An hour later, Duncan dropped into a chair opposite Joe. Their "party" had officially ended, but thanks to the bitter weather, they still had the tavern to themselves. Duncan said wearily, "Thank God he didn't take us up on those offers to kill him. Do you think he will fight to stay alive, Joe, out of a sense of honor? Even though he really wants to die?" "I hope so." Joe took a long drink, then said, "I may as well tell you this, Mac. I don't buy his theory about cremation. The business with the ashes." Duncan straightened slowly in his chair. "Wh-why?" "Because I have a better one." After a beat, the Watcher added grimly, "I wish I didn't." "Another theory to explain Connor's coming back to life?" Duncan was mystified. "Why didn't you--" "Do you believe in the Gathering?" Joe asked abruptly. Duncan blinked, then said carefully, "Richie and I were talking about that the other day. I'll tell you what I told him. I think it might conceivably happen, as a self-fulfilling prophecy. But I don't believe it's inevitable, that we're a bunch of lemmings being drawn to some irresistible doom." "Despite what your teacher told you." "That's right. I love Connor, but he's a fanatic on that subject. Has an obsessive streak, in general--he admits it himself. What are you getting at, Joe?" "Just this." Joe locked eyes with his friend. "Most Immortals, even headhunters, don't take the Gathering any more seriously than you do. 'There can be only one' is usually just another way of saying, 'This town's not big enough for both of us.' The Game is an excuse for killing, not the real reason. "But back in '85, a handful of Immortals--the Kurgan, Kastagir, Fasil and a few others--really did rush to New York like so many lemmings. Connor, of course, was already there." "I know. They somehow got carried away, believed they were the only ones left, and thought it was the time of the Gathering..." Duncan's voice trailed off. Joe leaned across the table. "Nothing like that had ever happened before," he said, emphasizing every word. "And now we know that the Kurgan, at least, belonged to the same 'subspecies' as Connor. A group that was never very numerous. "Mac, I think that *was* the Gathering! Although they didn't realize it, it was never meant to include any but that subspecies. For them, it was a true biological imperative." Duncan took a slow, deep breath. "But if that's so, if that much was real...Connor should have won some sort of Prize. "H-he didn't. He imagined he'd become mortal--that clearly wasn't true. And his supposed mind-reading was nothing more than an empathic ability we all have. It's suppressed, for the most part, by the nature of the lives we lead." "I think he *did* win the Prize, Mac," Joe said quietly. "But what he won--and is stuck with--was the last thing he would have wanted. So he's been in denial ever since. "I believe that Prize is the real reason he came back to life after you beheaded him. "Connor MacLeod will never be able to join Heather. He's become *literally*, absolutely...IMMORTAL." **************************************************** AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD: If you're wondering, I'm not a fan who was unwilling to accept Connor's death. I just couldn't resist this story idea, which suggested a way to acknowledge and actually *use* those maddening inconsistencies between the first Highlander film and the series.