Chapter 5: Guide Service

Peter awoke slowly, his head throbbing. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was. Then the memories came back with a rush. The wormhole . . . The attack in the forest.

When he struggled to sit up, someone gripped his shoulders and gently pushed him back to the ground. "Lie still, Peter. You're safe now."

He was in no shape to protest. A sharp pain had erupted in his side at the movement. He'd broken a rib once during a football game. This felt similar. He realized he was lying on the ground in their makeshift shelter. An unfamiliar face loomed over him. A middle-aged man, apparently human with light brown curly hair, crouched beside him. His eyes were set close together on either side of a prominent nose, giving him the appearance of a curious ostrich. He gave Peter an encouraging smile as if to reassure him that he meant no harm. Dim light was being provided by a small globe lying on the ground beside the stranger.

"Do I know you?" asked Peter cautiously.

"Phineas Dittlesworth," he said with a slight nod. "At your service."

"The ornithologist?"

"The very same. I see my fame has preceded me."

Peter ignored his mocking manner. "Where's Neal—the young man with me? Is he all right?"

Phineas frowned and shook his head. "His status is unknown. I arrived on the scene to find you lying on the ground unconscious. There were traces of hoof prints. Judging by the number of them, several ghasts must have been present. I believe they carried Neal away with them."

"You know who I am. You know about ghasts." Peter attempted once more to sit up. His chest had been wrapped and bandaged with what appeared to be standard medical supplies. Was Phineas a medical doctor as well as an ornithologist?

"You were struck by a ghast hoof," Phineas explained to his mute question. "The wound is not severe. I don't believe you broke any ribs, but they're bruised. You also took quite a blow to the back of your head."

"It doesn't hurt much," Peter said, gingerly rubbing the golf ball-sized lump.

"Don't let the absence of pain deceive you," he warned. "I gave you an analgesic. Without it, you would have difficulty functioning."

Peter looked at him with renewed bewilderment. "How did you get here? Were you also sucked into the crystal manuscript?"

His face darkened. "The artifact was destroyed. I had other means."

"Do you know where Neal is?"

"I suspect they've taken him to their stronghold in H'nir."

How did Phineas know so much about this planet? How had he traveled here? Peter's mind reeled from all the questions swirling inside. One rose to the top. "Can you take me there? We have to rescue Neal."

"I agree but we need to wait till it's light. You should use this time to rest. You'll need all the strength you can muster for tomorrow."

Phineas reached into a canvas knapsack and pulled out a flask. He poured a small amount of liquid into the cap and gave it to him. It was thick as milk and pale green in color. He sniffed it gingerly before drinking. The subtle fragrance conjured up memories of a meadow he'd explored high in the Himalayas. "Any side effects I should be concerned about?" he asked. He could picture El beside him and her look of dismay at him taking an unknown drug.

"Nothing to fear. You survived a brutal attack by ghasts. You need to recover if you wish to help Neal. This is the fastest way."

He took another sip. The liquid was cool on his tongue. Instantly his discomfort began to ease.

Phineas rummaged in the knapsack again. This time he pulled out a small fruit that looked like a slate-blue apple. He used his pocket knife to slice it into sections.

"Who are you?" Peter repeated, accepting a slice.

"I already told you."

"No, you didn't. Phineas may be the name you're using, but you're familiar with this planet. Are you from here? And where is here? Don't think for a minute I'll get any rest until I have some answers."

"In your position, I'd feel the same," he acknowledged. He helped Peter get more comfortable against the branches of their shelter, using the knapsack as a back cushion.

Peter nibbled on the blue fruit. It reminded him of the taste of pineapple but had a fragrance unlike anything he'd ever experienced. While he ate he listened to an incredible tale. Of the planet Merope, of Phineas and Lavinia—two Meropians who were trying to keep Earth from falling under the control of Azathoth and the other members of his race, the Ymar. That Lavinia was not of Earth, he could believe. But that she was working with Phineas to protect Earth? That would take a while to accept.

"If Meropians are shapeshifters like the Ymar, what do you actually look like?"

"Don't you like my appearance?" he asked sarcastically. "I think I'm quite handsome. Even debonair." He refused to reveal any details. Peter began to detect the resemblance to Lavinia. Meropians were stingy in providing information.

