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The invitation.

The main auditorium of the city theater was alive with conversation. Everyone who was rich or famous was there by personal invitation. Only one question was on the lips of the theater guests and it seemed to have them all very excited.

Herman Roe, the Mayor had many others gathered around him. They all seemed to think that if anyone held the answers it would be the beloved Mayor of the city. After all anytime there was an event worth attending people could count that Herman Roe was behind it.

Thomas Pots, the local butcher and possibly the second most influential man next Mayor Roe, was first to talk; “Herman, what is this? Is this something you put together?”

Mayor roe looked at Thomas with a dumb founded grin, “I am afraid I am just a guest Thomas, I really have no idea who invited us.”

“Surely Mayor Roe you must have some clue as to who could have gotten us all here?”

Herman searched for the source of the sweet voice that asked him the question. Just feet away a small woman in a powder blue dress steps out from behind a towering man. He had recognized her as Sarah Holt, he also recognized the towering man as Sarah’s husband Quinn Holt. Quinn was the owner of two taverns and a rather successful shop within the city but everyone knew that Sarah was the brains of the marriage.

“Sarah, is that you?”

“Mayor Roe it just seems difficult to believe that we could all get an invite such as this and you would know nothing of it.”

“I’m afraid it s true my dear, I really have no idea why we are all here. I received my indentation just this afternoon. I cannot explain it but I felt that I needed to attend.”

Sarah look at the Mayor with disbelief and her next question carried a tone of shortness; “really now Mayor, we all know that you enjoy surprising people but this is a bit much. We are all becoming tired of waiting and would like to know what is this little event is about!”

The Mayor was beginning to grow tired of the repeat questions, “Now you listen to me Mrs. Holt, and everyone else for that matter! I do not, nor have I ever know what these invitations are about! Now I suggest that we all…”

The auditorium fell silent as Mayor Roe was interrupted by a dull “Ahem” coming from the stage.

A thin pale man, who would have been tall if he were not hunched over from what appeared to be old age, stood alone at the center of the main stage. He had a grim expression on his face that matched its ragged half shaven look. His long white thinning hair hung to about his shoulders and sitting on his head was a tall, dusty stove pipe hat. He wore a tattered black suit jacket that had long tails, one of which was torn. His slacks were grey and had a light brown patch over each knee, both of which where dirty.

“Welcome,” the man’s voice was thin but gruff, “please sit, my master will be with you shortly.”

The man turned to his right and slowly moved to the end of the stage.

To be continued…