Chapter 3: Family Matters
Mozzie's Lab. Miskatonic University. Wednesday, July 7, 1976.
The group wasn't easily persuaded that Mozzie was serious about joining the Fellowship of Galadriel. But once he convinced them, Henry and Sara gave him a crash course on what to expect. El was a little surprised Lavinia didn't register any objections. She'd noticed that Lavinia and Mozzie's friendship had solidified over the past few weeks. Mozzie had grown more thoughtful, and Lavinia had . . . Was softened the right word? El occasionally caught her eyeing Mozzie with a look of surprising tenderness.
Mozzie's efforts to court Lavinia had gone unrequited for months. El longed to know what had precipitated the thaw. Perhaps over a batch of brownies hot out of the oven, she could persuade the astrophysicist—or the librarian—to open up.
Her stomach growled. Baby Gilman had heard the mention of food and was voicing dissatisfaction with the lack of snacks. She'd brought along a tin of almond cookies but left them in Mozzie's office.
Standing up, she announced, "Break time for me. Would anyone else like tea?"
"That's one thing I know how to prepare," Sara said. "Let me make it."
El was delighted Sara picked up on the cue.
"I'll join you," Lavinia said, exchanging a quick look with El. "Mozzie has a container of Meropian tea. The preparation of blue apple tea is a skill both of you should learn."
El gave Lavinia points for inventing a plausible excuse. The Meropian was more devious than she'd first appreciated.
The men probably wouldn't even notice they were gone. At the moment, Henry was cramming Mozzie's head with all the information he'd gleaned about Wicca. Cyrus had made a creative suggestion that Mozzie could display an interest in herbs mentioned by Tolkien. That might lead to them opening up their stocks for him.
But El was focused on having Sara open up about why she appeared so anxious. El thought she knew the answer, but did Sara realize it?
Lavinia closed the door behind them when they entered Mozzie's suite. "I'll put the kettle on," she offered, heading for the kitchenette.
El plopped into Mozzie's worn leather chair, slipped off her heels, and rested her feet on the ottoman. She breathed a grateful sigh. "That feels better."
Sara winced in sympathy. "Swollen ankles?"
El nodded. "And an appetite that won't quit. I have the strangest taste cravings. Last night I dreamed of pineapple-and-tomato sundaes."
"The combination isn't surprising," Lavinia said as she turned on the fire of the gas stove. "On Merope, we have a fruit with a similar taste profile. The algolnium I injected you with came from me. In a certain sense, you're now members of my family."
El smiled at her. "I'm honored and grateful, as I know we all are." She slanted a glance at Sara and was pleased to see her also looking at Lavinia with affection. El patted her abdomen. "I used to worry about how algolnium would affect Baby Gilman, but now Peter and I are excited about the possibilities. Seeing how well Neal has adapted to his alien components has been a reassurance."
"I'm glad," Sara said, sitting down on the couch next to Mozzie's tabby. The chittaks were taking a nap, curled together in a furry puff on the desk. As Sara stroked Betelgeuse's back, her expression grew serious. "Do you know the results from my last blood work?"
"Yes, and there's no trace of any alien chemical other than the algolnium already present in your system," El assured her.
Sara bit her lip. "Another alien substance could take a while to manifest itself."
"You fear that your fate will be similar to Charlene's," Lavinia said bluntly. "Your concern is natural, but don't allow it to cloud your judgment."
Sara swallowed. "It's not. What happened to Charlene was a wake-up call. At a minimum, her perceptions were altered. For all we know, she did kill the professor. Yidhra could have tainted me as well. She could have established a link with me and is simply biding her time to make me do her will."
"You don't have any evidence that will happen," El objected.
"Don't I?" Sara challenged, her green eyes growing enormous. "Isn't the fact that I arrived in Yidhra's grotto via her lagoon sufficient? Raquel told me Yidhra lives within the lagoon. Raquel, the Priestess of Isis, Ming Zhu—they're all manifestations of Yidhra. Who knows how many others there are? I could be one too."
"Your points are valid," Lavinia said calmly. "The threat is real. You're a trained investigator. How do you advise proceeding?"
Sara blinked, clearly surprised by Lavinia's acceptance. El's initial thought was to object to Sara's questionable assumptions about herself but the more she thought about it, how could she? Moon-tree wine contained zoog embryos. Something of Yidhra's essence could be suspended in water. When Neal had been held captive by the priestess of Isis, he'd felt a sinister presence in the small pool in her chamber. Had the water come from the lagoon?
