page4 (1/2)
“Your soldiers would have to patrol our borders night and day,” Otis said “And in tiroeary of the duty, but if you owned the land”
“Yes,” Brisbane eagerly agreed “If the Sinclairs owned the land, you would protect it at all cost We have—” He suddenly stopped, for he was so stunned by the fact that Raoblets, he lost his train of thought “You are lairdyet you serve us as though you are our squire Do you not know the power you hold?”
Rauests in my tent,” he answered, “and my elders It is therefore my duty to see to your comfort”
The men were honored by his words “You have your father’s heart,” Otis praised “It is good to see Alisdair lives on in his son”
The laird accepted the coently led the men back to the topic hethat I would protect your land at all costs if I owned it?”
“Aye,” Otis agreed “And we have much to offer in return for this union Our land is rich with resources Our lakes are glutted with fat fish, our soil is rich for planting, and our hills are filled with sheep”
“Which is e are being constantly attacked on all our borders by the Campbells and the Hamiltons and the Boswells They all want our land, our water and our woo to hell”
Ramsey didn’t show any outward reaction to the passionate speech He began to pace about the tent with his head bowed and his hands clasped behind his back
“With your permission, Laird, I would ask a few questions,” Gideon requested
“As you wish,” Ramsey told his commander
Gideon turned to Otis “Howthe MacPhersons?”
“Nearly two hundred,” he answered “But as Brisbane explained, they have not been properly trained”
“And there are one hundred ,” Otis interjected “You could make them invincible, Laird,” he said “As invincible as Laird Brodick Buchanan’s Spartans Aye, it’s possible, for they already have the minds and hearts of warriors”
“You call Brodick’s soldiers Spartans?” Gideon asked, s
“We do, for that is what they are,” Otis replied “Haven’t you heard the stories about the Spartans of tirandfathers as we have?”
Gideon nodded “Most of the stories have been exaggerated”
“Nay, most are true,” Otis replied “The stories ritten down by the holy monks and retold countless times They were a barbaric tribe,” he added with a frown “Sinfully proud but extremely brave It was said they would rather die by the blade than lose an argument ’Tis my opinion they were a stubborn lot”
“We wouldn’t want our soldiers to be as ruthless as the Buchanan warriors,” Brisbane hastily interjected
Rahed “Aye, Brodick’s soldiers are ruthless” His sh we are often at odds, I count Brodick as one of my closest friends He is like a brother to me However, I will not take exception to what you have said about him, for I know Brodick would be pleased to know that you think him ruthless”
“The man rules with passion,” Otis said
“Yes, he does,” Rareed “But he is also fair to a fault”
“You were both trained by Iain Maitland, weren’t you?” Brisbane asked
“We were”
“Laird Maitland rules his clan isdom”
Ramsey concurred “I also count Iain as my friend and brother”
Otis smiled “Brodick rules with passion, Iain isdom, and you, Laird Ramsey, rule with an iron hand of justice We all know you to be a compassionate man Show us your mercy now,” he pleaded
“How can you knohat kind of leader I am?” he asked “You call me compassionate, but I’ve only been laird for six months and I’ve yet to be tested”
“Look at your commanders,” Brisbane said with a nod “Gideon and Anthony and Faudron led and controlled the Sinclair clan when your father was ill, and after he died and you became laird, you didn’t do what others in your position would have done”
“And ould they have done?”
“Replace the commanders with men you knoould be loyal to you”
“We are loyal to our laird,” Gideon blustered “You dare to suggest otherwise?”
“Nay,” Brisbane countered “I’ that other lairds would be lessconfidentand would rid themselves of any competitors That is all Laird, you showed co them to stay in their important positions”
Rament “As I just mentioned, I’ve been laird for a very short time, and there are problems I must solve within the Sinclair clan I’m not certain that now is the time to—”
“We can’t wait any longer, Laird The Boswells have declared war and there’s talk that they’ll align themselves with the Hamiltons If that happens, the MacPhersons will all be destroyed”
“Would your soldiers willingly pledge themselves to Ramsey?” Gideon asked
“Aye, they would,” Otis insisted
“All of them?” the Sinclair commander persisted “There are no dissenters?”
Otis and Brisbane glanced at one another before Otis answered “There are but a few against this union Before we came to you with our proposal, we put it to a vote four o Everyone, man and woman, was included”
“You let your women vote?” Gideon asked, incredulous
Otis smiled “Aye, we did, for anted it to be fair, and our woht to include thehter of our past laird, hadn’t insisted on it”
“She is a lint in his eye indicated he didn’t see that as a flaw
“If you voted fourthis request to Ramsey?” Gideon asked
“We’ve actually voted twice now,” Otis explained “Four o we put the vote to the clan and then allowed a period for everyone to consider the ain The first vote went in favor of the union, but by a sin”
“We didn’t want it to be said that we rushed such an iave theain”
“Yes,” Otis said “Many ere at first against the union changed their minds and voted in favor”
“We shouldn’t have waited so long to come to you, Laird, because now our situation has become critical”
“What was the result of the second vote?” Raainst the union?”
“Sixty-two are still against, and all of the,” Otis said
“Pride has colored their judgment,” Brisbane volunteered
“They’re led by a stubborn-headed rebel named Proster, but all the others were in favor of the union, and the majority rules”
“Will the dissenters go along with the decision?” Ramsey asked
“Yes, but grudgingly,” Otis admitted “If Proster can be won over, the others will coain their loyaltya very simple way”
“And what ht that be?”
“Marry Meggan MacPherson,” Brisbane blurted out “And unite us by e”
“Men have married for far less than e offer you,” Otis interjected
“And if I choose not to an?”
“I would still plead with you if that is what it will take to get your agreee to a MacPherson would only er My clano, David and Lucy Do
uglas were murdered, and their only sin was that they ventured too close to the border They were need”
“We cannot lose any ood people, and if you do not take us in, one by one ill be hunted down What will happen to our children?” Brisbane asked “We have boys your brother’s age,” he added in an attempt to sway the laird
Ramsey couldn’t turn his back on their cry for help He knew the lengths the Boswells would go to in order to claim more land None of their soldiers would think twice about killing a child
“The Boswells are jackals,” he muttered
Gideon knew his laird well and had already guessed what his ansas going to be “Raive these men your decision?”
“I will not,” he answered “The matter isn’t open for discussion”