Chapter 1: Time Anomaly
Arkham, Massachusetts. Saturday, March 13, 1976.
At the sound of the crash, June winced and closed the novel she'd been reading. That one was louder than the previous thuds. Was someone getting a little carried away?
The initial idea to convert part of the basement into a training room was reasonable. Neal and his friends would be able to work out in private, and there was plenty of space for floor mats. Henry also insisted on fencing equipment, claiming that since time travel was a real possibility, swordsmanship was a necessity.
Now that Sara had moved back to Arkham, she was eager to teach Neal martial arts techniques. Henry didn't need any boost in his ability, but he volunteered to take part in the lessons. June suspected his primary role was to give Sara a worthy opponent. Neal had never been a fighter, and so far nothing indicated that would change anytime soon.
Neal liked to claim that his secret weapon would make it unnecessary for him to fight. Why stay around to engage in combat when he could sneak out of danger? But his argument would be more successful if he were more adept.
When another even louder thud rattled her coffee cup, June set her book down on the end table. Was it time to call for the medics?
When she peered down the staircase, she saw Sara and Henry sparring on a mat.
"Sorry, June," Sara said, giving a tug to her ponytail. "Are we making too much racket?"
"Yeah, June, tell her to go easy with me," Henry complained, but his grin indicated he wasn't serious. "Sara was demonstrating a judo move. It goes something like this." He clasped Sara's arm and with one lightning-quick twist sent her sprawling on her back.
She blew the hair out of her eyes. "You're a quick learner."
"Where's Neal?" June asked, approaching the mat. "He should be taking notes."
"You don't see him?" Henry asked.
June scanned the basement. Next to an old dresser, the air seemed a little hazy. Suddenly Neal popped into view. Panting heavily, he sagged against the dresser.
Sara checked her stopwatch. "One minute twenty seconds. A new record."
"That's enough practice for now," Henry said, giving Neal a once-over.
"I just need to catch my breath," Neal protested. His actions belied his words as he slid down the side of the dresser to the floor.
"How many times did you make yourself invisible today?" June asked.
"Four."
She frowned at him. "I thought Elizabeth restricted you to a maximum of two attempts a day."
Neal winced. "Don't tell her. The earlier experiments weren't for very long. If I'm ever going to build up endurance, I need to practice more."
June didn't challenge his statement though she easily could have. From her perspective, his newfound ability was a double-edged sword. Neal had discovered that he could render himself invisible to those who didn't have algolnium in their body chemistry. As a practical matter, that included all humans except for the members of their group, now known as SCAGR thanks to Henry dubbing them a bunch of Scholar-Adventurer-Guardian Reprobates. Only June and Cyrus, SCAGR's chemist, had declined to be injected with algolnium. When Neal was invisible to June, supposedly he appeared like a viridian-colored ghost to Henry and Sara.
She understood why Neal was excited at the possibilities, but he seemed oblivious to the toll it was taking on him. Each successive attempt left him more exhausted. Why try to be invisible for a minute or two if it left you in no condition to do anything else? Neal insisted his endurance was improving, but she didn't see any sign of it. She knew Sara and Henry were also concerned. Sara had told June privately that they worried Neal would resume practicing in secret if they began hovering over him. At least this way, they'd be around if he injured himself.
"It's nearly lunchtime. Anyone interested in sandwiches?" June asked, seizing on a diplomatic excuse to call a halt without appearing to be a wet blanket on their activities.
The dining room table was soon laden with cold cuts, rolls, potato chips, carrot sticks, and chocolate peanut butter cookies. Neal was the only one besides her who cooked. Henry had moved into an apartment a couple of blocks away but took many of his meals here as did Sara.
"Now that you're back in Arkham, are you going to resume your cooking lessons with June?" Neal asked her.
"You aren't trying to distract me from judo, are you?" Sara asked.
"Would it work?" he asked. "In that case, I insist on it."
"I didn't realize June was offering cooking instruction," Henry commented, slathering mustard onto a hoagie roll. "I hereby volunteer to be the dessert taster."
"You're a braver man than I gave you credit for," Sara said, heaving a melodramatic sigh. "Anyone who's tasted my cooking knows that I'm even deadlier with it than martial arts."
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, dear," June protested, keeping her tone sympathetic. "Your cooking is much better than your singing."
She moaned. "You're revealing all my secrets. I'd hoped to hide that one from Henry."
