SIX
"Hold on," said Prue, holding the watch in her hand. "I want some answers. Just who the hell are you and what is so important about this watch?"
Daniel just smiled.
"I told you," he said. "I'm simply an old man who wanted his watch back."
Daniel held out his hand and the watch simply vanished from Prue's hand. It appeared almost instantly in his hand. He looked at it lovingly.
"Only, this is no ordinary watch," he continued. "This is perhaps the most important item in the world. With it, a person can protect all mankind. Or destroy it."
"Hang on a second," said Prue. "How can a watch destroy mankind? It's just a watch. It tells time. That's what a watch does."
"No my dear," Daniel said. "This watch is much more than that. It is very old. Quite possibly the oldest watch in the world. You've said as much."
"You mean it really is worth some money?" asked Anthony.
"Young man," Daniel said, "this watch is worth more than all the money in the world. It is, quite literally, priceless."
"I'm confused," said Phoebe. "You're not a witch. You aren't a demon. Just what are you?"
"I'm the keeper of the watch," said Daniel. "You see, in 46 B.C.E. Julius Caesar made one of the first attempts to produce an accurate calendar. While his efforts were fruitful, there were some significant errors in the calendar he produced. It was the Julian calendar and it was used for many years.
"Between 1511 and 1563, numerous efforts were made to correct these errors. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII finally produced the Gregorian calendar, the one we use today. It is for all intents and purposes the most accurate calendar possible. The commission given by the Council of Trent in 1563 was very simple. Correlate all of the known writings at the time and produce an accurate calendar, which they did."
"What does all this have to do with that watch?" asked Prue.
"Their commission was much more exhaustive than just producing a calendar," Daniel said. "The Catholic Church wanted not only an accurate calendar, but an accurate account of history since the Creation. That, in part, was what helped produce the Gregorian calendar."
"You mean they were able to calculate everything back to the beginning of time?" Piper asked.
"Precisely," Daniel said. "This watch is the most significant culmination of that work. With it, the world is safe so long as it remains in the proper hands. In the wrong hands, it could bring about Armageddon. The end of the world."
No one spoke. None of them could fully understand how a simple watch could destroy the world.
"Hold on," said Prue, holding the watch in her hand. "I want some answers. Just who the hell are you and what is so important about this watch?"
Daniel just smiled.
"I told you," he said. "I'm simply an old man who wanted his watch back."
Daniel held out his hand and the watch simply vanished from Prue's hand. It appeared almost instantly in his hand. He looked at it lovingly.
"Only, this is no ordinary watch," he continued. "This is perhaps the most important item in the world. With it, a person can protect all mankind. Or destroy it."
"Hang on a second," said Prue. "How can a watch destroy mankind? It's just a watch. It tells time. That's what a watch does."
"No my dear," Daniel said. "This watch is much more than that. It is very old. Quite possibly the oldest watch in the world. You've said as much."
"You mean it really is worth some money?" asked Anthony.
"Young man," Daniel said, "this watch is worth more than all the money in the world. It is, quite literally, priceless."
"I'm confused," said Phoebe. "You're not a witch. You aren't a demon. Just what are you?"
"I'm the keeper of the watch," said Daniel. "You see, in 46 B.C.E. Julius Caesar made one of the first attempts to produce an accurate calendar. While his efforts were fruitful, there were some significant errors in the calendar he produced. It was the Julian calendar and it was used for many years.
"Between 1511 and 1563, numerous efforts were made to correct these errors. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII finally produced the Gregorian calendar, the one we use today. It is for all intents and purposes the most accurate calendar possible. The commission given by the Council of Trent in 1563 was very simple. Correlate all of the known writings at the time and produce an accurate calendar, which they did."
"What does all this have to do with that watch?" asked Prue.
"Their commission was much more exhaustive than just producing a calendar," Daniel said. "The Catholic Church wanted not only an accurate calendar, but an accurate account of history since the Creation. That, in part, was what helped produce the Gregorian calendar."
"You mean they were able to calculate everything back to the beginning of time?" Piper asked.
"Precisely," Daniel said. "This watch is the most significant culmination of that work. With it, the world is safe so long as it remains in the proper hands. In the wrong hands, it could bring about Armageddon. The end of the world."
No one spoke. None of them could fully understand how a simple watch could destroy the world.