"Are you sure this is going to work?" Phoebe asked as they sat in Prues car a couple of blocks from the manor. "I don't understand why we couldn't just wait in the manor."
"Because," said Prue, "the warlock may be watching the place. He might not come back if we're there. So we wait here for a while and if he shows up Leo can orb us back into the manor and take him by surprise."
"I still think we should have brought that athame with us," said Piper from the front passenger seat, "instead of leaving it out in plain sight where he an see it. Once he gets it in his hands we could be in some serious danger."
"I'm not going to let that happen," said Prue. "Besides, if we took the athame with us he might know. That's the bait. We have to lure him back so we can ask him our questions and get the answers."
"You realize if something goes wrong," said Leo, "I won't be able to orb you away."
"I know," said Prue. "I considered that. But this is just one warlock. And we know he's coming. This time we have the element of surprise on our side."
"Are you sure you can sense him in the manor?" phoebe asked Leo, sitting next to her in the back seat.
"Yes," said Leo. "But I need to concentrate so it would be best if you didn't talk to me so I'll know when he gets there."
"Oh, okay," said Phoebe as Leo closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
"What do we do when the warlock shows up?" Piper asked. "We can't just orb in and start asking questions. A warlock isn't likely to be very forthcoming with a witch."
"True," said Prue. "We'll deal with that when we get to it. Right now we just need to wait until he shows up, assuming he does. I hope it doesn't take long. I don't like just sitting out here doing nothing."
"Looks like you get your wish," said Leo, opening his eyes. "I think he just showed up."
"Are you sure it's him?" asked Phoebe.
"Well," said Leo, "I sensed someone just suddenly appear in the attic. So it must be the warlock."
"Great," said Prue. "Now, everyone be ready. He's likely to put up a fight so we need to be prepared. Leo, orb us into the attic on the opposite side of the room from the warlock."
Prue and Piper held hands and Leo held Prue and Phoebe's hand. Looking around to make sure there was no one watching he orbed them out of the car. They appeared in the attic just inside the door. The warlock was in the back of the room rummaging through a box. The athame sat fully exposed on a table in one corner. Suddenly the athame slid off the table and into Prue's hand. The warlock caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to face them.
"Sorry I wasn't home when you stopped by earlier," Prue said, holding the athame. "I was at work. But we figured you'd come by for a visit so I thought I'd hang around for a chat."
"Three witches," hissed the warlock. "You're the Charmed Ones I've been hearing about."
"Hey, Prue, we're getting to be famous," said Phoebe.
"Seems like it," said Prue. "Now, we have some questions for you. And you're going to answer them like a good little warlock."
"Not likely, witch," said the warlock. "I don't want any trouble with the three of you."
"Well, you've got trouble in spades," said Piper.
"I don't think so," said the warlock, smiling at the sisters.
He stood smiling at the sisters for several moments and then the smile suddenly faded from his face. His brow furrowed in a look of confusion as he looked around him.
"What's wrong?" Prue asked almost innocently. "Can't blink away? Oh, I guess that's because of the spell we put on the attic. A spell that prevents magical movement out of the attic. So I guess you're stuck here at least for a while."
"I don't think so," said the warlock, forming an energy ball and casting it at the sisters.
Prue took hold of the energy ball with her telekinetic power and cast it back at the warlock. It struck him sending him back against the wall. He struck the wall and fell to the floor. He looked up at the sisters with fear in his eyes.
"I don't want any trouble," said the warlock. "I just came to get what's mine. That old woman made a deal with me then double-crossed me. I just came for what she stole from me."
"Well," said Prue, looking at the dagger, "that's not going to happen. Now, as we said we have some questions. Questions you can answer. We want those answers."
"Listen, I'll make a deal with you," said the warlock.
"We don't make deals with warlocks," said Phoebe.
"You might want to think twice about that," said the warlock. "Look, I know you plan to vanquish me when you're through. That doesn't give me much incentive to cooperate. And even if I do you won't know if what I tell you is true."
"He has a point," Piper asked. "What kind of deal?"
"I'll answer your questions," said the warlock. "And I'll tell you the truth. I'll tell you everything I know."
"And what do you get in return?" Prue asked.
"You let me walk out of here unharmed and in one piece," said the warlock. "No vanquishing. I know I can't stand up to the three of you. And I'm not really in the mood to die just now."
"How do we know you'll tell us the truth?" Piper questioned.
"Because if I lie to you you'll find out," said the warlock. "That's the other part of the deal. You don't come looking for me. You let me walk out of here unharmed and don't come after me and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
"Well," said Prue, "looks like we actually have an intelligent warlock for a change. But we keep this." She indicated the athame. "That's the other part of our deal."
"Yeah, okay, whatever," said the warlock a look of confusion on his face. "Just give me your word that if I tell the truth you won't vanquish me."
"Okay, fair enough," said Prue. "As long as you're honest, we won't vanquish you. Now, let's start with your name."
"Palmer," said the warlock. "Palmer Stuart."
"Okay, Mr. Palmer Stuart," said Piper. "You've been killing innocents. We want to know why."
"I was hired to," said Stuart.
"You're a mercenary?" questioned Phoebe.
"Sure," said Stuart. "Lots of warlocks are. A man's got to make a living."
"So, who hired you and why?" Prue asked.
"The why I can't tell you," said Stuart. "All I know is this old woman shows up at my place one day. She gives me this list of names and that athame. She said she wanted those people killed in a specific order and on the same date each year. I was going to turn her down but she was paying a lot more than was normal for that kind of a job so I figured what the heck. They're all mortals and no threat to me. I figured it would be easy money."
"You have no idea who those people are, do you?" Piper asked.
"No, and I couldn't care less," said Stuart. "All I know is this female warlock wanted them dead. She gave me that athame enchanted to steal their souls when I used it. Like I told you, they weren't a threat to me and it was an easy assignment."
"A female warlock?" questioned Prue. "Just who was this female warlock that hired you and what does that have to do with our grandmother?"
"I would have figured you'd have guessed that by now," said Stuart. "It took me a while to figure out who that warlock was that hired me. She never told me her name. But I did a lot of checking and I finally figured out who it was. That's why I'm here. The female warlock that hired me to kill those people was your grandmother, Penny Halliwell."
The girls just stared at the warlock in total disbelief.
