Chapter 4: Under the Influence

Cyrus's office. Miskatonic University. Thursday, July 8, 1976.

Neal gave Diana a slightly modified version of the actual events. He told her he'd discovered Betelgeuse in Cyrus's office. He explained that El and Cyrus were working on an advanced system of blood analysis—also true. Absolutely no need to mention it was based on alien technology.

Any evidence they uncovered would be inadmissible in court but it could indicate who they were up against. If Chad were in town, it raised the likelihood he was somehow connected to the Fellowship of Galadriel. What had started off sounding like an innocuous Wicca coven could be linked to both Yidhra and the Azathoth worshipers of Starry Wisdom. Not good.

El and Cyrus had taken Betelgeuse to Mozzie's lab on the fifth floor for analysis. Neal and Henry remained in Cyrus's office with Mozzie on the floor below to await the results.

"How did the Wicca meeting go last night?" Henry asked.

Mozzie smiled. "I was welcomed with open arms. A few of the fellowship members had attended my class on cosmology for non-scientists. They were particularly excited to see me. The group is an interesting blend of faculty and students. Altogether there are twenty-four members, correction twenty-five now that I've joined."

"Did you find out when the fellowship was created?" Henry asked.

"A British botany professor who's on loan to us from Oxford started it last month. Her name is Phyllida Cartwright. Charming woman. She was most appreciative of my interest. Phyllida specializes in herbology."

Henry rolled his hand and when Mozzie wasn't forthcoming, asked, "Which is . . .?"

"The study of plants and plant lore," Neal supplied. "It's not surprising that Phyllida would be interested in Wicca. Many of the herbals of Renaissance times have much in common with grimoires. The magical uses of herbs and potions are covered in both types of works."

"Herbs figure prominently in Tolkien as well as magic," Mozzie added. "A blend of Wicca beliefs with Tolkien could be very appealing. Phyllida explained that's there's a Fellowship of Galadriel in Oxford as well as branches in Germany and the Soviet Union."

"What did you do during the meeting?" Henry asked impatiently. "Sit around, drink herbal tea, and discuss Tolkien trivia?"

"Not exclusively. We also planned the Ritual of Varda. Wiccans conduct equinox and solstice celebrations. The fellowship used their model to devise events based on Tolkien's mythology. They linked Varda to Vega, the brightest star in the summer sky."

"Varda is one of the Valar, the gods of Middle-earth," Neal explained. "According to Tolkien's mythology, she created the stars."

"I offered my assistance with the ritual," Mozzie added complacently. "Naturally they were grateful to have my expertise."

"What's being planned?" Henry asked.

"We'll meet in the arboretum on campus. Some will recite poems from The Lord of the Rings. I was pressed to deliver a talk on Tolkien's cosmology. Neal, you'll be interested to know that Marjorie will discuss the linguistic structure of High Elven."

"Marjorie Whipple is the head of my department," Neal told Henry. "I could offer my services too."

"Better not," Henry said, his expression unexpectedly worried. "I know the event sounds harmless but I have a bad feeling. Doesn't Varda sound like the kind of legendary creature Yidhra would be interested in?"

Mozzie pondered the idea for a moment. "Varda does bear a similarity to Isis and Chang'e in that she's a beautiful goddess, but I fail to see what Yidhra would gain by infiltrating a Wicca coven. It's not like the members hold powerful positions in government."

"If Yidhra wants to expand her influence, then Hecate, the Greek goddess of witches would be a more logical target," Neal said. "But this speculation isn't helping Charlene who's still sitting in jail."

Henry nodded glumly. "And Sara and I didn't find anything incriminating in the places we searched last night. By the way, Sara is a natural-born cat burglar. I've offered to coach her in lock-picking. This afternoon we'll make the rounds of more members. While one of us interviews them, the other can sneak away to check for anything suspicious."

That sounded much more exciting than what Neal had lined up—an afternoon hitting the books in the vault. He consoled himself that it was up to him and Peter to uncover the Scythian connection, assuming there was one.

He looked up at the sound of footsteps. El and Cyrus were back with Betelgeuse. Diana stopped them as they entered the lab. Neal along with Mozzie and Henry joined them to hear the news.

"Were you able to get a match?" Diana asked.

El nodded. "Betelgeuse had a few droplets of blood around his mouth. Enough to prove that the intruder was Chad Lawson."

