EIGHT
"If I do," Anthony said, "those demons won't be able to take the watch from me?"
'They can't," said Phoebe. "We vanquished them."
"No one will be able to harm you ever again," Daniel said. "As I said, no one can resist the magic of time. Until it is time for a new keeper to be chosen, no one can take the watch from you by force. It can only be given away freely. Your only responsibility will be to safeguard the watch until it is time for a new keeper to accept the responsibility."
Anthony thought for a moment. No one had really relied on him for anything. No one had ever trusted him with anything of any importance. And now he had the chance to be responsible for the most important task a person could do.
"I guess I don't have a lot of choice," Anthony said finally.
"Of course you do," replied Daniel. "All humans have free will."
"That's not what I meant," said Anthony. "I know I can say no. But what happens if I do? Someone like those demons might get hold of the watch. Then where would we be?"
"Then you will accept the responsibility?" asked Daniel.
"I guess so," said Anthony. "I mean, if I've been chosen, who am I to argue with magic?'
"Good," said Daniel. "I would ask only a single favor of you. I have been alone for a very long time. As I said, my wife passed away many years ago. If I could have only a single minute of the time from this watch. One moment to see my wife again. Before I go on to my reward."
"It seems like so little to ask," said Prue. "He has been at this a long time. And it seems he should be rewarded for his faithfulness."
"It only seems fair," said Piper.
"I think you should give him his minute," Phoebe said to Anthony.
Anthony's brow furrowed. It was clear he was caught in the midst of a dilemma.
"I'd like to say yes," said Anthony to Daniel. "But how can I? If this watch is as important as you say - if it's the only safeguard against the end of the human race - how can I give away even one minute? Like you said, it might seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. But you also said it was the most important hour in human history. If that's true, I don't have the right to give it away. Even to someone who's protected it all these years. I'm sorry, Daniel. I can't."
Daniel smiled at Anthony.
"Don't apologize," said Daniel. "That was the final test. To make sure you were the right choice to be my successor. And you're right. These fifty-six minutes are too precious to waste on even a moment of happiness even for me. I'm only one man. I don't have the right to take even a second from all humanity."
He turned to the sisters.
"Thank you for your help," he said. "My task is now complete. And I will get the long deserved rest I've longed for. I wish you well, Charmed Ones."
He noticed tears in the sisters' eyes.
"Don't weep for me," he said, smiling. "My beloved waits for me on the other side. We will be together again for all eternity. I don't regret the past or what's happened. But I will be glad to lay my burdens aside."
He handed the watch to Anthony.
"You are now the keeper of the watch," he said. "Guard it well. You will live a long prosperous life. And you will be rewarded for your faithful service."
Without another word, Daniel turned and walked away from the four. They simply watched him go, knowing they would never see him again.
"Well," said Anthony, looking at the watch, "I guess I'd better be going, too. It seems I have a new job."
"What will you do?" Piper asked.
"I don't know," said Anthony. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do or where I'm supposed to go."
"I imagine that won't be much of a problem," Prue said. "I'm sure that whatever you're supposed to do, you'll be told. Somehow. Magic can be like that sometimes. You just take care of yourself. We're all counting on you."
"You, too," said Anthony. "Maybe we'll meet again some day."
"I hope so," said Phoebe.
Anthony turned and walked in the same direction that Daniel had gone. Within moments, he, too, had vanished from the girls' sight.
"If I do," Anthony said, "those demons won't be able to take the watch from me?"
'They can't," said Phoebe. "We vanquished them."
"No one will be able to harm you ever again," Daniel said. "As I said, no one can resist the magic of time. Until it is time for a new keeper to be chosen, no one can take the watch from you by force. It can only be given away freely. Your only responsibility will be to safeguard the watch until it is time for a new keeper to accept the responsibility."
Anthony thought for a moment. No one had really relied on him for anything. No one had ever trusted him with anything of any importance. And now he had the chance to be responsible for the most important task a person could do.
"I guess I don't have a lot of choice," Anthony said finally.
"Of course you do," replied Daniel. "All humans have free will."
"That's not what I meant," said Anthony. "I know I can say no. But what happens if I do? Someone like those demons might get hold of the watch. Then where would we be?"
"Then you will accept the responsibility?" asked Daniel.
"I guess so," said Anthony. "I mean, if I've been chosen, who am I to argue with magic?'
"Good," said Daniel. "I would ask only a single favor of you. I have been alone for a very long time. As I said, my wife passed away many years ago. If I could have only a single minute of the time from this watch. One moment to see my wife again. Before I go on to my reward."
"It seems like so little to ask," said Prue. "He has been at this a long time. And it seems he should be rewarded for his faithfulness."
"It only seems fair," said Piper.
"I think you should give him his minute," Phoebe said to Anthony.
Anthony's brow furrowed. It was clear he was caught in the midst of a dilemma.
"I'd like to say yes," said Anthony to Daniel. "But how can I? If this watch is as important as you say - if it's the only safeguard against the end of the human race - how can I give away even one minute? Like you said, it might seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. But you also said it was the most important hour in human history. If that's true, I don't have the right to give it away. Even to someone who's protected it all these years. I'm sorry, Daniel. I can't."
Daniel smiled at Anthony.
"Don't apologize," said Daniel. "That was the final test. To make sure you were the right choice to be my successor. And you're right. These fifty-six minutes are too precious to waste on even a moment of happiness even for me. I'm only one man. I don't have the right to take even a second from all humanity."
He turned to the sisters.
"Thank you for your help," he said. "My task is now complete. And I will get the long deserved rest I've longed for. I wish you well, Charmed Ones."
He noticed tears in the sisters' eyes.
"Don't weep for me," he said, smiling. "My beloved waits for me on the other side. We will be together again for all eternity. I don't regret the past or what's happened. But I will be glad to lay my burdens aside."
He handed the watch to Anthony.
"You are now the keeper of the watch," he said. "Guard it well. You will live a long prosperous life. And you will be rewarded for your faithful service."
Without another word, Daniel turned and walked away from the four. They simply watched him go, knowing they would never see him again.
"Well," said Anthony, looking at the watch, "I guess I'd better be going, too. It seems I have a new job."
"What will you do?" Piper asked.
"I don't know," said Anthony. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do or where I'm supposed to go."
"I imagine that won't be much of a problem," Prue said. "I'm sure that whatever you're supposed to do, you'll be told. Somehow. Magic can be like that sometimes. You just take care of yourself. We're all counting on you."
"You, too," said Anthony. "Maybe we'll meet again some day."
"I hope so," said Phoebe.
Anthony turned and walked in the same direction that Daniel had gone. Within moments, he, too, had vanished from the girls' sight.