Tapping one clawed nail against his lips, Alasdair nodded. "It is my feeling that, while the voice was Cerdic's the body may look like someone else now."
"Because of the fire?" Manny asked.
"Oh no, that would have made no difference. If such things mattered you would be running around with evident stab wounds from your death. Cerdic is very old, and very clever. It would have been remiss of him not to ask for some sort of exterior transformation before being returned here. The basics would be the same, but the hair, the features, might have been altered enough to hide his real identity."
Hamlin chuckled softly to himself. When the others looked at him, he shrugged. "I was just thinking, there're a lot of less than honest people that would love to have that happen to them without having to go through plastic surgery."
"I don't think they'd like the reason it happened though," Manny pointed out.
"Yeah, probably not. Death as a form of identity alteration is a bit over the top."
"Boys, if we may get to the subject at hand," Alasdair said firmly. "It has been decided, Manny, that you will be the one responsible for eliminating Cerdic once again. And this time, despite your desire that he suffer eternally, you are to go through with the entire ritual."
Manny blew out a long breath. "All right. Any chance of getting some backup? It took two of us to destroy him the first time around, and Godric died in the process. Cerdic is, as you pointed out, old and clever. He's also one hell of a fighter."
"There is…" Alasdair replied after a moment's thought, "one Caomhnóir who is free at the moment."
"Probably straight as they come and with Victorian attitudes," Hamlin muttered.
"Boy, will you stop talking to yourself. If you have something to say, say it. Not, of course, that I can't hear you anyways." Alasdair actually grinned slightly. "And, no, he is not Victorian, nor is he straight. He and his, I believe the proper term these days is 'partner', have been together for six years now."
"Anyone I know?" Manny asked.
"As I am unfamiliar with all your acquaintances down through the years, I couldn't say. His name is Keegan o Broin."
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