"I attempted to give Sara lessons last fall," Neal explained. "It's not her fault she didn't improve. She moved to London after only a couple of sessions."
"And now I'm far too busy with newspaper assignments to waste time on what would certainly be a futile effort," Sara said, reaching for a carrot stick.
Henry shrugged. "There's always tambourine. Even if you're tone-deaf, which I doubt seriously, you can master it in no time. I know you'll want to be a member of the SCAGR rock group once Jack builds that annex."
"Is this Jack Dorian you're talking about?" June asked.
Neal nodded as he swallowed. "His new cook at the coffeehouse is a rock enthusiast. She had a group in high school and is working on him to build a rock club. Something to compete with The Jungle disco."
"I predict she'll be successful," Sara said confidently.
"Do you have some inside knowledge I'm not aware of?" Henry asked. "Last time I talked with Jack, he wouldn't budge."
She smiled knowingly. "Have you noticed the glances he tosses Tracy's way? He's sweet on her. Give her a couple of months and she'll get him to do whatever she wants."
"Oh, really?" Neal challenged. "Is that what you thought about me too?"
"Never," she declared, but her cheeks flushed. "You were much harder to crack than Jack."
June leaned toward Henry. "Did anyone warn you that Sara's into matchmaking?"
"A useful skill to have," Henry said, apparently undaunted. "I should prepare my list of requirements."
"Sara, you have a new mission—" The beeping of Neal's com-link interrupted him.
June still didn't feel comfortable with the device Mozzie had fabricated with the help of Milly. What looked like a cigarette case was actually a portable telephone with a visual display. All the members of their group were equipped with one.
When Neal opened the case, Lavinia's face appeared on the screen. "You are at June's?" she asked. Her voice sounded even more brusque than usual.
"Yes. Henry and Sara are also here."
"Good. They need to hear this too. I've discovered a time anomaly and have called for a briefing at three o'clock this afternoon. That should give Mozzie and Milly enough time to conduct initial research."
"Where will we meet?" Henry asked. "Mozzie's lab?"
"No, the Gilmans' house. That will be more convenient for Elizabeth."
When Lavinia rang off, June asked, "What did she mean by a time anomaly?"
"The Meropians have long feared that Azathoth would acquire the ability to manipulate time," Neal explained. "When Lavinia arrived on Earth, she prepared a database of Earth's history to use as a control. The Meropian equivalent of a computer conducts a daily comparison of the contents of history books in the library with the database. In theory, any deviation should be detected. To my knowledge, this is the first instance of a positive report."
"I overheard Nigel and Raquel plotting in London," Henry added. "Azathoth has conserved a few crystals on Tirelia. He intends to use them to track down crystals that were created in the past."
"They're similar to the one Neal and Peter found in the cave in England," Sara said. "The crystals come in several colors and have different capabilities. It's feared Azathoth could use them to reopen a wormhole capable of transporting the Ymar to Earth."
"I thought that was impossible," June protested, horrified at the thought of the Ymar establishing a beachhead.
"That's what the Celaenians believed when they banished the Ymar," Neal said. "But they might not have known that the Ymar captured Elnath scientists and took them to Tirelia. The Elnath created the crystal technology to create wormholes. They could have figured out a solution for their masters."
Henry frowned. "Why don't the Elnath grow their crystals on Tirelia? Not that I'm complaining, but it seems like they would have been providing Azathoth and his goons all the crystals they needed."
"I'm sure the Ymar tried to make that a reality," Neal said. "But Tirelia may not have the right chemical composition. Milly explained that Earth's core is unusually rich in a special isotope of algolnium. That's why the Elnath came here in the first place. They'd hoped to turn Earth into a vast crystal garden, supplying all their needs."
"This will likely be our first trip back in time," Henry said, his eyes glinting with excitement. "After lunch, report back to the basement."
"Not more judo," Neal moaned.
"Nope, we'll focus on fencing instead. In most of Earth's history, what counted was your skill with a blade, and yours, my friend, is in the cellar."
"But I have a stack of papers to correct."
"Sorry, saving the galaxy has to come first," Henry insisted. He made a good drill sergeant. June would have sided with Neal, but she knew he'd be one of the travelers, and for his own sake, he needed the training.
#
El greeted them at the door when they arrived. "We'll use the living room," she said. "Lavinia will scold me if I don't keep my feet up."
