Chapter 168
Giles always seemed calm, never particularly scared or erratic. If he felt these emotions he kept them hidden from Buffy. She wondered if that was part of his watcher training. Yet when Buffy came to school on Monday morning Giles seemed worried to Buffy. She followed him to the library, where Faith and Wesley already were.
Faith: Okay she's here. What's this about?
Giles: It seems the Harvest was merely the first step in the Master's plan. I should start from the beginning. 80 years ago the Master came to this place, and performed a ritual that attempted to open the Hellmouth. Fortunately there was an earthquakethat interrupted the ritual. The Master was believed to be destroyed, but he survived, albeit weakened. The Harvest revived him.
Buffy: Are you telling me the Master is out there, in Sunnydale?
Wesley: No. The ritual keeps him trapped below, like a cork in a bottle. If he were free, we'd all be dead by now.
Buffy: That's a relief, sort of.
Giles: Actually, there's a catch. This barrier that keeps him confined, holds the Hellmouth closed. If the Master breaks this barrier, the Hellmouth will open. And every manner of apocalyptic horrors will be unleashed upon this world.
Buffy: But we stopped him right?
Giles: For now. But with the Harvest Luke killed five people. He didn't just kill them, he turned them. According to our research these five people will rise tonight. They will all face the slayer, who will slay four of them. This prophecy indicates that the survivor will become the annointed one. The annointed one is destined to lead the slayer into Hell.
Faith: So is this the Master's back-up plan or did he intend for the Harvest to fail all along?
Wesley: I'm not sure. I tend to think that the Master would've taken either opportunity.
Faith: Luke was the strongest vampire I've ever fought. I don't get the Master planning his death.
Giles: The Master is a fanatic dedicated to the end of the world. Toward that end anyone would be expendable.