27 DINNER

 Within a week, they had arrived in La Rochelle and then taken a first-class sleeper railcar to Paris. It was three hundred miles, and with the speed of the new trains, the journey would take just a little more than six hours—not enough time for a good night’s sleep. But the carriage's different sway compared to the ship's movements rocked them to sleep almost immediately. They awoke as the train slowed and approached the Gare de la Bastille.

Evelyn commented, “It seemed like a lifetime since they left Sydney Harbour for Wellington.”

“A lifetime? Really?” Jonathan playfully retorted and kissed the tip of her nose.

It was less than two miles from the Gare de Bastille to the Authentic’s apartments on Rue de Conte. Unlike the last time they were there and met by the stern Isabel Martel, the aide meeting them at the door was a relatively tall Germanic woman with high cheekbones; her hair was formed into a single long braid. Her very well-endowed full figure was wrapped in a long black dress with a high lace collar, and the only jewelry adornment was a golden eight-pointed star with three small concentric circles in the center.

“I am the first aide to the Authentic. My name is Jannike Kriegerin. I have been instructed to lead you to your quarters. You will be staying here for the next few days, perhaps weeks, if the Authentic wishes.

You may come and go as you wish, but please, no excessive noise.

You are welcome to use the library and all its amenities, and a hostess will be assigned to assist you with your daily needs. Come this way.”

She had led them in the same direction they had gone when they last visited the Authentic, but they only travelled up one flight this time. 

“Stay for weeks—that does not sound good. The last time we were here, the Authentic almost hurried us out.”

“Yes, you are right, Evelyn. Something seems amiss, and given no direct answers from anyone, your guess is as good as mine.

“John, did you notice the star that Jannike was wearing? What was it? I am not versed in iconography, but I had not seen it before.”

“It is an ancient symbol. The Star of Ishtar or Star of Inanna is a Mesopotamian symbol of the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna and her East Semitic counterpart, Ishtar.”

“What does it mean to the Devi, and isn’t it strange for an aide to the Authentic to be wearing any type of religious jewelry?”

“Not that symbol. Inanna was a Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, fertility, divine law, and political power. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akkadian Empire, Babylonians, and Assyrians. The Authentic has pretty much those same responsibilities. 

“Well, that is very interesting, but Jannike was all that and quite the Wagnerian Valkyrie in her own right.”

“Don’t jest about such things. Jannike is a feminine Scandinavian name that can mean divine favour and kindness. Kriegerin is the feminine Germanic for warrior.

A knock on the door abruptly stopped their conversation. When they answered, they saw a young girl no older than 14.

“Hello, my name is Marjolaine. I will answer all your needs while you are here.”

Jonathan looked at her and then at Evelyn.

Evelyn shook her head from side to side. She knew what Jonathan was thinking. Was this girl a Devi and destined to be fourteen forever?

“We could use a lunch as it has been a long morning.”

“Yes, Madame, I will attend to that immediately with a bottle of wine, no doubt?”

“Yes, please.”

The girl almost glided away, walking lightly on the ancient floor. Within a quarter of an hour, she returned with a vast and filling spread of foods, fruit, cakes, and meat.

Paris in the early winter was dismal and grey. The streets, buildings, and sky were an endless pallet of medium-tone greys. The outdoor cafes they had always enjoyed were closed, and the terraces were abandoned, which seemed understandable, as motor vehicles seemed to crowd all the streets. What they did not know and were about to discover was music and the new risqué theatre.

At the turn of the century, a singer named Mistinguett had taken Paris by storm. Through frequent appearances at the Folies Bergère, Moulin Rouge, and Eldorado, her risqué routines captivated Paris. Then, with the infusion of black musicians, singers, and dancers from America, Paris changed. This opened the way for symphonic jazz concerts and new cabarets featuring American dance styles, including the one-step, the foxtrot, the Boston, and the Charleston, which all became popular dances.

In 1925, the recording industry was open to all in France. Motion pictures had taken over the small music hall. Paris was unleashed.

This was known as The Annees Folles, or the crazy years. It was the decade of the 1920s, coined to describe the period's social, artistic, and cultural collaborations. In the United States, the same period is called the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age. It is sometimes referred to as the Golden Twenties in Germany.

