“Salutem Punctis Trianguli”. “Salutum Punctis Trianguli”. They shake hands. A strange exchange for strangers meeting in an East Grinstead tea house. It is not a good day. In emergencies Members of the affected Houses are forced into furtive lunch meetings over pots of tea and scones, rather than, as such men expect, modest, but excellent, dinners. Lunch is no time to put things in action. Too early. Putting things in action can be stressful and is no aid to digestion. Which is, contrary to what people may think, the reason for the month rule: On the night of the full moon a meeting is held with a representative from each House. The timing of the month rule, of course, has ritual significance, to baffle the squares, but is, ultimately, a pragmatic choice; Members, the Few, need time to prepare. Eating should be pleasurable.
D and C are taken to their table and seated. D orders cream tea for two. As the waitress walks away, D gets straight to the point, aggressively, “what’s the problem this time? ”. Signification Members came to expect this. Signification is the second youngest House. Its roots were in the late 18th Century, which often caused controversy among Members. Signification’s lack of experience led to mistakes, and Members of the older Houses, such as D, had a certain prejudice towards Members of younger Houses. C sniggered, “we have a Candidate, someone is talking and”, C paused for dramatic effect, “they’re on the internet”. A commonplace problem. D’s lip curled, he resented being awake at lunch, for something so mundane, “so deal with it. It’s dull. I don’t see why you had to involve the other Houses”.
“D, look, I’m sorry for getting you up, I wouldn’t do it without reason. We believe the Candidate is a descendent of one of the Three”. D nodded, “go on”. “We think he, like the great Presbyter, is a descendent of the Persian Magi, as confirmed by his DNA profile - it is thought they may be the result of our John’s flight to Albion in the 16th Century.” Among Members, the triumph of the great Presbyter, is that of legend, because it is rumoured, although nobody knows for sure, the Presbyter was responsible for the present form of the Houses. Some time in the 16th Century the Grand House was divided into magisteria, supported by Elizabeth, the first female Member, for The Golden Age – this is known – but exactly which Member was responsible for the reforms is lost to time, and an inadequate filing system.
