2^nd September, David’s cottage.

 

 Awoken to the bird song that surrounded the peaceful serenity of the cosy cottage bedroom. I lay for a while, sated with sleep, listening to the bird song for some before the sound of David knocking on the bedroom door broke the solitude.

 

“Yeah?” I eventually beckoned, coming to terms with the bright light through the window.  

 

“You’ve a plane to catch!” heralded David, dipping through the small door, tray in hand.

 

“What time is it?” I asked, feeling refreshed and relishing the breakfast David was carrying to my bedside. Everything about the cottage looked Victorian, just like the tea pot and tray.

 

“And I have to get to Edinburgh, asap!” he urged, ignoring the request, offering a warm tray with coffee, butter and marmalade toast.

 

 I ate, watching David walk about the room in s state of contemplation before he decided on a more permanent position looking out the small window where he pondered to himself, occasionally glancing my way, but deep in thought. I wandered what kind of world he must live in and how close to it I must now be. It seemed exiting, he seemed exiting, but a bit too real.

 

“So, what do you do now?” I mumbled, munching on my toast.

 

David smiled, “A lot to do, but…” he stopped, taken by another thought before looking out the window again in silence. What was out that window? Or was it to do with the conversations he was having with people last night on the phone?

 

 The toast was re-energising, added with the gulping down the coffee. “I feel like yesterday was a dream,” I yawned, rubbing my eyes.

 

“Better you think that and say as little as you can.”

 

“Oh,” I regretted.

 

“Don’t worry about me,” assured David, “but my work goes on,” he insisted, stoically.  

 

“So, what exactly is you work then?” I ventured, showing my confusion.

 

David waited some moments before concluding, “to bring bad people to justice.”

 

It really seemed like the burden was a serious one and I was beginning to get the feeling I was a spare passenger on this adventure of his.

 

“Do you work for the government, or an agency?”

 

“Don’t worry about that,” he beckoned me with his arm, but thought better of himself, “just to say, the people that masterminded all of the Orkney uplifts are in a cat-and-mouse game…”

“… What kind of...?”

“…Nevermind!2 David insisted, swatting his arm at irritation, “We’re trying to catch some evil people, who want to brainwash us in to believing the enemy is someone else.”

 

“Oh,” I spluttered, unsure of the meaning to what he might be saying.

 

“That’s the best way of explaining it…” he paused, “…for now.”

 

 This seemed typical cryptic oratory from David. There was so much more to the fight he was immersed in; against people I didn’t want to know much about and I didn’t have David’s resources and resolve to fight. It scared me enough and I didn’t probe the matter further.  

 

“Come on, get dressed!” snapped David, awakening from his reverie, “and I’ll pack for myself.”

 

“Are you getting a plane as well?”

 

“It’s half past eight,” David remembered, ducking under the small door before bounding down the steep stairs.

 

 While packing my few belongings, I found the small books given to me by Mitchem, opened the pages of one of them and smelled the brief smell of Orkney, before David urged me downstairs to the car.  The journey was quiet and I sensed another adventure was beginning for David, and mine was coming to an end.

 

 At the airport, we sat in the main concourse, awaiting my departure lounge call. I felt a mixture of emotions; all the wonderful people I’d met, the great stories and friends I’d made in the week, then fear of what world David was mixed up in and how close I came to getting involved. I was excited, but assured I’d had all the excitement I could handle.

 

“I’ll keep in touch, but may be radio silent on occasions, he explained, adding, “but when I need to contact you, I will be I touch and you may need to be of some assistance.”

 

“Sure!” I agreed, not sure what I could do and suddenly interrupted buy the call for my plane.

 

“I’ll let you know when and if, OK?” asked David, getting up with me to walk to my gate.

 

“Fair enough,” I acquiesced and we walked that awkward walk that many people do on the way to the gate.

 

 I hugged David, who slipped a letter in my pocket before whispering, “Don’t write about this, will you?”

 

“Oh, of course…” I began to lie, but stopped, seeing David’s broad, cheeky smile.

 

I walked through the gate of the departures lounge and then glanced back for any sign of David, but he was gone. I had a long sleep on the plane back to London and was soon back in my shed, writing this down to relate to you.

 

 So, that was the report on my visit to the Orkney Islands and, as I did say, it was extraordinary. A return visit is likely, but this time spend a bit longer there to stand any chance of seeing all the great culture the magical Islands have to offer.