As expected, when Charles informed Master Kenway of what he’d learned during his mentor’s visit the next day, the man was not pleased.
“We must re-examine our priorities.”
Charles nodded, though he did not like the idea.
Their current goals were all things they, as humans, could influence. The war effort, the alliance with the Brotherhood, Charles’s private mission with Connor... This new addition of Those Who Came Before was out of their understanding and out of their control. As such, it was wholly unwelcome.
“Sir, if They pushed your son onto the path of the Assassin, then might it not mean that They favor the Assassins?”
It was a frightening idea, and one that Charles hoped that his mentor would reject. After all, if such power favored their enemies, then how could they ever gain a sustainable advantage?
Master Kenway looked thoughtful.
“If They do, then Their power is limited. There would have been no need for Them to send you back to fix things if They were all-powerful.”
True that. If Those Who Came Before were really all that powerful, then they would have directly influenced events to the outcome they wanted the first time.
“They need me,” Charles whispered in wonderment, feeling oddly powerful.
“They needed an event to not happen that did or an event to happen that did not,” Master Kenway corrected. “You may be integral to that event or series of events, but take care not to assume that you will always be integral. We still know nothing of Their true motivations or what it is They are after.”
Charles immediately felt less powerful.
“But whatever Their motivations are, it is clear that They are determined to direct Their influence on our world in ways that have negatively impacted us in the past.”
There was no doubt of that. From Connor’s own statements, he would not have been an Assassin had it not been for Those Who Came Before.
Charles allowed himself to dream for a moment. What would Charles’s wife have been like, if he had never become an Assassin?
Not an enemy, that was for sure. Perhaps he would never have left his village and remained a simple hunter in the woods. He would know neither how to command a ship nor how to kill people with such ease. He might even have been already married off to a village Alpha and expecting a child. He would certainly not be the leader of Alphas and crafter of destiny he was today.
Charles would never have met him aside from that brief interaction so long ago.
“I think it has something to do with us.”
“Oh?”
Charles struggled to elaborate.
“Their first influence was on Connor to put him on the path of an Assassin. I can only think of a few reasons for him to become an Assassin specifically and all of them could be accomplished through other means except one: fighting against the Order.”
Master Kenway did not look pleased.
“While Those Who Came Before are clearly not gods, if They were truly against us, I have no doubt that They would have succeeded in destroying us long ago. They have been influencing the Assassins for generations.”
Yes, there was that. It really did not make sense unless...
“The artifact.”
Charles’s mentor understood immediately and drew out the amulet from around his neck.
They both looked at it, so innocently resting against the palm of Master Kenway’s hand.
“Each of the past few times They have interfered have been in relation to Their artifacts. There were rumors of Altair Ibn La’Ahad having come into contact with the Apple of Eden and being a changed man. We have accounts of Ezio Auditore meeting great changes in his own life due to the several artifacts he came across. And now my son...”
“And me,” Charles whispered.
Master Kenway’s sharp grey eyes focused on him.
“And now you.”
The message was clear, if daunting. Those Who Came Before apparently did not enjoy the thought of Their artifacts being left in Templar hands.
“But then why send me back?” Charles mused. “They could just as easily have sent Connor himself back, to avoid the marriage and destroy our Order.”
Master Kenway shrugged, though the intensity of his gaze did not decrease.
“Perhaps They need physical proximity to Their artifacts to evoke Their power and had not the opportunity with my son.”
Charles shook his head.
“Connor came into contact with your amulet once. During our honeymoon,” and he blushed thinking about it, “there was an incident, and you placed the amulet in front of him to test his composure.”
“Oh?”
Master Kenway looked mystified, but Charles would not elaborate. It was painful thinking about those times, about what had happened. If Charles had not acted so with his wife, if he had been a proper, patient husband focused on educating his wife as to the rightness of their principles instead of subjugation, intimidation and torture, would his wife have been so eager to trade his own life for Washington’s?
It was not important to their current discussion, and, luckily, Master Kenway did not push.
“There need not be a single objective. They may have many and while one is, apparently, to keep the artifacts hidden away—“
“—hidden away?” Charles could not help questioning.
His mentor looked vaguely annoyed.
“I do not see the Assassins using the artifacts even though they have been in their grasp for several hundred years. Whatever contact the Brotherhood has had with Those Who Came Before, it is obvious that the Assassins were no more allowed to use them, save for a single moment or two, than we are.”
That made sense and lessened the knot in Charles’s stomache. It was easier to think of a more neutral entity of such power than one firmly on the opposing side.
“So Their sending me to the past—”
“—may have more to do with another of Their objectives. One that seems to revolve around you and my son.”
“Or my son.”
Master Kenway’s grey eyes bored into his own, grave and solemn.
“Or your son.”
And wasn’t that a scary thought? That his wonderful little son, his little Haytham who Washington would have, no doubt, killed for the sin of not being his son, may be at the very heart of all this?
“I would like to borrow the amulet, sir. I would like to see if I can contact Them directly.”
