Believe it or not, the British Empire didor will, I should saygenerally manage to run its colonies without entirely exterminating the native people in them.
Bar the Hieland folk, he said, very dryly. Aye, Ill take your word for it, Sassenach.
He stood up, running a hand back through his hair, and I caught a glimpse of the tiny streak of white that ran through it, legacy of a bullet wound.
You should talk to Roger about it, I said. He knows a great deal more than I do.
He nodded, but didnt reply, beyond a faint grimace.
Where do you suppose Roger and Bree went, speaking of Roger?
To the MacGillivrays, I suppose, he replied, surprised. To fetch wee Jem.
How do you know that? I asked, equally surprised.
When theres mischief abroad, a man wants his family safe under his eye, ken? He raised one brow at me, and reaching to the top of the wardrobe, took down his sword. He drew it halfway from its scabbard, then put it back and set the scabbard gently back in place, the sword loosened, hilt ready to hand.
Hed brought a loaded pistol upstairs with him; that was placed on the washstand by the window. The rifle and fowling piece too had been left loaded and primed, hanging from their hooks above the hearth downstairs. And, with a small ironic flourish, he drew the dirk from its belt sheath and slid it neatly under our pillow.
Sometimes I forget, I said a little wistfully, watching this. There had been a dirk under the pillow of our wedding couchand under many a one since then.
Do ye? He smiled at that; a little lopsidedly, but he smiled.
Dont you? Ever?
He shook his head, still smiling, though it had a rueful tinge.
Sometimes I wish I did.
This colloquy was interrupted by a spluttering snort across the hall, followed at once by a thrashing of bedclothes, violent oaths, and a sharp thump! as somethinglikely a shoestruck the wall.
Fucking cat! bellowed Major MacDonald. I sat, hand pressed across my mouth, as the stomp of bare feet vibrated through the floorboards, succeeded briefly by the crash of the Majors door, which flung open, then shut with a bang.
Jamie too had stood frozen for an instant. Now he moved, very delicately, and soundlessly eased our own door open. Adso, tail arrogantly Sshaped, strolled in. Magnificently ignoring us, he crossed the room, leapt lightly onto
the washstand, and sat in the basin, where he stuck a back leg into the air and began calmly licking his testicles.
I saw a man once in Paris who could do that, Jamie remarked, observing this performance with interest.
Are there people willing to pay to watch such things? I assumed that no one was likely to engage in a public exhibition of that sort merely for the fun of it. Not in Paris, anyway.
Well, it wasna the man, so much. More his female companion, who was likewise flexible. He grinned at me, his eyes glinting blue in the candlelight. Like watching worms mate, aye?
How fascinating, I murmured. I glanced at the washstand, where Adso was now doing something even more indelicate. Youre lucky the Major doesnt sleep armed, cat. He might have potted you like a jugged hare.
Oh, I doubt that. Our Donald likely sleeps with a bladebut he kens well enough which side of his breads buttered. Ye wouldna be likely to give him breakfast, and hed skewered your cat.
I glanced toward the door. The mattress-heaving and muttered curses across the hall had died down; the Major, with the practiced ease of a professional soldier, was already well on his way back to dreamland.
I suppose not. You were right about his worming his way into a position with the new governor. Which is the real reason for his desire for your political advancement, I imagine?
Jamie nodded, but had plainly lost interest in discussing MacDonalds machinations.
I was right, no? That means ye owe me a forfeit, Sassenach.
He eyed me with an air of dawning speculation, which I hoped had not been too much inspired by his memories of the wormlike Parisians.
Oh? I regarded him warily. And, um, what precisely ?
Well, I havena quite worked out all the details as yet, but I think ye should maybe lie on the bed, to begin with.
That sounded like a reasonable start to the matter. I piled up the pillows at the head of the bedpausing to remove the dirkthen began to climb onto it. I paused again, though, and instead bent to wind the bedkey, tightening the ropes that supported the mattress until the bedstead groaned and the ropes gave a creaking twang.
Verra canny, Sassenach, Jamie said behind me, sounding amused.
Experience, I informed him, clambering over the newly tautened bed on hands and knees. Ive waked up often enough after a night with you, with the mattress folded up round my ears and my arse no more than an inch off the ground.
Oh, I expect your arse will end up somewhat higher than that, he assured me.
Oh, youre going to let me be on top? I had mixed feelings about that. I was desperately tired, and while I enjoyed riding Jamie, all right, Id been riding a beastly horse for more than ten hours, and the thigh muscles required for both activities were trembling spasmodically.