“What do you think?” she asked as she stood beside Adam, overlooking the valley below. It was Kyla who had implemented much of the change in their lands, amalgamating areas for the purposes of greater ease and accessibility for the crofters to work together. Their way of life was changing, but with smart practices, the McDougalls felt they could make the necessary alterations to keep their people from emigrating as quickly as they had been previously.
“It’s working well,” he said, observing the patchwork quilt of lands below them, where vegetation grew and was tended to by the crofters. He enjoyed assisting his brother with his work, though Adam was not a natural leader. Finlay, for all of his hardness, knew how to incite people to work with him. “The crofters seem much happier. They are able to complete more of their tasks in less time, and still most make it home to see their families in the evening.”
“Good,” she said with a grin, as Finlay nodded his head.
“Thank you for your help, brother,” Finlay said. “I appreciate it.”
“I know ye do,” Adam responded. “Well, I’m off back to home. Are you coming?”
“We’ll be along shortly,” said Finlay. “I just want to stop in quickly and see Molly McGee and her babe.”
Adam nodded and mounted his own horse, a chestnut Cleveland Bay he called Sloane, for the horse’s warrior roots. As he urged the horse into a gallop over the fields on the short ride back to Galbury Castle, his mind began churning, always at work, thinking, calculating. It was on his latest idea, one that his family thought was quite mad. He had been to Edinburgh some months prior and had seen firsthand the few streets now lit by electricity. Apparently, there were homes also lit by the power, which was primarily made through a generator powered by steam water.
It was said that London was even further ahead. Power plants were already established, which were able to supply electricity to a great number of people by using burning coal to drive steam turbines. He had been fascinated. What changes this could result in, particularly for his own people, he couldn’t be sure. When he had asked, however, he had been laughed out of the room. He was in the Highlands, they told him. What did he need electricity for?
He could see plenty of use for it, however. In their barns, with the sheep. To use in the kitchens and the dining rooms of the larger homes, where people worked to cook and serve food. True, it might take some time for power to find its way here… but could it not be possible?
He could hardly see how coal would be used here though, he thought as he rode. There was, of course, plenty of water, but how could it be utilized to drive electricity? There wasn’t much else in the Highlands that could create power, he thought as the wind chapped his face. It was too bad the wind couldn’t be bottled, he thought with a laugh, for there was nothing stronger around here, and it was one thing the Highlands had more of than they wished. Unless… a thought struck him suddenly, and his mind began to turn.
After stabling his horse and brushing him down, Adam bypassed the main keep for the small building tucked away in the back of the bailey. He wasn’t sure what it had originally been used for — perhaps storage for tools or a building for particular animals. It was now his workroom. He had taken over the abandoned building as a place he could be alone with his thoughts and his designs.
He walked to the small desk in the corner, unfurling the paper in front of him and dragging over the wooden stool to sit upon. He picked up a pencil and began tracing in the components that had sprung into his mind as he had raced home. A blade here, a turn there. It seemed like he had worked for only a few minutes, but when he heard the door creak open, emitting slightly more light, he was shocked to look through the small window and see the sun was quite low in the sky.
“Adam?” came the deep voice, and he responded for his brother to come in.
Roderick looked around him, squinting in the darkness. “How can you even see in front of your face?” he asked. “I can barely make you out, sitting over there in the corner.”
Adam shrugged, then realizing Roderick couldn’t see him, answered, “I’m not sure, but I seem to be getting on well enough.”
“You’ve been out here for hours, man,” his brother said. “We’ve eaten dinner already, but there’s a bit left for when you’re ready.”
Adam belatedly felt the emptiness in his stomach. His sister Peggy was forever groaning about how anyone could possibly ever forget to eat, but it was true he often did when his mind became engaged elsewhere.
Roderick leaned his huge frame against the doorjamb. “What are you working on?”
“Just an idea I had,” Adam returned. “I’m not sure if it could ever work.” He paused, unsure if his idea was ridiculous, or worth discussing. He finally decided that he needed to share his thoughts with someone. “You’ve heard of electricity?”
“Of course,” Roderick said.
“I’ve thought of a way to generate it. A way that we could take advantage of out here.”
“Oh?” Roderick straightened slightly. “And how would that be?”
“The wind.”
“The wind?”
“Aye.” Adam nodded. “If there is one thing we have in strong supply here in the Highlands, it’s wind. Imagine if its power could be
