The Committee and The Club

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:41:32 GMT

Hayden and John were consulting about something, so she'd come over to the Smith home in New York.
John didn't think Sal should be along on this one, so Sal was waiting with Shen.

Sal didn't really know Shen as well as Sal knew some people, but Shen always seemed very nice.

May 23, 2010

Mon, 24 May 2010 04:23:20 GMT

Amanda is the kind of woman who uses champagne very sparingly. At the average casual party, she is most likely to be drinking lemonade.

But then there are Special Occasiona. And the anniversary marked tonight gets Dom Perignon.

For today is the day they executed Girolamo Savanarola.

"512 years, Akantha," she says as she carefully popped the cork. "That murderous bookburning bastard got a taste of his own medicine 512 years ago. It's probably not healthy to hate this much for that long, but you know what? I can live with it."

Four Years Ago: Committee Meeting.

Sun, 02 May 2010 22:15:47 GMT

There were many serious matters which needed to be dealt with; it had been agreed that phone calls and delegation were not sufficient.

And as Amanda lay the talismans along the carefully delineated lines in the basement, she began reciting the incantation which would reach to the counterparts each of her colleagues carried. The lightning. The flowers. The pearl. The eagle. The sword The water drop, and the simple, stark V.

Her own talisman, with the engraving of a book, she paced in the center and stood over as she completed the incantation. The seven people who had been waiting on her appeared.

"Hello, everyone," Amanda says tiredly. "Let's get this meeting started. Anybody need a drink?"