"Is your morning sickness any better?" Sara asked.
"I think so. Cyrus called," she quickly added, appearing eager to change the subject. "He's running a batch of experiments on the perfume that Raquel wore in Marrakesh and needs to continue his work. He said he'll have Mozzie update him later."
Lavinia and Mozzie's arrival cut short Neal's questions about the nature of the experiments. As the others took seats on the couch and side chairs, Mozzie brought in two chairs from the dining room for himself and Lavinia. He placed them in front of the maple cocktail table which Neal suspected would soon be covered with documents.
"Are any of you students of Elizabethan history?" Lavinia asked unexpectedly.
"I studied Shakespeare," Sara said. "Does that count?"
"It might. Do you know if Elizabeth I of England ever married?"
Sara's brow wrinkled. "No, but she came close. She was betrothed to a courtier . . . I can't remember his name."
"Robert Dudley," Peter supplied. "The engagement was broken off about a month later. Scholars still puzzle over the cause."
Lavinia took a slow breath. "You've confirmed my suspicions. It's not only the books that are affected. Your memories are as well. This confirms the gravity of the anomaly."
Henry scowled. "Just what memories are you talking about? I forgot anything I'd ever learned about the queen over ten years ago."
"Your history has been altered," Lavinia explained. "The first ripples have already appeared. In the database I made upon my arrival on your planet, I can verify that there are no records of Elizabeth I ever having been betrothed to Robert Dudley or, for that matter, to anyone else. I received an alert of the anomaly this morning. Milly proceeded to run a diagnostic on the books in the library. Reference is made to the queen's betrothal in all the works containing her biography."
Peter leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. "You believe the cult is actively working at Elizabeth's court?"
She nodded. "The cult's actions could have devastating repercussions to your timeline. Think about what would happen if a zoog were planted in the queen's brain or one of her close advisors. Your history would be altered with potentially profound consequences."
"What year did she become betrothed?" Sara asked.
"In April of 1569. It's been only a month since you thwarted the attempted invasion of zoogs into England. I doubt Azathoth made any move before then, so I'm hopeful we have a narrow window to salvage your history." Lavinia pulled a thick book out of her worn tapestry satchel. "If you need any additional proof, look at this photo." She opened the work, a biography of the monarch, to a bookmarked page. "Notice anything unusual about the queen's attire?"
The portrait was similar to many Neal had shown. It showed Elizabeth in an elaborate formal gown. The underskirt was richly embroidered with plants and animals.
Sara took the magnifying glass Lavinia offered and scrutinized the embroidery. She pointed at one animal. "This looks like the creature that attacked Neal and Peter in Azathoth's fortress on Kadath." She turned to Peter. "A cthylla, I believe you called it. You described it as looking like a winged octopus."
Peter nodded as he stared at the image. "The wings were similar to those of a bat. The body was dark gray with broad yellow stripes."
"And this creature looks identical," Neal added gloomily. He'd hoped to never encounter them again.
El swallowed, looking shaken. "Proof not only of the wormhole but of cthyllas on Earth."
"First zoogs, now cthyllas," Henry muttered. "This also proves cthyllas can be seen by humans. Whoever did the embroidery must have been able to observe it."
"Not necessarily," Sara countered. "The seamstresses could have been given a drawing. There may not be cthyllas on Earth, but there's no doubt about the cult."
"Not only that, but the likelihood of an Elnath cave," Neal said. "Remember, Azathoth's primary objective is to acquire crystals. He could be seeking the same cave Peter and I discovered."
"A worthy theory," Mozzie said, "but Milly and I found an even more likely target. After the discovery of the anomaly, Milly searched for crystals actively transmitting in 1569." He turned to Henry. "Since Elnath crystals are organic, she's able to detect their wave resonances."
"Did she find anything?" Henry asked.
Mozzie nodded. "A ruby crystal, but not the kind that we've discovered associated with wormholes in Arkham. This is an immense gem. The color is a dark pigeon-blood red. Milly was able to pinpoint it to the Pyx Chamber in London."
Peter stared at him. "That was the treasure vault in Elizabethan times. It's where the Crown Jewels were stored."
"Precisely!" Mozzie said, excitement causing his voice to rise. "I postulate that this crystal is the jewel known as the Black Prince's Ruby. It now is in the Imperial Crown, but in Elizabeth's time, it was part of what we call the Tudor Crown. It was the state crown used by monarchs starting with Henry VIII and ending with Charles I."
