Chapter 13: Lineage

When Neal returned to his office at the university, it was as if he'd traveled through a wormhole of a different sort. He'd spent days on a distant planet yet hadn't missed a single class.

In his Anglo-Saxon seminar, he was able to put aside thoughts of Sornoth and focus instead on the battle between Beowulf and Grendel. In the afternoon, he met with Charlene on her paper. After much discussion, they arrived at a mutually satisfactory topic. Tolkien had written that he was inspired by Anglo-Saxon riddles. Charlene could be as well.

Late in the day, Lavinia called with news about his personal riddles. Phineas had returned and wanted to meet with him. In her usual peremptory way, she informed him that Mozzie, Peter, and El should also be present and that they'd meet at the Gilmans' house at eight o'clock. Apparently, she hadn't felt the need to ask Peter and El beforehand. Instead, she left the details of informing the others up to him.

Peter laughed it off, saying it was typical of her. Everyone was excited to attend, hoping they'd finally get some answers.

There was little time spent on small talk when the Meropians arrived that evening. For once, Phineas was wearing a suit instead of safari clothes. A sign of the gravity of the upcoming discussion? He hadn't met El and Mozzie before but treated them as if they were both old acquaintances. And perhaps they were. Phineas, like Lavinia, was a shapeshifter. He could have met them under a different guise.

The familiar surroundings of the Gilmans' dining room brought a degree of comfort to a discussion that Neal craved and dreaded at the same time. He took a seat opposite his painting of Merope. He could now put a name on the forest he'd seen in his dreams. As for the beachscape, it was still an enigma. It had more moons than Merope had. By the end of the evening, would he be able to put a name to it, as well? And what about himself? Would they finally unlock the mystery of who he was?

El and Peter had supplied beverages and snacks, but he doubted he'd eat anything. He was sitting next to El. Mozzie had positioned himself on the opposite side of the table between Lavinia and Phineas. Satchmo was also in attendance. He'd wedged himself close to Neal who was usually a soft touch for handouts. Tonight he'd likely have better luck with Mozzie.

When Lavinia reached for her tapestry bag, Neal knew what was coming—the flask of emerald wine. "We requested you be here because of the impact we've made on all your lives." She nodded at him. "Some more so than others. You deserve an explanation. But I warn you, much of what you're about to hear will be distressing. I leave it at your discretion if you want any of the wine."

"Do you have any questions before we start?" Phineas asked.

"It would be helpful if we knew more about who you are," El said. "What is your true appearance?"

"I understand why you'd like to know," he replied, "but our directive precludes us from dispensing any non-essential information about our species. What is relevant to your situation is to know that after Merope was invaded, a few members of our race resolved to assist planets facing similar threats. A council was created to direct the effort, bringing together specialists in various disciplines."

"When did you arrive on Earth?" Peter asked.

"Our people first learned of Earth when Laban Shrewsbury contacted Celaeno," Lavinia said. A brief smile crossed her face at their surprised expressions. "Yes, he found us, not the other way around. Laban discovered a device in an antique store in Lyon, France. It resembles a compendium."

"The only compendium I know about is a type of book," El said. "Is that what you're referring to?"

Mozzie shook his head. "You're referring to the astronomical device, aren't you?" When Lavinia nodded, he added, "It's an instrument designed to perform astronomical calculations. Some are as compact as a pocket watch. Quite popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries."

"This particular compendium was engineered to send the equivalent of an SOS call when calibrated a certain way," Phineas said. "Since Agrippa lived in Lyon, we suspect that the same Celaenian who gave him the armillary sphere also provided him with the compendium. Both instruments were probably manufactured on Celaeno and designed to resemble local astronomical instruments of the period. Somehow the compendium wound up in the antique store where it was discovered by Laban."

"How did he know how to configure it?" Peter asked.

"We don't think he did. We suspect he was toying with the settings and inadvertently sent a signal. The librarian on Celaeno called on us for help since all Celaenians had left the planet long ago. That's the first time a Meropian came to Earth. His name was Zophar. It didn't take long for him to detect signs of Ymar incursions. Particularly alarming was the spread of the Starry Wisdom cult. As I believe you know, it's devoted to the worship of the leader of the Ymar, Azathoth. Zophar took the unprecedented step of taking Laban and his assistant Andrew Phelan to the library on Celaeno."

"How did he accomplish it?" Mozzie demanded. "Was he able to create a wormhole?"

