping an eye peeled for stray time travelers, but perhaps that isn’t the case.”
“I won’t stay.”
“That might be wise.” He held out a scrap of paper. “Have a wee peek at that.”
Oliver studied the map, memorized a pair of Xs, then handed it back. “Thank you.”
“Will she come with you?”
“She covets my leopard-print yoga trousers,” Oliver said lightly. “I think I would be wise to humor her in this.”
Jamie smiled and started to turn away, then turned back. “No sword?”
“Won’t need one.”
Jamie only lifted his eyebrows briefly. “Be careful then, Oliver.”
