No sooner had these words left his lips than the entire room began to buzz in a disorderly and chaotic agitation.
Some, remarkably lively, had already jumped up from their chairs as soon as Mr. Reeve had finished speaking, as if struck by lightning; others, not yet understanding the situation, remained seated; and still others, while remaining seated, had straightened up abruptly, like poisonous snakes ready to spring at the slightest tremor of air.
Seeing these overreactions, Reeve's voice suddenly turned colder.
"What? You still think I brought misfortune on you?"
The men standing there showed no sign of embarrassment or fear. A deep voice was then heard, so low that everyone understood that the speaker was deliberately speaking in a restrained voice.
"It's not that I'm overreacting... You lost your son, and I'm deeply saddened by that. But I must tell you: if your son met a dire fate, it's because you were exposed.
And the letter you sent, just like this meeting you organized, risks exposing us in turn. You always say you act for our own good, what do you mean by that, exactly?
At these words, the Abrahams, who had finally understood, half rose, with a shrill rustling of chairs, then remained there, embarrassed, not knowing whether they should remain standing or sit down again.
Reeve's anger intensified further, but he controlled it, while suppressing his pain.
"Rest assured," he said. "I performed a divination using an ancestral seal. The members of the Gnosis Society only questioned Vassek about his name, his address, and the names of the Abrahams he knew. Then his spirit completely dissipated."
Vassek, to the end, preserved the glory of the name Abraham. He introduced himself only as "Vassek Abraham," without revealing anything more. The address he gave was only that of his own house. He had no connection with his neighbors, and at his house, only a few supernatural materials were found—nothing that could be traced back to me, much less to you.
As for the list, Vassek had only a partial memory of it. Some of the Abrahams discovered were killed and used for necromancy, but this did not lead to further arrests.
Others are still under surveillance. I saved them with the "Staff of Ancestors" and gave them new identities. So? Does anyone still have an objection?"
Reeve had chained all this together in one go, like a verbal barrage, then concluded with suppressed anger in his voice. Furen could hardly believe that a man of fifty or sixty could speak with such vigor.
At the end of his speech, those who had been standing sat down again, some with embarrassed smiles, others with indifference. Everything took place in an almost theatrical silence, as if a pantomime were being performed.
Furen, observing both the elderly man oscillating between anger and grief and the embarrassed group of other members, spoke in a light tone, seeking to lighten the mood.
"Mr. Reeve, I'm sincerely sorry about your son. But since the crisis is resolved, why did you call us to this family meeting?"
Reeve regained his composure, and in a voice devoid of emotion, replied:
"Although I was able to save those Abrahams who had not yet been taken, the speed of the Gnosis Society's reaction in just two days worries me deeply. Furthermore, during the rescue ritual, I was struck by an illness: proof that a Sequence 5 witch was involved. If there were a demigod behind all this, the situation could get even worse.
And during my divination using a level 1 seal, my spirituality kept sending me warnings. My heart is full of worry.
Therefore, for the glory of our ancestors, I have summoned this assembly so that the blood of Patriarch Gabriel may never be extinguished. Do you have anything else to say?
As he spoke, Reeve's eyes shone with an eerie glow. He scanned the Abrahams present, his calm voice hinting at vast eddies beneath the surface.
In the room, not a word was exchanged. All the Abrahams present were plunged into a heavy silence, as if crushed by the invisible weight of this tension.
Suddenly, a lively, cheerful voice broke the icy atmosphere:
Mr. Reeve, tell me, wasn't this meeting supposed to celebrate my success in digesting the "Astrologer's" potion and becoming a real Astrologer?
Furen turned, intrigued, to the speaker. The man wore an elegant black suit covered with a dark cape, and his face was hidden beneath a tin mask that reflected strangely in the candlelight.
As he spoke, the man stood up, bowed theatrically to Reeve, and then, like an actor on stage, bowed again to the entire assembly.
Pensacola
"This true Astrologer is definitely an accomplished theater magician… He knows how to relax a tense room."
As he thought this, he looked back at Reeve, and saw that the one who had been seething with anger a moment before now seemed completely calm, as if the furious man before had never existed.
The new elder "Astrologer" looked young; his lively voice and light tone made it difficult to imagine an elderly face behind the mask. He apologized in a tone filled with emotion:
"I apologize, Mr. Reeve. I only wanted to spare you from getting too angry. After all, you are our leader, and I could think of no other way to break the tension than this ill-timed joke.
I firmly believe that we Abrahams do not fear our enemies."
These words brought some serenity to the troubled hearts of the Abrahams in the room.
Furen himself felt that this new elder showed remarkable emotional intelligence, although he did not rule out that he and Reeve had deliberately played this scene together to appease the audience.
Reeve usually spoke in a calm and measured tone; apart from the previous angry outburst, he always maintained the same impassive expression. This earned him his nickname among his peers: "Ice-Faced Reeve."
Resuming his usual tone, he then said:
"Not so, my dear new dean. In Trier, for security reasons, the Abrahams all wear iron masks at family gatherings. Only those with close ties know their true faces, with the exception of the head of the family in Trier, whose identity is public.
Then, after these words addressed first to the new elder, Reeve turned to the entire assembly:
Given the danger of my current situation, and not knowing if the witch cults have obtained more information about me, I have decided to promote this new "Astrologer" to the rank of Elder. I formally present him to you.
If I were to disappear, he would become your new manager in Trier for the glory of the Abrahams.
At the end of his statement, Reeve, with a solemn gesture, traced on his chest the simplified symbol of the Abraham family crest, thus marking his loyalty and devotion to the clan.
(End of chapter)