Henry whistled softly, his face lighting up as much as Mozzie's. "Breaking into the Tower of London to steal the Crown Jewels—now that will be a heist for the record books. I was rather hoping, though, that time travel would be involved."
"Then you'll have your wish," Mozzie assured him. "It would do us no good to steal the Imperial Crown. The present jewel is not an Elnath crystal. At some time in the past, the ruby was replaced. The Tudor Crown disappeared during the English Civil War. What was believed to be the ruby was recovered by Charles II during the Restoration. By then the original Elnath crystal must have been lost or stolen, and had been replaced with another one."
Henry's smile widened. "Meaning we get to steal into a vault and engage in time travel. Man, it doesn't get better than that!"
"Plus wear costumes," Sara said jubilantly. "I hereby volunteer to be in charge of our wardrobes."
"Hang on," Peter objected. "We can't simply drop into Elizabeth's court even if it's theoretically possible. Wouldn't we damage the timeline even further?"
"Milly assures me that thanks to the crystals you unearthed in Morocco and England we do have that capability," Mozzie said.
"As for damaging the timeline, Peter raises a valid concern," Lavinia said. "But the contamination has already occurred and will only grow worse if we don't act. Still, we must keep your stay as brief as possible."
Neal exchanged glances with Sara. She looked as enthusiastic as he felt. Infiltrating the court, preventing a royal marriage, stealing a jewel from the crown, any one of the tasks sounded impossible. Was that why it was so enticing to him too? If they were successful, perhaps someday they'd also be able to banish the Ymar from Tirelia.
"We must move quickly," Lavinia declared. "The nuptials have been scheduled for six months from now. So far the history books don't mention that it ever took place, but the longer the time anomaly exists, the higher the risk of permanent contamination. I propose we adjourn to the university library to formulate a strategy."
"Research isn't my gig," Henry declared. "You should send me ahead to scout out the situation. Thanks to your nifty alien language amulets, I'll have no trouble fitting in." He turned to Mozzie. "I assume your time machine is cranked up and ready to go?"
Mozzie smiled. "It is."
A million objections raced through Neal's head. El came out with the first one. "Henry, you'll need appropriate clothes and a basic understanding of the times before you leave. You say you're no scholar. You'll have to be if you want to attempt this assignment."
"Milly can handle the clothing needs," Lavinia said. "The parameters Mozzie establishes for the wormhole will include garment transformations." She paused, eyeing Mozzie's baggy corduroy trousers and worn tweed jacket. "But he'll need help in configuring the settings."
Neal found it strange that Lavinia didn't raise any objections. Had she been expecting all along that something like this would happen?
"Leave that to me," Sara declared. "I'll be able to design appropriate attire based on paintings from the period. The library has several excellent books about Elizabethan fashion. I consulted them when my college theater group put on a production of Taming of the Shrew." She paused, her eyes widening. "I could meet Shakespeare!"
"But there's another issue," Mozzie said. "So far I haven't been able to duplicate the compendium which you'll need to use to return to our time. If Henry takes it back, he'll have to ensure its safety. All of you will be reliant upon it."
"And that's not the only problem," El said. "Smallpox was a major health risk during the period. You could be exposed to the bubonic plague or unknown pathogens."
"In this instance, your concern is unwarranted," Lavinia said. "As long as the travelers return through the wormhole, it will eradicate any health complications they may have picked up." She paused to eye all of them. "But that's only if you're alive when you enter the vortex. From death, there's no recovery. I won't minimize the risks." She turned to Neal. "How do you wish to handle it?"
"I'll go," Neal said, "but it's too dangerous for anyone to accompany me."
Henry rolled his eyes. "Don't think for an instant you're going on your own. My offer still stands. You need advance reconnaissance and that's in my wheelhouse. Besides, time travel this far back has never been tested. I'm the perfect guinea pig. I'm much more expendable than the rest of you."
That kind of reasoning made Neal want to ax the entire plan.
"And you'll need me along as well," Sara insisted. "Where else will you find a woman who can charm courtiers and then give them a karate chop to keep you safe?"
"No decisions will be made till we've stitched together a plan," Peter said and checked his watch. "After a break for dinner, we'll head for the library."
