'On the eve of the feast day of Saint Cillian, the seventh day of June, in the Year of our Lord 793, Brother Aedig was working in the scriptorium at Lindisfarne.

'The translation from the Greek of John Mark's Gospel by the venerable Eadfrith was vexing him mightily.

'By noon, he decided that the location of a spice seller needed clarification before he ruined the valuable vellum pages!

'The Conpositor listened graciously to his concerns – showing no indignation that Eadfrith had been questioned.

'Giving him a sand glass and telling him to set forth on a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, and thereupon back to the time of the resurrection to verify that the account of the spice merchant in Golgotha was indeed accurate.

'The Conpositor thanked Aedig for his diligence and told him he would pray for his safe return.

'So it was that Aedig and the hourglass survived the Viking massacre by a matter of hours.

'Upon his return, hearing the Editor was slain, Aedig had set about forming a new Council of Scribes, ensuring that "all words set down in ink upon vellum, or carved upon wood, or set into stone, shall be an accurate and true account, and those abusing the sanctity of the Council shall surely suffer eternal damnation."

'The Aedig colophon remains incontestable to this day for all those belonging to the Council of Scribes.'

Johnson paused, letting each Editor reflect upon their experiences of this history. Each and every one had travelled back, witnessed Aedig creating the first, independent from the Church, Council.

'How very far we have travelled! How many gifts have we bestowed for the benefit and advancement of the human race.

'Centuries of works completed, technology advancing from the first mystical hourglass to the current pocket watches, even now, the clockwork mechanisms are the most advanced that time travel is able to employ. As you are all aware, all attempts at making electronic or digital apparatus have failed.

'What has been our success is the absolute integrity of our Scribes, their total adherence to the rules.

'But, my dear colleagues, I have called this meeting to bring you distressing news.

'We are now faced with a fledgling Scribe, who has transgressed. I have personally dealt with him. Banning him from travel for good. Warned him that any further issues will not be tolerated. He has been banished from the Council for good!

'However, this Scribe has seen fit to transgress ever more heinously.

'James Riding has stolen a pocket watch!'

Gasps from the others.

'I call for immediate and most severe punishment, after which we will perform a Re-write, only the second in a millennia. Riding will be damned, he has forfeited his past, present, and future, and, once his punishment has been dealt, History will be reset!'

FWR

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