Chapter 16: A New Day

Peter, El, Mozzie, June, and Cyrus were already present when Neal and Sara arrived at the chemistry lab that evening. Mozzie had placed the armillary sphere on the center of one of the long lab tables. Betelgeuse was curled up next to it, having evidently decided to be its guardian. When Mozzie was away, Cyrus took care of the tabby. As a result, he felt equally at home in Cyrus's lab and Mozzie's office.

Neal stopped to stroke the cat's sleek fur. Late last night when he'd flopped on Mozzie's old leather couch, Betelgeuse had jumped on top of him. He hadn't thought he'd be able to sleep, but a few minutes of the tabby's rumbling purrs had done the trick. "Has Lavinia tested you too?" he murmured.

Betelgeuse gave a smug murf as if he understood, but he didn't transmit any messages. Neal could communicate with the shilkas on Merope. Why not cats? Phineas and Lavinia could communicate with chittaks. Would he be able to as well?

While waiting for Lavinia and Talmadge's arrival, Neal thanked the group for coming.

"I'm sure I speak for all of us," Mozzie said expansively, "when I say our lives have been transformed for the better. We're privileged to embark upon a mission to safeguard Earth for generations to come. And I have every confidence in our success. Neal, you have an advantage over your parents, and that's us. We're the secret weapon the Ymar don't know about and that will inevitably lead to their destruction." Mozzie didn't stop there. He was still expounding on his belief that their group held the fate of the entire universe in their hands—a terrifying thought if ever there was one—when Lavinia and Talmadge stepped into the lab.

It was Talmadge's first time to see the armillary sphere. He took a seat on a lab stool and lifted the sphere to examine the undersurface of the rings. Lavinia sat next to him. After a leisurely stretch, Betelgeuse sauntered over to Lavinia and leaped onto her lap. She welcomed him with a scratch behind the ears. Neal had noticed the previous night how friendly Satchmo had been with her. She appeared to have a special rapport with animals.

"It was only when the ghast tried to steal the sphere from the Nautical Shop that we became aware of its significance," Talmadge admitted.

"Zophar hadn't mentioned it?" El asked.

"Not a word. He may have meant to but died before he had the chance. I returned to our home base to research the sphere but could uncover only limited information about Zophar's work."

"We realized we needed to redouble our efforts when Neal detected the Celaenian script on the rings," Lavinia added. "I called upon a colleague to comb through our records for anything that could be relevant. Last week she discovered that Zophar had left additional notes." Lavinia paused to take a slow breath, her expression turning grim. "The file had been miscataloged by a library assistant. If it weren't for the diligence of my colleague, it might never have been discovered."

"Once Peter and Neal returned from Merope, I headed to our home base to retrieve the information," Talmadge said. "The records are particularly relevant to what happened when Neal was a child. In 1959, when he was six years old, Andrew was inadvertently pulled into a wormhole in Boston."

"How?" Sara asked. "Did it spontaneously form while he was taking a stroll?"

Talmadge gave a brief chuckle. "Not quite. From the sound of it, the circumstances were reminiscent of what happened to Neal at St. Jude's Church. Andrew saw a nightgaunt in the sky. It led him to a deserted house. There he found a ruby crystal in a metal box, similar to the crystal which Neal discovered on the church altar. Andrew was sucked via the crystal into a wormhole. He emerged in the frozen monastery of Leng."

"Was the high priest there to greet him?" Peter asked.

"No, but two gugs were. They dwell in an underground city lying under Leng. That staircase you spotted behind the monastery altar leads directly to their city. Andrew was carried off by the gugs and taken to their city. Fortunately, Zophar had followed Andrew to the house. He was able to enter the same wormhole. Eventually, he rescued Andrew but their journey back to Earth was a long one. During the course of their travels, Andrew chanced upon the armillary sphere and decided to bring it back with him."

"Where did they find it?" Neal asked.

"In Azathoth's fortress, high in the northern mountains of Tirelia."

Neal had never heard of Tirelia, but Lavinia answered his unspoken question.

"You've grown familiar with the term A-Brane, Mozzie's term for a parallel universe. One planet in the A-Brane resides in close proximity to Earth, and that is Tirelia." She flicked a glance at Mozzie. "You can think of Tirelia and Earth as residing on opposite ends of a node connecting the two branes. Neal has already been there. The monastery of Leng and the underground city of the gugs are both on that planet. It's also the homeworld to ghasts, nightgaunts, zoogs, and many other creatures, not all of whom are hostile to you."

"Could Andrew read the writing on the armillary sphere?" Peter asked.

Talmadge shook his head. "Zophar made no mention of it, so I assume not. Remember that Andrew hadn't been exposed to algolnium or the crystal manuscript. Zophar commented in his notes that he was perplexed by Andrew's fascination for the object. Now that we know it was created by Celaenians, we believe that was the cause."

