part 5

After I left him, I stopped at a restaurant and had lunch. I didn't bother to go by my office, I spent little time there since the prince had become my only professional responsibility. After eating, I picked up some things at the supermarket and then went home. I thought I had better start writing while the prince's story was still fresh in my mind. I put the groceries away and performed the daily triage on my mail. I took what warranted my attention into my office and dumped it on my desk. Then I sat down and opened the drawer where I keep writing paper. In it was something I had not put there.

On top of the writing paper lay a heavy lavender colored envelope with no name and no address. I stared at it awhile before I picked it up. I could feel a lump inside as I opened it carefully and removed the single page it contained. Printed on lavender parchment was an address. Taped to the page was a brass key. Engraved on the key was a number.  

"Go, Sifter, and sift."

I folded the page again and put it in my pocket with the key still taped to it. It was only a few minutes drive to the address I had been given, a bank, as I expected. I followed the signs down to the basement where the safe deposit boxes were kept. I sat in the lobby for several minutes trying to decide what to do. In the end it was obvious. There was no choice but to act or not to act, there were no other alternatives. I stepped up to the clerk who smiled, "May I help you sir?"

"I think so. Number 3197 please."

"Just a moment." She sorted through some cards in a small drawer. I waited calmly, wondering why I wasn't petrified.

"Here it is, Mr Petrus, now if I could have your signature for verification."

She handed me a blank card and I signed it the way I normally sign everything.

She compared it to the one she was holding. "Thank you, Mr Petrus, this way please."

She led me to box 3197 and turned her key in one side of the double lock. I unlocked the opposite side and the door folded down.

"I'll leave you alone now Mr Petrus. When you are ready to leave just close the door and it will lock by itself."

I waited for her to turn the corner. There was no one else in sight. I slid the drawer open slowly. Inside was a heavy manila envelope.

I drove home carefully and carried the little package to my study. I let it lay on the desk for several minutes before I opened it. Inside was a leather bound volume of heavy, interchangeable, rose colored pages covered with blood red ink.

It was the registry of the Burgundy Order.

There were introductory pages containing details of the founding of the Order, the oath, some other pertinent items, followed by 271 more pages, one for every living member. Each page recorded the birthdate and birthplace, the chronology of incarnations, and the current name, address, and telephone, even email. They were organized according to the date of the taking of the oath. I found the prince on the third page. Co-Founder, charter member, and secretary.

It was all too much, I put it back in the envelope as if that could hide it or transform it into something mundane and innocuous and stuffed it into my safe. I drove to a bar where I found three baseball games on television simultaneously. I tried to watch every pitch in all three and cheered whenever anybody else did. I ate nachos and chicken wings and drank beer. I went home late and slept like hell anyway.

The following day I spent several hours trying to remember everything the prince had told me. I did my best to organize it and relate it in some cogent and intelligible manner. I made some personal observations with respect to the impression the prince had made on me. I tried several analgesic cocktails for my headache. I can't tell if they helped or not. I'm not certain I really wanted them to. I spent rest of the weekend making more headaches.