In Pursuit of Happiness 27
Chapter 27 - Chilling Thoughts
As expected, when Charles informed Master Kenway of what he’d learned during his mentor’s visit the next day, the man was not pleased.
“We must re-examine our priorities.”
Charles nodded, though he did not like the idea.
Their current goals were all things they, as humans, could influence. The war effort, the alliance with the Brotherhood, Charles’s private mission with Connor... This new addition of Those Who Came Before was out of their understanding and out of their control. As such, it was wholly unwelcome.
“Sir, if They pushed your son onto the path of the Assassin, then might it not mean that They favor the Assassins?”
It was a frightening idea, and one that Charles hoped that his mentor would reject. After all, if such power favored their enemies, then how could they ever gain a sustainable advantage?
Master Kenway looked thoughtful.
“If They do, then Their power is limited. There would have been no need for Them to send you back to fix things if They were all-powerful.”
True that. If Those Who Came Before were really all that powerful, then they would have directly influenced events to the outcome they wanted the first time.
“They need me,” Charles whispered in wonderment, feeling oddly powerful.
“They needed an event to not happen that did or an event to happen that did not,” Master Kenway corrected. “You may be integral to that event or series of events, but take care not to assume that you will always be integral. We still know nothing of Their true motivations or what it is They are after.”
Charles immediately felt less powerful.
“But whatever Their motivations are, it is clear that They are determined to direct Their influence on our world in ways that have negatively impacted us in the past.”
There was no doubt of that. From Connor’s own statements, he would not have been an Assassin had it not been for Those Who Came Before.
Charles allowed himself to dream for a moment. What would Charles’s wife have been like, if he had never become an Assassin?
Not an enemy, that was for sure. Perhaps he would never have left his village and remained a simple hunter in the woods. He would know neither how to command a ship nor how to kill people with such ease. He might even have been already married off to a village Alpha and expecting a child. He would certainly not be the leader of Alphas and crafter of destiny he was today.
Charles would never have met him aside from that brief interaction so long ago.
“I think it has something to do with us.”
“Oh?”
Charles struggled to elaborate.
“Their first influence was on Connor to put him on the path of an Assassin. I can only think of a few reasons for him to become an Assassin specifically and all of them could be accomplished through other means except one: fighting against the Order.”
Master Kenway did not look pleased.
“While Those Who Came Before are clearly not gods, if They were truly against us, I have no doubt that They would have succeeded in destroying us long ago. They have been influencing the Assassins for generations.”
Yes, there was that. It really did not make sense unless...
“The artifact.”
Charles’s mentor understood immediately and drew out the amulet from around his neck.
They both looked at it, so innocently resting against the palm of Master Kenway’s hand.
“Each of the past few times They have interfered have been in relation to Their artifacts. There were rumors of Altair Ibn La’Ahad having come into contact with the Apple of Eden and being a changed man. We have accounts of Ezio Auditore meeting great changes in his own life due to the several artifacts he came across. And now my son...”
“And me,” Charles whispered.
Master Kenway’s sharp grey eyes focused on him.
“And now you.”
The message was clear, if daunting. Those Who Came Before apparently did not enjoy the thought of Their artifacts being left in Templar hands.
“But then why send me back?” Charles mused. “They could just as easily have sent Connor himself back, to avoid the marriage and destroy our Order.”
Master Kenway shrugged, though the intensity of his gaze did not decrease.
“Perhaps They need physical proximity to Their artifacts to evoke Their power and had not the opportunity with my son.”
Charles shook his head.
“Connor came into contact with your amulet once. During our honeymoon,” and he blushed thinking about it, “there was an incident, and you placed the amulet in front of him to test his composure.”
“Oh?”
Master Kenway looked mystified, but Charles would not elaborate. It was painful thinking about those times, about what had happened. If Charles had not acted so with his wife, if he had been a proper, patient husband focused on educating his wife as to the rightness of their principles instead of subjugation, intimidation and torture, would his wife have been so eager to trade his own life for Washington’s?
It was not important to their current discussion, and, luckily, Master Kenway did not push.
“There need not be a single objective. They may have many and while one is, apparently, to keep the artifacts hidden away—“
“—hidden away?” Charles could not help questioning.
His mentor looked vaguely annoyed.
“I do not see the Assassins using the artifacts even though they have been in their grasp for several hundred years. Whatever contact the Brotherhood has had with Those Who Came Before, it is obvious that the Assassins were no more allowed to use them, save for a single moment or two, than we are.”
That made sense and lessened the knot in Charles’s stomache. It was easier to think of a more neutral entity of such power than one firmly on the opposing side.
“So Their sending me to the past—”
“—may have more to do with another of Their objectives. One that seems to revolve around you and my son.”
“Or my son.”
Master Kenway’s grey eyes bored into his own, grave and solemn.
“Or your son.”
And wasn’t that a scary thought? That his wonderful little son, his little Haytham who Washington would have, no doubt, killed for the sin of not being his son, may be at the very heart of all this?
“I would like to borrow the amulet, sir. I would like to see if I can contact Them directly.”
He had questions that he wanted answered.