"The water's close to boiling," Lavinia added. "Come and observe. Then, while the tea steeps, we will discuss a plan of action."
El joined them in the kitchenette. Lavinia placed an earthenware teapot on the counter. She then removed a tablespoon of tea leaves from a canister. The leaves were larger than green or black tea.
"The leaves need to be crushed to release their fragrance into the water," Lavinia explained, "but you must use a deft touch."
She sprinkled a few leaves onto El and Sara's palms and had them copy her actions. As El lightly brushed the dry herb, a sense of calm seeped into her mind. Some of the tension from Sara's face also appeared to ease.
"I'm haunted by the fear I'll hurt Neal," Sara confessed. "I'm sure the Ymar haven't given up on ensnaring him. I keep thinking about the priest in the yellow mask at the monastery of Leng who told Neal he'd call for him. Raquel told me she was summoned by Azathoth. Did she speak with the priest too?"
"I know you don't expect an answer," Lavinia said. "It's natural to worry that you've been enthralled."
"What do we know about the priest in the yellow mask?" El asked, seeking to channel their discussion onto a positive course of action. Despairing over hypotheticals didn't accomplish anything.
"We believe the priest is Nyarlathotep, one of the Ymar," Lavinia said. "He's Azathoth's lieutenant and controls the portal from the Underworld to the monastery of Leng on Tirelia."
"None of the Ymar can use a wormhole to access Earth, right?" El asked.
"That's correct as far as we know," Lavinia said. "But we suspect they can dispatch enthralled Tirelians to do their bidding."
"Didn't you tell us the Ymar aren't able to use psychological manipulation on Tirelians?" El said, struck by the seeming contradiction. "When the Celaenians banished the Ymar to Tirelia, they made sure of that. That wizard Neal and Henry encountered in China—Kirana of the Guardians of Kolthra—confirmed they were immune to thralldom. Doesn't that imply Raquel and Nigel aren't from that planet?"
"I've been puzzling over that too," Sara said. "What if Raquel and Nigel are originally from Earth?"
"That's my belief," Lavinia said as she poured the steaming tea into three mugs. "If they'd drunk moon-tree wine, they would have been infected with zoog embryos. The algolnium within zoogs would have allowed them to survive wormhole travel. Once on Tirelia, the Ymar could have erased their memory, altered their personalities, modified them in countless ways to suit their needs. They may also have the ability to remove the zoog parasites."
"We need to obtain tissue as well as blood samples to confirm our hypothesis," El said. "Charlene could be at a vulnerable stage where they're grooming her for assimilation."
Sara took a breath. "Just like me." She picked up one of the mugs and wrapped both hands around it. "I've decided that until I'm sure I'm not a threat, I shouldn't be alone with Neal. You probably know we've been trading weekends, staying at each other's place. That will stop."
El's heart went out to Sara. She looked grimly resolute. "Have you talked with Neal about this?" she asked.
"Not about my decision," Sara admitted. "We discussed in general terms my concern over what Yidhra may have done to me. We hoped the healing effects of the wormhole had eliminated any issues. Now that Charlene's being influenced by an unknown agent, there's a new urgency."
"I commend you for showing such discipline," Lavinia said. "Once we understand what happened to Charlene and what forces are at work in Arkham, we'll be able to chart a course forward and make any necessary adjustments."
Lavinia made it sound like this was only a business decision, but perhaps that was for the best. Sara was undoubtedly tying herself into knots over being an unwitting double agent.
"Will you continue to pursue the current investigation?" El asked.
Sara took a slow breath before responding. "If Henry agrees, I'd like to." Her eyes showed the first healthy spark since their conversation began. "We plan to break into the homes of fellowship members while they're attending the meeting with Mozzie. Before picking our targets, we'll confirm with him which ones are attending the session. There aren't many locations to search. As you know, only students who are conducting individual research projects stay on campus during the summer. Most of them live in dorms, but a few have apartments."
"Breaking and entering . . . I assume this is something Diana will never hear about," El said. She wondered what Peter's reaction would be.
"She better not. Henry's been trying to impress her. He'd wind up with a major foul if she catches wind of it."