"Like I was drawn to the crystal manuscript?" Neal suggested.

Talmadge nodded. "Zophar also noted that Andrew began dreaming about Lyon. Zophar believed that Andrew was dreaming about the trip he and Laban had taken to the city. That was when Laban purchased the compendium."

"Do you know why they went to Lyon?" El asked.

"Laban didn't mention it," Talmadge admitted.

"Lyon has many archaeological sites in the vicinity," Peter noted. "Perhaps Laban was in town to research a future dig."

Neal had provided copies of his translation of the script on the armillary sphere, and Cyrus read it aloud. "Seek the answers to your questions in Lyon. Go to the lion's lair on the hill that prays and place your hand on the tuft of his tail. The serpent flies overhead."

Cyrus placed the sheet of paper on the table. "The reference to Lyon is understandable. Heinrich Agrippa used to own the armillary sphere. He lived in Lyon, so the solution to the riddle likely has some connection to Agrippa. Has anyone heard of the hill that prays?"

"It's also called Fourvière," Peter supplied. "It's immediately west of the oldest section of town—Vieux Lyon—and the location of extensive Roman ruins. When I was an undergrad, I participated in an excavation of a theater dating back to 15 BC on that hill. It became known as the hill that prays during the Middle Ages because of the numerous churches at that location. It's a term Agrippa would have been quite familiar with."

"What about the lion and the winged serpent?" Sara asked. "Any guesses?"

"The symbol for Lyon is a lion," Peter said. "Lion statues are scattered throughout the city. I suppose one of them could contain a clue."

"That reference to winged serpent sounds like a warning to me," El said. "Likely about the Ymar. Nightgaunts are associated with the Starry Wisdom cult. Perhaps the winged serpent is another name for nightgaunt."

Neal glanced at Peter before speaking and they exchanged nods. Telepathy wasn't necessary. The road ahead was well-marked. "The script says I should seek for answers in Lyon and I intend to do just that."

"And I'll go with him," Peter added.

"And this time you won't be leaving me behind," El declared.

"Or me either!" Mozzie said.

"There will be ample funds," Talmadge assured them with a smile. "Earlier I'd believed Abydos should be our first destination, but it's clear Lyon must take precedence."

After his announcement, the meeting broke into discussion groups. Mozzie, Cyrus, and June plied Lavinia with questions. Sara buttonholed Talmadge. She likely was making her best case for why an investigative reporter should be included in the trip to Lyon. El was conducting a heated exchange with Peter. By the way she was shooting looks at Mozzie, he must have told her about Mozzie's algolnium. Neal planned to stay far away from that controversy.

He was in no hurry to get up. All those years Lavinia had been keeping watch over him . . . When he was a child he'd longed for a Mother Thing like Kip had in Have Space Suit—Will Travel. Someone who'd be there for him. In a certain sense, Lavinia had volunteered to be his Mother Thing. How could he ever repay the debt he owed her and Phineas?

"Attention, everyone!" Mozzie called out with a clap of his hands. "Tomorrow we'll commence the work of plotting our future course, but tonight we should pause to toast our new collaboration. June, Cyrus, and I have prepared a small surprise for you on the roof."

Mozzie led the way upstairs. His quarters were located on the top floor of the science building and contained a spiral staircase giving direct access to the roof and its observatory.

Sara caught up with Neal on the stairs to Mozzie's floor. "What are you humming?"

"It's a song Jack and I are working on for Mozzie's book-signing party—'Carry On' by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The lyrics speak of a new era. Not a bad slogan for Mozzie's book or our lives. Would you like to learn it?"

"If I survive 'Mockingbird,' that can be our next project. The lyrics are particularly appropriate for tonight what with all our questions and speculation about the future."

He glanced at her and raised a brow. "You didn't mention the line about love coming to us all? Usually you'd pounce on that to tease me."

She grinned. "Exactly! That was the problem. I've become too predictable. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't add some mystery to your life?"

Two could play that game. Sara hadn't used the term fake girlfriend like she normally did to describe herself. Was that another hint to not take anything for granted?

The party planners had set up tables and folding chairs on the roof. June and Cyrus had prepared an assortment of finger foods and there was enough champagne in ice buckets for two times their number. For lights, Mozzie used the red lanterns he kept for his astronomy classes. The night was crystalline clear and unusually warm. Even the weather appeared to herald their new venture.

Mozzie started the proceedings by making a toast to the Pleiades. They raised their glasses to the star cluster glittering almost directly overhead in the constellation Taurus—the home of both Merope and Celaeno.

Peter approached Neal. "Can you believe we were there?"

