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                Several

voices spoke at once. "Monster?"

                Maggie

tugged on his sleeve. "What the hell are you talking about?"

                 Edward ignored her. "Yes, monster. What have

you to say for yourself?"

                The

master dropped back into his chair. "It was the only way to save you. I hoped

it wouldn't cause you any trouble."

                "The

trouble has been minimal so far. But the potential for harm is mind boggling."

                Maggie

jumped on his back. "What the hell are you guys talking about?"

                He

grabbed her legs as they came forward, putting her in a piggyback position. "Do

you remember that Leo here commented on his having more of that metal?"

                "The

stuff the rings are made of? Sure."

                "I'll

just bet you had some in the form of filings, didn't you?" he asked the bearded

old man.

                The

master nodded. "Yes. We tried finding other applications for the stuff.

                Maggie

sort of shrugged. "So what?"

                Edward

still had his attention focused on the old man. "What did you do with it my

friend?"

                The

master cleared his throat. "I sprinkled some of it into your chest wound to

assist with the healing."

                Maggie

yelped with delight. "So that's why the bullet didn't kill you! You already had

the metal inside your body!"

                Leonardo

was not aware of anything that had transpired in Russia. Bullets were somewhat

new to him, though he understood the principle. So it took a few minutes to

explain modern firearms.

                There

was then the matter of going over that fact that some of the ammunition was

made from silver. Those bullets were meant specifically to kill werewolves.

                "I see.

So you were struck in the brain with a piece of silver. You should be dead you

know despite the presence of the powder."

                "But

I'm not. So answer me why."

                The

master knit his brows in thought. "I have much to learn about the human body.

All I was able to study in my day were the fundamentals of anatomy. But if I

were to guess, I'd say the moonstone powder migrated to the site of the silver

and encapsulated it. Therefore, you have silver in your body, but it is walled off

by a layer of protective moonstone."

                Edward

nodded. "And you had no idea this might happen?"

                "How

could I? No one in my day would ever have wasted silver on such a projectile.

There weren't any such devices in common use except maybe in the lands of Persia.

The only weapons we had were more straight forward, and required an attacker to

risk personal harm to himself to get to a victim. Remember the armor and the

blades?"

                "I do.

So you're saying then that you feel you have no responsibility in my present

problem?"

                "I did

not say that. All I say is that if I had not done what I did, you would be dead

right now."

                Edward

nodded. "I don't disagree, but maybe I would be better off."

                Maggie

dug her heals into his ribs. "What the hell are you saying?"

                "I'm

saying that I have become a time bomb. I have looked to the future and I have

seen many possibilities. They are all murky, for it is hard to hold onto

visions that you yourself are part of. But many of them have very bad endings."

                "Why

didn't you mention this before?"

                "I

already told you that letting people know my ability would prove dangerous."

                "But

you just told all of us."

                "Correct."

                "But I

still don't get it. You've told us nothing of consequence."

                 He looked to Leonardo. "Well, do you know why

I call myself a monster?"

                The man

look flummoxed. "No, I'm afraid that I do not."

                Edward

said nothing, but dropped Maggie to the floor and began undressing. He got his

share of odd looks, but no one dared to question his actions. Once naked, he

began to grow, attaining his most splendidly huge form, the one that could rape

a bear with impunity.

                The

master's jaw dropped. "Oh my."

                Edward

growled out. "Running for the door will not save you."

                "Who

say's I was planning on making a run for it?"

                "Nor

will trying to talk your way out of it."

                Leo

stopped. "Are you saying that you can accurately see into the future?"

                "As

accurately as the constant flux of happenings allow. You should know that there

are too many variables to predict precisely what will happen in most events."

                Alexei

spoke up, in his native Russian. "Excuse me, but I'm not following any of

this."

                Edward

turned to him. "Here, have my ring back. I think you need to be in on this as

well." The shiny metal ring arced through the air.

                "So

Leo, what do you think has happened to me?"

                The man

gulped. "You have become the zenith, the peak of the Kind. But this is

impossible. I have been studying as much lore as I can find, and there is no

way you can have both of the characteristics."

                Maggie

change slightly and growled. "What the hell does that mean?"

                Edward

answered for the master. "It means that there are two penultimate forms. One is

the beast, or as they referred to my ancestor, The Beast. It is big, strong,

powerful, and nearly immune to harm, and close to being mindless. Then there is

other type, such as Leonardo here, who have very cunning minds, but their

alternate form is maybe not so impressive. There are lesser forms; there are

ones like you Mags, who have intuition and the ability to see future needs and

can still change into the feral forms. I am both now, and so much more. I could

leave this chamber and never be found again. I can see any way I need to of

escaping, for I can plan my movements based on what others are going to do to

find me. I can assume this form, or smaller ones, even to the point of being

nothing more than a regular wolf. This you know. Think what the combination

could be used for."