Diana exhaled noisily. "Him again. He slipped through our net last time. I refuse to let it happen this time."

"He was last seen in France," Henry said. "Would you like my help in tracing how he arrived in Arkham?"

Diana hesitated a moment then nodded. "Sure, the more resources we throw at him, the better." She turned to Neal. "You wondered about the Wicca coven, but Chad's presence raises the probability that the Starry Wisdom cult is attempting to stage a resurgence."

"We've already implemented heightened security measures," Henry said. As he discussed the details with Diana, Neal excused himself to notify Sara. Chad had touched the lives of all the SCAGR members and everyone would need to be on high alert. But Chad had been particularly attracted to Sara.

Her response was typical. She believed Chad's presence made it even more important for her to distance herself from the others. She continued to believe she was an unwitting agent for the Ymar and none of Neal's arguments could dissuade her. He feared she was a much more likely target than him. Chad had hit upon her when she'd worked undercover. He could still have designs on her. Henry knew about Neal's concerns and promised to keep an eye on her. Sara's paranoia was helpful in one regard. Since she didn't trust herself, she had no choice but to agree to be accompanied in the field.

#

The next day, when Neal met Peter in the library vault, security was on both their minds.

"Lavinia has insisted on Ch'orri living with us till the crisis passes," Peter said. "He will be El's constant companion."

"She and June can compare notes," Neal said. "Ch'uli is staying at June's for the foreseeable future. Cyrus is also moving in."

"Are he and June . . .?" Peter arched an eyebrow to finish the question.

"I'd thought they might be romantically inclined," Neal admitted. "But I think they're just very close friends. They've bonded through SCAGR and a mutual interest in cooking. Cyrus will stay in one of the guest bedrooms. I expect to be eating extremely well." He couldn't resist adding, "Sara could be too."

Peter winced in sympathy. "She'll come around. It took you a while to adjust, especially after Sornoth poisoned you."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't let me distance myself. Am I being too considerate?"

"I don't think so. Besides, Sara's more stubborn than you are."

"Very true." Neal took a slow breath and refocused on the work at hand. His challenge was to decipher Scythian script based on the few inscriptions that had survived the ages. There were even fewer examples than the tadpole-script inscriptions on starfish artifacts. For tadpole script, he'd had a sudden inspiration but he didn't know what had triggered it. He foresaw countless hours of staring at the unfamiliar script until the Eureka moment arrived.

Peter was working from the other direction, researching Greek primary sources for information about the Greek goddess Hecate and the Scythians. They worked in companionable silence only broken by the scratching of their pens. When Peter grunted, the sound was unnaturally loud.

"Did you find something?" Neal asked eagerly.

"It's an account by the Greek geographer Strabo. He traveled extensively throughout Asia Minor. In a sense, he was one of the earliest archaeologists. You recall I mentioned that Hecate is usually depicted in triplicate surrounding a column?"

"Did he discover a statue of her?"

"Apparently so. He wrote that in an ancient Scythian settlement close to the Black Sea, he found a carved stone statue he took to be Hecate. The figures, though, were unlike any of the standard representations. One was a woman carrying a short sword. A second showed the woman with the mask of a wolf and carrying a flail. The third figure, also a female body, wore the mask of a bull and carried a small object Strabo took to be an octopus."

Neal stared at him. "Some of those symbols are Egyptian, and that sword . . ." His words trailed off as he mulled over the implications.

Judging by Peter's expression, he was equally concerned. "In the ancient Egyptian crypt we explored in Abydos, the hieroglyphs inscribed on the altar equated Azathoth with Osiris, Yidhra with Isis, and Nyarlathotep with Anubis. This statue has eerie parallels. The Greeks were known to have adopted many elements of the Egyptian religion."

"How about the Scythians?"

Peter pursed his lips for a moment. "The earliest evidence of their culture dates to the eleventh century BC. About four hundred years earlier, the ancient Egyptians achieved their greatest expansion into the region. They ranged as far north as Asia Minor. It's conceivable there was an interchange of cultures." He tapped with his pen next to the book. "Osiris was often symbolized by the Egyptians as a bull."

"But not with an octopus," Neal pointed out. "That has to refer to Azathoth. Perhaps it was meant to be a cthylla." The small bat-winged octopuses were found only on Tirelia.

"I agree. What Strabo took to be a wolf mask most like refers to Anubis. The black canine mask he wears in Egyptian iconography could represent either a wolf or a jackal."

