For Good

Revelations

"What. The hell. Is that." Arthur stopped several yards shy of the vehicle waiting in the grass.

Still focused on keeping myself upright as I stumbled through the foliage, I waited to address that question until I was standing beside him. My foot hooked on a root as I reached his side, and I careened into him. I really needed to sit down. This was all too much effort for the moment. He rolled his eyes as he caught me once more.

"Really, Merlin, we don't need to leave right away. Sit and wait for... whatever this is... to wear off."

"The thing about cars is that I can sit. Comfortably." I watched his face to see what the reaction would be. It was doubt. Moving forward once more, I crossed the short distance and gripped the car door handle. He was wary, but followed. "You go on the other side. There's another door." He did. "Now pull the handle like I'm doing." I popped the door open. When he mimicked my action, his eyes went wide and he backed away a bit.

"Is this..." I waited as he met my eyes. "Is it magic?"

Serious as the question was, I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. "No," I assured him. "No, this is just a bit of modern technology. It doesn't even take magic to make it work." No response, so I added, "You could drive it if you learned how." He was studying the interior, the dark fabric of the seats, the steering wheel. I slid inside and shut my door, waiting for him to do the same. Slowly, he did, sword at his hip clanging on the door jamb. When we were settled, I spoke again. "I'm going to turn it on. You'll hear it and feel it, but it's perfectly safe. I promise." Wide eyes on me. "Not magic." I turned the key, and the engine sprang to life. I waited a moment for him to adjust, then backed out of my spot in the grass.

"Merlin, it's-" He was completely on his guard, hands braced against the door and the armrest. He swallowed. "How is this moving."

How was I meant to explain this? I scrambled for something, anything that he could relate to. God, the sixth century was so bloody long ago. "In the winter," I began blandly, "when the air is dry, you know how you get shocks?" A blank stare back. "When you touch something metal or someone else..."

"Yes, Merlin, I know about bloody shocks in the cold. Where are you going with this?"

He's been dead. Patience. "The same energy that causes those small shocks can be... harnessed in different ways. It's called electricity." No reaction. "Everyone uses it for everything now. They're a bit helpless without it."

Arthur was quiet, contemplative. Then he relaxed a bit in the seat. "How about this. For the time being, unless you tell me to worry about something, I'm going to do my best to ignore it. I realize a lot has happened. And the world... has moved on. Surely there will be many changes, and I won't understand them. I'm sure I'll need explanation later but," he took a breath. "For now, just tell me if something isn't right."

Bizarre. That's what this must be for him. I had no idea if he had felt the passage of time or just woken up as from a dream with bits of knowledge from the Sídhe. "I can do that." And with that, we pulled away from the lake. I drove the speed limit, not wanting to jar him further by rushing or, even worse, making him carsick. But when I glanced toward his side of the vehicle after half the journey, he had his eyes closed. Perhaps it was too late for the latter. "Are you alright? I know it's faster than you're used to."

"How much longer?" Carefully controlled panic laced his voice.

"An hour, but I can cut that in half if I go faster." I had scared him, but he considered. "There are some people who feel sick in cars though, so if you're not feeling well-"

"Do it. I'd rather be on solid ground again. I feel fine, just..."

Terrified, I finished for him. I sped up. I always preferred to fly down these roads anyway. There was never anyone around to get in the way. For the first time in a long while, I appreciated how smoothly the Corsa handled the worn motorways. This would have been a very different journey in a Model T. Finally, the roads narrowed, and I was nearing the border of my land. I slowed. Arthur took this as a sign that he could peek at the world again, and when I glanced over to check on him, he was looking out the window. "We're almost there." A nod at the glass. Winding lanes led past mossy trees, rocks, and unkempt grass, and eventually, my drive. I gently turned onto it, the first layers of magic caressing the car.