having time to set something like that up seems unlikely to me.

Hrm. This is true. Though maybe he set the machine up before the Wraith hit the fan... But yeah, it would be a bad time to return to. But then, why wouldn't the time-Jumper return to the period it was first built, if it was answering John's request for instructions on how to use it...

Very odd.

I was unclear--I don't have three fics going for this

No, my bad. I think I just got excited at the idea of Kageyfic and my reading ability shorted out. :-)

Leah