A Trail Through Time (The Chronicles of St. Mary's #4)

by Jodi Taylor

I personally think humans have got about as far as we can go. We’re wrecking the planet. We’re never short of good reasons to massacre each other. Wrong god. Wrong race. Wrong colour. Wrong sex. I’m actually quite surprised a thoroughly pissed-off History hasn’t waved a flaming sword and we’re all back in caves in the snow, chewing on half-cooked mammoth. And even that’s more than we deserve.

No wonder we still can’t get to Mars. I suspect the Universe is making damned sure we don’t get the chance to contaminate other planets with our stupidity. It’s keeping us on this one where the only thing we can damage is each other.

The Forces of Darkness should be turning up any minute now.

There should be medals struck for men who produce tea at exactly the moment it’s needed.

avoided Thomas Hardy because everyone should, and anyway, I was depressed enough. And Dickens. I’ve never liked Dickens.

Her tone led me to believe it was a toss-up between me and leprosy and I’d won by only the narrowest majority.

There’s nothing good about the 14th century. It opens with the Battle of Bannockburn, Edward II’s humiliating defeat at the hands of the Scots. After a disastrous reign, he was overthrown by his wife. Serves him right. What sort of idiot marries a woman known as The She-Wolf of France?

History glitters with the tales of men and women who, with no thought of reward or glory, make their stand and quietly do their duty. I wasn’t going to be a lesser person than my ancestors.

We both leaned forwards to look. And then we both leaned back. ‘Well,’ he said, reaching for his coffee. ‘That’s that sorted.’