The little red Alfa had been driving across Europe recently, more than it ever had in its prior existence. The couple inside were enjoying the each other’s company as they headed west from their last location. Edward was still a little confused as to why they were heading back to England, and his partner was trying to convey to him her feelings on the matter.

                “We really didn’t have a lot of time there before,” she said, referring to the ordeal that involved the now departed Mr. Stevenson. “I think there might be someone of interest for you to meet…” at which he turned to stare at her, “…or so I see in my head,” she said smoothly.

                “Fine. I really have no preference where we go, though it would be nice to have a solid destination. Can I have a name for this person we’re going to see?”

                “I don’t know what name he uses now. You’ll have to get used to things like this. The longer you and I will live, the more we will have to adopt new personas. You can’t be who you are forever, especially now. There are too many checks and balances in the world. A merely fifty years ago hiding out in the open was easy. Now, it becomes more and more a challenge. Everyone is registered and cataloged and otherwise numbered and part of a data stream that encircles the globe.”

                “Ok, so we’re looking for someone without a recognizable name. How do you propose we find him?”

                “That may prove easiest by simply in looking in his old haunts.”

                “And how old is he?”

                “Very old. Far older in fact than the histories let on. His presence has been felt on the isle for several millennium or more.”

                “You know, the more I hear about how long some of these people live, the more I want to crawl into a hole and hide. I thought it was scary living to be in your seventies.”

                “Now Edward, you know that you – we – have the possibility of outliving a lot of our contemporaries. And their children, their grand-children, their great grandchildren and…”

                “I get it, I get it! What I am trying to do is to grasp everything that has been going on. This is not something I ever considered prior to meeting you. Life was calm and predictable.”

                “I know. I would apologize, but since there is nothing to apologize for, I’ll refrain. I am quite happy with the way things have turned out, even now, with a head full of the totally bizarreness that was Lilith’s life.”

                He would have said something, but what was there to say? Lilith was the beat all to end all in regards to living beings on the planet, and his life was tiny and impertinent by comparison. So instead of saying something stupid, he concentrated on his driving.

                He was working his way to Calais, where they would take the Chunnel back to England. He was hardly in an argumentative mood, but his mind had been seething for a while now. Too much had happened that was so weird and so unexpected that he was simply accepting them as they occurred. Now that he had a moment to contemplate, his mind wasn’t comprehending a lot of it. It was a little like being shell shocked on a battlefield and his mind was still trying to recover from the onslaught of the unbelievable.  Finally, he found his words.

                “Bizarreness? Is that really a word? Never mind, if I understand what it means, then it’s a word. I wish I had some of the information inside your head. It would go a long way in helping me deal with my life.”

                “Your life? Our life. I can’t help you; not really. I can spout off a litany of historical details that will do you no good. There will be no context. What you need is someone who has lived a long life; someone who has had to adapt to the changes time brings; someone who can blend in with modern society just like they belong.”

                “Sorry Mags. You now have at least a better perspective than I do. I can still catch bits of future events and stuff like that, but it has been fading. I’ll take whatever help I can get to make sense of what I am.”

                “Exactly! Lilith and I are female and thus share a certain compatibility. It seems from what I see in my head the closest such help for you is somewhere in East Anglia.”

                “East Anglia? Where the hell is that?”

                “Just as it sounds. The eastern side of Great Britain.”

                “So something a bit bigger than a mere county? How the hell are we going to find this man with no name in an area that big? It is big, isn’t it?”

                “Big enough. And there is no guarantee he’ll be there. It’s not like he’s perched on a log just waiting for people to find him. He lives a life like everyone else. Well, maybe not just like everyone else, but no one knows the difference. There is a knack to blending in.”

                “I would think that would be in moving from place to place.”

                “It can be. Lilith does. But travel in this modern age is problematic with identification and passports and the like. Clouding another’s mind is not always the most effective route to go, nor is wiping one’s memory always the best. Still, I can only lay claim to what I do.”

                “What you do? What have you been doing?”

                Maggie smiled a little contritely.

                “Not me. Pulling things from my new memories. Lilith’s memories. She has a way of doing things that are effective, but hardly what you would always consider to be moral.”

                “I can be supremely stupid at times, but I don’t think I am so stupid as to debate the righteousness of what she does. My intellect is small compared to so many others I have met.”

                “You have the capacity. Never forget that. What you lack is the experience. Right now I am tackling what is in my mind. You may not get the big picture like I have it, but you will get your own skills and memories that will be yours and yours alone.”