"Not really, but I'd like to," Neal said softly. "I'd say a return trip is a necessity. I want to go to Celaeno as well."

"That planet is closed," Talmadge said.

Neal turned to face him. "For now," he agreed. "But who knows what the future holds? By the way, what happened to the crystal manuscript?"

"It's in Lavinia's office. We'll show it to you if you like. It's a shriveled, blackened relic at this point."

"Keep it safe," Neal urged. "Perhaps someday I can restore it."

Talmadge looked at him curiously. "Do you sense something?"

"No, it's just a feeling. We should keep all options open."

"I agree," Peter said, "as well as maintain our vigilance."

Talmadge nodded thoughtfully. "I'll return it to the Shrewsbury cabinet."

"How about the armillary sphere?" Peter asked. "Should it be stored in the vault as well?"

"That would be best." Talmadge nodded in Mozzie's direction. "If I can persuade the owner to part with it. I'll also mark it with a locator signal. That way, if it is ever stolen, we'll be able to trace it."

"Can you do the same thing with Neal?"

"I hope you're joking," Neal said, frowning at him.

His overly protective friend glared back at him. "No, I'm not. Need I remind you how many times you've been abducted?"

"I'm siding with Peter on this," Talmadge said. "I'll research it when I return to our home base. It may be possible." He glanced over at the others who were chatting by the snack tables. "I'm glad Mozzie arranged the party, but you should never ignore the danger facing you. Azathoth seems to have changed his strategy since the years when he had your parents murdered. The Ymar know the amulet protects you from ghasts on Earth, but they also realize your abilities have increased. I assure you that they're aware you were able to seal the wormhole in the crypt. Do they realize you were also the one who sealed the Providence portal? The Ymar can't enter wormholes for now, but that situation could change. With zoogs as their allies, the Starry Wisdom cult continues to amass power."

Neal glanced at his friends, his eyes lingering on Sara. They were making targets of themselves, too. He turned back to Talmadge. "El thought the winged serpent reference could indicate nightgaunts. It could also be something bred by the Ymar." He lowered his voice. "Like Sornoth was."

"That's my fear too," he admitted.

El walked over to join them. "I hope you three aren't discussing anything serious." From the pointed look she gave them, she already knew the answer. "As I recall, Mozzie said we were to take a break tonight."

Peter gave a rueful smile. "You caught us." He turned toward the group and called out, "Mozzie, didn't you tell me in the hospital that you and Neal had a dance? How about a demonstration?"

"It's the perfect moment," he declared. "Neal and I invented this dance when he was thirteen. June and Byron used to dance it with us. It's called the Cosmic Glide. It may be the only cosmologically significant dance ever created."

"What music do you dance to?" Cyrus asked.

Neal froze in place. They couldn't possibly use that song. Not in the present company. June flashed him a warning look. She also realized the danger.

Mozzie didn't appear to be concerned. He was already warming up. "The finger snaps represent quasars coming to life. Foot stomps are new galaxies while claps represent black holes popping into existence. Shoulder shakes are supernovas, and the all-important hip gyrations are gravitational waves."

Neal needed to come up with something—anything—before Mozzie started. The song he'd been humming earlier in the stairwell could work . . . The beat was somewhat similar and the lyrics weren't a horrible fit. When Neal started to sing "Carry On," June stepped up to harmonize with him. Mozzie looked a little baffled by the change but got into the altered beat with only a few misplaced claps.

Before long, the entire group was snapping fingers, clapping, and shaking out gravitational waves. Sara might not be able to sing in tune, but dancing was in her skill set. The others got into the mood as well. June coaxed Talmadge to dance with her and Cyrus. Peter added his baritone to the mix while he and El glided to the beat. The sight of Mozzie trying to teach Lavinia the movements would be indelibly etched into Neal's brain. And most important of all—intergalactic peace was maintained.

After the dance, June and Cyrus pulled up chairs to sit with Lavinia, Talmadge, and Mozzie. Neal saw El and Sara talking by the refreshment table.

He drifted from the others to gaze once more at the Pleiades. Would he ever dance with Sara, just the two of them under the stars? A slow dance. He'd murmur Don McLean's song about starry nights while he held her close. Nights were meant for dreaming.

McLean's lyrics turned dark toward the end of the song when he reflected on Vincent Van Gogh's death. Was his song also destined to end in sadness? Would it be better for Sara if he kept that dance a moonlight fantasy?

Peter strolled over to stand beside him. "Interesting choice of song. It was one of my brother Tommy's favorites. In the last letter he wrote me before he died, he asked me to send him the record to the Philippines."

"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to dredge up sad memories."

He smiled and shook his head. "Just the opposite. You gave it a new spin. Now whenever I hear it, I'll want to dance. That's a good thing."

"In that case, I'll be sure to sing it often."

