As Mark was leaving quickly in Walter's body, Matthew tapped his walking stick against his chin and sang softly under his breath.
"Hurry home early, hurry on home, Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon..."
Allison slipped out from the shadows of the stage, looking pensive. She was one of the few people that Matthew considered a personal friend; he ruled the other geeks, but lead his friends, so to speak. He nodded genially to her.
"Allison. If young Mark manages to get his dear old granddad's watch back soon, I may even have Simon back by dinner time."
Allison still looked pensive.
"Matthew, we've been next-door-neighbors since kindergarten. You only sing Warren Zevon when you're plotting something. What's so important about that Watch?"
Matthew smiled mirthlessly.
"Ah, my dear Allison. You're like family to me, in the sense that you know me far too well and are a general nuisance, but I enjoy your company anyway for reasons that I cannot fathom. Yes, I'm planning something."
Matthew began pacing, strutting really, up and down the stage.
"Do you know, I had forgotten that Mark existed until you showed me that tape? It seems that this is the watch's only weakness; it can alter bodies, memories, personalities, in defiance of all known laws of genetics, physics, history and God Alone knows what else, but it can't change your memory if you saw the hypnosis happening."
He whirled to face her again.
"Incidentally, that's another thing. Hypnosis is powerful; tapping into the pure consciousness of the human mind to shape said mind and, if done right, the body as well. But what it ISN'T is instantaneous. Yet this watch changes that immutable law. How, Allison? I believe the secret lies in one of two places. The first is the watch itself. Which is why I sent Mark to retrieve it. And the second is the identity and history of Mark's grandfather. With this in mind I have asked the Genealogy Club to look into the matter. All told, I want that watch in OUR hands, not those of anyone else."
Allison blinked owlishly.
"Genealogy club?"
Matthew shrugged.
"What can I say? We're geeks. Weird is prerequisite."