                “I’ve had plenty already, thank you very much. I can do with less.”

                She chuckled.

                “Can you? Which ones? Would you like to forget about me and everything we have done? Would you still like to go back home and leave it all behind?”

                “No. I just wish this gut feeling I have that something bad is going to happen would disappear.”

                She looked at him.

                “Bad? Like what?”

                “I don’t know. It’s a nagging sort of thing. It’s like I knew something that’s gone now. I guess maybe like forgetting where you put your keys, or something like that. But that’s not quite it either. You know you knew it, but you know it’s gone. You can’t find what you lost because you can’t remember what it was you lost.”

                “Sounds like something happened to your memory. I’m not surprised with all that’s happened to you. Taking a silver bullet to the head should have killed you. If it wasn’t for Leo, you’d be dead.”

                “I am well aware of that. This whole thing…this werewolf matter…is taking some getting used to. The more I think on it, the more it disturbs me.”

                “Has it been said that you think too much?”

                He actually chuckled.

                “Yes. More than once.”

                “I wish I could help you find what it is you think you lost, but maybe whatever it is, it is for the best.”

                “I would need to know what it was to make that determination; don’t you think?”

                It was her turn to chuckle.

                “Touché! I would suggest trying to let it go. You already seem to understand that knowing it is impossible.”

                “Yeah. Like an aching tooth, it keeps making its presence known. But I will try.”

                “Good. We have a bit of time ahead of us before we get to our destination, so try to relax and enjoy the drive.”

                It took several days of searching before they found what they were looking for. Or rather, what she was looking for.

                The pub was much like most that dotted the landscape in Great Britain. It wasn’t ancient, and it wasn’t new, and it sold the same beer that most every other one did. It had a sign hanging over the door, and it had bar stools and booths and everything one might expect from such an establishment.

                It was the feeling Edward got when he walked towards it that seemed to tell him they were where they needed to be. Maggie looked at him and nodded.

                “You feel it?”

                “Yep. Just like before in France. It feels different; almost musty and cobwebby.”

                “Shhhh! What you feel is the age of the mind. I would refrain from using adjectives that may be construed as insulting.”

                “Sorry. I was just speaking my mind.”

                “I know. Others might not take your words so kindly.”

                “Gotcha. Are we going inside?”

                “Of course. Let me do the talking at first. I have some idea of what we’re getting into. You do not.”

                She stepped in and headed straight to the bar. Since she hardly looked like she was of a legal drinking age, the bartender gave her a hard look. She climbed onto a barstool and looked him in the eye.

                “I’m looking for someone. Might go by the nickname of Shuck.”

                Edward saw the man’s eyes go from her to the booth in the corner. He turned to see an elder patron sitting in it, a beer in front of him, apparently talking to another who was out of sight. The old man looked up and caught the eye of the bartender and there seemed to be a silent conversation between them. The old man nodded, and the bartender snorted a little.

                “Over there. He’s talking with his grandson, so keep it short. Don’t know why you’re here, but you cause any trouble and I’ll bring out the gun.”

                Maggie shrugged.

                “If you think you must, then you must. Have you got it loaded with silver?”

                That made him pause.

                “You have Kind business?’

                “Kind? Whatever. I have personal business. If you feel that it is something more, and you’ll feel better about yourself trying to be intimidating, then get your gun and make a show of being ridiculous.”

                She climbed off the stool and made her way to the corner, with Edward following her a few steps behind. She nodded to the old man before turning to his associate. She stuck out her hand to see if either would take it.

                “I’m Maggie. I’m looking for the one who calls himself Old Shuck.”

                The young man took it and shook it, before letting go and nodding to the old man across the way. He took it, gave her a quizzical look, and motioned for them to sit.

                “You’ve done found the right place. Not too many come looking for that legend anymore. This day and age everyone just sticks their nose in their cellphone.”

                She smiled, pulling her own phone out of her pocket.

                “I’m not like everyone else. And neither is Edward here. We are of The Kind, as many of our type seem to prefer being called.”

                The young man raised his eyebrows, sniffing the air.

                “Not often we meet unknowns. Americans?”

                “Yes,” Edward replied, “though we have histories.”

                “Don’t we all?” he answered, looking over at the man with the grizzled beard. “Not sure what you want with us. We don’t do anything to draw attention to ourselves anymore.”

                Maggie coughed a little.

                “Does the name Lilith mean anything to you?”

                The old man frowned.

                “You mention it. Therefore, I assume you know it does.”

                “I am her…”

                The young man stared hard and interrupted her.