Lavinia shrugged. "Local laws and regulations can be an annoyance, but I'm confident in our ability to circumvent them."
Lavinia's nonchalance gave El pause. Her dismissive attitude reminded her of something Mozzie would say.
#
The next morning, Neal stopped to chat with June before heading to the university. Henry was due to arrive any minute. They planned to walk to the campus together. They were both interested in Mozzie's report from the fellowship meeting the previous evening, and Neal wanted to hear about the results from the break-ins.
He found June in the dining room poring over recipes for the future brewpub. Tracy was coming by later in the morning to discuss them.
"You're handling the separation well," June commented.
"I don't have much choice. Sara's mind is made up. She has a stubborn streak that I can't shake, and we can put up with it for a while. The com-links enable us to keep in touch."
"The video displays on the com-links might give a person ideas," June said casually.
He grinned. "I already thought of that! But knowing that Milly monitors all transmissions is a little off-putting, even if she is only an armillary sphere. I have the feeling that whatever she sees, Lavinia sees."
June winced. "That would put the kibosh on romance. What you need is a chaperone."
Neal stared at her, flummoxed. "I appreciate the offer but I don't think that—"
"I wasn't thinking of myself," June said, interrupting him. "and I would never suggest Mozzie although he'd be wildly enthusiastic about the idea. What you need is someone completely discreet like, for instance, Ch'uli or Ch'orri."
Neal hesitated. "Lavinia has praised their guardian attributes. She claims they're the equivalent of alarm sensors."
"And if you bribed them with enough cookies, you could probably get them to agree to never reveal the details of your dates to Lavinia."
If Neal proposed the idea, would Sara admit she was overreacting? If nothing else, it could make her smile.
The ringing of the doorbell alerted him that Henry had arrived. June went to the entryway with Neal to greet him.
"I'm glad to see we don't have to visit you in jail," June said.
"That will never happen," Henry asserted confidently. "I've never been caught and plan to keep it that way." He sniffed the air. "What's that delicious aroma?"
"Pecan sticky buns," Neal said. "June's testing a recipe for the coffeehouse."
"Henry, I don't suppose I could twist your arm to try one?" June asked.
Neal made a show of tapping his watch. "I'm sure Henry won't be interested. Mozzie's expecting us."
"He can wait, or"—Henry snapped his fingers—"we'll take him an extra one. I'm sure June would like his opinion. Don't we need to take some to Cyrus, too?"
June put her hands on her hips. "Will those sticky buns ever arrive at the university? Besides, Cyrus doesn't need one. I'm using his recipe. Go ahead, you two, and take seats in the dining room. I'll bring coffee and rolls for all of us. But they will cost you. I want to hear more about those break-ins."
"Can I help you serve?" Henry asked.
She snorted. "So you can filch extras? No, thank you. Neal, keep him busy and out of my kitchen."
"You're a lucky man," Henry said, taking a seat at the table.
"Don't I know it. I've been spoiled by June's cooking since Mozzie introduced us. And I'm not the only one. Sara may not stay overnight, but I don't expect any difficulty in persuading her to join us for meals, especially with Ch'uli as a chaperone." Neal explained June's idea.
"Even Lavinia will approve of that arrangement," Henry said. "I tend to agree with you that Sara's overreacting but at least the two of you are being honest with each other." His expression grew thoughtful.
"Unlike you and Eric?" Neal prompted. He heard the phone ring and started to rise, but after two rings, it stopped. June must have answered it in the kitchen.
Henry shrugged in acknowledgment. "I'd hoped this case would make me feel less like a fraud, but that's not how it's turned out. Eric's excited that I have a client. He's latched onto the notion that I'll soon have a PI office, but that's years away." Henry chuckled, looking embarrassed. "It's like he's cast me as Arkham's gay Banacek. I'm trying to put the brakes on before he gets too carried away."
"Does he know anything about your past?"
"No, and the longer we date, the more I realize I'm a poor excuse for a boyfriend."
"There's an easy solution," Neal pointed out. "Clue him in." But Henry's body language was broadcasting a loud signal he wasn't ready.
"Perhaps someday . . . if we're still together."
"Wouldn't you like to be?" Neal persisted.
"Yeah, I would, but I don't know if he'll feel that way after he learns more about me. Hearing about my past could be the death knell."
June stepped into the dining room. "That was Cyrus. His lab was ransacked."
