August 23, 1973

Eduardo Ehrillimbal
XXX XXXX XX X XXX
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138

Son,

I realize this letter may strike you as an egregious hoax, and I hope that you will have enough faith to read it through to the end before you pass judgment. I hope that you will understand the importance of the roles which have been given to our family. I may yet realize my dream, and the fulfillment of that work will change everything. No, everyone. It will change us all.

I am filled with shame over the deception forced upon you and your brother by my death. Such a violent break was a necessary, though extremely painful, evil. My competitors have become too aggressive, too willing to do harm to those I love in order to gain what they want. They think they can take my work and it will open itself to them; they think the flowers are like cheap whores, willing to spread their legs at the slightest hint of shiny coin. And, when such display of wealth fails to grant them access, they will grow violent. They have shown such behavior before. The Ytucalis still carry those scars.

No, my dear son, I had to die. The research had to die with me. It was the only way to protect my family: you, your brother, and your dear mother.

The work to be done is best done undisturbed—it will take more than my lifetime, I fear. While I have managed to distill the fourth expression, I am still so far from realizing the final expression. The details of the work are like an old alchemical recipe: so much depends on the nature of my intent as well as the skill of my hands. well as the skill of my hands.

I wish I could have been a better father, Eduardo. I know I have been difficult since my return from the jungle and, while there is a rational—biological—explanation for those years of emotional detachment, I realize such an explanation is not what the heart needs. I am sorry, my son, and I will not trouble you with a flurry of misguided explanations and brittle excuses.

I am so proud that you are a Harvard man. That had always been my hope that one of my sons would grace those halls with his presence. Before you graduate, please visit our family friend in the psychology department one last time. Tell him that he is to give you the keys. Certain arrangements have been made, and are awaiting your acceptance. I know they are a poor substitute, but I want you to have what legacy I have to leave.

With great love,

-J