become the avatars of the old white magic. And since the enchantment of the

rune- . stones was built upon the living triangle, the runestones chose three

descendants of the three daughters of Gorlois. A young warlock named

Wyrdrune,

descended from Morgause; a thief named Kira, descended from Elaine; and

Modred,

for Morgana's son still lived."

"Gor', so it all comes full circle, then!" said Billy. "But I still don't

understand what all this 'as to do with me. Why 'ave I got you inside me

'ead?"

"Billy, do you know what the word reincarnation means?" asked Merlin.

"When someone comes back from the dead as someone else, right?"

"Something like that," Merlin said. "This may be difficult for you to

understand, but there is a metaphysical relationship between life cycles and

the

natural forces in the world. New souls enter the world all the time as old

souls

leave, but often it takes many lifetimes for a soul to complete its cycle.

Sometimes a soul comes into the world and blazes brightly, igniting a shining

light that illuminates all those who came in touch with it long after that

soul

recedes into the darkness. Other times a life cycle is completed before the

soul

can finish the work it had to do."

"So it comes back again as someone else," said Billy. "'Ey! Wait a minute—"

"We tried to stop the Dark Ones from escaping, Billy," Merlin continued. "We

failed. We destroyed some of them, but many managed to escape. And in the

struggle I was killed."

"No," said Billy, shaking his head. "Oh, no, don't tell me..."

"My work is not yet finished, Billy, and it appears that I have been

reincarnated into you. It's not supposed to work this way, but I think I know

why it happened. You are descended from Nimue, lad. I am your

great-great-grandfather, Billy, some twenty-five times removed."

"Sweet bleedin' Jesus!" Billy said. "You mean I'm stuck with you for the rest

o'

me life!"

"It had to be one of my descendants, Billy, so that I could use your

inherited

abilities to bring my powers to full strength. The Dark Ones must be stopped.

needed to come back, lad, and I had nowhere else to go."

CHAPTER TWO

Whitechapel, originally part of Stepney, was now a crowded suburb of the

sprawling City of London. The chapel after which the district had been named,

the parish church of St. Mary Whitechapel, known simply as St. Mary's, dated

back to the fourteenth century. For hundreds of years Whitechapel had been