"That statue indicates a cult devoted to the Ymar existed in Asia Minor," Neal said. "But it's not possible to determine whether the statue's Scythian, Greek, or from some other culture."

Peter smiled. "Not necessarily. I told you Strabo was an archaeologist. In his manuscript, he wrote a line of marks on the base of the statue that he considered to be Scythian characters."

"Why isn't this documented in the works I've been studying?" Neal asked, outraged that such a vital description was left out of his references.

"I don't think anyone realized its significance," Peter said. "The sole manuscript is a fragment of papyrus. Historians speculate it's from Historical Sketches, one of Strabo's major works. We only know about it because Strabo and others following him referenced it, but the work itself is nearly completely lost. Our library is lucky to have a copy of the fragment." Peter passed the reference to Neal.

"This could be the Rosetta Stone for the Scythian language! Those marks could indicate the names of the Ymar gods." Neal's excitement over being able to decrypt Scythian was tempered by a more immediate concern. "Could the sword carried by the one figure on the statue be the dagger Sasha described?"

"Having survived through the centuries against all odds? If you'd asked me a year ago, I would have placed the odds as being so infinitesimally small, it wasn't worth considering. But no longer. Your amulet, the armillary sphere, the compendium—those are all alien devices that have survived the centuries unscathed. Why not a dagger?"

Neal frowned. "Our mysteries are multiplying exponentially. If that dagger is of alien manufacture, it could have paranormal capabilities. And how did Sasha find it in a Kyiv bazaar? He paid the equivalent of two hundred dollars for it—hardly appropriate for a priceless artifact."

Peter shrugged. "Laban Shrewsbury found the compendium in an antique store in Lyon. Something similar could have happened here."

"Then how did whoever killed Sasha find out about it?" Neal asked. "We don't have anything to connect Chad to the Fellowship of Galadriel. Charlene is languishing in jail, and we're no closer to clearing her name."

"Be patient," Peter urged. "We're making progress even though it may not look like it."

Easy for him to say. When Neal's com-link buzzed, he was glad to take a break to calm down.

"I thought I'd find you in the vault," Henry said cheerfully.

"I'm here as well," Peter said, moving to Neal's side of the table so Henry would be able to see him.

"I'd hoped you would be. I've got news on the Chad front. My contacts were able to trace him to a flight he took from Saint Petersburg to Boston. I have a buddy who's working in the Soviet Union. He did a little digging around. The Aeroflot flight Chad took originated in Kyiv."

Neal exchanged looks with Peter. They now had a connection between the dagger and the break-in at the lab. Was the fellowship part of it too?

"Do you think you could convince this buddy of yours to do some sniffing around for us?" Peter asked.

Henry shrugged. "With a liberal cash contribution from Talmadge Holdings, I'm sure I can persuade him. What do you have in mind?"

"We believe the missing dagger could be an ancient artifact, most likely from a Scythian tomb. There are several documented sites near Kyiv. What I'd like to know is if a new one has been discovered."

"And looted before scientists ever found out about it?" Neal added.

Peter nodded. "It's a common occurrence in Egypt. Why not in the Soviet Union?"

Henry grinned. "I like the way you think, and my buddy will too."

"Could you ask him to keep alert for any rumors of cults while he's at it?" Neal asked.

"Good idea," Henry agreed. "Chad's visit to the U.S.S.R. could be due to Starry Wisdom having ingratiated itself with the Soviets. I'll touch base with you later. Sara and I are off to interview Phyllida Cartwright."

Peter raised an eyebrow at Neal. "She's the botany professor who started the fellowship," Neal explained.

"Henry, what reason did you give for wanting to speak with her?" Peter asked.

"The same one we're using with everyone else. The group is worried about Charlene. Everyone we've approached has been eager to help. One woman had dinner with Charlene shortly before she left to see the professor, and she appeared fine. What caused her to kill him remains a mystery."

Neal looked at him startled. "Then you believe she did it?"

"Sorry, kiddo, but I do. But I also think she was acting under what is increasingly likely to be an alien influence."

#

Sara and Henry met Phyllida in her office at the university. The Brit was gracious and cooperative but wasn't able to provide any new insights.

