Chapters One through Four Summary

James Dunworthy, a faculty member of the Oxford History Department, enters a viewing chamber where his friend, Mary Ahrens, is watching the preparations for sending a historian named Kivrin to 1320. The policy has been not to send historians to the medieval period because of the danger to the historian, but the head of the department, Mr. Basingame, is out of town and has left a faculty member named Gilchrist in charge. Gilchrist summarily reduces the ranking of the time period and schedules Kivrin's trip.

While Kivrin is preparing for her trip, Ms. Montoya is working on an archaeological dig near the university. She is excavating a village known as Skendgate. Kivrin worked at the dig one day so her hands are dirty and her fingernails chipped, points she believes will be in keeping with the period. Kivrin...