Invitations
Attn. Marweg, 4712 Lillow Ave, Arca
You are cordially invited to tea with Madame Gertude, Master of the Pacts, this coming Triumdies, 3 p.m.
RSVP
The paper gently refolded along its creases as it rested on the desk. Marweg paced across his study, excitement and panic stoked and interrupted by repeated glances back to the invitation.
“Evanstree, could you get me a brandy please?” he called without looking. Why me? I haven’t even distinguished myself in my ordinary studies. Flashbacks from encounters with senior Goetics surged forth from the recesses of his memory. The joys of conversation with learned members of the order had been twice stained: by the severe disinterest of his superiors and the supercilious judgment of his peers, who found Marweg insufferably effusive.
Still, if there was one thing he needed—desperately—it was answers. That hate cyst in Gatesmithe wasn’t going to go away on its own, and Gertrude might have enough experience to help him. He took the glass without looking, stopped a moment out of habit to enjoy the aroma, and then took a quick sip and steadied himself. After all that he’d endured recently, it felt badly needed. Especially after what they did to that poor . . . that poor, poor creature. He took another sip and tried to shove the thought away.
The first thing to do, he thought as he sat down at his desk, is to accept. It would be inconceivable to decline. One did not turn down tea with a Master of the Pacts. Well, one such as himself didn’t turn down tea with a Master of the Pacts. He felt sure someone might consider such a prospect, but he couldn’t envision what that person might be like. Certainly it wasn’t him.
He’d need to check his wardrobe. He had a good idea the dress code such a meeting might require, but the challenge was to neither overdress nor underdress. Another wave of discomfort swept over him as he realized he wasn’t quite sure what that would look like. He drowned the fear by reassuring himself that there would be time to shop if needed.
He took out paper, pen, and ink and sat staring at the wall as he tried to decide how to begin. He eventually wrote, examined, crumpled, threw away, wrote again, scribbled, scratched out, threw away again, and wrote at last, I am deeply grateful for your gracious offer to tea. I would be honored to attend. I shall arrive promptly at 3 p.m. Marweg.