                “She can take many forms, but she would have no reason not to appear here as she is. Therefore, you are not her.”

                Edward intervened.

                “She has Lilith’s memories. The lady gave them to her recently. This is my wife.”

                “Wife?” the young man snorted derisively. “She looks a little green for that kind of title. But I do love the looks. Might be she ages unlike most?”

                Maggie growled a little and allowed her claws to show.

                “Be careful determining what a person is without first knowing them.”

                He stuck out his hand and grabbed hers without fear.

                “Micah is what I am presently known by. I see you can be baited, though that may be false. Take no heed of my behavior. You just showed that you have true purpose here. I have no time to tell random tales to even more random strangers.”

                Then his eyes narrowed a little.

                “I see flashes of memories that include Shuck. How extraordinary. I was fully prepared to call you both liars. But I digress. Will you join us for a drink or two?”

                Before they could answer two full glasses were placed on the table.

                “I suppose we would,” declared Edward, picking his up and taking a sip.

                The old man finished his glass and tapped the table. A fresh glass appeared.

                “So… Two Americans venturing into the countryside of England. And apparently looking for Shuck. I would say that is extraordinary. But when the lady is involved, all things are extraordinary. What in the name of all that is holy do you think Shuck can do for you?”

                Maggie drank half of her glass and wiped the foam from her lip.

                “Edward here is having a tough time dealing with what he is. He has a good background, but was allowed to remain unchanged when he should have gained his birthright.”

                “Unchanged? Nothing can stop the change!”

                “Silver can. A coin lodged in a childhood injury.”

                “Curious. Silver before the change is harmless; this is true. But for it to stop the change…such a thing has never happened before.”

                Maggie shrugged.

                “Yes, but then, if one was destined to change but they knew it not, then they would have lived like normal humans and never have known. Thus, while likely a rare occurrence, is still possible, especially if the matter where orchestrated.”

                “You make a good point. There is much that needs to be explained before any assistance can be offered.”

                “Explanations in this case will be long, complicated, and quite complex.”

                “A description of Shuck’s life. Would that you have me relay it to you as a tale as well? I was thinking that this could be done more directly and accurately.”

                Edward groaned a bit.

                “There’s stuff inside my head I’m not too proud of.”

                “Try living as long as Shuck and reassess your words. There have been things Shuck has done that he is proud of, and things that weigh him down with their significance. If you think that anything you have done in your lifetime compares, understand that it will not.”

                “You don’t know what I’ve done…” came the plaintive reply.

                “Nor is there any care about it. Life is about moving on. Mistakes are meant to be learned from. If you have done something terrible, and you feel bad about it, then the likelihood of you repeating are slim. If you want Shuck’s help, then you will need to allow him to access your mind.”

                Edward was getting confused.

                “You keep talking in a third person. Are you a little off in the head?”

                The old man laughed.

                “Aye, I’m a little off in the head. You don’t get to be eighty-three years old and not lose a little of your mind.”

                “Eighty-three?” Edward looked at Maggie and then back to the old man. “I was told the person we were going to meet was thousands of years old. You aren’t Shuck?”

                The old man roared while the younger man sniggered. Maggie seemed hardly put out at all.

                Edward was a bit angered by this display of hilarity. He was tired of people always knowing more than he knew.

                “Look, that man behind the bar said that the person we were looking for was sitting in this booth drinking with his grandson. So is this all a big joke or what?”

                The old man downed his beer and stood up.

                “Son, the fact is, Shuck is here having a drink with his grandson by his thirty-second wife. The problem is not with us, but with you and your assumptions. That being the case, I will excuse myself and allow you folks the time you need.”

                He looked over to the younger man.

                “Good day grandad. I will catch you another day.”

                There was an awkward silence as Edward oriented himself to viewing the young man as anything more than he was.

                “So; you’re how old?”

                There was a shrug.

                “Hard to say anymore. Go back far enough, to the Celts and the like, and there really wasn’t a method of telling time. Not for anything more than keeping track of the seasons anyways. It helped a little when the Romans came. They were more organized. So I’m two thousand at least, plus whatever came before.”

                “But you look young!”

                “It happens. Worse, it happens to some but not others. Surely this was explained to you?”

                “A lot has been explained. Little of it has been fully understood.”

                “How long have you been this way?”

                “I’ve honestly lost track with everything that’s happened. Maybe only a year.”

                “A year. One lonely little year. I wish it was all new and fresh to me. But then I came into my own early on, and thus I look like I do because the change slowed down the aging process and finally stopped it. I have looked like this ever since. You seem to me a good ten years older than my appearance. That is very late to undergo the change.”

