On the base of the western slope of La Perdita's single volcanic mountain, facing the Caribbean Sea, an isolated little villa lay amidst the tropical jungle. It had been built some 20 years earlier by a reclusive American novelist who sought an escape from his former uptown New York lifestyle. Within three years this novelist, already extremely reclusive, had become completely dissociative and paranoid. Three years to the day that construction had begun upon the villa, this novelist put a bullet into his brain. The bullet did not kill him, however, but merely caused slight brain damage. The novelist's ex-wife soon moved in with him and hired a nurse to take care of him, but one year later the novelist decided to go for a walk down to the nearby beach. He was never seen again.

Shortly afterwards the novelist's ex-wife sold the villa to an unknown party, believing the place to be under a curse (though she had never been a superstitious woman), and left for Europe to live off her former husband's inheritance.

In late 2003 Mason Templar moved in, and a new lodging was built for his gigantic pigeon-hawk, Erasmus.

It is now September 2004. Mason Templar is dead. Long live Mason Templar... or as he is now known: Rama Avatar. But you may call him Mason. He won't mind. Too much.

Erasmus hovered a moment over the villa just before she swung her large wings towards the ground, buffetting herself with air to slow her final descent upon the side of the mountain. Upon landing, Rama "Mason" Avatar, a tall, muscular and slim East Indian with dark hair and a close-cropped beard, dressed in a modified version of traditional warrior's garb, caressed her beneath her beak and hopped off, whispering something in an ancient tongue. He began to brush her feathers of the chemical film caused by the pollution of the air.

Two young Oriental men, aged 17 and 20, were at his side in a moment, gently grasping Erasmus's harness in order to lead her to her own lodgings and then remove that bulky harness. Mason nodded his thanks as the two men did their best to keep from staring strangely at the brown-skinned man who stood before them who only loosely resembled their former master.

Mason began to walk towards the rear entrance of his villa and was met with a bow by an elderly Oriental man with a long white beard who spoke with a crisp British accent, "You have changed once again, Master."

"Aye," said Mason.

"I trust it was not too painful this time?"

Mason said nothing at first, considering his answer. "No. But it happened to soon. I shouldn't have let myself die over such a futile thing as the kiss of the spider-woman."

"My grandchildren are all amazed," said the elderly manservant. "They have never seen the Change before. I have never spoken to them of your secrets."

"I would never suspect your betrayal, King," Mason said, finally smiling for the first time in a long while. His new self was much more brooding, it seemed, than his former self. He was still trying to figure out what his new self held in store for him. It would take a great deal of time for him to discover his new persona. He hoped there would be no need for a return to the Cave before he finally made peace with his new self. "And in any case, Jean-Paul and Phillipe don't seem to be too bothered by the new me. But where is Rebecca? I would like a... word with her."

King's face fell as he spoke. "I am afraid she has... stepped out for the moment."

Mason's right eyebrow rose. "What do you mean, King?"

The old man's face became as serene as ever, once more. "I mean she will be back shortly. That is all."

"Ah."

"And how shall you be called, Master?" King asked him. "It has been a long time since you gained the soul of a non-European."

"Over a century, in fact," said Mason. "And to answer your question, I am to be called Rama Avatar. I will need your numerous skills to gain my new credentials, as well as to transfer all assets of Mason Templar to me."

"As you say, it will be done... Rama." The old man seemed to smile, then, though his countenance did not change.

Mason laughed. "Do not forget who found you as an orphan on the streets of Peking and paid for your extensive education in the best schools in the world, young sir. Appearances may change, but I am more ancient than thee."

"Touché."

The swordsman stepped into his villa at last and took a deep breath of air as he headed for another room for a change of clothes. "Have one of the boys ready my Aston-Martin. I'll be heading into town for a visit. It's about time I looked into another young orphan's situation."

"Very good, sir."