Achadremenos prelude: After Hours in the Publishing House
"Are you quite certain that you want to pursue this?" The thin, eminently-dressed old man looked up from the heavy, thick book on his antique desk and peered at his visitor over 18th century spectacles, worn out of habit instead of need.
"All my experiences have led up to this. To turn away from this would be treason to myself." The tall dark visitor stood deep in the shadows in the corner of the office, farthest away from the curtained windows.
"Instead of treason to what you are? To all of us?" The old man's cruel mouth curled into a venomous sneer. "How dare you come to me to ask me for my help in this? This would ruin me, and for nothing. The canaille wouldn't read this, or understand it if they did. And neither of us could show ourselves for centuries."
"Is the downfall of your brother worth so little to you now?"
The old man's sneer became a look of incredulousness.
"Read the author's note on page four."
With wrinkled fingers, the old man opened the heavy red leather cover and turned three thick white pages. There, in new black ink, handwritten like the rest of the text, were the words: 'An account of men, blood drinkers, and fickle gods, as recorded by a servant and friend, once a Boyar of The Land Beyond the Forest but now is a slave himself.'
The old man looked slowly up from the book. "Well, well. Perhaps I spoke too hastily." A dark gleam seemed to grow in his yellowed eyes. "I will contact some people in America, and see if anyone is planning a study of old libraries, or exhumations of tombs over here. You would have to make this look like a discovery. Do you still have the originals?"
"Of course."
"Come to me again in a fortnight. Then we can barter over the details."
The visitor's silhouette lowered as he bowed to his host, and then moved towards the door.
"And Murgatroyd, remember that I haven't actually agreed to do this yet, in case you are asked by anyone." Once his visitor had gone, Bonheur waited only a moment before seating himself and beginning to read 'Achadremenos'.
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