"Zophar had in his possession the crystal manuscript. It was an artifact given to us by the Celaenians at the time our world was invaded and provided direct access to the library. Zophar conferred with the librarian about the crisis on Earth. At the time the Celaenians departed, they believed the threat on Earth was over, but they'd left behind emergency instructions in case the Ymar were able to stage a comeback."

"One of the key elements in their defense strategy was Neal's amulet," Lavinia added.

Neal's hand drifted up to touch the pendant through his shirt.

Lavinia noticed his action. "Your amulet can seal wormholes and kill ghasts, but only if worn by someone who has Celaenian DNA. It was their way of safeguarding that the amulet could never be used by the Ymar or their converts."

Neal swallowed, his vision blurring for a moment. He'd grown to accept he might have Meropian blood, but not Celaenian. El reached for his hand underneath the table and squeezed it gently.

"After obtaining their consent, the librarian injected Laban and Andrew with Celaenian DNA," Phineas said. "The purpose was not to turn them into Celaenians but rather to give them the abilities they'd need to close off wormholes on Earth." He turned to Neal. "As I believe you suspect, Andrew Phelan was your grandfather."

"At first, all appeared to go well," Lavinia said, picking up the narrative. "Laban was given the amulet as well as a much higher dose than Andrew to jump-start his abilities. Andrew's role was that of a backup. The librarian believed that with time Andrew's abilities would similarly increase. Laban inherited through the DNA a fluency in many languages both on Earth and off-world."

That answered a question that had perplexed them from the beginning. How had an anthropologist learned so many unknown scripts?

"Laban used his gift to write his journal in obscure tongues and codes," Lavinia said. "His goal was to keep the knowledge safe from the cult and Ymar spies. Zophar returned to Earth with Laban and Andrew. Disaster struck when within a year of returning to Earth, Laban was killed by a ghast who set fire to his house."

"The amulet didn't protect him?" Peter asked, shooting a startled glance at Neal.

Crossing her arms, Lavinia shook her head. "Unfortunately not. Zophar retrieved the amulet and took it to Andrew who was then living in Boston. At that time he had Andrew change his name to Francis Chaseman and go into hiding."

Sara had been right. Francis Chaseman was the name of the man who owned the cottage in Providence where the armillary sphere was found. Neal took a breath and asked the question he felt he already knew the answer to. "Thaddeus left me a photo of Andrew with a little girl. Was she his daughter? My mother?"

Lavinia nodded. "Her name was Melina." She hesitated a moment, studying him with an unfathomable expression. "I don't know of a kind way to tell you. Melina was killed by a ghast. So was your grandfather, Andrew."

The world blinked. He'd found his mother only to lose her. He thought he'd already accepted that she was no longer alive. But with Lavinia's words, he realized a tiny ember of hope had remained, and now it too was extinguished. Had ghasts carried her off or killed her on the spot? He flashed back to Merope. He saw the ghast hoof striking him. Was that the last thing his mother saw? Was her father Andrew already dead? Or had he witnessed the death of his only daughter only to fall prey to them as well? Neal propped his elbows on the table and clenched his hands in front of his mouth in a futile attempt to contain the grief.

El wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Would you like to take a break?"

He shook his head, not attempting to speak. He'd waited for years to know the truth. He couldn't stop now.

"Drink this," Peter urged quietly, moving a glass of emerald wine closer. "It will help."

He was inclined to refuse. He'd had enough drugs on Merope. But Peter was right. He needed it. "Lavinia, you said Laban gave Andrew the amulet." His voice sounded raw, and he took a sip of the wine. "Why didn't it save him?"

"That does seem illogical," Mozzie agreed. "You told us that Laban was wearing Neal's amulet when he was killed by a ghast. Then Zophar gave the amulet to Andrew and he was also killed. Yet when Neal wears the amulet, he's been able to kill ghasts on two occasions—in front of the Nautical Shop and in the crypt."

"It's not the amulet that's different," Phineas said. "It's Neal."

Neal stared at him flummoxed. What was Phineas talking about? Then it struck him—no one had mentioned his father.

"Around the time of Laban's death, reports of puzzling crimes were popping up across the States and overseas as well," Phineas said. "On a few occasions, stone carvings in the shape of starfish were left behind. The Starry Wisdom cult was growing ever stronger. Zophar feared that wormholes across the globe were being activated. None seemed capable of maintaining stability for more than a few days, but the trend was ominous. Zophar returned to Celaeno to consult with the librarian. Remember the Celaenians had only a limited understanding of your species. Mistakes were inevitable. Zophar and the librarian concluded that the newly injected Celaenian DNA by itself was not sufficient. The librarian suggested that Meropian DNA in combination with Celaenian would provide the recipient with enhanced capabilities. And there was only one way they knew of to accomplish it. Zophar returned to Earth and presented their findings to Andrew and Melina who was then a young woman of twenty-one. She volunteered to mate with Zophar. Neal, you're the result of that union."

