A revelation, a final task, a broken past...
Summary[]
A brief flashback illuminates the day where Arthur read from John’s book. In the present, they wake up in the Waylay and meet the Manager: a version of Nyarlathotep who wants to stop Kayne. He has been helping John and Arthur unseen during the course of their journey. After explaining the power of their lighter, he sends them (and an unseen entity) off to the Dark World.
Synopsis[]
In a flashback, Arthur and Parker return to their Arkham office. Parker tells Arthur that he’s the brains of the operation and asks Arthur to consider dating his sister. Parker’s family has already met Arthur, and they love him. Arthur still feels adrift, even if he’s been in Arkham for some time. Parker suggests that only Arthur feels this way.
Parker instructs Arthur to put down a package he holds. Arthur does so on the piano, which is only used to store boxes. Parker urges Arthur to move on from his past. When Arthur suggests the same, Parker admits that he hasn’t done so – he owes two thousand dollars at Edwin’s.
They briefly discuss their ongoing cases, before Arthur collects the mail. A book from JD Ackerman’s Rare Books has been delivered, despite neither ordering it. Arthur discovers that it is John’s book, and as he opens it, an entity identifies itself as the King in Yellow. The entity demands that Parker stay away while Arthur reads it.
Noticing something amiss, Parker asks Arthur what’s wrong. Arthur tries to warn Parker away, but the King kills him. Arthur reads from the book as the King demands and dies, too.
In the present, the Waylay announcer welcomes a comedian to the stage. John and Arthur realize they are in the Waylay, while a waiter announces that the manager is waiting for them. They go to the manager’s office, with Arthur seemingly already knowing the way.
Inside, they find an entity that looks and sounds exactly like Kayne. The Manager corrects them, insisting that he is not Kayne, but another version of Nyarlathotep. He made the Waylay to hide from Kayne.
The Manager reveals that he knows Kayne’s plan. He is the only thing keeping the Waylay protected from Kayne, but he would die in direct confrontation. The Manager is the one who brought them here. While he talks, a singer named Vic Tenetta croons 'You Call It Madness'. John realizes he heard the song before at the Waylay.
The Manager says that they were both here before, when Arthur died after reading John’s book. He wiped their memories to encourage their cooperation, as well as modifying the lighter that always seems to follow them.
The lighter provides light and will help them retain their sense of self in the Dark World. The Manager urges them to stop Kayne from killing Azathoth, as they have the ability: they just need to “let go”. As they no longer have a body, they must go to the Dark World.
John warns against the Dark World and its oppressive power over people. The Manager adds that the lighter can help others, too, but they can’t save everyone: only those that want help. With his advice given, the Manager sends them along to the Dark World.
After Arthur and John vanish, the Manager addresses another entity in the room. The Manager recognizes it, asking how it piggybacked along.
He doesn't allow it to answer, and presumes that this entity will follow Arthur wherever he goes. He warns the entity that it needs Arthur and that it had better work with him. He adds that the entity is sewn into Arthur in way that the Manager didn't think was possible. He wishes the entity luck and warns it not to fuck it up this time, before snapping his figures a final time, and sending Arthur and John and the unknown entity onward to the Dark World.