what I call a ‘regressive separation’ of the astral spirit when they

die. Their astral spirit separates and floats free, but does not go

where it is supposed to go—wherever that may be. Call it Heaven,

call it Hell, call it Nirvana… who knows? As a result, only their

physical selves actually die. Their astral selves, their souls, tend to

linger on. This explains the phenomenon of hauntings. Ghosts and

poltergeists and so forth.

“In my own case, ” Merlin said, “I achieved a controlled

separation of my astral spirit at the moment of my physical death. I

was engaged in battle with the Dark Ones, attempting to prevent

them from escaping from the pit to which they had been confined. I

failed. And, in failing, I was overcome by them and my body fell

into the pit. At that moment, I used all my powers to free my astral

spirit and I succeeded, but then there was the question of where my

astral self was going to go. I felt a powerful force drawing me, yet I

resisted with all my might, because I was not yet ready for my soul

to go to its final rest. Or, as some present have suggested, to its

eternal torment. My work on earth was not yet done. So my spirit

remained free, drifting through the ether, aimless. Bodyless. I knew

that in order to complete the work I had to do, I had to find a body.

But it could not be just any body. I needed the body of an adept or,

failing that, of someone who possessed a strong natural aptitude for

thaumaturgy. And so my spirit floated free, searching. And,

whether by luck or by destiny, I found young Billy, an orphan street

urchin in London, of dubious parentage and even more dubious

potential.”

“Ey, you could’ve moved on, y’know, ” Billy suddenly broke in.

“Perhaps I could have, ” Merlin said, and Fugisawa marveled at

the way their personalities switched back and forth. “But I was

inexplicably, inexorably drawn to you. You pulled at my spirit like a

magnet, much to my chagrin, because I could not imagine a more

unsuitable vessel to contain my spirit. Only when my spirit merged

with yours—”

“They call it possession, ” Wyrdrune said with a smile.

“Call it what you will, ” said Merlin irritably, “but when I became

a part of Billy, I realize that it was because he was my own

descendant after many generations.”