I was reading about the Urishma family line when the man with the case entered my office. Great, not even six month as a private investigator and i was already thinking in bad cliche. It was the ever lovely chime that informed me of his arrival. He was a lemming dressed in an expensive midnight black suit, but he didn’t work for the government. He lacked the blandness most of them acquired within months of starting. Zee had had that look for his first five years at the Bureau, while Marcus managed to avoid getting it. The red deer had worn his pride at being an agent of the FBI from the moment he’d got out of Quantico. Zee had tried to emulate his husband, but until he was able to shed the colorless suits he rarely managed it. The lemming walked with determination, and quiet disdain as he looked around the office. This was someone used to the finer things in life. I stood and extended my hand when he got close. “Hi, I’m Dent, what can I do for you?” He looked at my hand. “Are you Denton Stenton?” “No, it’s Denton Brislow, like the sign says.” I tried to place him, very few people knew about the Stenton name, but I couldn’t. I’d met many new people since getting to know Martin, and he hadn’t always told me who was Society and who wasn’t. But I was confident I’d have remembered meeting a lemming. I lowered my hand once it was clear he wasn’t going to shake it. “I was told I’d be able to find a Denton Stenton at this address.” “by Whom?” I asked, sitting down. I kept my hand close to the stunner in the holster on the underside of my desk. I would prefer something that also had bullets, but as a civilian, this was all I could legally get. Still if he tried anything it was enough to take him out. “By my superior.” “That’s nice, And who is that?” He studied me for a moment, then sighed. He reached inside his jacket, but too high for a gun. He pulled out a card and offered it to me. “My name is Albert Samuel Winthrop the Fourth,” he said as I took it. “I represent Malek, Malek and Juniper.” He looked at me like that should mean something. “Doesn’t ring a bell.” “Oh bother,” he grumbled. “May I sit?” he asked. “Go ahead.” He placed the briefcase on my desk, to the side so it wouldn’t imped our conversation. “My firm has represented Stenton interests for many years, since it was founded, actually. I have been entrusted with delivering this briefcase to Denton Stenton.” “What’s in it?” “I don’t know.” “Open it and tell me.” “I can’t open it, only Denton Stenton can open it.” “Let me get this straight, only I can open this? Am I suppose to have a key or something?” “No. It’s my understanding that anyone from the Stenton family can unlock it, but I believe you are the only one left.” “How do you know that?” “We were under the impression that the Stenton family had died off twenty years ago or so, but we recently became aware the Stenton financial accounts have become active again. My firm ran some inquiries, and found out about you.” All right, I wasn’t sure how they’d gotten my name, but it would be simple enough for them to know the accounts were active again. I’d been frugal with them, but any transaction was recorded. If they’d handled the Stenton stuff before, they probably had contact withing Max’s financial firm. “Okay, but you still haven’t explained how I’m suppose to unlock it.” The lemming blushed. “You’re… err… suppose to ejaculate on the briefcase.” “Really, so I’ll just whip out my cock and jerk off on it when I want to open it?” His blush deepened. “No, you have to do it here. I have to supervise, to ensure no tempering happens.” “Are you offering to help out?” “What? Of course not.” I smirked and leaned back in my chair. I took a few breath to calm myself. On the last breath I pulled out of myself a little. It was still difficult for me to step out of my body. If I wanted to step out fully, I had to close my eyes and meditate for a few minutes, but I didn’t need that much to check if the briefcase was magical. It was. I could make out sigils and connectors all over it. I couldn’t tell if it was one complex Phrase, to multiple. I recognized the sigils, but not the Phrase. Obviously it was what kept the briefcase locked. I found the equivalence connector, but I couldn’t figure out how it interacted with the sigils around it. This was much more advanced than anything I’d tried. I snapped back before the pain became too much. These partial stepping out always left me with headaches. It was definitely Society magic, but that meant little. Raphael had warned me I had enemies within the Society. “How do I know there isn’t a bomb in there?” “Excuse me?” The offended tone was almost comical. “How do I know you’re not here to kill me?” “Mister Stenton—” “It’s Brislow.” The lemming stuttered. “Excuse me, but you were talking as if the case was for you. Are you, or are you not a Stenton?” “I was born to the Stenton family, but adopted by the Brislow. I go by their name.” “I see.” He seemed uncertain how to proceed. “Then, do you carry the Stenton legacy?” “What does it matter?” “The case had to go to the current family elder. If you don’t carry the legacy, I don’t think you can be the elder.” “I’m the elder,” I sighed. Max had made sure i knew I was. he’d gone on weekly about it, about how as the elder I had to continue the family line. If I hadn’t finally given in he would probably be here right now berating me about it. “Ah, good.” he relaxed. “Then if you’ll unlock the briefcase, I can consider my duty discharged.” “Yeah, before I do that. You haven’t answered my question. How do I know you aren’t trying to kill me with that thing.” “Mister Sten— Brislow. I have told you. My firm had represented Stenton interests—” “For a long time. Yeah, yeah, can you prove it?” “I can give you my companies’ information.” “And they’re going to tell me exactly what you just did. Can anyone I’d trust coroborate