"Did someone intentionally bring Neal and me here?"

He nodded, his expression turning grim. "We believe Azathoth or one of his servants created the wormhole which transported you to Merope."

"The crystal manuscript was made by Azathoth?"

Phineas shook his head. "The crystal manuscript was a priceless artifact from the library on Celaeno, a planet in our stellar neighborhood. Those two suns you saw in the sky? The smaller one is the star Celaeno." He proceeded to relate an account that matched in all particulars the document Neal had translated. Phineas further explained how the crystal manuscript had been stolen from the library at Celaeno. The Meropian who had worked with Laban Shrewsbury, Zophar, had found it on a distant planet and placed it in the Miskatonic library vault for safekeeping. "If we'd known it had been corrupted, we would never have let you and Neal be exposed to it."

Peter had a flash hunch. "Are you Zophar?"

"No, Zophar died many years ago."

"How about the Celaenians? Are they continuing to help us?"

"In their own way, but they no longer live on Celaeno. They became pure energy long ago. We cannot look to them for help." Phineas paused to study him for a moment. "You should sleep now."

"I can't. Not when there is so much that I don't understand. You said the Celaenians became pure energy, but Laban and Andrew visited their library on Celaeno and met with the librarian."

"He was a construct. What you would call a robot but far more advanced than anything you're familiar with. He appeared human to Laban and Andrew as a reassurance. The librarian along with the library no longer exists. They were destroyed over thirty years ago during an attack by agents of the Ymar."

"Can you tell if Neal's alive?"

Phineas looked toward the entrance of the shelter and grew still. After a few minutes, he shook his head. "His mind is closed to me, but I believe he is. You must hold onto that hope, as well. Azathoth seeks him. He wishes to control him, but Neal will be of no value to him if he's dead."

"Neal has the amulet. Won't that help?"

"Not here. That amulet was designed by the Celaenians for use on Earth. On Merope, it's powerless." He pressed his fingers to Peter's temple. "Sleep now."

Peter grew immediately drowsy. Struggling to stay awake, he asked, "How did you find me? Can you read minds?"

"Yours I can and it's telling me you need to sleep."

#

When Neal regained consciousness, he was lying face down, slung over a ghast's back. The ghast's rough, gnarled skin was wet with nauseating sweat. He gagged but nothing came out. The ghast pounded relentlessly through the forest, jerking him with each movement. Other ghasts were running alongside them.

It was still night. His stomach was on fire from where the ghast had kicked him. The constant thud of hooves reverberated in his skull. There were five ghasts that he could see. None of them was carrying Peter. Had he managed to escape? That was his only source of comfort in the nightmare of the journey.

The ghasts ran through the forest, trampling anything in their path. Vines lashed at him as they plowed through thick undergrowth. He longed to grab hold of them and swing free, but his wrists and ankles were bound with thick ropes.

The next time he awoke, he wished he hadn't. His senses reeled from the stench of the ghast. He'd already been sick several times. All that was left was dry heaves. The ghast ignored him.

He could feel his amulet against his chest. It appeared to be useless. The one carrying him seemed to be healthy enough. Had the amulet been damaged in the wormhole or the attack?

A tree branch slashing across his back sparked awareness. He heard the guttural deep roar of a massive animal. What had Peter thought it was? He couldn't remember now. His mind wouldn't cooperate. If only the motion would stop. He couldn't heave again. It made the pain that much more unbearable.

When he once more became aware of his surroundings, they were descending stone steps. Dimly he saw ancient walls covered with vegetation. Sickly-looking plants grew in the crevices. Three of the ghasts split off. The one carrying him entered an open doorway and then marched down dark corridors.

Finally the ghast stopped. Seizing him with its claws, it shoved him off his shoulder. Helpless to break his fall, he crashed onto a stone floor. Oblivion came as a welcome release.

#

A soft murmur woke Peter up. When he opened his eyes, he saw one of the bushbabies they'd seen the previous day. It was sitting comfortably on Phineas's lap. The two of them appeared to be conducting a conversation. After everything else that had gone on, Peter wasn't surprised that Phineas could speak its language. Did that mean Phineas's true shape was that of a bushbaby?

