dining at my club, and then again, directly from the mouth of Lawrence Blake. I had come all this way and so it was worth a shot. I said the words,
“Bless-ed is the seed”.
The metallic sounds of bolts followed, and then the door was dragged open to permit me to enter. So, now I knew that particular phrase was a password into another world!
I stood numbly as the attendant bolted the door closed. I could see the house was sparsely decorated and the scent of dampness was strong as if the premises were uninhabited.
The attendant led me through the main hallway of the ground floor of the house. I was sure then that the house was not occupied as the tiled checkerboard floor had not seen a broom in some months. He led me through a frigid, bare kitchen where the hearth lay cold, and transient moonlight leaking between the waves of fog was the only illumination. He stopped at a door. On opening the door a rush of damp icy air hit me. The attendant picked up a shuttered lantern that hung on a hook on the wall inside the doorway. He opened the shutters and the lantern light revealed steps leading down. Without a word, the attendant jogged down the stone steps. I stood on the threshold. He could not expect me to blindly follow him. I would not do it. I could not.
“I say, good fellow where the devil are we going?” I could not deny the terror in my voice. I truly did not want to follow, but I could not very well turn to leave now as he had locked the front door.
The man paused at the bottom of the stairs, turned, and looked up at me, the lantern light making his face appear ghoulish.
“All must walk in darkness before he sees the light of salvation. This is the way all sinners enter the brotherhood.” He said in a manner I found rather creepy. I tightened my jaw and damn Lawrence Blake. I imagined that young Leopold had taken this very same journey and so I would not be cowed. I had my cane should I need to fight, so I hurried down the flight of stairs and followed after the attendant into a glacial cellar tunnel.
I did not know where he was taking me and as we walked further down the tunnel I became more fearful and disorientated. Time seemed to pass strangely underground. The lantern swayed throwing eerie shadows on the thick stone tunnel wall and from the stench of dampness and decay alone I knew were close to the river. This could be a smuggler's tunnel. For all I knew he could be leading me to the river, to my death. A rat scurried over my foot and I near jumped out of my skin. Lord! Why I had allowed myself to become embroiled in this business?
With my anxiety overwhelming me I lost track and had no idea how long we walked for. We came to a thick dark oak door. The attendant opened it and ascended cut stone stairs, the treads worn with use, and opened another door at the top. Desperate to be above ground and to breathe cleaner air I hurried up the steps. Bright electric illumination stabbed at my eyes and I was dizzied for a moment. I gripped the door jamb and when my vision cleared I realized I had been led into… a completely different house. I was befuddled. I did not know how many houses or streets away from my original location I now stood. With a sickening sense of dread, one thing I was sure of was that if events took a turn for the worst there was no way Sebastian could find me. As far as he knew I had entered number 11 Adam Street. Oh Gods, what had I gotten myself into?
The attendant delivered me to an anteroom where I found the fire lit and nothing but a dark oak table and two chairs. There was a stoppered green glass bottle upon the table and two glasses.
“Wait here.” The attendant said, and then he left me alone in that silent, bare room.
Gentleman’s Relish
I laid my hat and cane upon the table and waited for several minutes, my mind whirring, thinking of ways I could make my excuses and leave. I did not know where I was, and understood that sooner or later, I would have to face my fear and walk alone