“That’s right. And enchanted is the operative term, ” said

Wyrdrune. “The ring contains Gorlois’s astral spirit. And there’s a

lot about the concept of astral spirits that we don’t really

understand.”

“But you can ask Ambrosius, can’t you?” said Fugisawa.

“Indeed, they can, ” said Merlin, speaking through Billy, “but

there is still only so much I can tell them.”

Fugisawa could not get over the idea that the greatest mage in

the entire world was speaking to him through the body of a teenage

boy. Billy’s voice, his mannerisms, his facial expres-sions, and the

way he held himself all became transformed when Merlin spoke

through him. It was decidedly unsettling.

“The freeing of one’s astral spirit is one of the most difficult spells

there is, ” continued Merlin. “It requires enormous strength of will

and concentration. Prior to my physical death, I had only done it a

few times, for very limited periods, and it always, left me totally

exhausted. Because to free the astral spirit is to flirt with death.

The astral spirit—or the soul, if you will—is the animating essence

of the body. In the moment of death, it separates from the body and

floats free. Sometimes it does not separate completely, such as in

cases where people are near death, where they come as close as

possible to actually dying and are then brought back. At such times,

many people have reported having out-of-body experiences, the

sensation of floating somewhere outside of themselves, looking

down on their own bodies, or of going through some sort of dark

tunnel, being drawn powerfully toward a bright light at the other

end. What they were experiencing was the separation of their

astral selves, only they were brought back from death before that

separation could become complete.”

. “What happens when the separation does become complete?”

asked Fugisawa.

“Well, I am one example, ” Merlin said, “and Gorlois is another,

as are the other runestones. However, I don’t think that’s really

what you’re asking. What you’re asking is a question that no one

could possibly answer, the question that has puzzled and fascinated

scientists, philosophers, and theologians for centuries. What