Catherine knew that her courage had deserted her. She felt frail in her fear. Was it a mistake to regain her cognition and lose the strength that made her a formidable foe in court? Where was the woman who defied everything to create a haven of love outside the bounds of society with a man so different? She knew the Catherine of those days was not that far away in her mind but each day showed her in so many ways that her lost time affected her deeply. She had not lived the time. She had not matured. It was different being 54 in a 30 year old mind.

There was also vulnerability in the knowledge gaps. Not being able to process information quickly and efficiently weighed heavily. She presented a good face to the world. It was important for her to do so. Vincent and Jacob expected nothing from her but love. Maybe she expected too much from herself.

Diana and Terry were watching her closely. They had stopped talking, just to give Catherine time to assimilate what she heard. The silence was deafening.

'Should I leave Catherine?'

'No Diana. I am sorry. Thank you for being so patient. Let's just take a break for awhile. I am suddenly aware of my mor..tality.'

'Mortality?' Diana was horrified. She had no wish to hurt Catherine.

'Not death…maybe vul..nerable is a better word.' Catherine continued to stumble with words when she was stressed.

'I understand Catherine.'

'You have more to say. I want to hear it.'

Just then, the front door opened and Jacob soon appeared in the living room. Considering his run between the two places, he was not even winded. He leaned over and kissed his mother gently, taking her two hands in his.

'I heard you Mama' he whispered softly into her ear.

'Thank you Son.' Her eyes strayed to beyond Jacob.

'He's coming Mama. He is waiting for a phone call.'

'Vincent is waiting for a phone call? Jacob really that is not true.' Catherine managed a small laugh.

'Really Mama! Dad has come into the 21st century.' Jacob knew it was not entirely true. His father had looked just as horrified at the phone as he did the night they set out in the motor home to find Catherine. But, like all things, Vincent would rise to the occasion to benefit and protect his family.

'Jacob, take off your shirt.'

'Huh?'

'Take off your shirt!'

Jacob looked at the women in the room. Terry and Diana were nodding affirmative. It wasn't just a quirk of his mother. He shrugged and opened his shirt.

'I knew it! You have it!' Catherine lifted her hand and pointed towards the three moles located over Jacob's left breast.

'What's this?' he confirmed pointing to the spots.

'Yes Jacob. Do you know what they mean?' Diana asked.

'Oh yes, I am one of the lion people. Is that what you mean?'

'You knew?'

'Mama, you have to realize that I did not live my life cloistered below. Dad was a very forgiving and open minded father. When I was fourteen I went to Europe with Uncle Devin.'

'I know Devin. I am surprised your father let you go.'

'Yes well, Gramps had other ideas. Anyway I went and had a wonderful time.' Jacob sat down, prepared to talk about one of the greatest adventures of his life. He remembered his father and excused himself to make the call. His Father had no news to report. Jacob offered reassurance and returned to his mother.

'He's ok?'

'Yes Mama. Now, when I went to Europe, it was not to see the Coliseum in Rome or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. We went to explore the caves and I think we saw them all. Germany, France, Italy, England. That was my first introduction to the possibility of a people who manifested the leonine traits. You see, having a father like mine was a real challenge. He's my Dad and I love him, but he is different. I knew there was some unexplained history. Gramps had no answer so I had to find out some other way.' Jacob paused and took a deep breath smiling at his mother.

'While in Europe, I found, for the first time, evidence of the cave dwellers who had worshipped the lion. After I got back home, I read what ever I could and put two and two together. I didn't know about John Pater and Coralee but I did know that somehow my father was descended from a proud cult of people and of course me too.'

'You were not scared Jacob?'

'No Mama. If I was, I would have to fear my Father. There was nothing attached to my discovery except a knowledge of my origins. It had no other baggage. I am proud to be a descendant of an unusual cult of people. Are you also a descendant Mama?'

'It seems that I am. I have the mark.' She showed Jacob her particular marking. 'Diana can tell you more.'