                “What Maggie said about the coin is true. I dug it out in a moment of need.”

                The man’s eyes fell on Maggie again.

                “Truthfulness from a woman? I’ll not judge, since all men are liars. But then, he who always tells the truth has the surety of being a hated man.”

                Edward felt his dander rise.

                “There is no need to insult anyone.”

                The man sniffed the air again, lifted his drink and finished it.

                “Insults are not given. They can only be taken boy. If I said what I said in a language unfamiliar to your ear, you would not know what I said, and thus take no umbrage with it.  If the lady here takes my words as such, then that is her problem. Remember that I have dealt with Lilith in the past. I am quite convinced that she is my mother, though I have bedded her under many guises over the centuries. So if you wish to judge yourself, than weigh your sins against mine and see which way the scale balances.”

                Maggie said nothing, though out of deference to their company or because of the truthfulness of his barb, Edward could not say.

                “I’ll do no such thing. If you can help me, then read my mind and see what there is to see. Otherwise we are wasting each other’s time.”

                A hand launched itself for his arm and a grip as tight as iron clapped on his wrist. His mind erupted and clouded for a mere second or two. The hand left as quickly as it had come, leaving him clear minded and for once, lacking any doubt, but roiling with something dark.

                He rubbed his wrist and then his head.

                “What did you do?”

                “Took what I needed. You are not suited for the gift you have. I would call you dangerous. I see that the lady wishes to guide you to some purpose that only she knows, and that alone might save you…or kill you.”

                “Lilith didn’t seem that bad to me.”

                “Son, the best traps are those that cannot be detected until they are sprung. Even I, who knows her wiles and ways better than most, still know I am no match for her. She is eternal, though some have tried to kill her. I sense inside of you more than one mind. You were unwise to do such a thing. It is why I left so soon. Who are they that reside within you?”

                “One of them is one of my line’s matriarchs. The other you may know by name. Robert Louis Stevenson.”

                There was a groan.

                “You are the one who is responsible for his disappearance? This is not good.”

                “It was all unintentional. Did you not see it?”

                “A plane and a battle? Yes, glimpses. You defeated him by separating him from his alter ego? That was temporary brilliance. It will also be a permanent burden. You were unwise to take on such things, even if you have managed to keep them subdued.”

                “I didn’t have a choice!”

                “So it may seem. Over time, you see your past actions and you see where you went right…or went wrong. But without these mistakes you can never be who you are meant to be. I fear what you very well may become. Has anyone made predictions about you?”

                “I’ve heard rumors.”

                “Rumors is it? I’ll not ask, nor will I go back inside your head to look.”

                “Then you can’t help me?”

                “Most likely not. Do you even know anything about me? I could give you a glimpse, but I’ll not risk connecting with you again. Your mind has a cancer in it. I will not be touched by it.”

                “Cancer? What are you talking about?”

                Maggie touched his arm lightly.

                “The shadow of Hyde.”

                “But I pulled out Stevenson.”

                Shuck nodded.

                “Did you? Pulling out a mind is easy. But only with experience can you cleanly sever it from its original body. And experience tells you quite quickly that doing it at all is a matter left for the lady, for only her mind can handle such entanglements.”

                “I have her mind,” came a quiet voice.

                Shuck looked sharply at Maggie.

                “So you say. So I saw. There will be trouble in this, and often trouble from an unforeseen source. You should not have come here. I cannot help but in telling you about my life, and that carries nothing of consequence to it. I smell doom in your lives as they now stand.”

                Edward finished his beer and slammed the mug down on the table.

                “I don’t need more doomsaying!”

                “Doom? Life is doom for most boy. You are born merely to die. Where is the meaning in that? I’m not saying that there is no joy to be had, but you two smell…unpleasant. I do not know why, but you do. There is a stink of conspiracy about you, the odor of intrigue and lies.”

                “That’s it! Come on Mags, lets get out of here.”

                She didn’t budge.

                “We came to get you some answers. Just because this man here is too cowardly to give them to you doesn’t mean we’re leaving.”

                There was a snort.

                “Baiting goes both ways, does it not? I am simply telling you the truth. I did say that a man who always speaks it is rarely appreciated.” He took in a breath and sighed before continuing.

                “You have no idea who Shuck is, or was. I’ve been around this whole isle and then some. What the average man calls a werewolf is just a description of the outward appearance of our alternate selves. Here in Great Britain they often refer to me a Black Shuck.”

