Broken Dragon (The Chronicles of Mara Lantern, Book 3) by D.W. Moneypenny Read Free Book Online

nonetheless, they are there.”
    “Great. I not only become a bad auntie who sends a five-year-old back in time to save my butt, but I become a bad poet as well. What does all this mean?”
    “I’m not sure I’m the one you should be asking,” Ping said.
    “Why not?”
    He pointed to the book. “It says, ‘Ignore a dragon’s folly.’”

CHAPTER 7
     
     
    On the kitchen counter, a half-skeletonized turkey with carved meat piled high on a serving platter, sat next to bowls of mashed potatoes, yams, green beans and cornbread stuffing. Because of the limited space on the dinette table, Diana announced that dinner would be buffet style, and instructed everyone to grab a plate and load up before taking a seat. She started the process by fixing a small plate for Hannah. Sam followed, with Mara and Ping forming a line behind him.
    Mara turned to Ping, as they waited their turn. “If I am so concerned with maintaining Continuity, why would I send Hannah back in time?”
    “Perhaps, from your perspective in the future, Hannah’s arrival at this time is something that has already occurred. Therefore, it is something that you needed to make happen to maintain Continuity,” Ping said.
    “That’s insane. I sent her back because I remember her arrival?”
    “Presumably you sent her back because it produced a desirable outcome. Otherwise, you would have tried to prevent it.”
    “What if I tried to prevent it and failed?”
    “Unlikely. Hannah seems to be under the impression that you intentionally sent her here with certain tasks to accomplish, including bringing the Chronicle of Continuity.”
    Sam stepped away from the counter and took a seat at the table next to his mother. Hannah sat on a booster chair between them. Mara handed a plate to Ping and took one for herself. She forked a slab of white meat and then spooned potatoes onto her plate.
    “And saving my butt the other night and prompting me to write in the book. Seems unreasonable to think such a little girl will get everything right. Why not send an adult?”
    Sam turned around and interjected, “Hannah said she prompted you to write, because you said the magic clue. It was a game you taught her in the future.”
    Ping nodded. “Seems like you put some thought into preparing her to do what needed to be done. Of course you had, or will have, the benefit of hindsight.”
    They took their seats at the table.
    As they got settled, Diana passed them a basket of rolls and placed the butter in front of them. “You two might get more out of this experience if you spend less time analyzing how and why these things happened, and more time on what they are trying to tell you.”
    “What do you mean, Mom?” Mara asked.
    “For example, when I meditate, I don’t spend all my time figuring out how it makes me feel more centered. I simply accept that it does.”
    “Okay. What’s your point?”
    “Stop trying to figure out how and why your future self is communicating with you. Just accept that she is.”
    “All right, I accept that my future self is communicating with me. Now what?”
    Diana smiled. “Now listen to what’s she’s saying or, in this case, writing. Don’t worry about how or why. After all, she is you, doing what you would do, if you had her perspective.”
    Ping nodded. “Your mother is correct. The best course of action is to follow the advice as best you can from the book. How and why we are getting this information are largely beyond our abilities to ascertain at this point.”
    Mara shrugged. “Well, the first passage says—”
    Diana pointed a fork at Mara’s and Ping’s plates. “I didn’t mean now. You two need to eat more and talk less.”
    “They do talk an awful lot, Nana,” Hannah said, scooping mashed potatoes from her plate.
    “I know. It’s hard to get a word in edgewise around here sometimes, isn’t it? What do you want to talk about?” Diana asked.
    “I’m going to have a baby brother soon,” she said.
    Sam choked