Balthazar opened the Incantus in the subway turnaround. It showed a picture of Merlin, looking wise and benevolent. He sighed and inclined his head to Dave, who sat next to him.
"A long time ago I told you that Merlin had three apprentices," he said, "You know that one of them was me and another was Horvath."
Dave nodded.
"The third apprentice was named Veronica," said Balthazar.
He turned the page. It was a picture of the three of them on the day they had taken their vows to the Merlinian order. They were all dressed in cloaks, hoods up. Merlin had given each of them a sword that day which they had put to the ground with their hands on the hilt. He had believed that all of them, including Veronica, shouldn't have to rely solely on their magic. It was a revolutionary idea at the time.
"She, like Horvath, was a noble of some standing," Balthazar said, "I tell you that because I want to explain what those two had to give up to study magic. They renounced the rights to their lands so they wouldn't be influenced by politics. They gave up just about everything because they believed so fervently in Merlin's teachings. Well…her more than him as it turned out."
Balthazar paused. He had thought that it would be much harder than it was to talk about her. Instead the words that had been bottled up for so long were spilling out.
"And you?" asked Dave.
He laughed.
"Do I look like nobility to you?" he asked, "No, I was a farmer's son. There was nothing for me to renounce. I didn't even have a surname back then. But enough about that."
Again he turned the page. The Incantus had no shortage of pictures. It was beautifully illuminated and there were many illustrations of Merlin's famous apprentices.
"For a long time we supported each other," he said, "Morgana was gaining many followers. We were the strongest line of defense against her. We relied on each other for everything, keeping her at bay from ultimate power."
His finger tapped the picture of Veronica.
"She was the greatest of us all," Balthazar said, "Dave, she could look at a page of magic and recite it almost perfectly afterwards. But more than that she was strong and brave, not something that was expected of a woman at the time. Veronica endured slights and rose above it all. She was gentle and kind, a light in the dark."
Unconsciously his voice had taken on a wistful tone. Dave's eyes widened. He was bright; he'd figured it out.
"You fell for her?" he asked.
"I fell for her," Balthazar sighed, "And so did Horvath."
Dave opened his mouth and then shut it.
"He asked her to marry him you know," said Balthazar, "But…she said no. The two of us had been together for some time and…Veronica chose me. She chose me when back then people of my class were barely considered people. I would have married her if…if circumstances had allowed. "
"Why didn't they?" asked Dave quietly.
Giving a sad and rueful smile Balthazar closed the Incantus. He set it aside and reached deep into his bag.
"On the night Horvath betrayed us for Morgana," he said, "Veronica and I were returning to the Keep. I was going to give her this."
He took a necklace out of his bag and fingered the old metal designs.
"Doesn't really matter I suppose," said Balthazar, taking out the Grimhold with his free hand, "A long time ago I told you that part of the Rising was locked inside the Grimhold. But that's only because she was holding when she was trapped."
He turned the Grimhold so her image was displayed. Dave looked at the floor.
"And Horvath had it until the night when you found me," he said, "For thirteen hundred years you were trying to find her."
"And you," added Balthazar, "but I couldn't let him keep her. Every time I got close to them they had hidden it somewhere. The first time I saw it after that night was when you were there. And I don't think that's a coincidence either. You're the Prime Merlinian, and her descendant."
"What?" asked Dave.
"She had a younger sister, and somewhere along the line her descendants married one of Merlin's. Eventually that line produced you," Balthazar said, "I thought when I saw you that there was something familiar about you. I did a little research. It felt like I was being mocked by the universe. But, it was also one of the reasons I tried to keep the wall up. It would have been too easy, too tempting…"
"To see me as the son you never had with her," finished Dave.
Balthazar sighed again.
"Didn't do me any good in the end," he said.
Dave leaned back, deep in thought.
"You said it took a lot of power to open it up," Dave said, "How much exactly?"
"More than I have," Balthazar said, setting the Grimhold down, "I know that because I've tried since it fell into my posession. Nothing ever came of it. And it's more than Morgana and Horvath have; otherwise they'd already have the Rising and enslaved the world."
"Do you even know how to open it?" asked Dave.
"Merlin was big on teaching us how to seal people in it, not how to get them out," snorted Balthazar, "I think he wanted to lock Morgana in there some day. But I don't know anything about it. He designed and built it. He didn't share things he didn't think were important."
"So that's where you get it from."
Balthazar gave a grim smile.
"Perhaps. He obviously never thought that one of his apprentices would get locked inside."
"Hm," said Dave.
He reached out for the Grimhold, and then hesitated.
"You can pick it up Dave," said Balthazar.
Dave gave a nervous grin and reached for it again, his hand displayed so that his ring showed.
"The way I see it-" started Dave, his hand on the Grimhold.
A blue line appeared around the doll. Dave jerked his hand back as the light spread out. He looked as though he were in pain. Disbelievingly Balthazar got to his feet, dragging the rather confused Dave with him. The light expanded and turned golden and cloudy, seeping out of the Grimhold and onto the floor. The two of them shielded their eyes.
"What's happening?" asked Dave.
"I think...I think it's opening," Balthazar whispered.