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Subject: +*+*+*+ Solomon's Private File #373 "The Vault" +*+*+*+
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2017 01:58:11 -0400
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Solomon's Private File #373
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 32 in this story, in the Fall of 2058.
Solomon's Private File #373 "The Vault"
START Page
Marcel was going over the accounting, when he said to me, "This
expense. It's large, but I don't know the description." I said, "I'm
starting a public fund to support flood repairs." He said, "Oh! My
father's house was damaged by a flood." I said, "That entry is
separate, as it's not part of any income here, but from the reserve,
not previously listed as a useable asset." He said, "Hmm, have there
been other expenditures of this kind?" I said, "From before we met,
yes. The home for orphans, and the women's home." He said, "I shouldn't
be surprised."
I said, "You've explored my properties very thoroughly, but you
didn't see everything. Come, let's go look at some wine." He looked
very intrigued. We went down to the cellar. I said, "These racks are
fixed to the wall. I don't know how many wine cellars you've examined
before, but that's unusual." He said, "Usually standing on the floor."
I said, "And the wood rots from the moisture." He said, "True. You have
an excuse to do something different." We grinned at each other. I said,
"Note the order in which I do this." I pushed some bottles against the
back. Then I pulled on the front of a shelf, and the front part of it
swung out like a bar, acting like a lever. I said, "The bar won't move
without the bottles releasing it. Pulling on the bar, releases the
locking mechanism, which you will see now." I pulled one side of the
rack toward me, and part of the wall opened like a door.
I said, "Note the step. Too many secret openings were revealed by
scrapes on the floor. Not here. The rooms beyond this are lined with a
kind of iron that won't rust. There are ventilation shafts inside the
walls above us. The air is moved by small windmills." He was carrying
the lamp. We went inside. He was in complete dumbfounded shock. There
was a complete jeweler's workshop. And there were a lot of expensive
completed pieces, and a lot of loose gems, and silver and gold. I said,
"Now you see how I have earned some of my money." He gulped, and said,
"I DO! Wow!" I said, "One of the interests and occupations of my
family, going back more than 200 years." We went into another room,
where there were chests. I pointed to one, and he opened it, to see
stacks of gold coins in it. I said, "I personally have no interest in
acquiring money or riches, but I do have a large interest in doing good
deeds that require it. Unfortunately, too much charity, were it
noticed, would be harmful to the society, and to the person, and his
family, giving it, so I don't announce it."
He said, after another gulp, "I think I understand. I have wondered
how you have acquired the money to buy the properties you have, but, in
politeness, I couldn't ask." I said, "I knew that. Hmm, interesting
expression." He chuckled. He said, "The unusual abilities of your
embarrassing amount. I didn't leave them at all poor. We consider that
our advantages come with responsibilities to not abuse them, and to
help others who are less fortunate. Now you know more of what makes me
who I am." He looked at me in absolute adoration. He said, "Do others
said, "They do, and in many places, mostly not to the awareness of
others."
He said, "You said you would leave. How can you leave THIS?" I said,
"Well, walking." He looked a little frustrated. I said, "You surely
don't expect me to take the house with me. A little heavy. When are you
going to ask the real question?" He said, "Ah, I'm afraid to." I said,
"You're afraid of your reaction, either way. Perfectly understandable.
When you're ready." We went back into the main part of the wine cellar.
I pushed the rack back into place, and pushed the lever back. We could
hear the locking bolts engage. He said, "What if a servant should see
you do this?" I said, "They know I want to be alone in choosing and
tasting wine. And they know I would hear them." He grinned, and said,
"Useful ability. In your family?" I said, "From my father's side, for
many generations. Mother and wife don't have it. My natural children
have it, not my adopted. A lot of cousins, though." He said, "Adopted.
You would do that." I said, "Some children are too strange for their
parents and community to accept, as I would have been. Some are
killed." He saw my tears, and had some of his own. We hugged.
We stopped at the stairs to the main floor. He said, "You trust me to
know this." I said, "Obviously. I didn't tell you before, to spare you
might not have believed some of that, without the time in getting to
know you." I said, "True." He said, "Is there more?" I just grinned,
and he laughed.
Later, Marcel said, "I had an interesting conversation with Romanit."
I said, "You haven't indicated if that was good or bad. I said this
because you are obviously looking for me to comment, expressing
curiosity. So I did something else." He chuckled and shook his head. He
said, "He said he discussed his feelings with you." I said, "He did. I
told him of my experience with that, as I told you. Similar reaction."
He grinned, and said, "I'm sure THAT was interesting. He was surprised
at how pleasant and humorous you were." I said, "It was what he needed.
Charity isn't only in the form of money. I care." He said, "He loves
you." I said, "That's not unusual with people who know me. It's not
always as beneficial as one might think. I sometimes have to leave,
when it becomes an obsession with people." He said, "Oh! I didn't think
of that. Do you know why it happens?" I said, "I do, and you know some
parts of it."
He said, "Yes. You are far from ugly. Your qualities are much to
respect and admire. Your sexual appeal even affects married men, and
men, too." He said, "Wow!" I said, "After they recovered, they said
that, too. Was the same for my father. He was very, er, popular." He
grinned. He said, "I just thought of something!" I said, "Is that so
unusual?" He looked confused for a second, and then laughed. He said,
"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." I said, "Good." Grins. He
said, "Do you have other property in this area?" I said, "I do. I'm
repairing an old building near the city center, for healers to use for
their work. A trust fund will be established to keep it operating. I
will have an office there, and may do some teaching." He said, "And you
will have rooms for you to live in there, too." I said, "It's good
operating procedure to have more than one place to live, when you can.