'Jacob, I thank you for the information you provided. It helped me to hone in on the right path and connect the dots.'

Diana went on to briefly review what she had told Catherine. Jacob would have known much of it already. His mind could absorb and file information at incredible speeds.

Catherine watched her son carefully. He was calm, interested and knowledgeable. Her initial fears began to dissipate. Truly, he had amazing skills. The more she watched him, the more she was convinced that he could take on any challenge and meet it intellectually, emotionally and physically. He was a lion prince!

She secretly hoped that it would not take him too far into the world but greatness often could not be denied. How many mothers made incredible sacrifices to further and support the careers of brilliant children?

She immediately began to feel better as her son listened intently to Diana. He seemed gracious, and not at all ready to move beyond his current world. She thanked the tunnel community and his Father for keeping him well balanced. She came back from her musings with a start.

'Wow! that is great work Diana. You are brilliant. Everything is falling into place now.' He shook his head though and gazed out the window for a moment trying to gather some thoughts. 'So what does this all mean? What are the missing pieces and how do we connect the dots? It seems we are trying to put together a puzzle.'

'Yes in a really big way. I agree, though, there are many pieces missing. Much of it doesn't make sense until you hear the narrative of John Pater. That was a much tougher piece to figure out. He was a mysterious character for sure and his connection to the figures, which are at the hub of this organization, was the end result of a bitter rivalry.'

Vincent sat impatiently in the living room. Now and again he would pace. He could feel his anger mounting steadily. At least he felt comfort in knowing that Jacob and Catherine were safe. He would have preferred to be with them, watching the face of his beloved as she negotiated the new pathways of her life. Her joy in everything was like a child's love of experiencing and discovering things for the first time. He was so lost in the endless possibilities of what was to come that he almost missed the phone. It startled him. How many times did it ring. Now it was more than three. He picked up the receiver as he had seen Jacob do and waited.

'So, it is the man beast. I can hear you Vincent.' The voice was not that of a young man. Vincent found it strange to hear so acutely in one ear. He altered his perceptions of listening.

'You have become very civilized. Your life is much different than what it could have been.' There was a long pause. 'You don't answer me Vincent. I understood that you could speak.'

'I don't speak to people I don't know.' The voice held a hint of his menacing growl.

'You will speak to me. I am your….Uncle.'

'I have no Uncle.'

There was a laugh at the other end followed by a loud hacking cough. It didn't sound like someone in good health. Vincent had heard that before when some of the elders in the tunnel had been close to death.

'Yes, I am old and close to death Vincent. You can save me.'

'Why would I want to help if you have been responsible for the unhappiness that has come to my family and to others?'

'Business Vincent. It's all business. I run an organization that is very powerful. It could have been yours, had your father been able to keep you.'

'I am happy as I am.'

'Yes, just as well. This life has been good to me and my boys.'

'So what do you want?'

'John Pater's birthright! It should have been mine when he died.' There was another bout of coughing.

'I don't know what you are talking about.' There was some noise on the other end of the phone. A new voice came on the line.

'Listen you man or beast or whatever you are. John Pater took the documents and records of this organization and kept them. He refused to return them when he lost stewardship here. They are my legacy. I want them returned.'

'Then summon the ghost of John Pater and ask him where they are. I don't know anything about it.'

'Maybe this will help you remember.'

'Vincent please, please help me!' Cathy's voice rang out through the line.

'If you hurt her….'

'More than I have already? No?' The laugh was ugly. 'Then get me what I want. My Grandfather is too polite to tell you that you have no choice. I won't stop with this little tramp either. Your son and your crippled lover are fair game again. Sit back and watch all those you love go to hell, just as your father did.'

Then the line went dead. Vincent shuddered. 'The evil that men do' ran through his head. He felt impotent in his rage. There was no outlet for it. Vincent left the apartment quickly, running to his underground tunnels. He had to reach Catherine and Jacob. Together they would have a better chance.

