Updated: 03 January 1999

PRELUDE

                    Alexis was buried deep in the reading of this ancient tome. It was the proof that the some Templars worshipped Isis instead of the Christ. The consequences of this was important for the investigations made by the First Team of the Veilleurs. No Mage of any Order would have helped create this kind of worship. Even the Celestial Chorus would have prefered the One instead of a pagan godess. The Garou weren't immortals, and the fact that Anubis wasn't worshipped was proof that the Silent Strider weren't behind this. Remained only the Wraiths, the alien Faeries and, of course, Vampires. Faeries weren't the kind interested by the Templars' banality. The Wraiths were powerful in Paris. But the Templar were involved in all Europe and Orient.

From the Vampires, only the Setites were interested by Egypt, and no "sane" Setite would have promulgated the worship of Isis.

Alexis wrote some notes on a paper. An alien, unknown writing. No alphabet, no character from this earth (and perhaps beyond) matched this writing. Few knew about it and fewer knew how to read it. For it wasn't a code, but a real language, with its orthograph, grammar, vocabulary and ponctuation. This language was the main reason why no one knew much about the Veilleurs. As it matched with no other language, no cryptograph could even start to decipher it...

A strange impression made Alexis raise his head. A shape materialised in the shadow of a bookcase. The Chantry of the Veilleurs was sometimes called the House of Shadows by its inhabitants, and only Alexis knew exactly why.

Alexis and this woman, of course.

                    ''The Avatars of Lameth and Anis left Paris with their allies... And Phantomas left too...''

A sweet whisper, a little ironic. There was something in her voice that innerved anyone who talked with her. A strange mix of superiority and childish, impish maliciousness... And the little supernatural edge that bellied this impression.

A silhouette of medium height, wearing a black silk cloak. Her face was hidden by the shadow of her hood black, but Alexis wasn't surprised: After all, she was the Mistress of Shadows. He wrote the final words in his paper and told her:

                    ''You seem to rejoice from this leaving, perhaps more than me, or even Sire Francois Villon.''

He looked her, waiting her reaction.

She walked to the desk, in front of him. She was smiling, her eyes shining in the shadow of the hood which hid her delicate features.

                    ''The powers of Lameth and Anis would have, in time, awakened Nebneferptah... And three powerful Methuselahs warring in Paris isn't a prospect I'd like to live, would you?...'', she added, as if she was talking to a child. She continued:

                    ''How's the Affair?...''

The ''Affair'' was known by all. Pietro Giovanni blamed Francois Villon for is inactivity in front of the "Events". Alexis, as well as Lazlo, or Ivan wished Villon to not interfere, to remain neutral until more information could be discovered, and since, three prefered Vessels of the Prince were killed.

                    ''Sire Francois Villon didn't like the present of the Giovannis. We found one of their secret havens in the western subburbs. But our Prince still waits for more information.''

The woman moved for the book-shelves. She was completely silent, but her grace still moved Alexis, even after the centuries.

                    ''The Giovanni are a young Clan, full of passion... Pietro doesn't realise that he attacked someone as old as himself... He is wrong to underestimate the Clan Toreador. And Villon liked 'The Prince', of Machiavel...''

Alexis never liked it when she called his Prince 'Villon'. But she was Queen too, in her time. And even more, if the rumours were true...

                    ''I thought you didn't like Machiavel.''

She looked the titles of the books in the bookcase. Book unraveling the secrets of the Occult, so rare that some died to read them.

                    ''Machiavel was a child, so is Villon, and Pietro Giovanni... Machiavel's cooking recipes are true but too simple to awe a true Methuselah... But it's true, even Methuselahs read Machiavel...''

She turned to face him.

                    ''Villon and Pietro are from the same time... But Pietro and his Clan are alone in front of the Toreador, backed by all the Camarilla... Pietro thinks too much about his actions, and too little about retaliation, all the contrary of the subtles intrigues of our beloved Villon... I believe inconscient Pietro will be surprised in the Conclave...''

                    ''Sire Francois Villon is anxious about the news he received about the mysterious Red Death, and I've nothing, no information to give him: The reasearch about the Templars took me all my free time...''

She seated in front of him, her white delicate hands laid on the desk. She took out her hood revealing black hair, dark blue eyes and bloodless but otherwise perfect lips. Her skin was as white as chalk. She could hardly mistaken as a living creature. But her beauty was breathtaking, even for the centuries-old, unliving Alexis.

                    ''I believe Phantomas had the answer... We will have to search him, but it will be difficult... After all, he is a Nosferatu... The Nicktuku below Paris should make you uneasy... Not the thing who call himself Red Death... Villon still doesn't trust you?...''

Alexis smiled but didn't answered.

                    ''Villon would be stupid to trust anyone, but he lose too much by not trusting you...''

She smiled too, but her eyes remained cold and emotionless.

                    ''I would talk to him about you, but... I think that even your awing Curriculum Vitae would only aggravate the situation...''

She looked her Knight with some trace of affection and continued.

                    ''I will tell you about the Unbeholden, but first, urgent information:The Giovannis have a manor 40 km from Paris... There is enough occult material to keep the Veilleurs busy for some months... And a lot of Giovanni servants. And here is my secret contribution to Villon... It's a copy of a conversation between our illegal Giovanni and Pietro...''

She put the tape on.

''An intersting amusement, but much too broad to be practical. The treasures of the Louvre, despite Villon's conceits, belongs to the world, not just to him. Destroying any of them would be counterproductive. We need something with a touch more immediacy. Something personnal.''

''His Herd? Don Pietro, we know where to find some of his Vessels! Do we call the Assamite?''

''Much better. Villon likes to surround himself with a herd of witless beauties. The egotistical fool believes himself irresistible to women. It is a tiresome motion that needs deflating. Use what resources you must. Demonstrate to the Prince of Paris that beauty is only skin deep.''

She smiled as smiled her Knight. She added, with a sweet and malicious voice:

''The Giovanni like to surround themselves with a herd of stupid and incompetent brutes... This megalomaniac fool believes himself invulnerable to the other Kindred... It is a tiresome notion that needs deflating... This tape will demonstrate to Pietro Giovanni that the power of money is only paper deep...''

Alexis couldn't prevent himself from laughing at the arrogant stupidity of Pietro Giovanni. With this proof in his hands in the Conclave and in front of the Clan Toreador, Sire Francois Villon will make Pietro ridiculous if that big oaf ever tried to attack him publicly...

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