Chronicles of Mystery

The White Lily

After sorting out several details, removing the jewels from the hole in the wall in which they were hidden, carefully hiding in Juliet's room behind a huge metal cabinet that had saved it from the search, and examining Henry's ankle, Martha expressed her desire to pay them for their services. They protested and the discussion degenerated into a heated argument between Alistair and Martha. One demanding to give them money and the other categorically refusing. They eventually reached a deal. Martha had to pay them half the original price.

The payment took place with Martha displaying a look of satisfaction at her negotiation and Alistair a face of knowing agreement. It was certainly not the most advantageous choice for their pot, but what man could have been satisfied with feeding himself at the cost of the ruin of others?

As they prepared to say their goodbyes, with promises to return, Henry pulled Alistair into a corner to speak to him privately, pulling on an even more exhausted expression than before. Being pinned to the ground across several floors had surprisingly not helped his well-being. Lucy, for her part, was too busy seeing her daydreams come true and feeling her cheeks blush under the joy of the entire family. 

"I know you are looking for the White Lily Society," he began in a serious tone.

"So this is its name ?" Alistair replied immediately. "And how do you know I'm looking for it?"

He couldn't help but pause for a few moments at the end of his sentence to think about the words Henry had just said. The White Lily ? It was impossible, no, no one, no one should have known what it was about. He had spent his whole life trying to make up for his terrible mistake and now this blunder hit him in the face when he thought he had gotten rid of it. But, he had nourished himself with illusions by hoping for such a thing. In recent months, he had tried to separate his memories from the symbol associated with the acronym of the organization that he had glimpsed at the count's house. What he wouldn't have given to have been wrong! He would have been so happy, so happy to have been wrong. However, he lived in a sort of cursed world, where the cold never stopped following him.

"I learned about you before your visit, I managed to guess it in an article, when you mentioned the company with which the count was in contact. It was in the same place as where you were promoting your services."

"Where do you get your information from?"

"It's because I was part of it for a while. This was the job I did before. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on the perspective, I left them. Since then, I have been unable to find a job, I would like to say that it is because of them but, in all honesty, my own abilities or rather my thereof is responsible. I can tell you what I know, but I have to do it discreetly. I know they will get revenge if they find out I spoke - again. I like you, I think you deserve to know what you're getting yourself into if you're going to continue to compete against them. The White Lily... They are fanatics. They are crazy, ready to do anything to achieve their goal. And, the worst part is that they have considerable forces at their disposal to serve their cause. I believe that their network extends to many countries with corruption of all kinds and manipulation. Real degenerates. I... I would rather never have to meet any of their members again. Especially my former superior. Until my last day, I will never be able to forget his smile and his... methods."

"What is this goal that they seek to achieve?"

Alistair ignored all the personal information his interlocutor was providing him, focused only on his internal dialogue, trying to learn more about the organization, a thousand questions floating through his mind and crashing into his skull like electrons. His abilities, all mobilized, left him little for conversation and so he spoke in a dry and disembodied tone, using as few words as possible.