He grinned mischievously.

“Just a little devil in the guise of a big black dog I am, because no one has ever put together what I am. The Kind is such a collective term, and maybe a better one than some, but I never use it. Seems pretentious. I have always gone by Shuck, though in this form I have to have some sort of assumed name to live among the people I will outlive. Right now, as you thought you knew it, I pretend to be the grandson to my own grandson, and people will believe it. Given time I will have to leave and move somewhere else and assume a new identity. But for now, this works and I come and go as I please. As for my past history, you can find a little on that internet of yours. Look me up.”

                Edward pulled out his phone at the same time as Maggie picked hers off the table, connected to the wifi, and punched in the name. Edward read through it and looked up.

                “You’ve never done anything wrong from what I’ve seen.”

                “What you’ve seen is very little. The lady has always had a tendency to thin out the details. History is what was. What was is often not what you learn. In this I am somewhat thankful. She has allowed one story where I tried to do some good, only to have it twisted into the terrible tale many still know today.”

                “The tale of the churches?” was Edward’s question as he scanned his screen.

                “Aye. I know what the internet says about it, and I know much more. Would you care to read it for me, or would you prefer I do it from memory?’

                “You can do it. It is your story after all.”

                “Fine.  This whole matter took place among the villages of Bungay and Blythburgh. If you know not where those are, they are in Suffolk. Since it involves churches, you may assume correctly that it was a Sunday, and thus all were in attendance for mass. I need no internet to remind of the date, for it has been etched into my mind; the fourth of August 1577.”

                He paused to reflect.

                “What the stories only now will tell you is that there was a magnificent storm coming in, one of such a form and size not seen for centuries. I was not a church going man, not even before this Christianity came to the isles. The lady is all there is that needs worship, and she craves it not.”

                He smiled a little at some private memory.

                “Well, worship isn’t the right word, but there are things she craves. They only make sense now in this future than they ever did in the past. Oh well… As I was saying. The church, the one they called Holy Trinity, was in the middle of their service when the storm blew in. I saw it from a distance, and in my desire to warn them, took my other form.”

                “The one the site lists as the big black shaggy dog?”

                “The very one. You should know full well the advantages that form has over this one. I dropped to my paws and tore up the ground in my race to get there in time.  I hit the doors head-on and burst in, making my way to the apse. My presence, as you might assume, was immediately noticed. There was much screaming as the congregation caught sight of me, which was all to the good, but in my press to get them out of the church, I failed to change back to my human form. That was just as well, for I would not have wished them to know who I was. I trotted up towards the altar and turned and roared.”

                “And what happened?”

                “The worst thing that could have happened. Lighting struck the steeple, shattering the timbers supporting it and flowing downward, struck me.”

He unbuttoned his shirt and showed them his left shoulder and chest. It radiated with fine lines.

“A few chunks of masonry fell upon the crowd, killing two. I was struck by several pieces before I could make my own escape out the way I came, pushing the panicking crowd ahead of me. Electricity was flowing through the building like what you see in high tension power lines today when they arc. Some flowed through me once more and into the door, scorching it.”

                He snorted a bit, a mix of laugh and dejection.

                “Still there today. But what do they remember? That I caused the whole thing. I can still recite a rather skewed line that remembers the incident. All down the church in midst of fire, the hellish monster flew, and, passing onward to the quire, he many people slew.”

                “You did what you thought was best,” was Maggie’s comforting reply.

                “Aye lass, I did. It didn’t go much better at Bungay. Like before, they were gathered under the roof, and I broke in and ran up the aisle, smoke still rising from my pelt.  Again, there was much commotion, but the storm moved as fast as I did, and the lighting was just as wicked. The building withstood the onslaught of the storm, but a bolt of lightning passed through the roof and struck two men where they knelt, killing them instantly. As you might expect, their deaths were blamed upon me, though I touched them not.”

                Edward was listening and reading. He nodded a few times before pulling his head away from his phone.

                “Might I ask what horrible things you have done? I have done more than my share.”

                “Your share? Americans is it?”

                His eye suddenly lit up in realization.

                “You! In New York City! Central Park!”

                “Yes…”

                Shuck nearly fell off his seat he was laughing so hard. His breath was coming in wheezes before he composed himself.

                “I don’t much care for the television, but it has its uses. I watched that with intense interest. Saw some of the footage as well. I wondered what fools were out and about making such a spectacle. Leave it to Americans to go for the drama under the spotlight.”

                There was an angry growl from Edward.

                “That was a life or death struggle!”