"I must call Cyrus," Mozzie declared. "His experiments will have to wait. We have a ruby to create."
Henry grinned. "You can do that?"
"With Milly's help, we'll have to. You can't simply walk off with the Black Prince's Ruby without leaving another one in its place. That's Elementary Thievery 101."
"Are you sure you'll be able to forge a duplicate jewel for the crown?" Peter asked skeptically.
"Milly is confident we can. We have access to excellent documentation on the current ruby." Mozzie's face took on an awe-struck expression. "The jewel Cyrus and I create in the lab will eventually be placed in the Imperial Crown." His swallow was audible, and it also sent a ripple of tension through Neal about the responsibility facing them. If the queen married, would there even be an England? Would the United States exist?
"No one's leaving before dinner," El said. "I'm eating for two and Baby Gilman gets cranky without a meal."
They decided to order takeout from Peter's favorite Chinese restaurant, the Jade Dragon. Preparations would continue while they ate. While the others selected their dishes, Peter pulled Neal aside. "Let's go into my study to talk."
Neal watched uneasily as Peter closed the door. "Is El okay?" he asked.
"We're both making sure she gets adequate rest and her blood pressure is stable, but I'm glad you brought El up. She's been open about her symptoms, not like someone else I know." He perched on the edge of his desk and arched an eyebrow. "Care to explain why?"
Neal winced. "I'd hoped it wasn't that obvious."
"It's not," Peter assured him, providing a modicum of comfort. "The others don't walk up the stairs of Wingate Hall with you or walk home together at the end of the day." He hesitated a moment. "I talked with June and she confirmed my suspicions."
"Have you told El?"
"Not yet."
"Good. There's no reason to tell her. She's got enough on her mind between her pregnancy and her patients. What I have is not an illness."
"Let's be clear we're talking about the same thing," Peter said. "You're suffering from a form of muscle weakness?"
Neal nodded. "It started last month when I began channeling algolnium energy. The fact I could use it to close a wormhole demonstrates how necessary the skill is." He paused to give what he hoped was a carefree smile. "And being an invisible man could come in very handy, you have to admit."
Peter nodded sympathetically. "You were able to heal your shoulder by those attempts. I can hardly fault you for it."
"But harnessing the energy is exhausting work. It's like my muscles are being drained. I know the ability is not something Meropians possess. The only one capable of providing insights is Milly."
"Not an easy situation to be dependent on a Celaenian construct."
"Tell me about it," Neal agreed, keeping his sigh brief. "And Milly's not much help. The Celaenians never experienced any difficulties. I'd hoped that through practice the side effects would diminish. Instead, the opposite appears to be taking place. It takes me longer to recover from each practice session. What gave me away?"
"I first noticed it on the stairs at Wingate Hall. Your usual bounce has turned into more of a plod."
Peter was kind. He didn't mention the hand shakiness Neal was trying his best to conceal.
"If your assessment is correct, there's an easy solution," Peter added. "Stop the training sessions. Be honest, are you experiencing any benefit to them?"
"I can't stop now," Neal argued. "The act of focusing is becoming more natural. I'm able to stay invisible for longer. This could prove invaluable in the field. I probably overdid it this morning, but I didn't realize we'd be going out so soon."
"You need to tell the others," Peter said. "Let us help you. You're uniquely gifted to confront the challenges facing us. But if you collapse, you'll only be a liability. They need to know the drain that's being put on your body. In those situations where you need to be invisible, we'll be better able to cope with the aftermath."
Neal took a breath. It still felt like he was being forced to own up to an embarrassing weakness. "I'll let Sara and Henry know, but please don't tell El. It will only add to her stress about the mission, and this isn't something Earth medicine can fix."
Notes: Thanks for reading and welcome back to Arkham!
Introduction to Arkham Files for new readers: FBI Agent Diana Berrigan began writing Arkham Files fics as part of a strategy to capture a cybercriminal nicknamed Azathoth. She is now sharing writing duties with Mozzie. Most of the characters are drawn from the world of White Collar and retain their same given names. Events and characters in Arkham Files are sometimes referenced in the Caffrey Conversation stories and have an impact on plot development. Background information is on the Arkham Files page of the blog I co-write with Penna: Penna Nomen & Silbrith Conversation. There are also brief summaries of the previous stories.
Visuals and music: The Queen's Gambit board on the Caffrey Conversation Pinterest website