"My father was Zophar?" His voice came out in a whisper. He looked to Lavinia for confirmation.

She nodded. "Melina hoped her action would give humans their best chance to defeat the Ymar and their allies. No one forced the decision on her. She knew Zophar was a shapeshifter. She requested he transform into an actor she had a crush on. His name was Montgomery Clift. I remember well when Zophar returned to the council to seek their approval. Our leaders were adamantly opposed at first. Never before had a Meropian mated with a human. The fact that Melina carried Celaenian DNA was somewhat reassuring, but they still felt it was unethical. When they questioned him about the person she'd selected, Zophar reported she'd seen him in a movie, A Place in the Sun. It resonated with her and at last, the council agreed to let the union take place."

Neal sat speechless. No one else broke the silence. Peter nodded to the glass of emerald wine, but he didn't touch it. His father was a Meropian who had shapeshifted into Montgomery Clift. What kind of hybrid did that make him? He was filled with profound sadness for his mother. She'd been about his age at the time. What kind of life must she have led? Living under an assumed name with her father. He wished he could have at least one memory of her, but there was only blackness.

Sitting across the table from him were two beings who looked human, but weren't. And now he knew he was bits and pieces from three species. With difficulty, he focused on the immediate questions. "When did my mother die?"

"In 1961," Lavinia said. "You were still living in Boston. Zophar believed a wormhole in the vicinity had been reactivated. To keep you and your grandfather safe, he urged Andrew to move to Providence."

"Can Zophar provide more information?" he asked "Where is he?"

Phineas shifted his weight in his chair. "He was mortally wounded during the attack on Andrew. He lived only a few days longer."

Neal slumped back in his chair. Was that to be his fate as well? Hunted down by agents of the Ymar? A chill he hadn't felt since Leng penetrated his chest, its icy tentacles freezing his heart. The image of the high priest wearing a yellow silk hood filled his mind. The priest had pressed his gloved hand onto his chest as if to brand him. You will come again when I call. He could hear the priest as if he were in the room.

"Lavinia, were you there when it happened?" Peter's low voice roused him from the dark place he'd fallen into. Satchmo's nose nuzzled his leg, and he dug his fingers into the Lab's warm fur.

"Neither one of us was. Zophar helped Andrew relocate and then returned to our home base to confer with the council. He was concerned that another wormhole would open in Providence or that a ghast would follow them from Boston. After pleading for additional resources, he returned to Providence."

"I was on another planet when Zophar met with the council," Phineas added. "When I returned to our base, I volunteered to go to Earth. By the time I arrived, Andrew was dead, Zophar was dying, and Neal's whereabouts were unknown. Zophar filled me in on as much as he could before he succumbed to his wounds." He turned to Neal and smiled. "Eventually I located you. Together we closed the wormhole in Providence."

Mozzie snapped his fingers. "You chose your character for Neal! The safari clothes, the pith helmet—they were designed for a child."

"Guilty as charged," he admitted with a chuckle. "Neal, you'd lost your mother and grandfather. I didn't think you knew Zophar was your father. I endeavored to make myself approachable. I'd given myself a crash course on your culture, and decided Doctor Dolittle blended with Doctor Livingstone would be a good fit. My original intention was to serve as a backup for Zophar."

Neal struggled to recollect even the faintest shred of a memory from that time, but there was nothing. He cleared his throat. "Why can't I remember what happened?"

"We had no choice," Lavinia said bluntly. "It was to save your life."

He stared at her in dismay. They'd given him amnesia?

"To have any hope of closing the wormhole, you needed a much higher level of algolnium in your system," Phineas said with a sharp glance at Lavinia. "I exposed you to a piece of raw ore to quickly activate what was already inside you. But your body was too small to tolerate the higher concentration."

"What do you mean by that?" El asked. "As a child, did Neal have more than he does now?"

"When Neal was born, the algolnium in his system was dormant," Lavinia explained. "The element requires a trigger to begin the self-replication process, and Zophar was careful to make sure none was around. He feared Neal was too young, and he was right. That's the way it is for our species. It's only when our children have achieved adulthood that we allow them to experience what we call the awakening."