                “Life? Death? Opposite ends of the spectrum lad. Who did you kill, since it seems obvious you survived the encounter?”

                “He went by the name of Fish.”

                “Albert Fish? I know the name. I believe he was killed once upon a time, a long time ago? But then, that happens more than you know. We have more lives than any fabled feline.”

                “He was very much alive.”

                “Until you killed him again. This time, I might hope, for good?”

                “Seemed pretty dead to me.”

                “Ashes? If not, then don’t ever assume anything.”

                “Meaning?”

                “Just what I said. Unless The Kind are reduced to ashes, we can often come back from whatever killed us, unless it be the finality of old age. Even I will succumb to that one day, as will both of you. At least it is something to look forward to.”

                He then eyed Maggie.

                “Except for maybe you.”

                “What? Why?”

                “Because there is more to you than appearances show. If the lady endowed you with her memories, then she likely assumes you will be around long enough to need them. She has tried this with others with limited success.”

                “Limited?” Edward asked with concern tinging his tone.

                “Limited. If the mind is too shallow for the flow, then problems occur. As well, the mind may take what she has to offer but the body gives in under the load.”

                “People have died because of this gift?”

                “Gift? It might be a gift. Give a babe the fabled sword of King Arthur and you may call it a gift, but what will the babe do with it? Likely kill itself before growing old enough to wield it.”

                Maggie frowned and shrugged.

                “It’s not like warnings weren’t given. Choices were made and here we are.”

                “Aye, here you are. What is the old adage? Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread. There is something to be said for fools though.”

                Edward felt the heat rising within him. This man was cocky and too smart mouthed for anyone’s good. But he remembered what he had said about speaking the truth. With an effort he calmed himself.

                “Everything I do is foolish. And I do rush in where I have no business being. I would much rather be back home oblivious to all of this. But I’m stuck for it.”

                “That you are. You could, if you really wanted to, load a silver bullet into a gun and end your troubles once and for all.”

                “I have already taken a silver bullet to the brain.”

                “Impossible!”

                “It happened in Russia. I don’t remember a lot of it, for which I’m thankful.”

                Edward pushed back his hair to give a clearer view of his forehead. There wasn’t much of a mark, but it was there.

                “How? Silver in your youth? An immunization by proxy? Such a thing is unheard of!”

                “It’s a long story involving some weird metal that was put into a wound by Leonardo Da Vinci.”

                “Da Vinci! That old fraud is back out among us again?”

                “You know him?”

                “More that I know of him. But yes, we have met. I am not restricted to this island. Just like you move about, so to do I. Being what I am is no onus for not living a life.”

                “I see. Who else do you know?”

                “Who do I not know? So many are gone now, and so many lines destroyed. Mine is still strong, though my grandson received little from my genetics.”

                Again Edward had to tackle the image of the young looking man being a grandfather to anyone. As old as he claimed he was, he might have descendants twenty or thirty generations strong.

                “Maybe you have a perfect combination of characteristics? If so, then who was your father?”

                “That remains a bit of a mystery. And like everything surrounding us…The Kind if you will…it is shrouded and woven into a tale that connects us and separates us and makes all of what we are confusing and  yet, if you know, something that makes complete sense.”

                “None of what you said made any sense.”

                “Because you lack the information.”

                Shuck said that matter-of-factly, but then sighed.

                “It is difficult to tell you my story when you have none of it to work with. You are American. No offense, but your country is young and rather stupid. Your people are much the same. They were growing up fast and then…they stalled. Their minds lost a good grasp on the world. Look at them now.”

                “That has been remarked upon, yes.”

                “Good. As for who my father was, well, I do not make a big deal out of it for it hardy matters. But if you must know, his name was Beowulf.”

                Edward sat back for a moment.

                “That’s just a story. A poem or something.”

                “As are all of the stories about Lilith, or Mr. Hyde, or pretty much anyone you’ve heard of. Read about one of the old kings of England and all it is at the heart of it is a story. People are telling stories about you right now, but that does not make them you. They are only tales. And people are notorious liars, even when they do not play at it. What story has never been enhanced with embellishment?”

                “Alright. You have a point. I don’t know the origin of that story, but I do know it’s not older than you.”

                Shuck laughed.

                “It would be difficult to write a story before the person existed.”

                Edward stared at him, but the young man simply drained his beer glass.

                “You know who wrote it, don’t you?”

                “Aye lad. I wrote it. Lilith directed the words a bit, to keep me from giving out too much information.”

                He snorted at that.