In the opening of their shelter, the sky was beginning to lighten. The color of predawn light on Merope was different than on Earth. There was a copper tinge to the ghostly gray which reminded Peter of the Cinereous Vultures he'd observed in Morocco. Soon they could start the search for Neal. Did that cinereous sky foretell the dawn of Neal's rescue or was it a harbinger of worse to come?

Peter sat up, wincing at the movement. His chest was still sore. He drew in a few tentative deep breaths and didn't feel any sharp pain.

"Good morning," said Phineas cheerfully.

Peter rubbed his eyes. "Who's your friend? We saw others like him yesterday."

"This is a . . . let's call him a chittak. That's close enough to the term we use."

"Is he one of your species?"

"Hardly!" He poured out a capful of the same liquid he'd given Peter earlier. "Drink this. You'll need it for today. We'll leave as soon as you've eaten."

He gave Peter another one of the blue apples to eat. It wasn't ham and eggs but surprisingly sustaining. The chittak jumped next to him and then proceeded to climb up his shirt to perch on his shoulder. It chittered softly in his ear.

"Neal dreamed about these in Lavinia's office," Peter said, tickling it behind its ears. "Does she have chittaks in her rafters?"

He nodded but didn't elaborate. "Chittaks have been monitoring you since your arrival on Merope. Particularly relevant is that they observed the attack last night."

Peter dropped the slice of fruit from his hand. "Do they know where Neal is? How is he?"

The chittak darted down and scooped up the piece of fruit, munching it eagerly. Peter was happy to share with anyone who had news of Neal.

"The last time they saw him, he was alive—trussed over a ghast's back. He was taken to H'nir as I feared."

"Is that far away?"

"It's a half-day trek through the forest. H'nir is an ancient city of my people. It was seized by the forces of the Ymar and now serves as a garrison for ghasts." Phineas's face took on a somber cast. "It's a bad business. The chittak said Sornoth has been seen prowling the forest. Worse yet, he was spotted in H'nir. Sornoth was probably the one who lured you to Merope."

"Is he one of the Ymar?"

"No, he's one of their servants, but don't let that mislead you. Sornoth's malevolence is equal to that of Azathoth. We suspect he was genetically bred to perform the Ymar's bidding. Ghasts were once human, you know. Azathoth bred the first ghasts from ancient Egyptians."

Phineas said it matter-of-factly, but Peter was stunned that such creatures devolved from humans.

"The Ymar are unable to enter our universe," Phineas added. "They were banished by the Celaenians to what you call the A-Brane. But other inhabitants of that universe have been able to penetrate through wormholes. Ghasts, zoogs, and nightgaunts—all come from there. Sornoth resembles a black saber-toothed leopard but is much larger than any of Earth's leopards. Did you hear roars in the forest last night?"

"That was Sornoth?"

"Yes. You should hold no delusions about the difficulty of our challenge. Sornoth is no ordinary foe. We believe Azathoth doesn't want to kill Neal, but Sornoth may not care."

Peter quickly finished the fruit. Phineas said it would take several hours to reach H'nir. There were no trails to follow. They'd be creating a path through the forest and it would be slow going. But water and fruit they'd have in abundance.

Phineas glanced through the opening of their shelter, scanning the forest warily. "If you're up to it, we should start. We need to rescue Neal and escape the planet before twilight. Once darkness descends, the ghasts will find us easy prey."

Although Phineas didn't voice it aloud, Peter sensed that if they didn't succeed today, there would be no second chance.

#

Under different circumstances, Peter would have rejoiced at exploring a wilderness of such beauty. As he trekked through a forest of ancient moss-covered trees with Phineas, he caught glimpses of the friendly chittaks. Birds continued to be widespread. Notably lacking was the presence of large ground-dwelling animals. Phineas explained that the ghasts had wreaked havoc on many species.

In daylight, they didn't need to fear the allies of the Ymar. The creatures of Azathoth's world haunted the darkness.

He resolved to take advantage of their journey to learn more about the beings who'd invaded Earth. "You said the Ymar conquered Earth eleven thousand years ago. That was during the Neolithic when humans had only formed primitive settlements."

"That's what you believe to be the case, but your knowledge is incomplete. Our information is not much better. What little we know is based on reports from the Celaenians. They recorded that in approximately 12,000 BC your planet was colonized by a race of aliens called the Elnath. You may be familiar with the term Elder Thing?"

