Kingdom Come (45 page)

Kieran stared at him. Then he looked thoughtful, turning away and leaning on the battlements, gazing off across the darkening landscape.  The sun was almost set upon the western sky and he watched it a moment,  studying the pink and purple horizon, pondering his brother’s query. His thoughtful expression turned painfully pensive, almost confused.

“Have I ever lied to you, Sean?” he finally asked.

Sean replied without hesitation. “Never.”

“And if I tell you something in confidence, you will never repeat it.”

“I will take it to my grave.”

Kieran looked at him. “I believe you. And you know the same can be said for any confidence you may bestow upon me.”

“I would trust you with my life a thousand times over.”

Kieran inhaled deeply, contemplatively. He gazed out over the purple-shadowed landscape once again. “Then I will tell you the truth because, at some point, it may be necessary to enlist your help regarding matters about my wife,” he said. “You saw what she did to father.”

“She gave him life again.”

Kieran shook his head. “Nay, she did not, but it may appear that way. There are those who might not understand her skill and believe she is a witch, or worse. She is none of those things.”

Sean leaned on the battlement next to him, his focus on his brother. “So tell me the truth.”

Kieran scratched his head and smiled ironically. “You will find it difficult to believe.”

“After what I witnessed last night, I would believe anything.”

Kieran never honestly thought he would be facing this situation. He never expected to tell the story of how he and Rory really met. But gazing into Sean’s eyes, the same color as his, he realized he was about to tell the man the truth. In fact, he found that he very much needed to tell someone.

“Very well,” he turned and faced his brother, leaning a big shoulder against the battlement. “But you must keep in mind that every word I tell you is God’s honest truth. I did not imagine it, dream it or otherwise. It happened. I would not lie to you.”

“I know that.”

“And I am not mad, either.”

Sean grinned. “That is a matter of opinion.”

“Do you want to hear this or not?”

Sean forced aside his smirk. “I do. Tell me.”

Kieran took a deep breath, wondering where to start. “I told you that Simon had tried to kill me after the secret meeting with El Hajidd,” he watched his brother nod and he continued. “The truth is that his assassins did reach me. They gored me in the belly and it was a mortal wound. But the owner of the hostel where I was staying sent me to seek an old man who was known for his amazing healing gifts. That man was Kaleef.”

Sean’s brow furrowed. “The same man who worked on father?”

Kieran nodded. “Kaleef used to be a healer long ago but his interests moved into the world of alchemy. He delves into the world of eternal youth and other mystical things.  When I appeared at his doorstep, he knew that time was running out for me so he did the only thing he could do. He put me into an eternal sleep that slowed my body processes down enough so that I wouldn’t bleed to death.”

Sean was watching him closely. “He… he put you to sleep?”

Kieran nodded slowly, watching his brother’s reaction. “Remember I told you that Kaleef was experimenting with the secret to immortality and eternal youth? He was able to put me into a manner of deep sleep while he administered another potion that stopped my bleeding and allowed my wound to heal. Now, the problem was this; there was no way to awaken me from this sleeping state except by the strongest of human emotion.  A kiss from the one who loved me best. And that is where Rory came into my life eight hundred years into the future.”

He watched Sean’s expression as he launched into the tale of his experience with the twenty first century. He watched his brother‘s face as he told the man about cars, buses, airplanes, department stores, toilet paper and electricity.  He watched Sean’s features pale as he spoke of returning to this time from a lightning blast and how he surmised that God must have brought him back for a reason. He suspected that the crown of thorns, the core of all of his problems, was the true reason he had returned. He had to finish what he had started, which he assumed to be presenting this most holy of relics to the church for safe keeping. He had been called home to return it to the faithful. He could think of no other explanation.

Sean didn’t say anything when Kieran was finished. He fell into a deep silence, staring at his boots and pondering what his brother had just told him. Kieran watched Sean’s lowered head, knowing his brother did not believe him but that he was unwilling to tell him so.  In truth, he didn’t blame the man; it sounded crazy.  So he leaned back against the wall and shook his head.

“I do not blame you for your disbelief,” he said softly. “Even as I repeat the story, it sounds as if a madman is speaking. But I swear to you, as I live and breathe, that it is the truth. I could not concoct a story like this from my imagination; I am not that clever. Furthermore, I have proof.”

Sean lifted his head, gazing somewhat apprehensively at his brother. “Proof?”

Kieran nodded slowly. “Come with me.”

***

Kieran’s chamber was dark except for a small taper giving off light on the table against the window.  Margaret sat by the weak light, looking up from her sewing when Kieran and Sean entered.  She smiled brightly at her husband and he returned her smile, stroking her cheek as he followed his brother in to the room. Kieran paused in front of his sister-in-law.

“Has my wife awoken?” he whispered.

