‘Of course I looked into what would happen once ye gan to Saithwold, but there were a multitude of possibilities as there often are, when you are the central figure of a scrying, Elspeth Gordie,’ Maryon said. ‘The best I could see was that there was a small possibility that you would die an’ that risk seemed worth taking when I thought of how many would die in a plague.’

‘Why didn’t you just tell me to go to Saithwold to prevent the plague?’ I heard anger in my voice.

‘Ask yerself if ye would have believed that going to Saithwold would prevent plague on the west coast,’ Maryon asked softly. ‘I think ye would have asked me how that could be, an’ I would have had to say that I dinna ken. Ye would almost certainly have decided not to waste time gannin’ to Saithwold, but to gan straight away to the west coast. Ye had the means an’ that was a possible future I saw arisin’ from my speakin’ to ye of th’ plague. But if ye’d done that, ye would have arrived on the west coast with no idea of who carried the plague an’ without the information ye acquired in the Norselands that allowed ye to avert it, besides which ye’d nowt have brought about th’ overthrow of the Faction on the Norse Isles.’

I heard in her tone the weariness of one who has explained a thing too many times, and sighed, feeling the tensions in me loosen. ‘It is hard to know that the danger you have faced might have been averted if you had been told what was coming, even when there was a reason for keeping silent.’

‘Harder to be the futureteller deciding whether or nowt to speak,’ Maryon said flatly. Then her face softened. ‘It is hard for you, Elspeth, I ken it well. But nivver doubt that yer equal to it. There is somethin’ in ye – some mettle, which could be called rigidity or stubbornness – that gives ye the strength to hold to yer own course. Ye will have great need of that in th’ days to come.’

Her words had the faint but unmistakable overtone of prophecy and I felt myself tense again. Perhaps she sensed it for she gave me a penetrating look and added, ‘In every future I saw in that time, after gannin’ to Saithwold, ye did come to th’ west coast, an’ I would guess that was because of Ariel leavin’ Domick fer ye to find. Th’ link between ye is strong.’

‘Link?’ I echoed flatly.