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The job co fire and nearly dropped it Roger grabbed for it, and felt through the stick the treht?" he said, and reached automatically to feel Jamie’s forehead Fraser jerked back, surprised and mildly affronted

"Aye," he said, but then paused "Aye, wellI do feel a bit queer," he ader thought he looked a good bit gested, trying to sound casual "Sleep if ye can; I’ll wake ye when the food’s ready"

Ja else so far He curled hi with a care that told Roger just how painful it was

The snakeht distaste at the notion of eating snake, Roger felt his stomach ru chicken! Not for the first time, he reflected on the thin line that separated appetite froours and lizards without the least hesitation; Roger had, on the journey back fro trip

He kept an eye on Jaer could see hi flaht be only firelight--no telling his real color

By the tier fetched water, then heaped ar the flaher than his head; if the other men were anywhere within a mile, they should see it

Fraser roused himself with difficulty to eat It was clear that he had no appetite, but he forced hied effort What was it? Roger wondered Siainst the snake? Or perhaps so the reptile’s flesh ht to do for snakebite?" Jauess

"Yes," Roger answered cautiously "They had roots and herbs that theyor hot cornmeal, to make a poultice"

"Did it work?" Fraser held a bit of h too tired to raise it to his mouth

"I only saw it done twice Once, it seeirl was quite all right by evening of the same day The other time--it didn’t work" He had only seen the hide-wrapped body taken frorisly details of the death Evidently he was going to get another chance to see the effects of snakebite up close, though

Fraser grunted

"And ould they do in your ti called antivenin"

"An injection, aye?" Jamie looked unenthusiastic "Claire did that to me, once I didna like it a bit"

"Did it work?"

Jarunted in reply, and tore off another small er wolfed his share of the meat, and the uneaten part of Jamie’s meal as well The sky spread black and starry overhead, and a cold windhands and face

He buried the ree carnivore to show up, drawn by the s for a shout fro of wind and cracking of branches; they were alone

Fraser had pulled off his hunting shirt in spite of the chill, and was sitting with his eyes closed, swaying slightly Roger squatted next to hi hot to the touch

He opened his eyes, though, and ser held up a cup of water; Jarotesquely swollen below the knee, nearly twice its norular dark red blotches, as though sory er wondered uneasily whether heHe’d been convinced that the past couldn’t be changed; ergo, the time and manner of Fraser’s death was set--some four years in the future If it weren’t for that certainty, though, he thought, he’d be bloody worried by the look of the " Ja hiaze

"About what?" he asked, startled to hear his thought spoken aloud Had he beenYe thought it wasna possible to change history, ye said But what if ye’re wrong?"

Roger bent to poke the fire

"I’," he said firmly, as much to himself as to Fraser "Think, e what he did--and ye couldn’t It can’t be done"

"That’s no quite right," Fraser objected He leaned back, eyes half-hooded against the fire’s brightness

"What’s not right?"

"It’s true we failed to keep hi--but that didna depend only on us and on hiood many other folk had to do wi’ that The chiefs who followed him, the daold"

He waved a hand, dis it "But that’s neither here nor there Ye said Claire and I couldna stop hiht have stopped the end"

"Culloden, you -ago day when Claire had first told him and Brianna the story of the stones--and Jamie Fraser Yes, she had spoken of a last opportunity--the chance to prevent that final slaughter of the clans

He glanced up at Fraser