SWNOVELXO Chapter 29: CHAPTER 28
GATHERED AROUND an ancient medieval oak table in one of the chilly halls of the Velez castle, the seven members of the Council and the Widow — in charge of guarding the lodge's secret—were taking stock of what had happened over the past week.
The assembly, which had begun when they learned of the manuscript, now concluded that the only two people who knew of the document's existence were under the critical eye of the brotherhood. And although they had decided to let Gregory Evans continue his investigation, everyone lamented the terrible punishment Geovanna Monroe would suffer, but they all agreed it was very necessary for the sake of a secret they had protected for centuries.
The master was one of those who believed the deaths should end as soon as possible. Recognizing, in time, that they had acted rashly allowed him to rectify a situation that was beginning to slip through his fingers.
Gracus, another of the Master Guardians gathered at the Vélez-Blanco fortress, a cautious man who defended the old Masonic customs with all his might, opined that it would be best to also eliminate the damned American detective, Gregory Evans, and make a copy of the parchment, since it wasn't that difficult to decipher.
Nemrod came to the detective's defense, supporting the Master of Masters' thinking. His strong personality and the political respect he held in the American Ministry of Justice, in a way, justified his impartiality, which is why the others present, out of deference, remained silent to hear what he had to say.
— There will be no more deaths. We already decided that, by majority vote, at the last meeting — he recalled with great seriousness.
— We cannot violate our own precepts, and even less so when this man can lead us to the place where Iacobus's diary is hidden.
— Are you so sure Azogue is telling us the truth? — Gracus asked again, referring to the Master.
— I must remind you that we are all under oath, including the brothers of the first and second order... — he replied icily, intending to refresh his memory.
— I also remind you that, thanks to your information, we will have the possibility of knowing what the manuscript says.
— Azog's fidelity should not be on trial — Hiram considered, his voice calm, revealing his Arabic accent.
— Nor should we allow the secret of the temples to blind us to the point of murdering people whose only crime was reading an ancient scroll.
— It's not about forbidding knowledge, but rather about preventing its indiscriminate dissemination," Hermes stated from the opposite end of the dark table. — Like Brother Gracus, I don't understand why we have to allow this man to pry into the mason's rights. — The Memoirs of Justus Bravatius state that De Cartago himself confessed to him, shortly before his death, that his writings revealed the way to acquire knowledge of the Arts and the path one should follow to the Throne Room.
— What are you saying? — Master Salomon asked the only two members of the lodge who had not participated in the conversation.
Shimon, who, having flown from Scotland in a hurry to arrive on time, lacked time to form a fair opinion on the matter, chose to speak in favor of Gregory Evans... at least for the moment. His advice was that he should be closely followed while he was useful and forgotten once they managed to get hold of the diary.
Balkis, the only woman in the group, who represented the Widow's wisdom and was above the Council, sighed silently. The men eagerly awaited her opinion, and she looked at them with relaxed tolerance. It was her turn to speak.
— I think he deserves a chance — he began, his voice calm. — If he can lead us to the diary, we have to snatch it from him before he can read it, but he has to live... — After a few moments of reflection, he added... — ...I even thought we could present him with the initiation riddle."