Professor McKeigh paced around the earthen circle and pondered the night sky. Things did not bode well and an ache that was centuries old erupted in his bones. The parchment pages of the book stirred and a vague light glowed from the ancient script. He knew that to come closer to understanding the Old Ones, of knowing the truth of Cthulu, would undo his ability to function within the realms of this reality. In short he would become insane and all manner of things that mortals took for granted and failed to see would writhe sinuously about his mind and body and in time, he would die. Screaming insane curses and treated as was his predecessor for a mental condition.

He shuddered. The ramification of not continuing did not even bear countenance, and so with a last look at the book, he read out loud the warning and prayed for protection before he continued.

"And while there are those who have dared to seek glimpses beyond the Veil, and to accept HIM as a Guide, they would have been more prudent had they avoided commerce with HIM; for it is written in the Book of Thoth how terrific is the price of a single glimpse. Nor may those who pass ever return, for in the Vastnesses transcending our world are Shapes of darkness that seize and bind. The Affair that shambleth about in the night, the Evil that defieth the Elder Sign, the Herd that stand watch at the secret portal each tomb is known to have, and that thrive on that which groweth out of the tenants within -- all these Blacknesses are lesser than HE Who guardeth the Gateway; HE Who will guide the rash one beyond all the worlds into the Abyss of unnamable Devourers. For HE is 'UMR AT-TAWIL, the Most Ancient One, which the scribe rendereth as THE PROLONGED OF LIFE."

A bead of sweat formed on his forehead as he took a long breath and calmed his nerves.

"I have bound witness and will see you falter Ariadne and all who come from beyond the netherworlds to lurk and dwell on this plane. I will offer my sanity to sacrifice in order to see you clearly and with it your form will lay piteous and broken upon the shards of your vanity."

Hands strayed for but a moment as the velvet cloth was unbound and the items secured.

"You think that they ancients with their folklores and traditions did not understand you and yet now all their craft is mine to bring you to heel!"

An ancient compass lay open in his palm and by the light of the moon he traced the cardinal points of his appointed area, marking each with a candle and offering. At the north a bowl of earth dug from his garden and given breath and life from the sun. To the west a silver chalice of wine capturing the divinity of water, below and to the south a candle lit in a huge sconce and finally to the East a feather to signify air. When done he opened a pitcher of coloured sand and began to join the points together, he spoke; a low soothing throb over the turmoil of the land and with each breath solace took his form.

"I conjure thee O' Circle of Art, that you will be for me a barrier between the mundane and spirit world, I call upon the protectors of the North, South, East and West to aid me in the construction of this Circle." And silence descended on the glade.

Three times he walked the perimeter of the circle each time going clockwise from point to point and marking the area with a quartz topped Athame.

"The circle is now sealed." He spoke and felt a vague tingling upon his body as he looked to the heavens and called the quarters.

At the northern point he made the sign of the pentagram in the air and spoke softly. "I call upon the angel Uriel to guard and protect." His hand prone in supplication of prayer he broke the imagined barrier to let the angel spirit in and sealed it once again. "I call upon Raphael to take flight and be my eyes and ears of the spirit world." He picked up the feather, traced the outline again of the pentagram in the air and closed it again. Then to fire, "Michael grant me light to guide me and fire to destroy mine enemies, and in that regrowth and piety in the knowledge that I shall rise from the ashes into the arms of my god." Sweat ran freely down his body and the earth around the circled pitched and cracked. He dipped his fingers into the bowl of wine and traced the outline again his voice no more than a dull thud against the screams that shook the glade from the temporal void. "Gabriel, favoured of God, he who standeth at the watchtower and give cause for triumph and office, garner me success and hold me to your heart in darkened days."

Another pitcher of coloured sand opened and tracing a well worn path he joined the points and formed a pentagram in the middle acknowledging the angels as he went, when all was prepared he raised his arms high and stood his feet firm upon the heaving ground.

"Hail to the keeps of the watch, mark the armour of the gods and bare witness to that which cannot be. I call upon thee! Come forward to me the most ancient of the old ones and grant me you compliance! Come now! 'UMR AT-TAWIL!" McKeigh's voice held resonance as the night suddenly still and the sky turned red. A keening cry was heard upon the wings of the night and yet still he kept the vigil to see that which no man should see.

A giant claw rendered the fabric of space and time and split the night asunder as the beast crawled into the fetid void, trapped and bested by a man.

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

Through darkened trees and foul creatures that had found purchase in this realm Illya and Napoleon fled toward the only safety they knew. The moon reddened and for a moment Napoleon witnessed the once peaceful forest now bathed in blood as the moon shone hotly on the charnel vista.

Illya's feet found no rhythm, his heart found no beat and in the moment the beast crawled forward he fell to the ground, his body still and lifeless as a clay-cold corpse. Only the tear that travelled down his cheek gave evidence of life, for no breath was drawn.

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

In the house before her altar Ariadne hid her face behind a thin veil, her hands gnarled and clawed worked at her throat as she fought for breath. And in that moment she knew terror and exhilaration.

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

"Ah so McKeigh has unleashed the beast and seeks to command it to his power and send it back across the threshold into the black abyss." Babushka said softly her ancient Russian eyes alight with awe and power. "Come Alexander - we must make our way to them before the knights are loosed and ride upon the lands. Victory or defeat draws near!"

---

This page is an unofficial site that exists only for the fun of it. All characters and situations from the television show "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." are property of Norman Felton and Warner Bros. Nothing ill is intended by this use of any television characters in these amateur efforts. Any fiction linked to these pages is the intellectual property of the amateur author who created it and is not presented here for profit.