"Is he all right?" Neal demanded, horrified. There was very little crime on campus.
June nodded. "He's fine. He wasn't there at the time. He discovered the intrusion this morning when he stopped by the lab to check on a student's experiment. He told me he'd worked in the lab till around eight o'clock the previous evening, so it happened sometime during the night. Campus security is there, and the police are on their way."
"All SCAGR-related material is kept in Mozzie's lab, right, where there's alien-enabled security?" Henry demanded.
Neal nodded. "I suppose what happened to the chem lab could be an act of vandalism unrelated to our work."
"Yeah, and nightgaunts make nice house pets," Henry retorted.
#
By the time they arrived at the lab, Diana and a couple of other detectives were already dusting for fingerprints. Henry scanned the surroundings. Several drawers were open in the file cabinets. A couple of manila folders lay open on top of the files, making it appear that the thief had been interrupted.
"I expected you two would show up," Diana said, tossing them some gloves. "You better put these on, and before you ask, so far we haven't found any evidence to identify the perp."
Neal glanced toward Cyrus's office which opened onto the lab. The professor was going through his desk. "Cyrus isn't wearing any gloves. Do you want me to take him a pair?"
She shook her head. "We figure his fingerprints are already on all the surfaces. A security guard makes the rounds every few hours and didn't spot anything suspicious, but he didn't go inside the lab." Diana lowered her voice. "Is Professor Dexter working with you on Charlene's case?"
"He helped Elizabeth analyze her blood," Henry confirmed.
"But the results are kept in a secure location," Neal added, referring to Mozzie's lab. The fact he used a general term led Henry to believe Diana didn't know about it.
"We'll check if Cyrus found anything," Henry offered.
Diana gave a dismissive wave, probably glad to have them out of the way.
"Are you missing any files?" Neal asked Cyrus when they stepped into his office. The room was fairly spacious, but it was crowded with file cabinets and bookcases.
Cyrus ran a hand through his already tousled hair, making the tight grizzled curls stick out even more. "Every drawer of the cabinets was opened. It will take me quite a while to determine how much was taken, but I already know of one file. They took the folder containing my correspondence about algolnium."
"I thought all SCAGR-related matters were stored in Mozzie's lab," Henry said, giving himself a mental pat on the back on being so diplomatic. What was the dude thinking to keep the file in a minimally secure location?
"They are," Cyrus confirmed hurriedly. "There was nothing confidential about the correspondence. Back last September, before any of us understood what we were dealing with, I'd applied to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry for recognition of algolnium as a new element. Although I'd specified the results of my experiments"—he glanced at Neal—"nothing of a personal nature was revealed."
As Cyrus explained the content of the correspondence, Mozzie rushed in, demanding Cyrus repeat what he'd discovered.
"As you know my application was rejected," Cyrus said. "Although I never published any of my research, my application circulated among the advisory council. It could have been accessed by a wide range of people of all nationalities."
"I remember when your application was rejected," Henry said. "Since then, has anyone contacted you about it?"
Cyrus twisted his lips as he considered. "I heard from several colleagues commiserating with me shortly afterward. Some mentioned they thought a rejection was premature although only one asserted the decision was wrong."
"Who was that?" Mozzie asked.
"Lev Valentin. He teaches at Kyiv National University. Lev is a good friend. We've corresponded off and on for years. I think he worried that I'd be depressed by the rejection, but honestly, it was probably for the best. Under the circumstances, the less attention we attract, the better."
Mozzie absently stroked his chin. "I wonder . . ."
"What?" Neal asked.
"Last month I was contacted by an astronomer from the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory. Katherine Shor is spearheading SETI in the Soviet Union. The observatory is affiliated with the university. Could Lev have told her about algolnium?" He shrugged. "Katherine is a respected scientist and in her sixties. I doubt she would have stolen anything."
"Someone want to clue me in on what SETI is?" Henry complained. He looked to Neal for help who shrugged helplessly.
"SETI is the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence," Mozzie explained. "Ohio State University has had a program for decades. I'd tried to get one established at Miskatonic a few years ago. I'd initially intended to resume petitioning last autumn, but then Neal made the search unnecessary."
Miskatonic's resident hybrid alien winced at Mozzie's comment but didn't make a verbal protest. Smart man, he realized it was pointless.