                "But

you wouldn't use it for harm...would you?"

                "That

is the very question that needs to be answered. For I might go out and try to do

good, but from whose perspective would those actions be viewed as good? Do I

kill terrorists? But who has declared them to be terrorists? Might not those people be the actual cause of a

dispute? The road to heaven is paved with good intentions, they say. I look to

my future and I see a lot of strife. I want to be rid of this curse."

                Maggie

looked between the two men. "Leonardo, did you put some of the powdered metal

into your own body?"

                The

master patted her on the head. "You are a bright child, aren't you? Yes, as a

matter of fact I did." He looked up to Edward. "I only did what I did to save your

life. I understand why you might be upset, but you will have to live with this

now, unless you can get a physician to remove the bullet and its coating. I

don't pretend to know a lot about your time yet, but that does seem to be a feasible

option with your technology."

                "I

would have no way of explaining to them what it was or how it got there.  I would have thought that you would have

figured that much out. But I think I know what will help. I have looked at the

possible permutations of it, and it has some semblance of success."

                Everyone

waited for him to tell them his idea. He let the seconds tick by until Leo

finally cracked. "What is it?"

                "I want

the location of the remainder of the original moonstone."

                "WHAT!

No! If you had that, you would become everything you say you fear."

                "Then

you did lie, didn't you, about more rings making no difference to a person."

                "Yes.

Greed and power consumes all men. It's why the rings were spread out to

different families. They all had greed and would have craved more power. By

splitting them up, I evened the playing field, as you people like to say. It

made it nearly impossible to acquire them by force, when your opponent was as

powerful as yourself. So there ended up a bit of peace among the royal

families. Besides, you have no idea what being near that rock did to me."

                "It

drove you out of your mind, didn't it? You had to have others, normal people,

doing most of the work. You brought in fellow craftsmen to assist you."

                "Yes.

We were told it couldn't be done, but we did it. And the rest of it is buried,

hidden away safely. I will not tell you where it is however, so don't ask." His

lip quivered in his defiance.

                "It

hardly matters. I know where Schloss Hartheim is. I can see now why the Nazi's

were drawn to it for their deviltry."

                Leo was

not yet acquainted with the world wars, but Alexei and Maria were.

                "Hartheim?

In Austria? That place has a very bad reputation. I remember hearing about it

after the second war. Hitler had his minions performing terrible atrocities

there."

                But

Maggie had a different question. "Are you suggesting that Adolph Hitler was a

werewolf too? God, now I feel dirty."

                Edward

tousled her hair. "Never feel bad for what other people do. Just make sure you

never do the things that make you abhor them. That's my present dilemma."

                The

master sputtered out his own few words. "How did you know about the castle? No

one knew!"

                Edward

turned back to him. "I told you I have it bad Leo. I don't know everything I

need to know, but I know how to find it out the information I seek. That chunk

of stone gave you a lot of trouble, didn't it?"

                He

nodded, looking very pensive to broach a subject he found disquieting. "Yes,

right from the start. We tried to melt the whole thing down, but we were unable

to do so even after a week of applied fire. Smashing bits off at a time worked

better, and these we managed to melt."

                "But..."

                "Every

piece we broke off tried to reapply itself to the whole."

                Maggie

raised here eyebrows. "Like a magnet?"

                "Yes

dear, like a magnet, only no other metal was attracted to it. And it adhered to

no other object but itself."

                "But

the rings don't stick to one another."

                "Yes, I

know, and if you ask me why, I can tell you nothing. They would stick to the

original stone, but not to themselves. It was most perplexing."

                Edward

nodded. "Perplexing indeed. Did it not strike you as odd that you were able to

perform mental feats well beyond those of your contemporaries?"

                "Well,

to be honest, I didn't dwell too much on that."

                "You

built a cryo-chamber, a device we still don't have."

                "Yes,

but as you can see it only worked for me."

                Maggie's

eyes got huge. "You tested it out on other people?"

                "Yes

little one, I did. Don't think of me as a cruel man. The king gave several

criminals a choice in their execution. They could volunteer for testing my

machine, and if they survived, they could go free. If they did not, their death

would prove to be more pleasant than that befitting their crimes."

                She

shuddered a little. "I don't think I like that. I assume that no one survived?"

                "One

did. After that, I felt that the machine was as good as it was going to get. I

allowed no more to enter my laboratory after that. It would either work for me,

or it would not."

                "And

the machine has some of this weird metal in it too, I suppose."

                "Yes,

and I managed to devise a method whereas it could only be opened with rings. I

didn't want just anyone opening it up. But I think it only would ever work on

the Kind, and then only with the presence of the metal on or in their bodies.

As you can see, it helped to heal your father quite well."