Margaret shook her head. “Nay,” she set the sewing down in her lap. “She has barely stirred all day.”

Kieran went over to the bed, pulling back the heavy curtains and peering inside.  He was surprised to see Rory’s sleepy, smiling face gazing up at him.  He smiled broadly at her, putting a massive hand on her forehead.

“So you are awake, are you?” he sat down next to her. “You have been asleep almost an entire day and night.”

Rory yawned and stretched. “I heard your voice when you came in,” she said softly. “How is your father?”

Kieran’s smile faded somewhat. “He lives,” he replied. “How are you feeling?”

She thought on his question. “Hungry,” she replied. “Is it time for supper?”

He leaned down, kissing her cheek. “What do you feel like eating?”

She wouldn’t let him straighten up; wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him close. “No meat,” she said. “Is there any fruit? And I’d like vegetables that haven’t been boiled to death. Carrots would be good.”

“And white bread.”

“Yes,” she insisted. “And I would love any kind of cakes or cookies.”

He shook his head. “There are no cookies, at least not as you know them.”

She grinned at him, rubbing her nose against his. “I can make some,” she said. “You have oatmeal, honey, eggs and flour, right? I could make awesome cookies with that.”

He grunted. “It is unseemly for my wife to be seen working the kitchens.”

“Please?”

He sat up, taking her with him. When he stood, he swept her up in his arms. “Absolutely not,” he said, turning to face the room. “Greet Sean and Maggie, sweetheart. Maggie has been watching over you all day.”

Rory’s arms were around Kieran’s neck, her head on his shoulder. “Hello, Sean,” she smiled sweetly at the knight, then looked at Margaret. “Thank you for sitting with me today. I’m sure you had better things to do.”

Margaret stood up, smiling. “I had nothing better to do, Lady Hage,” she said. “Are you feeling better?”

Rory nodded. “Much better, thank you.” She pushed herself out of Kieran’s arms, standing stiffly as she turned to her husband. “I think I’d like to take a bath and eat.”

Kieran cast a glance at his brother. “In a moment,” he said. “I want to show my brother something.”

Rory was already moving for the wardrobe, not entirely cognizant of the greater implications of what he was saying. “Show him what?” she opened up the doors, suddenly distracted by the peg and hole joints of the massive doors.  Even half-asleep, her scientist’s mind picked odd places to kick in and she picked at them a moment before returning her attention to the contents of the wardrobe. “Baby, where are Bud and David?”

Kieran moved for his wardrobe. “Bud is upon the walls with the sentries and David is with my brothers.”

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. “You left Bud with strangers?”

He lifted an eyebrow at her. “My men are not strangers.”

He frowned at him, shaking her head in disapproval but refusing to respond for lack of a good argument.  She continued to dig around as Kieran opened the doors to his wardrobe.

“Maggie,” he said casually, turning to look at his sister-in-law as he removed one of his satchels. “I have not seen my niece since my arrival. Are you keeping her from me a-purpose?”

Margaret looked stricken. “Of course not, Kieran,” she gasped, setting her sewing on the table and practically bolting for the door. “I shall bring her right away.”

“Good. I should like to meet her.”

Margaret fled as her husband lifted his eyebrows at her hasty departure. When he turned to apologize to his brother, Kieran jerked his head at the partially-open chamber door.

“Close the door,” he said quietly.

Sean suddenly realized why Kieran asked to see the baby. It removed Margaret from something Kieran did not want her to see.  Sean went over to his brother as the man set a large satchel upon the bed and began digging around.  After a bit of maneuvering, he suddenly pulled forth a package wrapped in linen.  He unwrapped the fabric, exposing the American blue jeans and extended them to his brother.

Sean just stared at them.   Rory happened to look up from searching for the lamb’s wool shift she loved so much to notice that Kieran was showing his brother the jeans. Startled, she rushed over to the bed.

“What are you doing?” she asked him, looking nervously at Sean. He didn’t answer her right away and she touched his arm. “Kieran?”

“I am proving to my brother that I am not mad,” he looked at her. “And that you are not Irish.”

Rory didn’t know what to say. She glanced at Sean, who was seriously contemplating the jeans. After some hesitation, he took them from his brother’s grip and unrolled them. He laid them upon the bed and visually inspected them before fingering the brand at the top, the rivets.As he continued to inspect them, Kieran took out the construction boots and mock turtleneck shirt that had made the trip through Time with him.  Sean barely looked at the shirt but, as Kieran had, paid great interest to the steel-toed work boots.

He picked up the shoes, turning them over and over, fascinated and confused by the rivets and modern laces.  He picked at the soles, peered inside the shoe. There were tags inside and printing.  He scratched at it to see if it would come off.  Finally, after several minutes of inspecting the shoes, he looked up at his brother.