"Katherine is eager to start a program in the Soviet Union," Mozzie continued. "I can see where Lev might have discussed it with others and mentioned algolnium, but I don't see how that relates to the break-in."
Henry frowned. "I don't either, but it can't be a coincidence that Kyiv keeps popping up. Golunov's dagger was bought in that city, and so far, it's the only item we've been able to confirm is missing. Both you and Cyrus have been communicating with Soviet scientists."
"Are you suggesting the Soviets are somehow involved with the Starry Wisdom cult?" Neal asked skeptically.
"Not yet," Henry said. "But the KGB is active in the States. If the Soviets thought we'd acquired knowledge about extraterrestrials, I doubt they'd hesitate to use any means available to find out what we know." He paused when he heard a faint sound behind him. He turned his head to see Betelgeuse slink into the room. The tabby was low to the ground and had flattened his ears as if to avoid detection.
"I don't know what's gotten into that cat," Mozzie said, shaking his head. "Lately he's been disappearing for hours at a time."
"He's been spending much of his time on the chemistry floor," Cyrus said. "I saw him prowling the corridor when I left yesterday evening."
Henry watched as the tabby snuck behind their chairs till he got to Neal. He then promptly jumped into his lap.
"He's been in a fight," Neal noted as he stroked the tabby. One of his ears is scratched." His fingers stilled as he stared at the cat. Betelgeuse let out a low growl and pawed his chest.
"What is it?" Mozzie demanded eagerly. "Are you having a vision?"
Neal shook his head. "Not exactly. Betelgeuse saw the intruder. He sent me his memories of what occurred."
"He what?" Henry demanded in disbelief. "You've got some amazing abilities but since when have you been talking to Earth's critters? I thought you could only work your razzle-dazzle with algolnium-based life forms."
"It's a type of telepathy and apparently very limited, at least it has been so far," Neal explained. "The first time it happened was when the armillary sphere was stolen from Mozzie's office. He was knocked out, and Betelgeuse snuck into June's house to alert me. Afterward, Lavinia admitted she'd trained both Betelgeuse and Satchmo to be on the alert. Normally, I don't get any impressions from them."
"What exactly did you see?" Cyrus asked eagerly.
"The figure wore a black stocking cap. He was a big, muscular guy—at least that's the way he looked from a cat's perspective. Betelgeuse launched an attack when the thief was bending over a folder in Cyrus's office. Betelgeuse chomped on his calf and the guy hurled him off. That's when the tabby's ear must have been scratched."
"We need to call El," Henry said. "She may be able to find traces of blood that will help identify him." He hesitated. "Should we tell the police?"
Neal winced. "Let's hold off on that. I didn't tell Diana about the previous impression I got from Betelgeuse."
"Neal's right," Mozzie agreed. "Especially now that we know the Soviets may be involved. Anything the police are told will be entered into their files, heightening the risk of exposure to Neal."
How much information did the police already possess on Neal? Alarm sirens were blaring in Henry's head. Cyrus was on the com-link to El, so he earmarked that challenge for a later time. But something would have to be done. He was in charge of SCAGR security but he'd been too lax. He could excuse it that Cyrus hadn't told him about the file, but how many other unreported vulnerabilities were out there?
Mozzie pulled Henry and Neal aside, keeping his voice at a whisper. "Any chance the thief was Chad Lawson?"
Neal's eyes widened. He plainly hadn't thought about the idea, but Mozzie was right to bring him up. Chad had stolen the armillary sphere. He was familiar with the university and had at least limited knowledge of their group. He hadn't been spotted since Lyon, but he was a prime figure on Henry's radar. In fact, as far as Henry was concerned, he was human enemy number one. He'd grown up with Neal in the same foster home. He'd subjected Neal to years of abuse and bullying. Chad later joined the Starry Wisdom cult. He'd been partly responsible for kidnapping Sara and was also believed to have murdered a scientist in France who was working with Mozzie.
"He was roughly the same build," Neal said.
"We may be able to find out," Mozzie said grimly. "Chad's organic signature was documented in the Meropian database at the time of his capture in Arkham. If there's any trace of blood or saliva on Betelgeuse, we should be able to discover if it belongs to him."
Notes: Chad first appeared in The Locked Room. He also caused issues in Lion's Lair. Chad's been on Mozzie's radar since Neal was a child. Mozzie dubbed him Bad News Chad during those early years. Is he about to earn the nickname once more?