Toa nodded again; the glyph had told him much. “Truly, you are something that even I am not, yet which the Lord foresaw. You are the Catalyst: forever changing others, forever unchanged yourself, yet forever becoming more than you are. So shall you remain as a Grandmaster; the quality will set you apart from all others. But tell me, Chris Alan: which is greater, the catalyst, or the chemist who uses it?”

“The chemist,” Chris Alan replied without hesitation as the glyph faded and the pane vanished.

“It is so even in the Lord’s work through the Adamim. Some must direct the process; some must make the process possible. You are the latter and always will be. But your child may well become the former.”

“Then you’re saying it would become the Chemist.”

“Its glyph and its Gifts would reveal it as such unmistakably, yes.”

Toa paused, but Chris Alan did not interrupt further, as much from respect as from being lost in thought.

“The child would be opposite in sex to you, which means it would be female.” Toa paused again, but Chris Alan remained silent. “Finally, instead of losing the White Hand for three months, you would lose it for nine. The child would wield the White Hand for her own protection until she is born. After that, the White Hand would return to you; and until she is born, you will not be able to call on the White Hand if you get even one finger beyond fifty cubits of her. In all other respects, you will be an ordinary Adami for nine months – as will your wife, for that matter. Not even her natural Enoshi immortality in the flesh will be available to her.” Chris Alan started at this; Toa’s passing statement implied that his Gift of Prophecy was profound indeed. “All of the burden will be born by her, and all of the attacks will be aimed at her. I ask you, can you and she bear this?”

Chris Alan paused and thought. “I can be your student, yes. The other question, I’ll have to think about deeply in prayer – and I’ll have to ask my wife about it.”

“Honesty is good. We begin tomorrow; remember that no more Light will be coming your way, starting now.”

“I understand, *Sifu*.” Chris Alan bowed and went upstairs, leaving Toa to sit alone.

When he and Rafael had passed from Toa’s sight on the stairwell, Chris Alan raised his right hand and tried to make it shine. Nothing happened. < So it really is gone, > he thought. < I could feel my Gifting being withdrawn even as Toa spoke – and this just confirms it. >

Soon Chris Alan came to the room that Slate had picked for him and his wife. Autumn was decorating it with what little was there; Amber was flying around in Alpha Mode assisting her. Chris Alan watched her for a bit, afraid to enter the room.

She looked so beautiful, now more than ever. He wanted to lay with her that night, but part of him was afraid to do so.

Could he do it? Yes, and they would have a daughter in due time – but the Realms would be without the White Hand for nine months. Nicholas and other evil beings could do much in that short time; and worst of all, Autumn rather than he would become their target.

Chris Alan felt like weeping. He knew he could take most of what the forces of Darkness could toss at him – but how could he ask Autumn to do the same? She was a strong, if sensitive young woman, but her own powers as a Lightchild had yet to fully awaken – and even those would be withdrawn until their child was born. Their child would wield the White Hand meanwhile, but only if it sensed it was in danger. What would happen in such as case? Would the child somehow protect itself and leave one or both parents exposed?

Chris Alan chided himself for being silly; the Light of the Lord would protect them all well enough. He needed to focus on that – and he needed to give Autumn the benefit of the doubt.

Naturally, this was a combination of attitudes that his brand of Adami nature found very difficult to accept.