"I've seen them mentioned in the Necronomicon. Alhazred described them as monsters which roamed Earth at the dawn of time."

Phineas snorted, as he held up a vine for Peter to pass under. "Don't believe everything you read in that book. The Elnath weren't monsters but an advanced species. The star which was at the center of the planetary system they inhabited was dying. They sent out spaceships to discover a new home. Your planet was chosen. There may have been additional planets they colonized, but the Celaenians didn't mention any others. At that time your race was still in a primitive state, illiterate with no social structure. The Elnath established several city-states throughout the globe and were slowly educating the indigenous peoples."

"This was the culture the Ymar destroyed?"

"Correct. When the Ymar invaded, they obliterated the Elnath city-states. They built their own empire using Earth's inhabitants as slave labor."

"Was there any particular reason they chose Earth?"

"That I do not know, but you weren't alone in suffering their brutality. The Ymar were a plague on the entire galaxy, living as parasites on the worlds they conquered. The Celaenians were alarmed at their destructive force and sought to render them impotent."

"They must have emerged victorious." Peter paused to wipe the sweat off his face with his sleeve. "Or we wouldn't be here."

Phineas handed him a flask of water. "In circa 5,800 BC Celaenians succeeded in banishing the last remnants of the Ymar to the A-Brane."

"The disk in the crypt that we used to close the wormhole was dated to approximately the same time. Was it created by them?"

Phineas nodded. "They used wormholes to send the Ymar into exile. The disks were left as safeguard mechanisms in case the wormholes reopened. They believed they had eliminated the Ymar from the galaxy. On Earth, they erased all the evidence they could find of alien cultures. They hoped you'd be able to develop freely without any extraterrestrial influence."

"But that wasn't to be, was it?"

He shook his head. "The Elnath were the first we know of to make use of wormhole technology. When the Ymar conquered them, they enslaved their scientists. The Celaenians discovered to their dismay that already by the Old Kingdom in Egypt, the Ymar were creating wormholes to link their world to yours. Elnath slaves working for the Ymar may have been responsible. At first the wormholes only lasted for a few minutes, but gradually the Ymar have refined their ability to keep wormholes open for longer periods of time."

"If Celaenians cared enough to help Earth in the beginning, why didn't they return to finish the job?"

"They did," Phineas said. "At least two times that we know of. Since the Ymar themselves weren't entering your world and the wormholes were of short duration, the Celaenians didn't perceive you to be at high risk. You have to remember your planet is only one of many they were attempting to keep safe. On a few occasions, they dispatched an emissary to instruct a representative of your species to act as a guardian of sorts. The first time we know occurred in Damascus in the 700s."

"Alhazred!" Peter exclaimed.

He nodded. "The emissary attempted to use the author of the Necronomicon as a conduit for their warnings, but he quickly realized it was futile. Your species simply hadn't developed enough to understand the advanced concepts they wished to teach. Alhazred became convinced the Ymar were gods and began worshiping them. He was branded a lunatic and a heretic. After that disaster, for many hundreds of years, no additional attempt was made. In 1520, an emissary was sent to Heinrich Agrippa. By then the Celaenians had learned to be more circumspect, but Agrippa still wasn't able to divorce himself from the superstitions of his time. They concluded that humans simply weren't ready to undertake the challenge."

"When did your race first have contact with Celaenians?"

"About five hundred of your years ago when our world was attacked. Afterward, we formed an alliance to do what we could to help others. Now we work alone."

Alone. That word sent a chill through Peter despite the steamy conditions. Neal was alone. The prisoner of Sornoth. Phineas thought Azathoth wanted him alive. If he knew why the alien wanted Neal, he didn't reveal it.

They trekked another two hours before Phineas called a halt. He stated the obvious when he said, "You need to rest."

Peter wasn't about to argue with him. His injuries didn't bother him, but he was bone-weary. As the suns rose higher in the sky, the heat also increased. He appropriated a fallen log to sit on. Phineas pulled out more of the blue apples from his knapsack. Peter was beginning to think of them as the Meropian equivalent to C-Rations.

"After we rescue Neal, I assume you have a plan to return to Earth. Will we return the same way you came here?"

