Touch of Eternity(70)

“Tapadh leat,” he said in thanks.

“Where are you from?” the young woman asked. She lowered her head so that her hair fell like a protective veil in front of her face.

Payton noticed that the other men were watching him, and he didn’t know whether it was a good idea to talk to the girl. He was just about to murmur a short answer when she grabbed his arm.

“I can see a lot of what you aren’t saying,” she said. “But if you are looking for answers, you must trust me. Ignore the others. Only I can help you! I will wait for you. Come to my hut tomorrow at dawn. Then we will talk.”

She turned and disappeared into her hut.

Payton ate his bread and drank some cool water. He worked with the men until darkness fell.

“Payton! Thank you for your help. Come now, we deserve a decent meal and a warm bed.”

Douglas clapped Payton on the shoulder and led him to the outskirts of the village. There, in a hut that stood alone, a warm, inviting glow illuminated the windows. Payton had expected to find Douglas’s wife waiting there, but the hut was empty.

“You live here alone?” asked Payton, the smell of fried meat drifting into his nose.

“Yes, like most of us here. But the women from the village look after all of us. They cook together and every hut gets its share. Just like with the peat. And I suppose with everything else, too.”

After the meal, Payton asked, “Why do you not look for a wife?”

“Well, Payton. Here on Fair Isle, it’s a slightly different view of marriage than in other parts. Here, the women decide on the man they want. They are the wise people in our village. But even they can’t decide freely. They follow the predictions and prophecies made by our ancestors.”

“And the white-haired woman—who is she?”

“Her name is Uisgeliath.”

Payton’s heart leapt. Uisgeliath was the woman Roy had told him to find. Payton had been afraid to ask for her by name when he’d first arrived on Fair Isle because he thought it might scare the villagers off.

“She protects our past,” Douglas said. “And she has an eye that opens up your soul. Nobody can lie to her. That is why it is important that you talk to her tomorrow.”

“But why were the men watching me so closely when she was talking to me?”

“Well, they wanted to see if you could withstand her eye.”

“And… did I?”

“Yes, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

Douglas yawned. “It’s getting late. You can sleep over here on my bed. I will sleep in the chamber over there.” He started to lie down on a roughly hewn bench.

Payton tried to refuse, but his host declined. In the end, he took the bed, but he remained wide awake. When the moon broke through the layer of clouds, the little hut lit up slightly through its only window. Payton shut his eyes and pictured Sam in front of him. Sam lying next to him on the beach that night. How when she woke up, the moonlight had reflected in her eyes. Payton had felt her love, so despite the pain, he had reached out for her hand. And now, just as then, he wasn’t to find any sleep.



The next day started with a big surprise. It was still dark, but the little village was already bustling. There had been another new arrival, and it turned out to be Blair. When he had finally convinced the villagers that he was Payton’s brother, he was led to Douglas’s hut.

“Blair? What are you doing here?” Payton asked when his brother appeared in the doorway.

He made introductions, and all three of them sat down for a quick breakfast. Payton hadn’t forgotten his promise to meet Uisgeliath at dawn.

Blair reported that he’d been sent by Sean, and he handed over the letter Sean had given him.

With each line Payton read, his face turned paler until he set the page down on the table and banged his fist.

Curious, Blair picked up the letter and skimmed over the few lines. “What is this? Why would Cathal do this? He gave us his word!”

“Sean is going to try to stop him,” Payton said. “He writes that he is going to follow Cathal and his crew to the United States. But he doubts that he will be able to prevent what they have planned.”

“Yes, I can read, too. But why didn’t Cathal wait for your return, as he promised?”

“Because he isn’t the one who makes the decisions, it’s Nathaira. I’m sorry, Blair, but it’s true. And she wanted Sam to die right from the start!”

Blair stood and laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder. They both knew that whatever Nathaira wanted, she got.

“Then we mustn’t lose any more time. We will look for your answers and then get in touch with Sean. In the meantime, we have to trust that he’ll find a way to keep your Sam safe. Come on!”