"Fakir is a tenacious jerk, so that doesn't surprise me," Autor said, adjusting his glasses. "But it's over? Really, I doubt that. He's probably still alive because he hasn't faced the Raven yet."

He frowns. "And besides, you don't know my part in this yet. I am a direct descendant of Drosselmeyer. Do you know what that means? I can control his power as a writer when--not if--I know more about it."

"You're right about changing fate, really, you are, but you're looking to the wrong actor," Autor says, grinning savagely. "If Fakir dies, I might be even able to rewrite him back to life!"