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Back Time for the Dead Save as PDF
Chapters (94)
  1. Cover
  2. Time for the Dead
  3. Dedication page
  4. Map
  5. Epigraph page
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. About the Author
  94. By Lin Anderson

He comes towards me, and though I recoil, he takes my hand.

‘They’re going to free us. The baby is the grandson of their leader. When you saved him, you saved us all.’

67

Blaze had accepted the sock, sniffing it eagerly, his excitement suggesting he relished the game beginning again. Running from side to side, he eventually found a match and set off with a determined air.

Initially there appeared to be a path, but Rhona knew that wouldn’t last. The mix of boggy ground, grass and heather involved finding your own route through to the closest hill.

And Rhona didn’t think Seven had come this way to conquer the Tables. It was more likely that she’d been intent on getting off the beaten track. This became obvious when Blaze’s trail began to bypass Healabhal Bheag.

They walked in silence, picking their way through the mix of energy-sapping bog and heather, swerving this way and that to avoid the worst patches. Blaze, on the other hand, seemed to have no problems in deciding where he should place his paws.

Eventually the dog led them to a hidden valley through which a burn ran rapidly towards the distant sea. A valley Rhona recognized from photographs only.

‘Do you know this place?’ Alvis said, taking in the striking image of lush pastureland after the rough moorland and bog they’d just crossed.

‘It’s called Lorgill. Once a thriving community as you can see by the number of buildings, until the local factor for the estate decided he wanted the land for himself and forced the people to leave. It was imprisonment or a ship to Nova Scotia. I know about it because distant relatives of my adopted parents came from here.’

‘You come across places like this all over the Highlands,’ Alvis said. ‘The sadness never seems to go away.’

Checking for Blaze, they noted he appeared to be working his way through the tumbledown ruins of the cottages, eventually focusing on an area behind a wall.

‘Looks like he’s found something,’ Alvis said.

Approaching, it was obvious by the flattened grass that someone had recently rested there. Provided Blaze was indeed following Seven’s scent, then his excitement at this point suggested it may well have been her.

The light was already beginning to fade, although it had just turned midday.

‘Shall we take a break or just keep going?’ Alvis said.

Rhona didn’t want to stop here and not only for reasons of time. Some of Skye’s cleared glens had found life enter them again, but not this one. Just as Alvis had said earlier, the broken hearts of the exiled inhabitants seemed to Rhona to linger here still.

‘Is rural Norway like this?’ she said as they followed Blaze through the abandoned township.