After five days of remaining in their apartment by day, partying all night, and sleeping until noon, the Authentic sent a message to them via Marjolaine stating that she would like to meet with them.

The authentic Collette sat in the same chair and, again, was dressed in black and violet. Of course she had not aged, but she looked different. Her once fierce eyes were a little sullen, her complete lips slightly more pursed, and the air of authority surrounding her was duller and colder.

Jonathan and Evelyn approached her throne. Unlike the last time they were there, when Isabel Martel remained in the room with them, Jannika led them to the door and stayed outside.

“My Grace.”

“My Grace.”

“Oh, my children, what am I to do. You have tasted the excitement and the joie de vivre that Paris is once more. The energy is palatable. We can feel it, live with it, and thrive by it.

But our kind cannot live only on joy. Joy heals us, but the stronger emotional stresses feed us. It is that great pain that nourishes us. The pain of the Standards feeds us, and without it, we hunger. And although joy heals us, feeding is the only thing that can cure hunger.”

“I concur, Evelyn and I have felt that way since the end of the Great War. We have discussed that with the Australian Collette, Lucy Boudreau, and she warned Evelyn that she would feel drained and empty as one of the consequences of a period of peace after a war. Still, the gain of those years' conflict surely has granted us all dozens or scores of years?”

“For some, those gained years are not enough. I believe you know now that Marcano lives? But do you know that he is gathering some Devi, both the old and the new, to walk with him on the dark path?”

“Yes, I had heard that, the, the…”

“Yes, you can say her name. The LaJade told you that he still lives. And unfortunately, so does she. Has she changed? Is she still a witch?”

“LaJade is as she always was: mercurial, raw, powerful and never saying anything without a double meaning.”  

“For you, Evelyn, what was your take on the dark-hearted island queen? Did she win your heart or even your soul?”

“I felt a great unnerving power from her, and I found those around her to be unique, and they seemed unnaturally faithful to her.”

“For someone so young, you have a great power of perception. What, have you just passed your first-century mark?’

“Yes, Madame, I am one-hundred and four.”

“Jonathan, you are too old to be with this child. 104, Oh, my Lady, I am thirteen hundred and four, or there about. When I was your age, the Tang ruled China, and the Dome of the Rock was being built. The Muslims had first crossed into Spain. And in your old England, Aethelred of Mercia became a monk and gave his throne to his nephew Coenred. I remember none of this, as it was not of my concern at the time. But I do know Bede had just written his first history.

Where Evelyn, do you think you will be in one thousand years?”

“I hope I will stand beside Jonathan, and we will both still serve you.”

“Oh, my Lady, Jonathan, you have broken her spirit.”

“I dare to say no to that; she is pretty much her own spirit.”

“I would like the two of you to join myself and a few others for dinner this evening. Nothing will be formal, so you may come as you are.”

They left her room and returned to theirs. With four hours or so until dinner, they put on their winter walking wear and walked over to the Luxembourg Gardens.

Their usual first stop was the Medici Fountain. The fountain was inspired by Marie de Médici's childhood in Italy and had been a staple of lovers and park wanderers. It was built in 1630 and commissioned by Marie de Medici, the widow of King Henry IV and the regent of King Louis XIII of France. To their surprise, they discovered that many Parisians were unaware of a second fountain attached to the back of the Medici, a bas-relief fountain depicting the story of Leda and the Swan.

Then to the Monument DeLa Croix. It was a newer addition to the park, installed in 1890. It was a memorial to the French artist Eugène Delacroix. Jonathan always liked any reference to St Croix or Delacroix, as he always wondered if he and the person being memorialized were somehow related.

South past the statue of Anne de Bretagne, down the Rue Auguste Comte and back home northward on the Rue Saint Michel. 

Jannike met them at the door and suggested they change into something more formal, as a new guest had arrived while they were out.

There were about fifteen people in the dining area when they arrived. The Authentic tapped her wine glass for silence. “I believe everyone knows almost everyone here from our monthly tete-a-tetes. However, you may only know this lovely couple by reputation. They have recently arrived here in Paris from Australia, by way of the Caribbean, Mr and Mrs St Croix, Jonathan and Evelyn St Croix.

The other new face at the table is Baudouin Favreau, who, as a servant of the Devi, has been seemingly forever adjusting and repairing any exposure to the outside of who we are across Europe. Baudouin has established contacts and connections throughout the continent, and when a favour is needed or granted, he is the man for the job.

