Borrowed Time

Chapter Five - Something Wicked...

The Rube was finally rebuilt and completed. Circinn had made me promise him that I would finish it and have it completed in case the Romans carried out the attack they had planned.

I was raised to one day become a dutiful wife sometime in my future. I did as my husband asked of me. I am sure that would have pleased my mother, if not shocked her to the point of needing smelling salts. Hell, I was still shocked that I had a husband.

I couldn't really call it a Rube Goldberg device anymore, as it hadn't been successful at its purpose. I should call it a time machine; after all it had brought me to this place. I wasn't even certain it would work a second time. If it did, I would reconfigure it so that I could set the date of where I wanted to travel to.

I had been here for five months now, and my belly had started to grow. I knew when I got home, my mother would literally drop kittens; the thought of her daughter being pregnant. But I was married after all. I hoped that Circinn would return with me to my world if I left.

After our talk about marriage in 1845, Circinn had made me a ring to wear, the only part of my world's traditions he would honor. He thought that it was a beautiful tradition, giving your wife a piece of jewelry to remind her always that she was loved. I didn't have the heart to tell him that was not what the rings in my world meant. I liked his version of what the rings meant much better.

With the Rube's new components finished, I had more time to do other things. I spent a lot of time farming, which I had grown to love doing. My mother in law had taught me how to weave, and I had started a blanket for my baby. I also began creating weapons for my family.

I had great ideas to get the weapons to produce steam, but the bog peat had been a failure. The carbon dioxide it had produced was too strong under compression in such a small space. It caused an issue with the wood I had shaped into a rifle. It began to warp, and over heat. It fell apart with the steam pressure build up and had almost exploded in my hand.

My next idea was a steam powered ballista, but this one would act as cannon that shot out large steel balls with spikes on them. I guess you could say it was a combination of the typical ones that shot out rocks or arrows. I had gotten the idea of making the balls from the pictures of flails that I had loved so much in my medieval books.

The peat had caused enough steam in the steel bucket I had made for the ballista to use to fire more like the rifles I was used to. With the addition of cogs, the ballista also functioned better as a mobile device.

I felt accomplished as the first tests came out successful, and the wooden piles we had stacked as targets were decimated. I knew I may have to leave my new home, but I was damn well going to protect it after I was gone.

***

"Meryia, tell me more about your world."

Circinn had begun asking me more about the general day to day of Victorian life after we discovered I was pregnant. I hoped that had been a sign he was ready to come with me.

He found the politics to be droll, but enjoyed hearing about the great air ships that flew through the skies. I wondered if he was worried about the life his child would have if I left. He was not alone in that worry. I was worried about how my parents would react to the child.

"I would have to work in one of these factories if I lived in your world." He said.

"No, why would you think that was your only option?" I asked.

"Because here, I am a wise man. In your world I am a stupid one." He answered.

"You are not stupid in any world." I assured him.

He kissed me before rolling over to sleep. Before I lay down to join him in slumber, I noticed his adopted father had been listening to our conversation. He nodded his head at me, and climbed into his bed.

***

The Romans had arrived, just as the decanus had threatened. They carried a white flag as they approached our village from the other side of the lake. Three riders dismounted their horses, looking for a shallow crossing. Circinn and his father stood on our side of the lake, ready to greet them.

"They would have a much easier time if they had gone around the loch." One of Circinn's men said.

"They are Romans, they aren't that bright." Aifric said.

"They are dishonorable demons; keep on your guard, boys." Circinn said.

"Come to us flying a white flag, they would still attack thinking we were foolish enough to believe they were here in peace."

I hadn't realized how tall Circinn was. Standing in a group of men, he towered over them, and created an imposing figure.

The Romans had proved Aifric's point. It took the three soldiers a while to find a shallow path through the lake, something I had done easily my first day here. A large man dismounted his horse and slapped one of the soldiers on the back of the head.

He walked across the lake alone, pulling off his helm. He was tall, standing about six foot, and his muscular build was familiar to me. It was not hard to realize this was Circinn's father, as he looked just like his son.

Circinn shifted his feet, and ordered his men to back off. He unhooked the latch of his sword sheath and his hand hovered at his side, ready to draw at the first sign of any trouble.

The Sarmatian walked forward, pausing to stroke his long red beard.

"I had a feeling you had come to your mother's people. You still owe a debt to the Romans, and they have sent me here to collect."

"I owe them nothing." Circinn said.

"You are Sarmatian, my son, you owe them service. You and these people should feel lucky they sent me to collect you, and not a legion."

"I am Albion. I am a free man; I owe nothing to your Roman demons. You, you are nothing to me."

The Sarmatian began to laugh; Circinn's words had amused him. Both his voice and laughter sounded like Circinn's. Except for the different sides they had taken, the son was very much like the father.

"I will go back and make camp on the other side of your beloved loch. You have three sun rises to make your decision, my son. Pray to the Gods of your mother that you make the wisest one for your people."

The large Sarmatian turned and walked back across the lake. I pushed through the crowd of warriors, and reached for Circinn's hand. He took my hand in his, and smiled at me. I was frightened and he could sense it. The tall Sarmatian had stopped in the middle of the Loch; he had turned around and saw me with his son. He smiled at me, before turning to rejoin his troops.

***

"Zabandos has seen your wife and knows she is carrying your child, Circinn. It is not safe for her to remain here any longer. She must return with your child to her world." Aifric said.

Circinn was crouched in front of the fire, staring into it as if he was studying each flame. He finally looked up at his brother and nodded in agreement.

"If the child is a boy, he has all rights to give him over to the service of Rome. I will not allow that."

"I am not going anywhere." I said.

"You don't have a choice. He will take you; use you and our child to force me into service of Rome. Then he will kill you, just like-." He looked up at me.

"Like what?" I almost screamed the words at him. I could not believe he was ignoring my wants, he never had before.

"Like my mother." He stood, throwing the herbs he had been kneading in his hand into the fire. He looked at his adopted mother who had begun to sob. He hugged her before walking out of the crannog.

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