                “Beowulf. Kind Arthur. Real people and yet, not real people. What will they write about you son? How would they tell the story of you destroying the villain Fish? Or the rightly maligned Hyde? Somewhere, those in the know are telling the stories, even unto themselves. And they will grow larger and grander with each new version. In a hundred years, what fragments will remain that hold truth? In a hundred years you will not care. Because you are not a story.”

                “Are you trying to tell me that I am worrying for nothing?”

                “Hardly. Worrying is of itself a tedious occupation. The only ones who bother to worry are those who are unprepared. Therefore, it suits you. And yet, are you so unprepared that you cannot handle yourself? I saw flashes of others. You’ve had some training. So what is it you’re so worried about?”

                Edward rubbed his head.

                “I wish I knew. When you touched me, whatever was bothering me seemed to vanish. Now it’s coming back. It’s a void that keeps gaining a foothold on my mind.”

                Shuck stared at him for a moment, holding his eyes solidly. Then, without warning, his hand grabbed Edward’s and a second later, Edward’s head hit the table.

                Maggie sat there completely unperturbed.

                Shuck let go and spoke to her in a commanding voice.

                “My lady, you had best tell me what is going on. I cannot help when I am shackled away from the truth.”

                “My lady?” she replied with mock astonishment.

                “You told me the truth up front. I played along with it. I would know you no matter what form you chose. Who is this man that you value him so much?”

                Her face became serene.

                “You were always perceptive. I was hoping you could help him with his confidence. I see great things in his life, and I see terrible ones. I am doing what I can to direct his progress in a manner which is beneficial to us both. His tackling of the Hyde persona was not something I had foreseen, and I regret that I was unable to stop it. But it’s done. It’s his onus now.”

                “Yes it is. Along with the other. He was ill prepared to do such a stupid thing.”

                “My fault I suppose.”

                “Isn’t everything? You meddle too much.”

                “I do what I think is right.”

                “Aye, you do. What is this void he speaks of? I sense that of which he speaks, but I cannot lay claim to knowing what was once there.”

                She sighed.

                “He has been through a lot, this one. His head was nearly taken apart, his chest was impaled, and a host of other things during his short time of knowing his potentiality. You should try once more to see into his life.”

                “I will not touch his mind a third time. There are things loose in there that defy explanation. What happened to him to allow for his survival of silver?”

                “Leonardo saved his life. He added the metal contained in this,” she said as she held up her hand, “to his wound.”

                “That damnable thing! Why did you allow it?”

                “I do not always interfere…”

                “Yes you do. Lying unbecomes you, though you do it often enough. The metal…those rings…should have been buried far beneath the earth. I had nothing but trouble with mine. Is that one mine?”

                “No. This was one from his family line. He found it. And it has served them well.”

                “Them?” He asked, gazing into her eyes.

                “His partner. His wife if you will.”

                “He has a partner and yet you are here…”

                His gazed narrowed.

                “You are impersonating her while she sleeps off the transfer. Will you ever give up on that endeavor? Must you torture so many for your personal satisfaction?”

                “I have been living far before I gave birth to you. Your assumption has always been correct. In that time I have felt that I would some day die. It hasn’t happened yet. If I do die, then everything I have worked for will be meaningless unless someone exists to understand it all. Maggie took everything I had to offer. You know what that entails. She survived. But…”

                He nodded.

                “You saw something in her future that didn’t bode well.”

                “Not just me. Edward too. He developed prescience. I blame the metal. He should not have had it.”

                “Then why has he forgotten it?”

                “Maggie removed it. She saw it too and in her love for him, made a rash decision. I am now in her place to counteract the possible effects.”

                “Meddlesome whore. You cannot stand to let people live their lives, can you?”

                She didn’t even blink at his attempted insult.

                “I do what I do.”

                “You could either do more, or preferably, you could do less.”

                “More?”

                “Yes, more. You have the power to change men’s minds, or to kill them outright. And yet you allow weak-minded fools to lead countries, start wars, and murder millions. Why?”

                “Because I have a goal, and unless those things interfere with it, I ignore them. Men get put into power by other men. I do not put them there, and as such, they are not my problem. My special children can take care of themselves. The rest must fend as they are able.”

                “That is cruelly said, and yet you answer truthfully for once. Why the change of heart?”

                “I have nearly achieved that which I set out to do. Thousands of years to wait for an answer. My patience is almost everlasting. To bring my children to the brink of enlightenment has been pushing them too hard, and perhaps too far. But I needed more brains than my own. I am many things my son, but I am not omniscient. I cannot think of all things.”

