And so it was. A tall man stepped into the center of the circle. Looking at him closely, Cora thought he was the man that she'd seen earlier in the ballroom with the black mask. He was definitely a senior figure, if not the leader. She wasn’t close enough to see if he looked like Pierre Maison.
He began to speak, his voice deep and commanding.He was also using English. She guessed that since the foundation attracted people from many countries, it was the language that was the most convenient to use.
"Today, we are going to take in one more person into an inner circle of our family to become one of our closest and most privileged brothers and sisters," he said. "Not everybody is able to walk this far on their journey with the Foundation. This is the highest level and a great accolade."
Everyone was listening in breathless silence to his words.
"The ones who are chosen will be blessed and spiritually enriched in a way I cannot describe. But the road is not easy. They will also be the ones who need to put in the labor, the loving toil, to earn their place. It is for that reason that we choose very carefully, and there are certain qualities that you have to possess, or else develop, to reach this point.”
It seemed like everyone in the circle was holding their breath. She sensed tension filling the air.
“If you are unworthy, you may be asked to leave,” he said. “There is always a place for the worthy and strong. But not for the weak, not here.”
Now, the silence was so intense that Cora could hear the rapid breathing of the women on either side of her. As for her, cold shivers were racing their way up and down her spine.
Was this leader doing this, causing these deaths? Was he killing people that he deemed unworthy or not strong enough to join this cult? That was her deep suspicion, and if that was the case, then every single woman in this circle was at risk.
And she had to catch him in the act.
He took a deep breath and read out a name.
"Maria Ferozzi, step forward."
A woman standing two away from Cora in the circle caught her breath. She moved forward, almost as if in a trance. She approached the man, and he took her hands.
"Come with me. It is time for the ceremony."
He led her with him out of the church's main hall and into a side room. The side room had a wooden door which was standing partway open. He didn’t close it, and from beyond, she could hear the murmur of voices. But she couldn’t see what was happening in there. Where would this acolyte go from here? Would she return to the room or not? Would she be alive, or would he kill her – or else sentence her to some strange death?
She glanced up at the balconies above. Nope, she would have had to have positioned herself there much earlier to get a look, and they had no way of knowing this was going to happen. So she would have to get closer to that door.
Trying to stay unobtrusive, she sidled a few steps closer to that door, checking it out, holding her smoldering basket aloft, just one of many white-garbed figures who were anonymous and clearly disposable.
Looking at the door, and the scenario, more closely, she had her answer.
She wasn’t going to do it subtly. Not this time.
CHAPTER TWELVE
As Cora looked closely at that door, so big and solid, she saw that the latch was on the inside. And that changed everything. It meant if she could get in there, she could close herself in and the others out. And then, up close and personal with this leader or senior, she was going to get answers using whatever means it took.
Was there anyone senior still in this room? Now that the duo had disappeared into the side room, Cora noted that the group seemed more relaxed. She even heard a couple of whispers. People were talking among themselves. She heard some admiring notes in the low voices and also a barbed moment of jealousy.
Achieving one of these coveted places made you enemies, that was clear.
But she was sure the more relaxed atmosphere would not have developed if anyone senior had been present, and that meant that there were no decision-makers here.
There was the man at the door, but he was one person only. Calling for backup would take time. And perhaps nobody would realize what was happening in this place where everyone seemed conditioned to just accept.
Cora guessed she was close enough to make her move.
She put the basket down. Then, discreetly, keeping her head low, she walked to the door, just as if she was supposed to be doing it. She took a look inside, needing to assess the situation before she got herself into it.
Sure enough, as she'd expected, the leader was sitting on a bench with the new acolyte. His hands were on her shoulders, and he was looking deeply into her eyes. Clearly, Cora guessed cynically, she was passing the test very well and would swiftly be accepted into the inner circle.
But close contact aside, it was clear it was just him and her in here. She turned, shut the door quietly, and snapped the latch closed.
Now, nobody could open it from the outside. Now it was just the three of them in this room, nice and cozy. Time for answers.
