Subliminal Messages to Azathoth

Diana finished writing The Crypt shortly after the events in Echoes of a Violin. Peter is more convinced than ever that the cybercriminal Azathoth's ultimate goal is to have Neal work for him. Azathoth could coerce Neal by any number of means, but that wouldn't provide the satisfaction of turning Neal into a willing recruit. In The Crypt, Peter has directed the Arkham Round Table to send the cybercriminal a message: "If you're as smart as I think you are, you'll want me too." It's the initial strategy for what Peter has called the "ultimate long con" to bring Azathoth to justice.

Warning for minor spoilers for Echoes of a Violin and the Arkham Files series

Peter's hidden resume to the cybercriminal contains the following signals:

• Algolnium. This rare chemical element symbolizes Neal's expertise as a thief. The new abilities Neal has acquired refer to the additional skills he's obtained from the FBI and Columbia University. Peter also has algolnium and skills which Azathoth would appreciate. He's demonstrated abilities that Arkham Neal doesn't have.
• Sense of adventure: The investigation of the mausoleum in the cemetery demonstrates that Peter enjoys thrills every bit as much as Neal, but he adds a needed element of maturity and experience.
• Willingness to break the rules: When Peter mocks Neal's fledgling efforts at lock picking, he hints at his own skill. One can argue that archaeologists resemble cat burglars. Don't they break into ancient tombs and plunder them, even if it is in the name of science? Peter's profession in Arkham Files echoes the nickname Kramer bestowed upon him in acknowledgment of his ability. Wouldn't Azathoth also want an accomplished archaeologist on his team?
• Neal's sprained wrist: This injury refers to an incident that occurred on Neal's first day of work at the FBI in our AU. The account is in Choirboy Caffrey. Peter assumes that Azathoth has access to Neal's file and knows about it. In The Crypt, Chad Lawson is the villain. In real life, it was the FBI who was responsible. Is Peter hinting that he realizes the FBI may not have Neal's interests at heart? That Peter is aware of corrupt forces at the Bureau and is willing to strike out in a different direction?
• Nyarlathotep: Neal first encountered Azathoth's servant when Nyarlathotep was disguised as the Priest in the Yellow Silk Mask at the monastery at Leng. Nyarlathotep was created by Lovecraft and is an entity as powerful as Azathoth. When the Round Table included Nyarlathotep in the stories, they didn't suspect how significant it would be to their adversary. Rolf Mansfeld, identified as Azathoth in Echoes of a Violin, is the older brother of Klaus Mansfeld. Readers know that Neal's former mentor who is presumed dead is actually alive. Klaus and Rolf have been working together to convince Neal to join them. When the priest at Leng tells Neal, "You will come again when I call," those words convey an inadvertent reference to Klaus. He'll be doing just that in my next Caffrey Conversation story, Nocturne in Black and Gold.

The Crypt on Archive of Our Own
The Crypt on FanFiction