Instead, they were all provided by Henry. Sara hadn't realized he was bisexual but how else to explain the fawning attention he paid to Phyllida? Yes, she was attractive, with long blond hair and a delightful British accent but Sara couldn't understand the hold she had on him. It wasn't like Phyllida was consciously trying to do anything. She was dressed simply in a tailored shirt and skirt—not by any stretch of the imagination the clothes of a femme fatale.

"I wish I could help," Phyllida said. "What happened to Charlene is extremely unfortunate. I refuse to believe she's a murderess."

"What do you think happened?" Sara asked.

Phyllida hesitated for a moment. "I hate to cast aspersions on a colleague, but I had a couple of run-ins with Professor Golunov where he made what I deemed were inappropriate comments. I know his reputation was unblemished, but as you undoubtedly know, some keep their dark secrets deeply buried."

"And you think that was the case with Golunov?" Henry asked.

Phyllida nodded. "I do. He may have forced himself upon her. Charlene fought him off then suffered traumatic stress from the attack. Abuse victims are known to spin fantasies to shield themselves from a reality too brutal to relive. Do you know if Charlene has seen a psychiatrist?"

"She has," Sara confirmed. "So far he hasn't issued a prognosis."

"Psychological trauma is the most likely cause," Henry agreed. "Nothing else makes any sense."

That's not what he felt earlier. Then Sara realized Henry was lulling Phyllida into a false sense of complacency. It would have been helpful if he'd notified Sara in advance of his strategy but she could play along.

"It's so clear when you explain it," Sara said admiringly. "I was beginning to wonder if there was something we'd missed. Something she'd said during a fellowship meeting?" Sara looked pleadingly at her for enlightenment.

Phyllida gazed out the window for a moment before turning to face them. "I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything. As you probably know, Charlene was preparing a paper on Baba Yaga. She'd asked my advice about early Russian herbals. I believe this was the first time she'd met Professor Golunov at his house." Phyllida shook her head. "Such a tragedy."

"Thank you for your insights," Henry said. "I'm sure your assessment is the correct one." He reached inside his pants pocket and pulled out his wallet. "This is my card. If you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to call."

Sara sighed. Should she be grateful he didn't kiss Phyllida's hand? He looked like he wanted to.

As she rose to leave, she suddenly became lightheaded. She hurriedly grabbed the back of the chair till the moment passed. Luckily no one appeared to notice anything. But she knew that feeling. The question was what had caused it?

"That went well, didn't it?" Henry said once they were outside. "Phyllida's confirmation of our suspicions makes this case a wrap as far as I'm concerned. We can report back to Diana there's nothing more to be investigated. The shrink's testimony will get Charlene a light sentence. She may not have to serve any time." His brow furrowed. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

#

Sara sighed and turned to Neal. "You see what I mean. Somehow Henry's mind has been affected, infected, whatever."

Henry looked to Neal with anguish in his eyes. "You believe me, don't you?" His expression was eerily similar to the way Charlene had reacted, filling Neal with dismay. Sara had called him on the com-link from the science building. When she found out he was still in the vault, she ordered him to stay put till they arrived. The small modicum of comfort in this nightmarish scenario was that Sara was once more the confident snoop he knew and loved. But Henry . . . who was this guy?

"Do you remember contacting me this morning?" Neal asked him, dodging his entreaty for now.

"Sure." Henry scowled. "I'm still me."

"What did we discuss?" Neal challenged, not willing to ease up.

Henry huffed. "I told you that Chad was traced to Kyiv. I left word for my Russian contact to check into cults and tomb robbers. What, do you think I've lost my marbles?"

Neal winced. "Not all of them. Just a couple."

Henry groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Shoot me now," he muttered. "I've become an Ymar tool."

"No, you haven't," Sara declared. "You're a canary in the coalmine instead, sacrificing yourself to prove where the danger lies."

"Keep talking," Henry said, lifting his head. "I'm starting to feel better."

"Sara's right," Neal declared. "Your experience proves that our enemy can manipulate minds. Before you questioned Phyllida, you'd rejected the theory that Sasha attacked Charlene. Now you've changed your opinion without having been given any evidence to prove your initial assessment was wrong."

"Do you still feel that way?" Sara asked.

Henry nodded glumly. "The rational part of my brain remembers that I once believed Golunov hadn't provoked Charlene's attack but my gut tells me to ignore it. That same traitorous gut believes Phyllida is to be trusted and whatever she says must be true."