Please feel free to talk to anyone and mingle. Dinner will be served in one-half hour.”

One of the people in the room was Abigail O’Leary, who was introduced as Julia Theiss of Graz Austria.

Everyone had heard about Jonathan’s good fortune in New Zealand and elsewhere and his encounter with LaJade. Evelyn entertained the women at the dinner with stories about the hardships in the lands down under.

Jonathan was intrigued and wondered about Favreau’s attendance, and he watched him closely when he was not talking directly to someone.

The Authentic flitted and flirted with the guests, giving each only a few moments.

Dinner was nothing short of spectacular. Afterwards, the Authentic stood at the head of the table and addressed the room.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this event is perhaps only hosted once or twice a century. There are the five European Colettes: Julia Theiss from Central Europe, one from Madrid, another from Rome, one from Stockholm and the fifth from Krakow.” 

The six men in the room were more transients. They were travellers moving from one area to another with news and information for Devi worldwide, as Matheu Du Raymonde had done. They were called Communicators.

“Tonight, Baudouin will be retiring from his post, of which he served in good standing for the past few decades. I believe that number would be eleven, perhaps twelve. Well, since the early wars of Napoleon. He has earned his rest and will be a free associate for the next fifty years or so.

Jonathan, that is why you are here. You will be assuming the duties of the General Director. Baudouin will tell you all you need to know and provide you with all the names, contacts, information, and secret handshakes you need.

You and Evelyn will be based here in Paris, until… oh, oh my god, the 1950s or so, perhaps the 1960s.

You will manage the European Colettes. The Colettes will familiarize you with the needs of their territories and the characteristics of Standard leadership in each area, and the Communicators and you should discuss how this new technology can be best used. Telephones, radios, aircraft, and such. They are both a blessing and a burden.”

 

“Authentic, Authentic Colette, are you sure of me as a choice, as Chancelier's choice? I have no experiences as such; I am not known to those in power or even to our own.”

“I have made my choice, and you have been being groomed for this for many years. The Colettes have been watching you, and you have passed all the tests and trials.

When you arrived, Jannike said you would have access to the library here. Did you not wonder why she said that?”

“I thought it only to be a pleasantry during our stay.”

“It will be more than that, and as for your stay. You will stay here until midsummer, and then we will move you to a full-floor apartment with all amenities and household staff and personnel for our matters. You will also have a motor car and a driver. The residence will be on the Avenue Matignon, very near the Elysees Palace, as you will be spending quite a lot of time there.”

“I will be working in the Palace?”

“No, no.” interjected Favreau. “You will have the ear of the President himself. However, my judgement of this new President, Gaston Doumergue, is questionable. I do not believe that France’s best interests can be served by M. Doumergue and his Radical-Socialist party.

But national politics are not part of our responsibility; we are neutral, have always been neutral, and must continue to be neutral.”

“What of Evelyn? Will she have a task as well?”

“Favreau did not have a partner, and neither did his predecessor. But as times are changing, and my staff here is barely able to deal with the new immigration laws of nations, the increased difficulty of banking transactions and the implementation of new tax laws and record keeping of births and deaths, a new, what shall we call it… an Office of Liaisons, to coordinate the exchange of ideas and information for the Colettes.

Yes, Evelyn, I knew something about you when I first met you, and now I will see if I was correct, as you will administer the Colettes in my stead. Is that satisfactory?”

“Yes, Authentic, I am here to serve.”

Abigail O’Leary walked over to Evelyn, hugging and kissing her on both cheeks. “Congratulations. That sounds like a challenge, and based on the first time we met, you are more than quite capable of overcoming challenges.”

“Thank you, Abigail, or should I say, Julia. When we left Wicklow, I never really had a chance to thank you for all you did for me.”

“That sort of duty and call to action is seemingly our lot in life, as you will find out. And as a note, Favreau said that the new French President may not be up to the job, well I hear from the Collette over there from Rome.” pointing at a short but stunningly attractive woman. “She says that a former newspaperman, Mussolini, took Italy by storm three years ago, literally and fashioning himself as a new Caeser, calling himself ‘the Duke.’ He could cause issues for us.”

“But, as Favreau said. Neutrality.”

“That may not always be an option,” Julia said, kissing her.