Cinereous Skies

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 put aside thoughts of Sornoth to focus 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 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 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."