SIX
"Kumak, I presume," said Piper.
"Guilty as charged," said Kumak, bowing slightly. "I suppose I should feel honored. It has been a long time since I had any visitors. And the infamous Charmed Ones no less. This is quite an honor."
"You know who we are?" Phoebe asked.
"Of course," said Kumak. "I'm very well acquainted with you. I have been for many years."
"We should kill them," said one of the demons. "They are the Charmed Ones. They have been a pain to us for far too long."
"Not so fast," said Kumak. "They went to all the trouble to track me down. I'm a bit curious why. By the way, just how did you track me down? I went to a great deal of trouble to find a location that would not be suspect."
"We have our methods," said Paige. "You don't really expect us to give away our secrets, do you?"
"I suppose not," said Kumak. "No more than I would give away mine. But it does beg the question of why you are here."
"We want to know why you gave three doppelgangers our powers," said Piper.
"Well, you have discovered that have you?" questioned Kumak. "I must really applaud your ingenuity. I hadn't thought that could be traced back to me. No one knew what I wanted the doppelgangers for. The fact that you've been able to piece that together is a great testament to your ingenuity."
"Okay, enough of the admiration," said Piper. "We want to know why you were trying to replace us. And just how you were able to do it. We know you used our blood to do it but just how were you able to do it?"
"Oh, I'm afraid discussing the method would be much too complicated for a layman to understand," said Kumak. "Let's just say I found a way to allow blood from one individual to bond with certain individuals of a particular genetic makeup. Finding just the right individuals for your blood was particularly difficult. Especially considering they were doppelgangers. That particular point was a requirement."
"Requirement for what?" Phoebe asked. "It sounds like you were hired to duplicate us."
"Interesting choice of words," said Kumak. "That's exactly what I was hired to do. And the person who hired me was very specific that I use doppelgangers. He literally wanted you replaced."
"He who?" Piper asked.
"What, you aren't interested in how I was able to duplicate your powers?" Kumak. "How I was able to allow doppelgangers to use the vaunted Power of Three? I dare say there isn't another alchemist alive or dead who could have accomplished that little feat."
"Yeah, we know all about you," said Phoebe. "How you have been trying for decades to clone witches and turn the clones evil. I suppose this is a by-product of your experiments."
"Hardly a by-product," said Kumak. "It's the culmination of it. You see I found that cloning witches is not that simple. In fact, I've come to the conclusion that it cannot be guaranteed with any degree of accuracy. In all of my experiments yours are the only ones that have ever been viable. I believe it's because of your power levels. Other witches just aren't powerful enough to allow the necessary bonding required to make viable clones."
"Yeah, that's all fascinating," said Piper. "We want to know who hired you to duplicate us."
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," said Kumak. "Confidentiality you understand."
"Yeah, this isn't exactly an attorney-client relationship," said Piper. "And when it comes to duplicating us and then trying to kill us I couldn't care less about your confidentiality with your clients. You're going to tell us who hired you or things are going to start getting ugly real fast."
"Let us kill them," the first demon said. "I know these witches. They won't quit until they get what they came here for. Better that we should dispose of them now and be rid of them permanently."
Piper suddenly raised her hands and the demon exploded into a thousand black shards that evaporated away almost immediately.
"I've had enough of him," said Piper. "Now unless you other three want to suffer the same fate as your friend there I would suggest you move on."
The three demons looked at Piper and then at each other. Then in unison they all shimmered out of the chamber.
"That wasn't very sociable," said Kumak. "It was very expensive hiring them."
"Maybe you should ask for your money back," said Paige.
"I'm through being sociable," said Piper. "I want to know who hired you to duplicate us and I want to know now."
"Or what?" questioned Kumak. "You'll blow me up like you did our friend a moment ago?" He held up his hand. "Unfortunately this ring I'm wearing makes me immune to your powers. A little insurance policy I took out when my employer hired me for this little job. I knew that eventually you'd come looking for me and I decided I wasn't about to go the way that so many demons who have faced you have gone."
"You really think that's the only way I have to hurt you?" Piper questioned. "I've been doing this for almost eight years and in that time I've learned a thing or two."
She turned and faced one of the tables in the chamber. The table was filled with beakers and bottles and a whole assortment of things that she could only guess at. One bottle in particular sat over what looked like a Bunsen burner and the liquid that filled it half-way was at a slow boil. Without batting an eye she raised her hands and the bottle exploded sending the liquid all over the table.
"Are you insane?" Kumak screamed. "Have you any idea just how dangerous that was? That particular elixir is extremely unstable until it's completed. You could have killed us all."
"So, your ring doesn't protect you from all harm," said Piper. "Now, do I get a name or should I start blowing up other things?"
"I told you," said Kumak, "I can't tell you. The confidentiality of my clientele . . . ."
"I don't care about your confidentiality," said Piper. "If you don't give me a name right now I'm going to start blowing things up and I'm not going to be particular about it."
She made a casual movement of her right hand and another bottle exploded.
"I'd do as she asks," said Phoebe. "When she gets like this no one can talk any sense into her."
"Okay, okay," said Kumak. "Some of that stuff is very expensive and hard to replace. I'll tell you who it was."
"Fine," said Piper. "Who hired you to duplicate us?"
"His name was Rowe," said Kumak. "Brendan Rowe."