"How did she do it?" Sara asked. "We didn't drink anything. I didn't smell any perfume. But that feeling of lightheadedness was similar to what I'd experienced when wearing Yidhra's collar. Could that have simply been a coincidence?"

"I don't think so," Neal said. He was glad he'd closed the door to the vault after Sara and Henry arrived. Until they figured out how Henry had been influenced, anyone—including the library guard—could have been similarly affected. "But even more significant is that you were immune to whatever manipulation they were using on Henry."

Sara tightened her lips. "Not necessarily. Henry could have been the only one targeted."

"I don't think so," Henry said. "You admitted to feeling a little sympathy toward Phyllida, but in your case, it was nothing overwhelming. What's different about us?" He chuckled sheepishly. "Besides the obvious. I don't think our gender is the issue, and the amount of algolnium we have in our systems based on El's latest test is roughly equivalent."

"You know what it is, Sara," Neal said quietly. "You simply refuse to accept it. Something did happen in Yidhra's grotto." She stared at him in consternation. "You believe you were changed in Yidhra's grotto, and I think you're right. When I learned I had algolnium, I was worried about its negative effects but it turned out to be a gift. The same could be true for you. I'm sure that wasn't Yidhra's intention, but what if your experience gave you heightened sensitivity to her type of magic as well as the ability to resist it?"

"I bet Neal's right," Henry said, voicing his support. "You emerged from the wormhole in her lagoon. That alone might have caused an effect. You wore that collar. We know she intended to merge with you. If the process had already started, you may be able to fight off manipulation by others. Hell if I know how you can do it, but alien powers all seem like magic to me." He smiled. "You two are quite the pair. Neal with his gifts from the Celaenians. Sara, you may have acquired a bit of Ymar ability."

She gaped at him.

Neal added before she freaked out, "That wasn't their plan, but we've learned the unintended consequences that can occur especially when cross-brane contamination occurs."

"I hope you're correct," Sara said, "but I'm clueless on what my gift is or how to use it. Some instructions would be nice."

Neal snorted. "Hey, did I have any with my amulet? You wouldn't want things too easy, would you?"

"I'm just waiting for my power-up," Henry said. "And it better hurry. What this demonstrates is that we need to engage in as much wormhole travel as possible 'cause I know whatever mine is will be totally awesome."

Sara smiled fondly at them. "Guys, I appreciate your enthusiasm, and now that you're stroked my ego to the point that I'll be insufferable for days, hadn't we better get down to practical matters? Like, for instance, just who is Phyllida? How does she exert her influence? And what is her connection to Chad and Charlene?"

"I'm working on that," Henry said. "I'm not so addle-headed, I can't investigate her. I'll use Fei Hong's contacts in England to dig up the dirt on Phyllida."

"I'll drop by her office," Neal said. "I wanted to touch base with Mozzie and he's in the same building. With Nigel and Raquel, I could detect an aura. Does she have one too?"

"You're not going alone," Sara said quickly. "I'm going with you."

Neal arched an eyebrow. "You're not worried you'll attack me?"

She grinned sheepishly. "I figure you can take care of yourself. And if you fall under Phyllida's spell, I want to be around to bash some sense into your head." Her expression turned serious. "But how will our efforts help Charlene? We believe she was acting under the influence and not responsible for her actions, but we don't have any evidence we can share with the police. Even if Charlene is acquitted under a temporary insanity charge or something similar, she'll be forever scarred by her experience. There must be something else we can do."

"We always have options," Henry said. "Particularly if you're willing to color outside the lines."

Neal smiled. "I always found expressionist art much more liberating than realistic works. Do you have something in mind?"

Henry nodded. "We'll need to get Mozzie on board. Will that be an issue?"

Neal snorted. "Hardly. Especially where the police are concerned, Mozzie sets his own rules."

"How about Peter?" Henry asked.

Neal hesitated. "If you can convince him the cause is just, I bet he'll agree."

"We'll put that to the test," Henry said. "I'm hereby calling a SCAGR meeting for later this afternoon. You and Sara go ahead and check Phyllida out. I'll round up the others. Let's meet at June's in two hours."

Sara chuckled. "Good choice. Now that Cyrus is staying there too, we'll have the best snacks in Arkham."

Notes: Neal and Peter explored the ancient crypt in Abydos in Sands of Abydos. Strabos is a historical character. In our world, no one has identified Scythian inscriptions although references are made to the Scythian language.