Page 16 of Entangled With You

“Och, twas based on truth?”

“No it’s completely fictional because time travel is fictional.” I shrugged. “I mean, now that I’ve traveled through time I don’t know what to believe anymore. Maybe one of the writers on Doctor Who actually had a vessel?”

Zach said, “Let’s say the rules make sense — at least you’d have guidelines to behave by. The number one would be: you can’t interfere in your own past or future.”

Magnus said, “I came close tae that when I traveled tae see Kaitlyn at the bar.”

I nodded. “Yes, you did.”

Zach said, “While arguably a very fucking romantic gesture, it could have gone so wrong. What if you had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend? You might have ruined all of this.”

Magnus said, “So we shouldna go back and fix what has happened to us.” His brow was drawn down. “Or what will happen to us?”

“Oh, I think you can change course, but don’t loop back on yourself and change what’s already done. Like don’t return to a year and a half ago, kill Lady Mairead, and call it good. I don’t think that will work and it might set the world all spinning wrong. According to the Doctor at least.”

Magnus said, “But that rule does nae mean Kaitlyn canna try tae save Lizbeth’s life.”

I pointed at Magnus in agreement. “True. I wouldn’t be altering my past, just her future.”

Zach said, “I still wonder though, that date has been set in the historical records, what happens if the records change — what else changes?”

Magnus stared down at his drink. “Ye think, Chef Zach, that if there is a written record of the birth and death there is nae changing it?”

“I just think you have to be careful changing it. Consider it carefully, make sure it’s worth the possibility your actions may have a ripple effect.”

Magnus leaned forward. “Chef Zach, Kaitlyn, what did ye discover of my own history?”

I gave him a wistful smile. “That’s actually good news. The records we looked at didn’t include your date of death. So nothing we do changes your history. We can do whatever we want.” I took a sip of brandy and grimaced. “Ugh. Now I just want a soda or something.”

Zach jumped to get me a fresh drink. I said to Magnus, “See, in the beginning you were telling me you were a dead man — you’re not. You might be the closest to immortal of anyone. You’ve been alive for centuries.”

Zach passed me a glass with coke and ice cubes.

Magnus asked Emma, “Ye have been quiet on the matter, Madame Emma, ye have thoughts on it?”

She put her finger in the page to hold it. “I agree with Zach, you have to be careful changing anything, but he’s forgetting the biggest rule in Doctor Who — to act morally.”

“I have killed men for entertainment.”

She frowned in commiseration. “I know it weighs on you, Magnus, but soldiers have to kill under orders, that’s what war is. You pray for guidance about it and you ask for forgiveness.”

Magnus nodded quietly.

Zach said, “The other possibility is that no matter what you do, you might not be able to change what has already been recorded.”

Magnus asked, “So if it has already happened we may nae be able tae stop it?”

Emma smiled sweetly at her husband and said to Magnus, “What my dear future-husband’s drug-addled mind is not thinking about is you can’t decide what to do simply because you haven’t seen the record of it. You could just not look anything up and declare it okay. If you haven’t seen it does that mean it doesn’t exist?”

“Nae, ye are right, Madame Emma.”

I asked, “Did you see my future, Magnus? Wait, don’t tell me — no, tell me. Did you? Wait, don’t tell me. Do — at least tell me if you saw a blank.”

Magnus ran his hand over his head. “I dinna ask about it.”

“Oh.”

I gulped at the thought. “How weird would that have been if you had?”