Discordance

Edward has taken on the mysterious trip to the Lower Banks of Godiva, to meet the Barnes.

Once you have accepted this invitation and are approximately within a half hour's estimated time of arrival, please call this number. Only call this number at that time.

And so I did.

There was barely even a second ring.

"Mr. Montague, are you within a half-hour's distance from the gates?"

"I am, I am around Ce-"

"-Thank you. Mr. Montague." I hear a slight shuffle on the other end of the line, and the nameless man huffed and continued.

"Mr. Montague, Mr. Barnes would like me to inform you that if under any - and I mean any - circumstances you share anything I say to you to when you meet the Barnes, on, that legal action will be taken. Once you make it to the home there will be an NDA awaiting you. Is this understood?"

"U-uh, yes. Yes! Understood." I cough when there isn't a need to and straighten up in my car, turning on this exit.

"Good then. Mr. Montague, you have been discretely summoned to assist Mr. and Mrs. Barnes with their ongoing discordance." the voice paused, expecting my delivered "Discordance?" for which I immediately internally regretted. Don't be so eager, Ed. Let the voice finish speaking and get it all out.

"Yes Mr. Montague, an ongoing discordance that they both agree should be reconciled within the first quarter of this new year. They have plans for the spring, and would love if you can aid in this resolution so that those plans can be a success."

I nodded, and when I realized the voice does not have eyes in my car to see that I say understood.

"Very good then Mr. Montague. Good day to you."

"Wait! What exactly is the discordance regarding, might I ask?" some clarity for goodness sake?

"This will be explained by Mr. and Mrs. Barnes."

"Will I meet you at the gates?"

"You will be let in the by the land-staff. Good bye."

The voice was gone, and I was at an ETA of twenty-three minutes. Enough time to let my mind race. What on Earth could a stenographer do to help a wealthy private couple with discordance?

"There is so much I just do not care about." he paused, his hand stirring in his coat pocket until it was rewarded with a brass and leather tube. His other hand joined up from the unlit cigarette in his mouth to pull on the top of this little elegant cylinder that my mind cannot define and revealed a rod that was within it. He then took the rod and scraped down on the side of the tube and the tip became a fire. He lit the cigarette, shook out the flame and put the little rod in its tube and sent it back to his coat pocket.

"And yet, I do so much. Do you think it is because I am incentivized by money?"

"I-I am just not sure if you meant for me to answer that or not." I never know when something is just figurative, hypothetical, sarcastic or literal with him. His tone is dry, clipped and quite unnerving.

"You couldn't answer it if you wanted to. I know that this is a question you are having. I can see it all over your face. Don't spend the last moments of your life trying to figure me, out Clifton Neft. I kill because I want to. I am in this work because I don't care about the morality of it.

The money is just the bonus."