“No, wait.” Terra followed her into the living area of the open floor plan. “I’m happy to let you use it. I have a personal one. But I’m not sure it has the capacity you need for whatever you’re doing.”

Mackenzie bit her lip. She spent so much time with geeks at the university where she taught, finding enough capacity was never an issue. “I guess we’ll find out.”

Terra removed her soil-covered gloves and set them on a table, then disappeared down the hall. Mackenzie sat on the sofa again and stared at her computer screen.

Terra returned with a laptop and handed it to Mackenzie. “It’s all yours.”

“Thank you.” Mackenzie smiled. “I’ll be done with it before you know it.”

“I’m sure that’s true, because I’m heading back outside.” She started for the door, then paused and turned back. “Oh. The password is taped on the inside.”

Old school. “Thanks.”

Mackenzie set the laptop on the coffee table next to her own. Her heart sank when she opened the laptop and powered it up. Not a lot of processing power, but she would work with what she had. With the computers set up and running side by side on the table, she found the online gaming website for Knights Alliance and logged in, easily remembering the password she’d used repeatedly as a kid. She hadn’t been on the game in well over a decade and was surprised she could still access her account.

She navigated the game and brought back to life her character, Freda, who bounced around in one spot waiting for Mackenzie to drive her actions. If I were Julian, where would I hide the details? Okay. Hmm. Maybe she should look for a castle. A stronghold. But which one? She hadn’t played in so long . . .

Suddenly, a knight stood in front of Freda. Sir Galahad held his sword. He bowed.

She gasped.

What? How? He’d somehow programmed the game, his character, to deliver the rest of the message.

“How can I be of assistance, m’lady?”

She almost smiled at that. It felt just like old times. Mackenzie directed her character in conversation and movements. “I need your help. What can you tell me?”

“First, let’s catch up. It took you long enough. I was starting to get worried.”

Julian was good. Better than she remembered. He’d gone to so much work to program Sir Galahad’s responses. She didn’t want to catch up. She needed the details, and she needed them now. But she would have to play along to get the treasure she sought.

She groaned. “I’m fine. How are you?”

Please, please . . . just tell me the answers. I don’t have time for games.

“Broken leg. But I’ll live.”