                Edward

held up his hand. "I am not judging you. But mind you, I am not happy. I never

asked for all of this."

                Leonardo

ran his fingers through his hair. "There are two kinds of men in this world

sir; those who crave power and those who despise it. The first kind rule it,

the second kind nurture it. You are of the second kind. In despising power, you

would make for a great leader."

                Edward's

gnarly fist slammed down on the ancient desk, severing the corner into

matchstick fragments. "I. DO. NOT. WANT. THIS."

                His

eyes were glowing from within. Maggie could smell the ire rising off of him.

She put her hand on his hairy arm and said calmly, "But you do love me, don't

you?"

                She

could feel him relax immediately. "Yes Mags, I love you very much. I just don't

want the responsibility of having this kind of moral dilemma. I want to settle

down and live for a while."

                She

couldn't help but laugh. "Live? What the hell have we been doing for the past

few months? Living! How the hell can a person know what livings is all about

unless they come close to dying first? We have both been there, and I'd like to

think we're stronger for it! We can take on anything life throws at us. If you're

so intent on losing your abilities, then just ignore them. Hide them. People

hide their talents all the time. Suppress it. I'd like to think you have the

strength to do that. And who knows? Some day you may wish you had the ability

to look into the future, and you'll not have it. Wouldn't you rather have

something you don't use, rather than wishing for something you didn't have that

you needed?"

                His

form shifted and shrunk. He returned to being Edward, the human. He dressed in

silence and then picked up his girl and hugged her close. "You know, I think I

have my moral compass right here."

                He then

turned back to Leonardo. "I'm still not happy. Have you any idea how strong the

urge is to go out and try to change the world?"

                The

master smiled from behind his beard. "Yes son, I do. Sometimes there is only so

much you can do. I see your dilemma. The world has gotten a lot more

complicated and connected since my time. Your weapons are more destructive, and

the number of persons who have them are much greater than in my day. I'm sure

you only want to do well by the world, but by placing yourself in the middle,

you expose to it who and what you are. Never let that happen, for they will use

those closest to you to try to control you."

                "Hence

the reason you never took a partner?"

                "Only

one of them. I was on no one's side but my own. Even in my day, there were

simply too many factions vying for control."

                Alexei

spoke up, having figured out the earlier conversation from that he had just

been picking up after donning the ring. "So this gentleman has the ability to

rule the world?"

                Edward

stiffened. Leonardo nodded. "Yes, he could, in a better fashion I think than

anyone else alive. But it is only in his distaste for the position that he

would be suitable for it, and in his distaste, he denounces any claim to it. If

only all such men who had aspirations to places of authority had such

integrity."

                The son

of the tsar stuck out his hand. "Father said that ruling was not as glorified

as many people thought it was. I don't think that ever stopped him from abusing

his power though; else he might have met his death in bed, rather than at the

point of a gun."

                Edward

grasped it. "I have no desire to ever rule anyone but myself. I understand the

necessity of the job, but it is not one for me. I have already looked into that

potentiality, and it did not bode well for me. I will be just as happy living

my life in obscurity."

                Maria

laughed. "There is nothing wrong with obscurity. I have lived in the

wilderness, for if anyone found out who I was, I would have been hunted down

and killed a long time ago."

                "And

I," said Alexei, "I too would have been hunted down. Once enough years had

passed though, no one would ever have taken me for the son of the tsar. I have

power my friends, and yet, I also have no notoriety. One can be powerful, and

still unknown. Let your conscience be your guide."

                Maggie

was pulling on his arm. "Yeah! Use your power just for us! No one else needs to

know about it. If, that is, you can restrain yourself from taking it too far."

                "Too

far? What is too far?" He asked rather sourly.

                "Too

far would be taking all the danger out of life. I don't want to know what

happens next, I want to find out. Why take the mystery out of life? Life will

go on without your interference. Chances are where you fix one thing, something

else will develop to take its place. Nature is chaos. You simply can't contain

it. Let it go. Dwell on those things you can affect. Like me."

                "And

what of all the others I have already had an impact on? Hmmmm? What of them?"

                She was

stumped for a moment. "I say allow things to work themselves out as they will."

                "And if

they don't?"

                "Oh

they will, even if it's not to your personal satisfaction. Things always work

out."

                He

smiled. "I don't think it's as easy as that, but your intent is sound. I have

looked to many different futures, so I'm afraid I have already tainted my

future actions to some extent. This is no bad thing. I have avoided looking too

hard into broader events to keep myself separated from them. "

                Maggie

pulled on his arm. "Then why did you make such a fuss?"

                "Because

I saw it as the only way of getting to some truths."

                Leonardo's

jaw dropped. "You have been manipulating us?"

