Part 1 - Ice and Time

[HoneyDog]

There's a physicist I know of at City University. I'm going to see if I can show these numbers to him. It might have to wait until Monday though. You should contact your family Alexander. Let them know you're okay. If you're afraid to go home, you can stay with me."

[Mr. Handy]

"You're welcome, Alexander," says Jacqueline. "That's a good idea. In the meantime, we can speak to the pastor at St. Phillips. I think we can convince him either to help or to point us to someone who can, and we won't have to explain everything all over again, as he's already aware of the situation."

[SunlessNick]

"I will do as you say, sir," Alexander says. "And I will return to work on Monday." His voice has a new confidence now he's not alone in this. And he accepts Ellis's offer to stay with him.

It's getting toward Saturday Evening. Will you try to see the pastor again immediately, or wait for tomorrow?

It's true that Dr Imes won't be in his office until Monday, although Ellis will be teaching that morning too (it is the last week of the semester before the summer break).

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Let's see the pastor right now if we can.

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Ellis will telephone the university now, and leave a message for Imes to contact him as soon as he can.

[SunlessNick]

OOC,Ellis will telephone the university now, and leave a message for Imes to contact him as soon as he can.

OOC,There is a secretary there who takes the message.

[SunlessNick]

OOC,Let's see the pastor right now if we can.

The church has about as many people in it as it did before, though a few of the faces are different. You can see the pastor in question, just finishing a conversation with a colleague. He looks as if he's about to go, but you're able to get his attention first.

"I'm glad you came back," he says to Alexander, before looking quizzically at you two. "Are you all together?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, we're together," says Jacqueline. "I'm Jacqueline Johnson, a friend of Alexander's mother. We're hoping you can help, Pastor."

[SunlessNick]

"I advised Alexander to seek the help of a doctor for his nightmares and sleepwalking. I realise such a recommendation may be unexpected from a man in my profession, but we must consider the explanations of this world alongside that of the next. Unless there is more..."

"I didn't tell him about the numbers," Alexander says to the group as a whole.

"What numbers?" the pastor asks.

"I write numbers down when I'm blacked out. Equations, Mr Lammons called them."

[Mr. Handy]

"You should see them for yourself," says Jacqueline. "They're so complicated no child can understand them, but he wrote them."

[HoneyDog]

Ellis doesn't see much point to this conversation, but he asks one question.

"Have any others of the congregation ever mentioned anything like this before?"

[SunlessNick]

"Obviously I cannot speak freely of what others have confided in me, but I think I can fairly say I know of no others with troubles like Alexander's. I was about to leave for home, so I can take the time to see these equations."

Back at the shed, he looks over the painted equations, and admits that he cannot make head or tail of them. "But if they are genuine equations, and not randomly written - I defer to your expertise on that, Mr Lammons - then I admit there may be more to this than simple somnambulism. Alexander, tell me about this man again, if you would."

Alexander repeats the information he has given you.

The pastor thinks for a moment and says, "I know I am asking a difficult question, but where did your family come from before living in Harlem?"

"When he said my family was his..." Alexander hesitates. "You don't think he meant..." He tails off again.

[Mr. Handy]

"A white man dressed in the style of the last century?" says Jacqueline. "I think that's exactly what he meant. Did he have a Southern accent?"

[SunlessNick]

"Yes..."

[HoneyDog]

“So,” says Ellis, thinking through the implications, “he really could be, a er… relative.”

He pauses.

“We need to know more about your family history, Alexander” he says quietly.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, and the best way to learn that is to ask members of your family if you don't know it yourself," says Jacqueline. "It's good to know where you come from anyway, and if we can identify this man and learn more about him, that will help us break his hold. Our families have backgrounds involving it too. My grandmother is old enough she was born a slave. She was emancipated when she was a little girl."

[SunlessNick]

"Then I suppose I must go home after all," Alexander says.

The Covingtons' apartment building is also the Valley, so it's not a long walk to get there. Still, it's getting toward evening now, so Charlotte, James, Mary and Judith are all home from their various workplaces. Your arrival is greeted with tearful thanks from all, hugs for Alexander, an invitation for the two of you to share dinner, and questions from Charlotte about what happened.

Meanwhile the pastor promises to speak to some of his colleagues for advice about cases of spiritual possession.

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, CC, I'd be delighted to stay for dinner," says Jacqueline. "I'm not due to perform until later tonight. I think we'd better let Alexander Junior explain what happened."

[HoneyDog]

Ellis is also happy to stay for dinner, not being a particularly good cook himself.

[SunlessNick]

Alexander waits until after dinner - and time for Charlotte to send the children to their rooms - before relating to her everything he told you. The only thing he leaves out is that James dreamed of the white man too. He ends with the question you asked.

Charlotte takes a long breath. "Your father and I hoped we would never have to tell you this. It's... it's true. Your grandfather was born as a slave in Lousiana, and his father was his mother's... owner. It's where the Covington name came from from. Alexander" - presumably she means Alexander Senior here - " was so ashamed of it when he told me, but we could never afford the fees to get it changed. But he was a good man, so I said we should make it a good name. Our name, not that of a dead monster."

"But he's not dead," Alexander replies. "Or he is and he's trying to come back."