He gets briefly dizzy, as if the world spun around him several times in different directions instantaneously. Then he's in a different room, and Laird Behaim is holding the two largest fragments of the pendant. Laird resembles his great uncle, right down to the ring, except more 2003.

"Welcome back."

"—thank you. Am I gone yet? What date is it?"

"The version that got written down said you asked to be awoken a few days in advance but we were never very specific. You vanish the day after tomorrow."

"Ah, so you were told who I was."

"I knew when you came from, so I'd be able to undo it at the right time. I didn't know it was you until meeting you this decade."

"Mm, fair enough. So you've known about it since before I came?"

"About the time travel, yes. And of course I had to play the part of a stranger once I did recognize you; sorry about that."

"Hmm, that's fine, I suppose. I expect for all intents and purposes other than knowing I'd someday go back in time and be frozen in your basement we were strangers."

"That was probably my predecessors' reasoning in not passing down the whole story. Made it easier."

"Yeah. So, thank you and your family very much."

"You're very welcome.

Supposedly you were going to coerce sixty years from Others; that sounds— Well, it sounds like either Malcolm didn't expect you to manage it or he had a lot of faith in your capabilities."

"Do you have any idea of what's been going on in Montreal lately?" she asks, apparently suddenly changing the subject.

"Montreal? It gets mentioned in the normal papers, but I haven't heard of anything out of the ordinary on the magic side."

"Did the money thing not catch on, then?"

"Oh. Right, you predated it. That's normal. A bit of a niche interest outside Montreal, I've only really heard of it because there's a branch of the family there, but it makes sense for a former merchant spirit's city."

"Mmhm. It was actually my idea, so I'm a bit miffed that it didn't get to spread too far, but then again that could have conceivably been intentional on the Lord's part. Maybe."

"Congratulations. Building much of anything that's still around in sixty years is impressive for a solo practitioner, and as far as I know it's going strong."

"Thank you. And my point was that Malcolm was right to have faith in my capabilities."

He cracks a smile. "Fair point. Still, it's a tall order in a very different way from the money."

"I'll see what I can do," she says in a tone that says she's being modest.

"Good luck." He means it, but doesn't put too much effort into sounding like he thinks it's doable.

"Oh, now that there are two of you around, are you going to need a place to lie low? You're welcome here if you do."

"I think I've quite abused your family's hospitality. Thank you, but it won't be necessary."

"Not at all; it's freely offered. In any case, welcome to the present."

"Thank you very much. I should probably go, then."

"All right. See you around Jacob's Bell."