'appened a long time ago!"

"It did happen a long time ago. Almost two thousand years ago, in fact!"

"Gor' y'don't tell me!"

"If you don't stop interrupting, I won't tell you!" Merlin said irately. 'Wow

I've forgotten where I was again!"

"An' you told me to pay attention," Billy said. "Old Gorlois went an' got

'imself a bird an' she 'atched you."

"She didn't hatch me, I was born in the conventional manner," Merlin said

stiffly.

"Right, right, get on with it."

Merlin counted ten once more, a bit more slowly this time, then explained

that

because his mother was a human, time passed more quickly for her than it did

for

Gorlois, and when he could no longer bear to watch her growing old, Gorlois

left

her, vowing never again to take a human wife.

"Fine chap, your old man, 'ey?" said Billy.

"Yes, indeed, he was a bastard," Merlin said. "My poor mother died of a

broken

heart. But as the years passed, Gorlois forgot his vow. He had lived with

humans

for so long, he had become vulnerable to their weaknesses. He succumbed to

human

passions and to human flaws. A lust for power and possessions grew in him,

and

he took another wife, a beautiful young Welshwoman named Igraine. She bore

him

three daughters—Elaine, Morgause, and Morgana."

One day, Merlin continued, smitten by the beauty of Igraine, a savage knight

named Uther—aided by a spell cast by Merlin—took on the appearance of Gorlois

and had his way with Igraine, then killed Gorlois in battle. In this way,

Merlin

said, he had revenged himself on Gorlois for abandoning his mother. Not long

afterward Igraine gave birth to Uther's son, who was named Arthur. Arthur

grew

up to become the King of Britain, with Merlin as his adviser. And Morgana,

who

was half-sister to both Arthur and Merlin, came to Merlin and asked to be his

pupil. She learned well and she learned quickly. She used her powers to

ensorcle

Arthur and seduce him, and so Modred was conceived.

"What, you mean she did it with 'er own brother?" Billy said.

"Half brother," Merlin said. "Still, you're quite right, it's the sort of

thing

that simply isn't done. However, Morgana never bothered with such things as

morality and ethics."