"That's not possible. My device isn't designed for your physiognomy. The Celaenians built a permanent wormhole with flexible parameters. We deployed it for large-scale evacuations to our new home. I intend to use it to send you to Earth."

"Have you ever tested it with a human?" Peter didn't know why he was being so cautious. Staying on Merope was not a viable option.

Although Phineas asserted the wormhole had been employed before to travel to Earth, the news was not as reassuring as it should be. His normal confidence had been replaced by a more guarded expression.

"What aren't you telling me?" Peter demanded. "Don't I deserve to understand what we face?"

"You would have found out eventually," conceded Phineas reluctantly. "It might as well be now. I tested the wormhole on Thaddeus Shrewsbury."

"Neal's advisor was here?" Peter's mouth dropped open in his astonishment. "When?"

"Thaddeus was abducted from the library vault in 1974."

That was shortly before he fell into a coma. Peter's stomach plummeted to the ground. Was the abduction the cause of his illness or his return trip?

"At the time we didn't realize how Thaddeus had been taken," Phineas explained, keeping his eyes fixed on Peter as if he was monitoring his reaction. "We now believe the crystal manuscript provided the mechanism. If we'd known of its involvement, we would have destroyed it then and there. I came to Merope to rescue him like I did for you. Thaddeus had also been seized by Sornoth." Phineas fell silent for a few moments. "His wounds were serious, but I believed if he could survive till we reached the wormhole he would be healed."

"Mozzie has a theory that when we enter a wormhole, ghost images remain on Earth. They enable our molecular structure to be reconstituted."

"A provocative concept," said Phineas noncommittally.

"It was the only semi-rational explanation any of us could think of for why the injuries we suffered off-world vanished without a trace once we returned to Earth." Peter hoped that Phineas would either confirm the concept or offer a better explanation.

"I accompanied Thaddeus on his voyage home," Phineas said, dashing Peter's hopes for enlightenment. "At first, all appeared well. His wounds were healed. He was unconscious when we arrived, but that was not initially a concern. You, too, have blacked out every time you've gone through a wormhole."

Peter nodded in agreement. Unlike him, Neal remained conscious. Peter suspected it was because he had much more algolnium.

"Unfortunately, Thaddeus never awoke. Your doctors called it a coma, and perhaps that's what it was."

"Was his coma caused by his injuries or the wormhole?" Peter demanded. His voice sounded harsh to his ears.

"We can't be certain," Phineas admitted. "Perhaps a combination of the two. His injuries were life-threatening. I had no choice but to make the attempt."

"If the wormhole provoked Thaddeus's coma, what makes you think our fate won't be the same?"

"I'm counting on Neal," he said impassively.

"I don't understand. Is it because he has more algolnium?"

"No." He glanced up at the sky. "We must move on if we're to arrive at H'nir by midday."

"I've had enough rest," Peter said, standing up. He considered pressing Phineas for details but sensed it would be futile. Phineas was more congenial than Lavinia but he too appeared to have preconceptions of how much to divulge. Peter wondered how much of that reticence was because of the Celaenian failures.

Phineas shot him a quick look as if he'd read his thoughts. "I know it's frustrating. I'd hoped we'd be able to discuss your questions on Earth. Neal should be present. You've been very patient and I ask for you to hold off a little while longer."

They'd only walked a few paces when a chittak dropped down on Phineas's shoulder and chittered in his ear. Phineas listened intently, responding with similar sounds. Afterward he turned to Peter. "We must hasten our pace."

"Has the chittak seen Neal?"

"No, but several of our scouts did. They're with him now."

"Scouts? You mean the chittaks?"

"No, they're too large to escape undetected. Our scouts are much smaller. They passed word to the chittaks. Neal received serious injuries during the ghast attack. Sornoth was away when Neal arrived in H'nir but the scouts have now detected his presence in the ruins. We must attempt to free him before Sornoth comes for him."

Notes: Sornoth takes center stage in next week's chapter. Casting a saber-toothed leopard as the villain was Peter's idea. It's a reference to Klaus Mansfeld, aka the Leopard, who along with his brother Rolf kidnapped Neal in my previous story, Nocturne in Black and Gold. That's only one of the many messages to Azathoth. The story's title is another one. I've written about them for our blog. The title of the post is "Messages to Azathoth: A Cinereous Dawn."