                Edward

shrugged. "I saw it as the only way of getting a few facts out into the open.  Seeing the future, as I have remarked before,

only shows you possibilities. These can change as the events leading up to them

are altered. Facts are unwavering. I now know for certain that the stone was

buried at Hertheim."

                "So you

intend to retrieve it?" the master asked with a pained expression.

                "Yes,

but not right now. And so you know, it's no longer there."

                The

master sat bolt upright. "What?"

                "I

thought you should know in case you tried to retrieve it and hide it somewhere

else. The Nazis removed it in 1941."

                "Where

is it then?"

                "I have

no idea. But that won't keep me from looking for it."

                Maggie

tugged on his arm yet again. "But I thought you wanted to live a simple life.

Looking for something like that might take us anywhere in Europe."

                "Or

anywhere else in the world."

                "Really?"

Her eyes were wide.

                "Maybe.

Time will tell. For now, I think that we had better allow your aunt and uncle

some time to talk with Leonardo. I think I'd like to take a tour of the

Vatican. I haven't seen near as much as it has to offer. Tomorrow we'll be back

to see the pope, and then after that I think we'll try to be on our way back

home."

                Maggie

walked out of the chamber and up the stairs, holding his hand and her own

tongue. She hadn't realized that his present enhancement was being viewed as

curse by him. She liked having her abilities, but she was beginning to see

where having a slight advantage was different than being able to see so much

more. He could see when people might die, or when crimes were going to happen,

or...

 He was right; it was too much. Being endowed

with so much power was beyond the mental capabilities of most people. All a

person had to consider was the total number of people in the world, multiply

that by the number of potential problems and suddenly anyone capable of seeing

the problems before they could occur would immediately be overwhelmed by the

largeness of it all.

Most people worried about their own

lives, and even then they often had little control over them. He could see into

the murkiness that was the future. He could pick apart future events until he

could see cause and effect. He could prevent an airplane crash simply by buying

a mechanic a cup of coffee. It wasn't just a matter of jumping out to save a

child from an out-of-control car; it was simple things just like that.  What did people call it?

Oh, yeah, the Butterfly Effect.

                She

never believed in things happening like that until now. If could see what your

actions would do, then you could direct the world from the sidelines and no one

would ever know. It was a frighteningly real aspect of his power.

                  "Father?"

                "Yes

Mags."

                "I'm

sorry."

                "It's

not something that's your fault, or anybody's I guess. Shit happens."

                "If

you're so unhappy with it, why do you want to add to it?"

                "Add?"

                She

shrugged. "I assumed you want the whole stone, or what's left of it, to

increase your power even more."

                "Why do

you think that? Especially after what I just got done saying?"

                "I

don't know. Why else would you want it?"

                "Because

it's the only way I'll ever get this chunk of metal out of my head and survive

the process."

                She

pondered that for a moment. "I see. You think that the big stone will somehow

pull out its bits and pieces from your head?"

                "That's

the idea."

                "What

if they don't take the silver with it? Then you'll die."

                "I

know."

                "And

you're alright with that?"

                "Sort

of, yes. I have a lot to live for, and a lot to lose if I stay this way. Don't ask

me to explain it Mags. Trust me; I've worked it out until my head is spinning.

I had hoped that maybe Leo might have an answer for me, but he didn't. I guess

I should say that he didn't have one that I could really use."

                "Are

you saying a neurosurgeon couldn't remove it?"

                "Like I

said before, there would be a lot of explaining to try and do. And honestly, I

don't think any would ever want to try."

                "Why?"

                "Because

it has melded itself into my tissues. The metal is directly enhancing my brain

by stimulating it right where it counts."

                "I see.

But wouldn't you heal up afterwards because of what you are?"

                "I

thought at first that it would be that easy too. Permutations of the future

sight showed me dead every time."

                "You're

joking." She didn't sound amused.

                "I wish

I was. So you see where I'm trapped? It's like it's an all or nothing scenario.

A Catch 22 if you will."

                "Then keep

it. I'll stop you from ever trying to get it out of your head if it means that

I lose you in the process."

                He

smiled. "I already factored you in. I therefore already know what I'm going to

do right now."

                "I

suppose we're not going to go home yet. Planning another trip?"

                "No,

home is where I'm headed. Besides, the stone isn't likely to be going anywhere.

I think there are a few things we need to get settled before we head off

anywhere for such a long time again."

                She

nodded. "Like Verona?"

                "She's

one. I think she understands the situation, but I have no right to leave her

hanging in the balance. She needs stability in her life, and so does the child.

I must meet that obligation before I can go on."

                She

looked up at him. "You've already sorted this out, haven't you?"

                He didn't

bother looking down. "I have a good possibility, but nothing is concrete until

it happens. Let's just say that I have a solution that may work. Only time will

tell, and I thankfully have no control over that."

                She

shuddered. Affecting time too? That would be frightful beyond comprehension!