Chapter Eighteen: A Resolution?
Meanwhile, Connor woke up to find himself back on the island. His boat was gone and he had a massive bump on his head. It was slowly fading, but it still hurt like hell. In fact, it felt like someone had reached into his head, removed his brain, stamped on it for a while, then replaced it. Also, he couldn't remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was leaving Duncan's cabin and starting to make his way back up river. Whatever had hit him - literally - must have done it then, taking him surprise, and then dumping him back here. But why?
He didn't remember sensing any Immortals, he still had his sword, and his wallet. Maybe someone just wanted to get him out the way? Maybe to get to Duncan?!
Against all his body's instincts, Connor dragged himself to his feet and made his way over to the cabin. After knocking on the door, he finally managed to collapse again at Duncan's feet the second the younger man opened the door.
"Connor? Connor, can you hear me?" Duncan's voice was the first thing that Connor heard when he came to again.
Slowly sitting up, he noticed that he was in Duncan's cabin. Oh, yeah, he'd just got here before loosing it again, hadn't he?
"Yeah, Duncan, I'm alright".
"What happened?"
"Wish I knew. I left here, started down the river, and the next thing I know I'm waking up back here with one of the biggest headaches I've ever had short of actually being shot in the head! I just thought of getting over here, then I guess I lost consciousness again. Pleased you're still here, though."
"Me? 'Course I'm still here. I told you I wasn't leaving, didn't I. I didn't mean to be so harsh, Connor, but I meant what I said."
"Well, yeah, I think you made that clear. Still I wasn't actually thinking of you leaving voluntarily..."
"You think whoever was after you is also after me? But why? What's going on?"
"I don't think they're after me at all. They weren't immortal, didn't even try to kill me, just dumped me. Still got all my limps, my wallet, even my coat! It had to be to get me out the way. I thought it was to get to you."
"But I haven't seen or heard anything strange all day", Duncan replied,
intrigued despite himself.
"I don't understand it. I was so sure, after what Methos and Joe were saying..."
"What were they saying?"
"About you being some kind of 'chosen one' against this demon".
"There really is a demon?!"
"Believe it or not, but yes!"
"I'm not totally against the possibility of them, and there was something very weird going on, but, I mean, really, a demon! You believe this?!"
"As someone once said 'there are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy' ".
"Shakespeare did have quite a turn of phrase, didn't he?"
"That he did. Helped that he knew about some of those 'more things' personally", Connor laughed.
"He never..."
"Oh, yes. I once died right in front of him. Certainly piped his imagination, though, didn't it?!"
"Yes, I suppose it did."
"Anyway, I believe Methos when he says he knows what's going on".
"So, you found out about Methos, then".
"Oh, yes, I had quite an interesting evening with your friends. But, swear to me, you won't keep any more of these secrets from me, cousin. First the Watchers, then I find out my not-so-old friend is actually Methos, and that you're on first name terms with him. Not to mention demons, horsemen and end-of-the-world scenarios..."
"Wait a minute, you knew Methos."
"I knew a tall, lanky Immortal named Peter Wingman. For 20 years till I found he'd been killed. Yesterday afternoon I found out not only is he still alive he's actually a wee bit older than he led me to believe. Like 4900 years older."
"Yeah, keeping secrets is what the Old Man does best. He never mentioned that he'd even met you before."
"Old Man, well that's original."
"I know. But what did he say? And are you sure it's the truth? I mean, he may be saying things just to make me come back. He is one of the most devious men I have ever known..."
"If you don't trust him, Duncan, then at least trust me. God, you should have seen him. If it was any kind of act, he has to be the greatest actor ever".
"I wonder sometimes. He made me so mad, pretending to be something he wasn't, manipulating me, hiding behind masks. I wish I knew the real him. I can't help thinking that he's playing with us all."
"Well, he always seemed secretive but not devious and manipulative to me".
"Exactly, you only knew the character of Peter Wingman. You were friends with him for 20 years and he never told you, never even tried?"
"No, I suppose not. But you can understand the position he's in..."
"Can I? Should I? He says he's my friend, he says he cares for me, but he never opens up to me..."
"Not everyone is so open as you, Duncan, or so judgmental".
"What do you mean? You think he's afraid to tell me?!"
"Not to tell you, but maybe of how you'll react to what you'll hear?"
"Why, if it's the truth?"
"Did you believe him when he told you he tried to stop Richie? Did you believe that he didn't mean to take Richie's head, and that he's only ever tried to stop you from loosing yours? Did you believe that he cares for you?"
"You know about all that, too?"
"Told you it was an interesting night".
"I don't know. He makes me so confused!"
"Maybe you should stop thinking, and start just doing. Stop worrying about how you were supposed to live, and start concentrating on how you want to live now. Before you loose your head and you no longer have a choice".
"When did you get so wise, Connor?" Duncan laughed.
"Probably about the time I gained my first, hopeless case of a student", he replied, with a grin.
" 'Hopeless'! Ha! I could beat you any day!"
"Only 'cos of my teaching!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"So, you'll come back", Connor asked, serious again, glad he had managed to get through to his kinsman at last.
"I suppose so. I still don't know what they expect me to do. I'm still not sure I can just go back to my life, like nothing happened".
"Life happened. It happens to the best of us. Nothing else happened, Duncan", 'at least not yet' Connor added to himself.
"You'll talk to Methos and the others?"
"I'll...I'll try".
"That's all I'm asking."
I only hope it's that easy, Connor thought as he set about preparing for their return.