Homes have been lost to fires and floods. We know why you said that."
He sighed, and said, "Alright, I'll ask. What will you do with these
properties after you leave?" I said, "They will make a very fitting
wedding present, don't you think?" He cried, and we hugged. I said,
"You're not going to marry Romanit, are you?" He laughed so hard, I had
to help him to sit. When he could, he said, "It wasn't that funny. I
don't know why I laughed." I said, "Emotional release. Been a lot of
emotional shocks today." He said, "Very true. Now I know some of what
you do, when you aren't er, seen. But late at night?" I said, "I don't
sleep well. Too much thinking. Sometimes I take long walks. In the
city, it's not safe to do that. For others." He grinned, and said,
"Crime reduction service?" I said, "Could be something like that. A lot
of very surprised people, I tell you. Strange things happen under the
cover of darkness outside, that is usually done inside under the covers
of cloth." He laughed, and said, "I know what you mean. And you
appearing out of the darkness, wow!" I said, "None of them actually
said anything that polite." He laughed hard.
A Council Member asked to speak to me after the meeting. He said,
"There have been some rumors about a large man who sometimes walks the
streets at night, encountering the less respectable people of our
society, in ways that are unpleasant to them." I said, "I've heard
that. It could be that such a man doesn't sleep well, with too much
energy inside him, who might not want to waste that by jumping up and
down in his bedroom, waking the servants." He laughed. I said, "But
not want to be identified and embarrassed." I said, "That would seem
reasonable." He said, "Does Marcel know?" I said, "Teaching him
observational skills has had some not asked for results." He laughed. I
said, "He's been attacked. I would appreciate someone who would want to
reduce such happenings." He said, "I understand completely. Thank you."
While I was in my house in the city, A group of men came to my door.
One asked to see me. My servant, who was one of my presences, said,
"What is your business?" He said, "I will discuss that with your master
in private." I said, "He will not see you unless he knows the reason. I
know better than to approach him without that." He said, "I would
propose a business arrangement." I said, "You may enter. Not those." He
said, "They are my associates and bodyguards." I said, "If you need
guards with my master, I KNOW he won't see you." He said, "Oh. I've not
heard that before. I accept the terms. They will wait outside." I let
him in, to the front room, and went into another room, closing the door
behind me. As Sol, I jerked it open, and he almost fell onto me.
I said, "I'm not desiring new intimate relationships at this time.
"Yes?" He said, "Please, it was an accident. I have a business matter
to discuss with you." I said, moving further into the room, "Let us sit
and discuss it." A servant served us brandy, which he really
appreciated. He said, "There is a big man prowling the streets at
night. Is that you?" I said, "You said you wanted to talk about
business. I'm willing to do that, but not gossip." He was trying to not
show his anger. He said, "I think it's you. You're hurting my
business." I said, "What business is that, that transacts it in the
darkness of night?" He said, "You know what it is." I said, "I can
venture some guesses, but how am I to know which one of them is yours?"
He nodded, and said, "Fair enough. I operate an escort service, of
the kind that doesn't involve travel." I said, "I see. You provide
women to lonely men, for sex. Tell me, do those women freely agree to
do this, and do you pay them well? Be aware, I am able to sense lies."
He studied my face. He said, "I see you believe that." I said, "That
can be easily tested." He said, "I knew a man who had that ability, in
truth." I said, "Did you cause his death?" He said, "He was a holy man
who would not kill. You have not killed, when most would have. He
couldn't defend himself. You can. He was killed. I didn't cause it. He
was my brother!" He cried. I held him. He said to me, "You're holy. I
can feel it." I said, "Yes." He said, "I can't act against you." I
said, "Truth." He said, "I know what you want. I will do better for my
women." I said, "A little more discretion in their er, activities,
would also help." He grinned, and said, "I have to agree." I said, "Do
you know who manages the er, ruffians?" He said, "There are three
groups, but very little actual management." I said, "I see that big man
may still have some relief from sleeplessness." He said, "Oh, that's
why! Good. They attack my customers, and they blame ME for that!" I
said, "Oh, the injustice!" He laughed.
I went with him to the front door. I said, "I heard your breathing on
the other side of the door. I was expecting what happened." He said,
"Oh! Right. Your unusual hearing. I should have remembered." We
grinned. I said, "It would be best if people didn't know about the holy
issue." He nodded, and said, "I agree." He left with his people.
I told Marcel about those encounters. He had some wows to give. He
said, "What did he mean by holy?" I said, "People have beliefs, most of
which are pure fantasies, and very self serving. Only he knows what he
means by that, depending on how honest he is with himself. But in
general, those people who do good things, and not bad, at the risk of
their lives, and have some unusual abilities, can be thought to be
holy, by people who believe in such a thing." He said, "By that
definition, you would more than qualify for that label." I said, "It
matters to them, and doesn't matter to others. To me, it usually causes
more trouble than I like." He said, "I understand. Do you believe in
such a thing?" I said, "When he said I was holy, I said yes. I would
not have the extra abilities I have, without that. If I act so as to
not deserve them, they would be gone. That's actually happened to some
I know of." He tried to not say wow. I said, "Oh, good effort." He
chuckled. I said, "You know I don't lie. I actually can't." He said,
"Wow!" And then covered his mouth. I laughed, and he joined me.
END Page
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Grant
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