He chuckled. "Just not on campus. Neither one of our reputations might survive the hit." He took a sip of champagne. "That song is puzzling, though. As I recall, it was released the same year Tommy wrote me. That was when you were a college freshman. Mozzie said you were thirteen when you invented the dance. You haven't been engaging in time travel, have you?"

"Not me. It was a last-minute substitute," Neal admitted. "I couldn't use the original song."

"Why not?"

"I didn't want to risk offending our allies."

Peter stared at him for a moment, then a smile slowly spread over his face. "You didn't . . . ?"

Neal shrugged. "I was only a kid, and I did love that song."

Peter snorted. "I should have suspected it."

"Now you know our dark secret. Mozzie and I used to sing 'Purple People Eater' while dancing the Cosmic Glide under the stars. Peter, we don't know what Lavinia and Talmadge really look like. They could be one-eyed, one-horned flying purple aliens. I couldn't take the risk."

Peter pursed his lips for a moment, attempting to look serious. "You realize that means you could be as well."

Neal broke into a smile. "I'll adjust."

"I'm glad to hear it." His expression grew thoughtful. "All joking aside, I'm impressed at how well you've accepted it."

"Being comfortable in my skin, whatever it is?" Neal's eyes rested on Sara for a moment. "As we walked upstairs, I found myself thinking about Charlene. I'll address her Middle-earth group in a couple of days. I don't want her to ever be threatened by real creatures who are worse than the orcs and goblins Tolkien wrote about."

"Keep monsters the stuff of fantasies and horror stories?"

Neal nodded. "We got our band. We got our mission."

"Is that what you're calling us? A band?"

"I like the sound of it. Mozzie's term of Algolnium Web is too ominous."

"Did I hear my name?" Mozzie approached with a bottle of champagne. "You need refills." He topped off both their glasses. "I may be able to address one of your mysteries."

"Which one?" Neal asked.

"Why the species on Merope are so similar to ones on Earth. Gideon just confirmed that my latest theory about gravitational waves indicates I'm on the right track." His eyes twinkled at Neal's audible gulp. "I'll spare you the technical analysis, but you'll surely recall Lavinia mentioning that Earth is linked to Tirelia via a node. I posit that troughs in gravitational waves lend themselves to node formation which in turn enables wormholes. What if Merope exists on a gravitational wave node linking our worlds? That could explain the similarities in planetary conditions. Tunnels between the worlds could enable species migration. Perhaps not now but in the past."

"Not only that," Peter added. "Those equations on the armillary sphere could somehow be linked to wormhole formation."

Mozzie nodded. "Precisely." He turned to Neal. "I heard you refer to us as a band. I approve of the change. Andrew stole the armillary sphere. Our band of thieves will snatch wormholes away from the Ymar. Astrophysics has much in common with the art of being a thief. All those atoms stealing particles from each other."

Peter raised his glass to him. "I like your attitude. Archeologists have been called thieves as well. When I excavate a tomb, any lingering spirits would consider me no better than a cat burglar. The Celaenians didn't use guns. We have our brains and our wits to outfox whatever the Ymar throw at us."

"Plus you have the most powerful gift of all—language," Talmadge said, striding over. "Tongues can overwhelm any other weapon."

"What about you?" Neal asked. "Are you going to stay in your present form for a while?"

"I plan to. I'll need to coordinate matters with the university and supply funding. I predict that after Phineas gives his lecture tomorrow night, he'll return to the Amazon, where he may be lost for several months."

Neal glanced around the roof. Mozzie, El, Peter, Cyrus, Sara, June, Lavinia, Talmadge—a tiny band to thwart an invasion of hostile aliens. What would the future hold for them?

They'd taken their first steps. He knew who he was, and at this moment, in the company of his friends, anything seemed possible. Even a galactic thief.

Notes: Neal and his friends will take that trip to Lyon in my next story in the series, Lion's Lair. And although they'll be focused on the significance of the lion in the riddle, a leopard will also be on their minds as Neal begins to experience the effects of Sornoth's attack.

While Diana posted Cinereous Skies, Neal finished a forgery of the Braque painting. He's now eager to start the U-boat con. Peter worries Neal hasn't recovered sufficiently after the events in Nocturne in Black and Gold. Neal's more concerned about Diana—she's grown suspicious of the mysterious road trips he and Peter took. A new adventure is about to begin. The story is called Dark Rabbit and is part of the Crossed Lines series.

Peter tossed out his final messages for Rolf to ponder in the final chapter of Cinereous Skies. Just what kind of new day is he talking about? That line about being galactic thieves has to be a signal, right? Rolf's brother Klaus is seething over the depiction of Sornoth. Their response will be revealed in the story after Dark Rabbit, Harlequin's Shadow (Caffrey Conversation series).