"When I arrived," Phineas said, "I was faced with an active wormhole. Reports of horrific crimes were proliferating. The wormhole had to be sealed. The ore I exposed Neal to acted on him like Peter's starfish artifact but at a much faster rate. We were successful, but it was also apparent that his systems were starting to shut down. I contacted the council for emergency assistance."

"That's when I arrived on Earth," Lavinia said. "In effect, I quarantined most of the algolnium within him. The process is a difficult one. It had the unfortunate side effect of giving him amnesia. Phineas and I took it upon ourselves to keep watch until Neal had matured sufficiently to be able to handle it. I brought him to Arkham and took up the post as head librarian."

"But why didn't you take care of him?" El protested angrily. "You abandoned a child and expected he'd be okay?"

"Phineas was facing an emergency of dire consequences," she said calmly, unfazed by El's reaction. "I didn't have time to study your culture as we would normally do. I didn't know how you rear your offspring. Meropians take care of all children as if they were our own. I assumed the same was done on Earth. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late." She glanced at Mozzie and El in turn. "You were shocked when you learned that I'd tested you. Perhaps now you understand why. I'd failed Neal once. I was determined not to do so again. I first relied on Mozzie to improve Neal's situation."

"We suspected as much," Mozzie said. "You planted the idea of my participation in the summer astronomy camp. You hoped I'd connect with him."

She nodded. "I saw in you a worthy role model."

Neal looked at her stunned. How much had she been guiding his life? "Did you give Thaddeus algolnium?"

Her expression turned grim. "I did."

"We both agreed," Phineas added. "Algolnium is what enables you to see ghasts and nightgaunts. It allows you to enter wormholes. We didn't know when the Ymar would make their next attack but we didn't want you to have to face them alone."

"Couldn't you have helped?" El asked.

"We couldn't stay here all the time. Lavinia and I both have other responsibilities. When you were admitted to college, we deemed the time was right to advance your education by providing the best mentor possible."

"I gave Thaddeus a small amount of algolnium," Lavinia said. "But I later realized he wasn't the best candidate. He drove you too hard in his insatiable thirst for knowledge. In 1970, I assisted Peter on a research project." She paused to give him a nod. "I was impressed by your open-mindedness and adventurous spirit. Your skills in archaeology were a natural fit with Neal's and would make you a suitable colleague."

"I consulted with you often during that period," Peter said. "And when my brother Tommy died, you helped me through a rough time. I'll be forever grateful for that."

She smiled her appreciation. "I was glad to assist. I thought at the time that you and Neal both would benefit by working together."

Neal watched Peter for his reaction. He'd been given algolnium without his knowledge and picked for a task that they still didn't understand. But he didn't appear resentful or angry.

"We intended to postpone Neal's awakening until he was thirty," Phineas said. "At that point, we hoped his system would be mature enough to handle the jolt it'd be given when the extra algolnium was released from quarantine. After the attacks in Providence, we heard of no further incursions for many years. That changed in late 1974 when we began hearing ominous reports. We decided we couldn't wait any longer. Neal, I started giving you dreams about Merope and Celaeno when you were at Oxford."

He glanced at the beachscape he'd painted. "That's Celaeno?"

Phineas nodded. "The planet has been shut off to visitors since the destruction of the library, but we still have images of what it looks like."

"Did you also plant the visions of Abydos . . . the stairway down to the abyss?" he asked.

"That was our mutual decision," Lavinia said firmly. "We had to know if you were ready. If you'd been traumatized by the vision, we would have had no choice but to postpone the awakening."

"What about my vision of Seth's murder in the bookstore? Or when I saw a ghast steal the armillary sphere?"

Lavinia hesitated and nodded at Phineas.

"That wasn't us," he admitted. "We suspect it has something to do with your Celaenian heritage. The starfish, though, I can answer for." Phineas paused to scan the group. "For years I searched for a starfish artifact. Zophar knew some were still in existence and my cover as an ornithologist allowed me to travel the globe."

"The starfish are Celaenian?" Peter asked. "We assumed they were connected to the Ymar."

"You're partly right," Lavinia said. "The ones found at crime scenes were made by the Ymar, but the first starfish were artifacts from the Elnath. The Ymar usurped the starfish shape along with their language when they invaded Earth. Those early Elnath starfish, such as the one in Peter's possession, were made from ore from a massive meteorite crater in Upper Egypt." A brief smile flitted over her face. "The starfish used by Azathoth to instruct ghasts come from the A-Brane. We believe the Ymar found a way to make them self-destruct after a certain length of time."

