"Phoebe, will you just let it go?" Cole was asking as they walked into the manor. "It wasn't him, I told you. Just someone that looked like him."
"Sure," Phoebe said sarcastically. "A human that just happens to look like a demon. Just how likely is that?"
"They say everyone has a twin," Cole said smiling at Phoebe.
"What are you two arguing about now?" Paige asked coming down the stairs.
"We aren't arguing," Cole said. "We're having a disagreement. I wish I hadn't said anything."
"Cole saw a demon at the paper," Phoebe said.
"A demon?" Paige questioned. "Are you sure?"
"No," Cole said. "I said it looked like a demon I used to know. I also said it couldn't be him because he rarely comes to the mortal plane and when he does he avoids contact with humans. It was just a case of mistaken identity."
"You seemed pretty sure at the time," Phoebe said.
"Think about it, Phoebe," Cole said. "Demons don't confront you in public. They usually attack here at the manor or wait until no humans are around. They don't want to expose themselves any more than they have to. Besides, like I said, he doesn't fight. He trains young demons."
"Trains young demons?" Paige questioned.
"Yes," said Cole. "Demonic children are born with their powers like any other magical beings. But just like human children they have to learn how to use those powers. Cartrack helps train many of these children. Plus, as you are aware, many demons, especially upper level demons, have a human form. He helps train those children to blend in with humans better."
"They have to be trained for that?" Paige questioned.
"Of course," Cole said. "Most demonic children grow up in the underworld. Very few had the opportunity to learn about human societies as I did. These children don't know anything but the demonic way of life. Cartrack helps train these children to understand and work within human societies."
"Sounds like a demon we should vanquish," Paige said. "Without him maybe the demons would be handicapped."
"He's not the only one who does it," Cole said. "He's just the oldest and one of the best. It's a great honor to be trained by Cartrack. He only takes the most powerful and most promising children. You don't ask Cartrack to train your children. He chooses the ones he trains."
"Did he train you?" Phoebe asked.
"Some," Cole said. "While my mother was a demoness I had powers she didn't have. She didn't know how to train me to use those powers. He trained me to use those powers."
"Well, he obviously did a good job," Phoebe said.
"He's the best there is," Cole said. "You'd be surprised how hard it is to actually cast a fireball properly. Forming one is relatively easy. Hitting what you aim at, that's the real trick."
"Really?" Paige asked. "I figured it would be second nature to most demons."
"Hardly," Cole said. "Fireballs don't weigh much. It's like throwing a feather. You have to account for things like air density, wind, targets moving, and a host of other things. Cartrack teaches young demons to account for these things."
"I still say we should vanquish him," Paige said.
"That would be difficult," Cole said. "Like I said, he rarely comes to the mortal plane. And the demonic nursery is one of the best guarded places in the underworld. You might get him if you were to go down there but I guarantee you'd never get out alive. Forget about all the guards on the nursery. Every demonic parent would come looking for you to get revenge."
"It was just a thought," Paige said.
"I'm still going to check the Book of Shadows," Phoebe said, heading for the attic. "Maybe it was him and maybe it wasn't. I'd like to be prepared just in case."
"If you insist," Cole said. "But there's really nothing to worry about. Even if it were him he's gone back to the underworld by now. I've never known him to spend more than a couple of hours at a time on the mortal plane. And he didn't have any children with him. He's never come to the mortal plane without at least one child with him."
"Why is that?" Paige asked.
"When he comes to the mortal plane," Cole said, "It's to introduce the demonic children to human societies. They spend most of their time observing and Cartrack explains things."
"I'm still going to check," Phoebe said. "Just humor me."
"We should let Piper know, too," Paige said. "Nothing against you, Cole, but we have enough demons popping in here without any warning. If it wasn't this Carnack no harm done. But we should be prepared just in case."
"If you insist," Cole said. "And it's Cartrack. Carnack was a character played by a late night television talk show host a few years back."
"Right, Cartrack," Paige said. "Demons have such strange sounding names."
"Not for demons," Cole said smiling. "Look at the underworld like another country. Each has their own types of names. And most demonic names mean something. Cartrack, for instance, means 'teacher' in some demonic dialects."
"So," Paige said, "what does Belthazor mean in demonic dialects?"
"Trust me," Cole said, "you really don't want to know the answer to that."
"Well, Piper will be home in a short while," Phoebe said. "I supposed we could wait until she gets home. I'll let you know what I find out from the Book of Shadows."
"I still say you're wasting your time," Cole said. "Cartrack is not a threat to any of you."
Phoebe just smiled at Cole as she headed for the stairs.