who you are?” The question perplexed him for a long moment. “Do you know Raphael Lewiston? or Maximilian Cormoran?” “can max confirm who you are?” “No, not me personally, but he can vouch for my firm. We handle the legal affairs of the Cormoran family.” I pulled my phone out of the slot in my desk and brought up Max’s contact information. I hadn’t talked with him since the afternoon. I really didn’t want to talk to him yet, but if not him it had to be Raphael, and I wasn’t comfortable discussing this with him. I called max. “Hello Denton,” he answered, his tone professional. “Hi max. I hope I’m not disturbing you. I need your help with something.” “You know I’m always there for you. I’m happy you feel you can—” “Max, stop. I still haven’t forgiven you for what you pull on me, but this is more important.” I rad the card. “I have an Albert Samuel Winthrop the Fourth here. He claims to work for Malek, Malek and Juniper. He has a briefcase he said belongs to me, to the Stenton family. Is there any way you can confirm the firm’s real?” “It is. I have them on retainer to handle any legal affairs that involve None-Society complaints.I also know they work with many of the US based families. I’m not familiar with the Winthrop name, but if you put me on speaker, I might be able to confirm that he does work for them.” I inserted the phone back in the slot. the phone’s controls appeared on the desk’s surface and I turned on the speaker option. “Go ahead Max.” “Mister Winthrop, I’m Maximilian Cormoran.” “It’s an honor to talk with you.” Max chuckled. “You should have a talk with the lawyer at your firm who hand;es my affairs before saying that. I’d like you to tell me what you know about Atelier.” The lemming looked at me, worry on his face. “Atelier, sir? I’m not sure what you mean.” “Please, everyone at M.M.J. knows about it.” Winthrop wrung his hands together. “be that as it may, sir,I’m not suppose to know about it. If the partners ever found out I did, and that I spoke about it to someone outside the firm, it would be my job.” “If that were true, I wouldn’t know about Atelier. Where do you think I heard about it?” “That may be, sir, but I can’t just—” “He’s giving you a was to confirm who you are,” I interrupted. “If you’re serious about performing your duty, you’d better start talking.” Winthrop sighed. “I don’t even know if what I know is true. it’s only gossip heard around the office.” “That’s fine,” Max said. “even that should be enough.” “All right. What I heard if that Atelier is the town in France where a small group of Elders got together to forge the code of conduct for the Society. George Malek was there as impartial witness, and he was entrusted with the document. That’s when he formed the firm and the relationship with the Society began.” “Yeah, that matches what I heard. he’s the real deal.” “Thanks, Max.” then I asked, unable to stop my curiosity. “Do you know anything else about it? I thought the church imposed the rules on us.” “I don’t think it’s real. I think it’s one of those legends that pops out of nowhere, as a way of explaining something. I did some research, and I asked around, but I couldn’t find any confirmation it ever happened.” “Okay, thanks.” My finger stopped over the disconnect button. “I’ll call you soon.” I owed him at least that. “There are things we need to discuss.” “Yes, I believe there are.” I ended the call. The lemming smiled. “Now that we’ve confirmed I am who I claimed I was, If you’ll unlock the briefcase, I’ll be on my way.” I looked at it, trying to decide. “What if I don’t want it?” “Excuse me?” “What if I don’t want to unlock it? to see what’s in it?” “But— but it’s yours.” Was it? Did being born to a family whose name I didn’t want to use make me part of it? Didn’t I get to choose who I was? If I was being honest with myself, for all that I liked Martin, his friends, and our God, I wasn’t sure I wanted to have anything to do with our Society. I wanted my life, not theirs, with their intrigue an politics. I especially didn’t want to history this briefcase represented. “I need to think about this.” I said, I should tell him to leave and never come back. “How about you come back another time?” “Another time? I’m not sure you understand. I’m scheduled to fly back to New York City tomorrow morning.” “Then take if with you. I have your card, I’ll call you if I ever decide I want to unlock it.” “I can’t do that. I’ve been tasked with delivering this briefcase to the Stenton elder. That’s you, so you have to take it.” “Too bad. because I don’t want it.” That was true, wasn’t it? Fuck, if it was, why was I even hesitating? Why did things have to be so complicated. Why couldn’t he read between the lines and give me the time I needed to figure out how I left about the damn Stenton family. The lemming sighed. “How about this? I’ll come back tomorrow morning, lets say eight am? That gives you the night to reflect on this, and it gives me enough time to make my flight. You can unlock it then.” “Fine,” I conceded. Winthrop smiled and we shook hands. The chime announced his departure, leaving me alone to think. I didn’t want to think. I was too fucking conflicted about this. I needed to do something to get my mine off this mess that was my heritage. I needed sex, and a lot of it. I brought up my messages, almost a dozen already, guys wanting to meet. I replied to the lot of them, ‘Orgy at my place, starting now, ending when everyone was too exhausted to continue.’ Then, for good measure I sent the same message to everyone on my contact list. I locked up the office, ordered a few cases of water, paid extra for immediate delivery. Did the same for a couple of gallons of lube. I had plenty, bu that was one thing I couldn’t have too much of. I’d order food later. With that I should be guarantied not to think about anything but cock and ass for a good long while.