"Once I found the artifact," Phineas said, "I set events in motion for Peter to discover it."

"But how?" Peter objected. "That expedition had been initiated by Gideon Talmadge. Are you able to manipulate him too?"

"No need," Phineas said, setting his glass down on the table. Before Neal's eyes in the blink of an eye, he transformed into the global financier Gideon Talmadge.

Neal stared at him, shocked. Peter was the first to speak up. "A neat trick. You replaced him, but why didn't the real Talmadge question the expenditure?"

"You misunderstand me," Phineas said. "I am Gideon Talmadge. Zophar had maintained a second identity. He advised me to do the same. By establishing myself as a wealthy benefactor, I've been able to send you on expeditions, encourage Mozzie's research, and provide the scholarship to Oxford for Neal."

A flash of understanding crossed Peter's face. "I was supposed to go on an expedition to Australia this fall. It was canceled at the last moment. You did that."

"You were needed here in Arkham," Talmadge said. "We'd arrived at a critical juncture. We hoped that Neal would reach out to you."

Neal thought back on that day two months ago when he'd decided to consult with Peter about the starfish he was seeing in his dreams. He came within a hair's breadth of changing his mind. What would his life have been like if he hadn't taken the initiative? "Why didn't you let me know anything about your plans?" he asked Lavinia.

"I didn't believe you were ready," Lavinia admitted. "You may be angry at us for not having revealed more at an earlier stage. I understand if you feel you were manipulated. We've been working to give your world a chance to escape the ravages inflicted on so many others by the Ymar. But you're free to walk away if that's what you want."

Turn his back on the sacrifices his parents made? Forget that ghasts killed his mother, his father, and his grandfather? Ignore that the Ymar wanted to conquer Earth once more? The others had a choice, but Neal's path was clear. "Do you know why Peter and I were abducted to Merope? What does Azathoth want with me?"

Before they could answer, Peter added, "Do the Ymar know about Neal's heritage?"

Lavinia and Talmadge were silent for a few moments. They appeared lost in thought, but their eyes flicked back and forth. Neal suspected they were communicating telepathically. His unease increased.

"As we explained, we believe the Ymar can detect if someone has algolnium," Talmadge said, breaking the silence. "We don't know if they have any ability to sniff out Celaenians. I suspect when Neal was taken to Leng, the High Priest became aware of your nature." He turned to Neal. "It's likely the Ymar want to control you, not kill you. I wish I could tell you more about your nature, but we have only a limited understanding of Celaenian abilities and we don't know how much you inherited."

"We're unable to read their language," Lavinia added. "You're the only one we know of who can. The Celaenians may have shared some of their DNA with other members of your race or representatives from other species, but that's pure speculation. Zophar kept the council informed about Laban and Andrew. He told them about the librarian's actions. He believed Celaenian DNA needed time to mature just like algolnium. I'd hoped exposure to the crystal manuscript would activate your natural ability."

"Like the starfish artifact does for algolnium," Peter prompted.

He nodded and turned to Neal. "The mind is a powerful weapon. It was the only one Celaenians ever employed. Your skills continue to increase. The wormhole you entered on Merope was constructed by Celaenians. It may have jump-started the Celaenian components within you."

"In other words, Azathoth could have done Neal a favor by abducting him to Merope," Mozzie mused. "A provocative theory. Is there an element or some force contained within wormholes that we're not familiar with?"

Talmadge directed his answer to El. "You're at a loss to explain how Peter and Neal were healed in the wormholes. I can offer you no clear evidence but we believe that Celaenians continue to exist in the form of conscious sentient energy. Neal has described the gnawing sensation he's felt within wormholes. We've experienced the same effect and believe it's Celaenian energy. That's what heals wounds."

"You said conscious energy," El said, her brow furrowing. "Does that mean when someone enters a wormhole, it decides whether or not to let them pass?"

"We suspect if the energy is present, it has that ability." Talmadge stood up. "Lavinia told me about the message Neal read on the armillary sphere. I recommend we meet tomorrow to discuss it. We've covered enough for one evening. This is a moment we've long anticipated. Thanks to the gift Neal was given, we have the opportunity to shut down the Ymar once and for all. That's what the librarian believed, Zophar believed, and we do as well. But we recognize each of you needs time to consider whether you wish to proceed. It should be clear to you that the road ahead will be a dangerous one. Based on your decisions, we'll chart the path forward."