“But as I recall, your legend does not mention you ever having

children, ” Fugisawa said.

“Quite true, ” said Merlin. “Nor was I aware I had any. But when

Modred’s mother, Morgana, better known as the sorceress Morgan

Le Fay, plotted my removal, she chose one of her pupils, a De

Dannan witch named Nimue, to seduce me, knowing the powerful

attraction I would have to one of the De Dannan tribe—”

“What ‘e means is ’e couldn’t keep it in ‘is pants, ” broke in Billy.

Fugisawa had to grin.

“Well, somewhat crudely put, ” said Merlin dryly, “but essentially

correct. Nimue was a very talented witch and she took me off

guard.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet she did, ” said Billy.

“Do you mind?”

“No, no, go on, I always like this part.”

“No respect, ” said Merlin gruffly. “No respect at all.”

“So she ‘ad ’er way with you, you poor innocent old sod, an‘ when

you were lyin’ there, all guilty and remorseful like, with a big

shit-eatin‘ smile on your face, she—”

“She placed me under a spell, ” said Merlin snappishly, “and

Morgana immured me within a giant oak tree. Yet what she didn’t

know was that Nimue had become pregnant with my child. A child

that inherited the blood of an Immortal, from Gorlois, through me.

And Billy is descended from that child.”

“With a few niggers in the woodpile in between, ” said Billy,

referring to his mixed racial background.

“Really, William…”

“But if he is able to communicate with you, as you can

communicate through him, then why can’t you communicate with

the runestones in the same manner?” Fugisawa asked.

“Because the process was not the same, ” said Modred. “The

method by which Merlin achieved the separation of his astral self

was very different from the spell the mages of the Council of the

White used to animate the runestones. We don’t know exactly how