He had sloped off from behind the pillar, undetected or so he thought. He had observed his prey and despite his best efforts could do nothing to stop her being initiated to higher levels of power. She would undoubtedly have been introduced to some aspects of the Magdalenes, however, he was aware that the Magdalene Key was safe where it had always been, undisturbed, hidden away and a secret surpassing none other. A secret that would never be revealed because, if it was, it could change things so radically and globally that life, most particularly his life and those of his society would never be the same again.
They were a dying breed, the older they got, the more died out. The younger ones, the sons, were more inclined to be liberal to a degree and allow women a place, albeit not their full place, but a place never the less. He had gratefully noticed that his own sons were an exception to that rule.
He smiled to himself as he returned to his office within a huge substantial building, his building that he had worked from for aeons. It looked like an old English club, very chintzy, ornate, and old fashioned. It suited him well. His butler ushered him in, taking his coat.
He sat down at his large mahogany desk with the olive leather inlay and took his pen up ready to write in his diary when the door burst open and a young man came in like a blast of cold chill air. He rose up in surprise as his eldest son threw himself into a chair in front of the desk. His left palm slammed down on the table.
“What exactly do you think you are doing, letting this woman receive initiations at Chartres, are you mad? If she is given insights she will know what has been happening for the last 2 thousand years and that makes me feel considerably uncomfortable! What is she doing next? Are you having her followed, has her room been searched? She must have been a sleeper. I haven’t heard of her at all. Where is she going next? What do we know about her”? He stopped for breath and glared at his father.
“Steady on, calm down. I had her under observation all morning. She is of no consequence. She is ignorant to the greater implications that this may have, and the Magdalene Key is safe and will remain so. We must just get her off the case avoiding if possible, any violence, do you hear me, Sebastian? No violence! Simple persuasion that she is in the wrong place at the wrong time will do”.
Monsieur Roland Montfort looked at his son with cold steel eyes, even he, his eldest and dearest, did not know the magnitude of what could happen. Their whole empire was built on the trade of women and children for purposes he did not care to dwell on. He simply turned a blind eye to it all, and when he detached he could pretend that his was a good life.
He provided for his family, a multi -millionaire, the fact that he indulged himself occasionally in some of the soiled goods that passed through the business’s hands was a nothing, a little secret that no one would ever know. Even in this day of ‘investigative journalism’ and their phone hacking, never had he been caught out and never would he be. He had too many of them in his pocket.
He understood that man’s greatest weaknesses are greed, materialism and sexual depravity. Until the day that men waken up to that they could all be manipulated and controlled into giving their souls away. Bought for a few thousand here and there. Their minds, always rationalising and justifying their actions, while their hearts die from the soullessness of their behaviours. They attack their own hearts and so many died young despite the advent of the triple bypass.
Your heart knows what your mind denies. He had them by the short and whatsits, and he enjoyed the knowing that they danced to whatever tune he cared to play. As he was musing over this, Sebastian who had just been staring directly at him suddenly pushed his chair back.
Sebastian looked over at his father, older now, in his late sixties, he had lost his fire and power, he thought, lost the will to go forward regardless of the pain cost. He was going soft. No violence. Since when had he cared or even taken an interest in the business? He preferred to be in ignorance. No, his father had simply lost it. He would deal with this woman and deal with her quickly before she got too close to revealing the unknown truths that they had hidden so successfully through their influences and the MOP society for so long. The Vatican had been of great help and as long as they were financially benefitting, they would keep the information hidden in their vaults for centuries more, so that his children and their children could keep the business running.
Sebastian left in a stormy flurry like a dark lord taking himself off to his lair. The comparison wasn’t too far wrong because Sebastian was heading for his town house in the gayer side of Paris, not far from the Champs Elyse. He would contact the business’s head of security and get a fix on this woman and immediately make plans to intercept her. Find out how much information she had and what would be her next move. He had plenty of heavies around to deal with her, however, he knew that she too would have her own protection and that could prove to be challenging, if even a little irritating. He was fully and completely aware that if the secret of the Magdalene Key was revealed and arose then so too would the feminine energise and empower everywhere in the world, and his family’s world, that of the MOPS, would end and abruptly at that.
He entered his classy if somewhat Spartan apartment and immediately lifted the phone to get his men to work finding out this woman’s whereabouts. Paris was big but not that big. They would find her - and quickly.
He showered and changed into an Armani suit, he looked good, 6 ‘ tall, black shiny hair slicked back from his forehead a la Mr Reeves. He kept himself in shape. In his late thirties, he remained single having little or no time for a relationship. His job, and his father’s teaching since childhood via the way he treated his Mother, had given him a particularly unhealthy view of women. He always seemed to bully and dominate eventually, although he hid that tendency fairly well until he had been going out with them for a few months.
The thing is, he just didn’t rate them. He was more intelligent. He knew better, he was right and they never saw it that way. When they tired of the money and the trappings, off they went, they usually took a fair share of all that with them. When he had been rumbled, seen for what he really was, he couldn’t continue buying his way into their favour, they disappeared as quickly as they had arrived
Then the hunt was on for the next one. He was simply like an animal collecting trophies along the way. Sex was not a sensuous pleasure or sacred act to him, merely something to get on with and do, get it over and satiate his desire. He just wasn’t one of the touchy feely types and he didn’t have any desire to fulfil their desire. It was more like using them to make him feel better. He reckoned there was far too much made out of the sexual act anyway. He enjoyed a man’s strength and his masseur for instance had hands like steel and he could luxuriate in the pain of the muscles being pummelled and played until he ached all over.
He guessed there was a part of him that wanted to settle and have children. He played a good Uncle to his brother Jasper’s children, but he never allowed that part to develop too big a voice. It might show some kind of weakness, and that wouldn’t do. He was the Business now and he must remain strong and consistent, in control.
The phone rang and he lifted it with a sharp tone said “Oui”. The voice at the other end delivered the whereabouts of Marianna, and they could also report the fact that she was in her hotel room and had been for some time. She had booked a table in the hotel dining room for later in the evening.
He smiled to himself. He said in clipped tones, (and in English for the sake of the reader’s understanding), “Book me in as well for the same time, and get a photo of this woman to me sharpish”, the voice at the other end acknowledged and put the phone down.
Sebastian replaced the phone slowly and thoughtfully. He wondered what she would be like, this woman he had been unaware of, the one who had obviously set her sights at discovering the M Key and all it stood for. She must be tough, strong and courageous to take such risks with her life, but then she didn’t know that was what she was doing, yet. She and he would find out soon enough.
He checked his watch, he had a good hour before he would need to leave and he would use the time well by trawling the web to see what, if anything, he could find out about her. He set to his task as dusk fell and the lights in Paris came on indicating a whole different phase of life beginning in this beautiful now nocturnal city.