In Los Angeles, Brianna receives a letter from Roger. Written in 1739, the letter alerts Brianna to Roger’s true position in time. She updates her Practical Guide for Time Travelers, concluding that traveling with a faceted gem allows better control and that the body’s electromagnetism results in an electric attraction between loved ones, alluding to Walt Whitman’s poem I Sing the Body Electric (1855).

Roger and Buck find Mr. Cumberpatch, learning that the dog tags came from near Hadrian’s Wall. They plan to walk along the wall until they hear word of Roger’s father, and Roger obtains a large garnet from Mrs. Cumberpatch while purchasing supplies. That night, Roger reveals that Buck’s father and mother were Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis Abernathy.

Unsure if she should travel through the American stones to Claire and Jamie or the Scottish stones to Roger, Brianna travels to Boston to seek Joe Abernathy’s advice. While there, Jem reveals that even now he can hear and locate both Mandy and Roger. The next morning, Brianna commits fully to traveling to the past.