Amos is far older than he admits -- here is partial evidence of the theory I'm working on that he is actually either the Count St. Germaine or one of those legendary Wanderers, perhaps Lazaurus (note that both "Amos" and "Lazaurus" have the letters "A" and "S" in them. How he has lived this long is at this time unknown; vampirism is improbable, but the use of monkey or goat glands isn't. Clean living has been completely ruled out.