                “Another truth? What have I done to warrant such openness?”

                “Edward has a destiny. I have seen it. The way to it is not easy. He is one case where my doing less may have been detrimental.”

                “I doubt it. If you knew about him, then you knew about the silver. You could have interceded at any time you chose. Who is this girl you impersonate?”

                “Another from a long line. Winged, like me.”

                “Winged like you? There you go lying again. Do you forget that I am intimate with your many forms. Wings are only part of your charms.”

                She smiled and blushed a little.

                “I don’t let on to all of my abilities. It’s not good to be known too well.”

                “I agree, for I know thee all too well!”

                She kicked him under the table.

                “Times change!”

                “But you don’t. You are eternally full of mischief. You should just leave matters well enough alone.”

                “I cannot. I will not.”

                “So says you. Are we done here? As I have said, I can do nothing for him. He has been contaminated and it is there to stay. What it will do to him I cannot say. That it will destroy him in the end seems the most likely route. Killing him now would be for the best.”

                “That has always been a possibility. But the potential is too great to lose.”

                “Then it remains in your hands. I could kill him now that he is out, but it would hardly be sporting. And I have no ill will towards him. He is just another pawn in the game you keep playing.”

                “It is no game.”

                “To you it is. I think you play it because you are bored.”

                “I play it to a greater good.”

                “And there you speak the truth again. You are playing a game. I wish to have no part of it. You and I played our own game three times over the centuries. You will please leave me out of your plans from now on. I know your smell, and I can sense your thoughts. There is no fooling me anymore. When he wakes, please go and never return. I wish you no harm, but what you are doing now is dangerous and disturbing. Did you ever think that he might just as well be better off with his real mate, instead of an imposter trying to influence his future?”

                “I’m am, as they say it, running interference. I cannot have anything befalling her. She holds as much potential for the future as do I.”

                “And this you see? I would think visions of the future would be a bane to one’s faculties. It is bad enough remembering the past and living in the present. One more aspect would be more than I could bear.”

                “Which is why I do what I can with it.”

                He shook his head.

                “I believe that the more you meddle the more you make matters worse. But who am I to argue with the Great Mother? My opinion stands. When he wakes, we will finish off this conversation civilly and you will then depart. If you look for me here again, I will not be found.”

                “I can always find you my son.”

                “You may. But you will respect my desire to be left alone. There is no part of your plan anymore that involves me. What you have sown, so shall ye reap. I will sire no more children; not from you or anyone. There comes a time when you have to stand up for what you believe. And I believe that we are done. After all, the last time we spoke was what; 1923?”

                She smiled.

                “Yes. June twenty second.”

                “It was a Friday,” he replied rather stonily.

                “Was it so bad?”

                “No. But that was then. This is now. Take your new man and go. You are making me feel old with every word you utter. And I am old. If I’m not going to age, the least that can happen is that I feel as young as I look.”

                She nodded, smiled thinly and sighed. Shuck put his hand on Edward’s arm and he stirred, sitting up and shaking his head.

                “What the hell just happened?”

                “I apologize about that. I gave it another try to connect with your head. Rather put you out for a bit. I hope I didn’t give you a headache.”

                “No. I’m a little woozy but OK. You can’t do anything for me then?”

                “Sorry son. We could sit here and talk for days, and I might find that pleasant. But what you have going on inside is all yours to handle. I claimed a mind only once in my life, and I vowed never to do it again.”

                “I don’t blame you. I wish I could undo this.”

                “I’ll bet you do. I would like to undo a lot of my life. It can’t be undone.”

                “I’ve been told that before.”

                “Then follow it. Learn from your mistakes.”

                “If I live that long….” Edward rued.

                “Yes, if you live that long.”

                “That sounds ominous.”

                “Good. That was my intention. You have something inside you that is dangerous.”

                “Hyde?”

                “Oh, Hyde is only the name of the problem. What I see is far deeper. It will work itself out some day. Make sure it is far away from here.”

                “But…”

                “No buts. I am not the owner of this establishment, and thus I cannot evict you, but I am my own master and I choose to leave now.”

                He eyed Edward’s partner.

                “You know my mind. Heed it.”

                He handed the bartender a wad of bills.

                “This will cover whatever they need until they decide to leave. Treat them well while they remain. If they ever come back, bring out the gun. And as she said, use the silver bullets.”

                He went to the door and never once looked back. After he stepped through, it closed with a dull thud. Edward looked out the window to follow where the man was heading.

                Nothing.

                He might as well have vanished into thin air.