Meanwhile, Connor woke up to find himself back on the island. His boat was gone and he had a massive bump on his head. It was slowly fading, but it still hurt like hell. In fact, it felt like someone had reached into his head, removed his brain, stamped on it for a while, then replaced it. Also, he couldn't remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was leaving Duncan's cabin and starting to make his way back up river. Whatever had hit him - literally - must have done it then, taking him surprise, and then dumping him back here. But why?
He didn't remember sensing any Immortals, he still had his sword, and his wallet. Maybe someone just wanted to get him out the way? Maybe to get to Duncan?!
Against all his body's instincts, Connor dragged himself to his feet and made his way over to the cabin. After knocking on the door, he finally managed to collapse again at Duncan's feet the second the younger man opened the door.
"Connor? Connor, can you hear me?" Duncan's voice was the first thing that Connor heard when he came to again.
Slowly sitting up, he noticed that he was in Duncan's cabin. Oh, yeah, he'd just got here before loosing it again, hadn't he?
"Yeah, Duncan, I'm alright".
"What happened?"
"Wish I knew. I left here, started down the river, and the next thing I know I'm waking up back here with one of the biggest headaches I've ever had short of actually being shot in the head! I just thought of getting over here, then I guess I lost consciousness again. Pleased you're still here, though."
"Me? 'Course I'm still here. I told you I wasn't leaving, didn't I. I didn't mean to be so harsh, Connor, but I meant what I said."
"Well, yeah, I think you made that clear. Still I wasn't actually thinking of you leaving voluntarily..."
"You think whoever was after you is also after me? But why? What's going on?"
"I don't think they're after me at all. They weren't immortal, didn't even try to kill me, just dumped me. Still got all my limps, my wallet, even my coat! It had to be to get me out the way. I thought it was to get to you."
"But I haven't seen or heard anything strange all day", Duncan replied,
intrigued despite himself.
"I don't understand it. I was so sure, after what Methos and Joe were saying..."
"What were they saying?"
"About you being some kind of 'chosen one' against this demon".
"There really is a demon?!"
"Believe it or not, but yes!"
"I'm not totally against the possibility of them, and there was something very weird going on, but, I mean, really, a demon! You believe this?!"
"As someone once said 'there are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy' ".
"Shakespeare did have quite a turn of phrase, didn't he?"
"That he did. Helped that he knew about some of those 'more things' personally", Connor laughed.
"He never..."
"Oh, yes. I once died right in front of him. Certainly piped his imagination, though, didn't it?!"
"Yes, I suppose it did."
"Anyway, I believe Methos when he says he knows what's going on".
"So, you found out about Methos, then".
"Oh, yes, I had quite an interesting evening with your friends. But, swear to me, you won't keep any more of these secrets from me, cousin. First the Watchers, then I find out my not-so-old friend is actually Methos, and that you're on first name terms with him. Not to mention demons, horsemen and end-of-the-world scenarios..."
"Wait a minute, you knew Methos."
"I knew a tall, lanky Immortal named Peter Wingman. For 20 years till I found he'd been killed. Yesterday afternoon I found out not only is he still alive he's actually a wee bit older than he led me to believe. Like 4900 years older."
"Yeah, keeping secrets is what the Old Man does best. He never mentioned that he'd even met you before."
"Old Man, well that's original."
"I know. But what did he say? And are you sure it's the truth? I mean, he may be saying things just to make me come back. He is one of the most devious men I have ever known..."
"If you don't trust him, Duncan, then at least trust me. God, you should have seen him. If it was any kind of act, he has to be the greatest actor ever".
"I wonder sometimes. He made me so mad, pretending to be something he wasn't, manipulating me, hiding behind masks. I wish I knew the real him. I can't help thinking that he's playing with us all."
"Well, he always seemed secretive but not devious and manipulative to me".
"Exactly, you only knew the character of Peter Wingman. You were friends with him for 20 years and he never told you, never even tried?"
"No, I suppose not. But you can understand the position he's in..."
"Can I? Should I? He says he's my friend, he says he cares for me, but he never opens up to me..."
"Not everyone is so open as you, Duncan, or so judgmental".
"What do you mean? You think he's afraid to tell me?!"
"Not to tell you, but maybe of how you'll react to what you'll hear?"
"Why, if it's the truth?"
"Did you believe him when he told you he tried to stop Richie? Did you believe that he didn't mean to take Richie's head, and that he's only ever tried to stop you from loosing yours? Did you believe that he cares for you?"
"You know about all that, too?"
"Told you it was an interesting night".
"I don't know. He makes me so confused!"
"Maybe you should stop thinking, and start just doing. Stop worrying about how you were supposed to live, and start concentrating on how you want to live now. Before you loose your head and you no longer have a choice".
"When did you get so wise, Connor?" Duncan laughed.
"Probably about the time I gained my first, hopeless case of a student", he replied, with a grin.
" 'Hopeless'! Ha! I could beat you any day!"
"Only 'cos of my teaching!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"So, you'll come back", Connor asked, serious again, glad he had managed to get through to his kinsman at last.
"I suppose so. I still don't know what they expect me to do. I'm still not sure I can just go back to my life, like nothing happened".
"Life happened. It happens to the best of us. Nothing else happened, Duncan", 'at least not yet' Connor added to himself.
"You'll talk to Methos and the others?"
"I'll...I'll try".
"That's all I'm asking."
I only hope it's that easy, Connor thought as he set about preparing for their return.