Gothique Moderne

By Steven Kaplan

Part 1:

There are many people in this world who believe that marching forth in the

pursuit of knowledge and answers is the greatest thing that any man or woman may

aspire to. To them, we are best served in our attempts to divine the purpose of mankind in

the seemingly ever-present chaos of our day-to-day life not just via experimentation, but

also by trying our best to plumb the dark and forgotten depths of our past so as to gather

every last scrap of evidence about the nature of the universe imaginable. However, the

ironic truth is that the very same all encompassing lust for knowledge which in the

modern world supposedly characterizes an individual as possessing of rationality and

deductive reasoning, also marks them as the greatest fools of this or any other era…for

there are some things best forgotten, things which could and should be left to rot in their

sepulchral tombs until even those things too should fall to dust.

Many people view me as mad…tis a good thing I suppose. For by doing so they

have saved themselves from a fate worse than death. They have saved themselves from

knowing our place in the universe…as dust motes to be cast aside into the vast and

immutable void at the casual whims of dark and inimical entities. Or at least that is how I

have come to view it. And why should I not? I have seen past the false platitudes of so-

called “divinely inspired” figures of authority. They preach their good word speaking of

their just God, a being who in his infinite wisdom decided to place not only great joy and

wonder but also death and depravity. All in his perfect and divine plan to somehow guide

his creations down the “right” path…facts that I now know to be utterly false

How sad to believe that I almost bought into these lies. Oh sure there were

moments of doubt and intellectual frustration which arose back then, as I walked down

the road of life and recognized certain “inconsistencies” with what I had been taught in

my local parish, but overall I was still under the belief that despite its flaws, we still in

fact live in a just and moral world. Given how things were in my life I had more then

enough reason to believe so. I had a thriving import export business that brought in a tidy

sum that while not elevating me into the upper strata of local society, did well enough to

meet my everyday needs with little or no problem and which brought me a moderate

amount of recognition by the common man. Sure I was by no means well known enough

to draw more then a passing glance on the street by those who had been blessed with

greater windfalls than I, but I can not recall a time where I was not approached at least

once a week by ones seeking some aid in the acquisition of a position or a means by

which to provide themselves or some other with their daily bread. Even more common

still was the occasional plea for some financial favor or intervention on my part.

I am both forever grateful for this facet of my life and forever spiteful of it, for it

was by such I met the good Reverend Michaels…and the siren that would lead me to

ruin.

I recall it to have been a rather gloomy Friday evening some time in the fall. It

was then, as I strolled forth from my place of business that the stout Reverend first

approached me. I had been deep in thought regarding how best to solve pressing financial

issues that needed resolving, when a sudden shouting found my attention drawn to an

elderly figure that began to approach me. His hair while grey was full and plentiful; his

face rotund and pleasantly plump despite the wrinkles, and his grey-blue eyes gleamed

with a joyful exuberance. Joyously and with great aplomb did he grasp my hand in his

meaty palm: his short frame barely reaching my shoulder. Yet in spite of this he did emit

energy so wondrously effervescent that it not only more than compensated for his frame’s

otherwise pudgy state but seemed to drive back the gloom around us as well, and thusly

served to make me feel ever so meek and small by comparison to him.

“Sir Godwin!” He said as he shook my hand with such force that I thought for sure that

he might snap it off in his eagerness “Tis surely by divine providence that I have come

before you this evening! You are a man to whom I have been meaning to meet with for

some time yet it seemed that every time I would attempt to arrange some parlance with

you I found you otherwise indisposed…”

“Forgive me sir.” I interrupted more then a tad confused and off put by this sudden and

unexpected meeting. “But I must admit that you leave me at a loss. For while I see you

bear the outfit of one of the cloth and you approach me as one would an old friend I

cannot say that you by any means strike me as familiar…”

“Ah” said the Reverend a blush of some embarrassment spreading across his features as

he recognized the truth of my words and released his grip from mine “My sincerest

apologies! Reverend Johann Michaels, at your service. I am the new pastor at Our Lady

of Perpetual Virtue.”

“Ah! Yes I heard there was a new pastor in these parts. I must admit though your

disposition in fact struck me as quite contrary to what was expected of you.”

“Oh?” He asked quizzically his eyes silently prodding me to answer his unspoken

question.

“Oh yes, I must admit that we all thought you were going to be quite like the old reverend

Carlyle, God rest his soul.”

“So dour, mercurial, and prone to occasional bouts of borderline psychotic fanaticism?”

“Your words good sir not mine.”

“Well now I never!” he said with the hint of a chuckle. “What on earth could possibly

have given you the impression that I was at all like that?”

“Why it’s been the case with nearly every Reverend who has come through this otherwise

backwater port of ours, and given the stories from the old Reverend’s lips regarding how

close a friend you were to him, it only seemed natural presumption on our parts.”

“Aye” he said softly a far off look in his eyes “I can’t say I blame you for that. Malcolm

and I was surely an odd pair of ducks to behold. Nobody could figure out how it is we

came to be such close pals given how opposite we were. Truth be told even I barely

understand it myself …but enough of that” he said abruptly cutting himself off “Tis

another story for another time. In any case I did not come out here to regale you with

tales of youthful folly. No rather I have come here with a proposition. I have some

matters I wish to discuss with you in regards to acquiring the financing of a renovation

project at the church.”

“ No offence good sir” said I “but whilst I am sure such an endeavor would be quite the

noble venture I must point out that it is currently beyond my capacity to do so. These past

several months have been quite difficult for we in the maritime industry, the bad weather

these past several weeks has gravely affected my finances and I have been forced to make

some cut backs…”

“Ah but my good man you misunderstand!” he said as he gripped my shoulder firmly “It

is not your money I am after (well not entirely), but rather merely your presence and

backing which I seek for this venture. I am quite aware of your financial woes, my

investigation into possible backers has informed me thus. However it has also unearthed

that whilst there is many a man with greater fortune then you in these parts, none holds

such an influence amongst the common man as you.”

“I…well thank you.” I said rather stunned by this unexpected and somewhat

(backhanded?) compliment. “But I am still confused! What does my influence with the

common man have anything to do with this proposed project of yours?”

“Ah, that my friend is something which I unfortunately cannot get into at this time.” He

said as he glanced at a pocket watch he withdrew from beneath his robes. “The truth of

the matter is I am actually expected somewhere very soon and our conversation would

delay me far beyond what is acceptable to those expecting me.”

“Yet you still decided to stop me and begin this exchange of ours?” I said with some

confusion.

“Hah! Yes, yes you are quite right about that. I’m afraid that a lack of foresight is yet

another feature that differentiates me from my predecessor, but in all seriousness, I must

be off. If it is agreeable to you though I would like to continue our little exchange on the

matter say…over tea tomorrow at my estate? I know it is rather sudden but this is a rather

important matter to me I would consider it a personal favor to me.”

To be quite frank about the matter I was more then a bit unnerved by this idea. After all

attending such an intimate affair as tea with such little forewarning seemed wholly

inappropriate to my senses…and yet the look in his eyes spoke of such eagerness and

desperation for aid that I simply could not say no. I nodded my head in agreement and so

agreed that we would talk more on the matter the following day. And so in this friendly

manner was our meeting concluded, and so in this manner did my last day of normalcy

and sanity end not in a violent bang of a death, but with a soft and mournful whisper.