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A sudden sound drew Eugene’s attention--a jovial whistling He thought with consternation of old Mr Saunders, who liked to drink and ht have stumbled in

He called out: "Saunders, old boy, is that you?"

The whistling stopped Satisfied, Eugene went back to his work But a fewthrough the e… uncogled hether or not to call the police How foolish would he feel if it turned out to be old Saunders after all? And how hu for Saunders, as very close friends with the Grand Master hi in the Brotherhood and never rise above Junior Warden No, he couldn’t risk the taint of shame or ridicule He’d like to be Grand Master himself one day Yes, better to handle this on his own If he took care of this trouble with Saunders carefully, discreetly, the old ht take a shine to hiuised as obstacle the inspirational books talked about! He would e head-on How proud Edould be when he told hiain he called out: "Saunders? Can you hear

Straightening his tie, Eugene Meriwether left the comfort of his desk and poked his head out of the office At the far end of the darkened hall, golden, shihtly open door of the Gothic Roo the framed portraits of departed Masonic brothers As he walked the diene Meriwether’s belly sounded a silent alar that snaked back to his primitive ancestors and their need to huddle in caves around fires, the kind of warning that no amount of civilization could ever completely eradicate He almost wished he had called the police, but his arabbed the knob and pushed open the door

Fire The golden glow had co on the center altar And as he tried to piece together as happening--A fire? In the Gothic Room? How?--the door slammed shut behind hiical explanations: It’s a prank Soans in need of a lesson They’ll be very, very sorry for this Holding this door shut froans, all

The whistling stopped A deep, resonant voice echoed in the roohteousness and lo, was the Lord’s anger sorely provoked’ "

A dark shadow passed across the wall It see shadow of a man But as the shado closer, it becaene Meriwether was far fro, it was commanded: Turn the heretics from the Temple of Solomon under the watchful eye of God and purify their sins with an offering of blood and fire For there is no expiation of sin but by blood…’ "

Eugene Meriwether put a hand to his chest, feeling the furious beating of his heart beneath the shts of his love, Eugene slowly turned And as the walls began to whisper, he lost his footing on the precipice of reason and began the terrible fall into a hell beyond i

RECKONING

Evie and Mabel spent the entire night in a cell of the city’s notorious don jail, the Toe woot too near Mabel’sdown the hall with her characteristic hauteur "I do hope you girls have had ti," she said, but it was Evie she glared at and it was clear who she thought should shoulder the bla, Evie," Mabel said as herled to the electric chair without a last meal

By the time Uncle Will posted bail for Evie, it was just past seven o’clock They city was ru in Manhattan, as she and Will eed onto White Street

"I should have let you sit there longer," Will snapped He alking so quickly that Evie could barely keep up Her head thudded with each step

"I’ive you your freedom, and you keep out of trouble"

"I know, and I feel like a real Dued a finger "That is not the point, Evangeline You deliberately disobeyed ht You lied to me"