'I feel better now. Food does help the body.' Catherine had suggested to Diana that they take a break and stop to eat. She was hungry. Every one agreed. Terry had a growing baby to feed. The kitchen was large. The group had learned over the few days of traveling in the close confines of the motor home that each person could contribute a little to bring about a delicious meal. They agreed not to discuss the information. Catherine hoped Vincent would return soon. It was late and she was worried. She looked at Jacob but he seemed calm, although she noted that he looked out the window often.

They had just returned to the living room to hear more of Diana's narrative findings when Vincent arrived. He did not look happy. He called Jacob to the hallway but Catherine stopped him.

'Vincent, we will all hear. You cannot protect me from harm by not telling me everything. In the past we shared it all. Don't try to protect me now.'

'Catherine, I am sorry but this is different.'

'No Vincent, you are trying to protect me. Nothing is done below unless it is discussed. Same here. Please….'

Vincent entered the living room and stood by the unlit fireplace. He removed his cloak and placed it on a chair. He stood facing each one, their faces eager to hear what could have angered him.

'It seems I will never be free of John Pater. He died leaving some papers somewhere which belong to an organization I don't know. If they don't get those papers they will….' He stopped abruptly. Jacob had given an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

'will do what Vincent?'

'They have threatened my family yet again Diana. Will it never stop?'

'Can I share something with all of you? It may help to shed some light on this.'

'Anything!' Vincent threw his hands up in the air.

'I was about to explain something more about John Pater. I think Catherine or Jacob will fill you in on the information which I shared with them earlier but this is different. I needed to find some trace of this man and who he was. It was very difficult. He covered his tracks well.'

'Not surprising at all.'

'John Pater is descended from a long line of European Jews who were expelled from country after country during those horrible times of the Inquisition. We know that he was of the Lion people so the strength and stamina of his forbearers was incredible. As the family became smaller and the places of safety less and less, they eventually returned to Africa in the late 18th century, but settled in South Africa rather than Egypt. With their background as Alchemists and with the budding Diamond trade, the family became very rich. Family feuds were inevitable. Some of them became outwardly Christianized to protect their interests but it was surface only. They had incredible knowledge of the Kaballah, alchemy, gold, diamonds, medicines, everything in fact. Pater's side of the family was involved strongly in the branch of medicine, as it was practiced then.

He left South Africa as a young man and traveled to many parts of the world. We know, thanks to Jacob, that he was a devotee of Aleister Crowley. Crowley had gone to Egypt and was able to channel much information from a divine source which he stated was part of the polytheistic belief system of the time. A small part of that knowledge included the information about the Lion people.

It would be impossible to talk about Crowley in a short time. His life was multifaceted. Pater was a willing and devoted slave to the knowledge which Crowley seemed to produce at will. His bibliography is mind boggling. It is enough to know when Crowley died; he left an incredible amount of information both bad and good. I will assume that Pater had access to some of it and chose what he needed for his work.

He and a few others broke away from Crowley's main organization and formed their own branch of the Silver Star, or Argentum Arcturus or AA. Your chest markings resemble part of the symbol. We know of the Rosicrucian, and Freemasons who may also have been part of the secret brotherhoods that grew out of that time, but there were some renegade branches often involved with the evil aspect Goetia .

Crowley left no male heir to inherit his work and named no one to carry on when he died in 1947. Every branch claimed to be the one true organization. Pater's group was not. The work they did was directed towards evil. They got into many things, not because of Crowley but because John Pater had his own family's secret alchemical documents, combined with something that he got from Crowley. I can only assume that what ever it was included a powerful tool for transformation of base metals to gold, or some health elixir to prolong life. This is the work of Alchemists… transformation. Pater knew it, understood it and had the tools to create it. No doubt when he died, he left it to someone. That would have been the expected course of action.' Diana looked over at Vincent. 'They must assume it is you Vincent. You are his heir.'