Page 44 of The Paradox Club

“I demand to know why I have been dragged here by a fellow club member in complete contravention of club rules,” said Valentine 6. She stood in front of Pilgrim 3’s desk while the vault keeper glared at her from her leather swivel chair.

“I didn’t drag you,” said Lidenbrock 2.

“You brought me here under threat of physical violence,” said Valentine 6. “It amounts to the same thing. This action requires a convening of the disciplinary committee. I believe that the actions of Lidenbrock 2 should lead to his immediate dismissal from the club and as I have been escorted to the office of the vault keeper, I can only assume, Pilgrim 3, that you are part of this and should be similarly disciplined.”

“Calm down and sit,” said Pilgrim 3.

“I will do neither,” said Valentine 6, slamming her bag down on Pilgrim 3’s desk. “If you do not tell me this instant why I was brought here, I will not only contact the president and the disciplinary committee, I will also contact the police.”

“You have no business lecturing me on rules!” shouted Pilgrim 3, rising and leaning across the desk. “You signed an oath to follow the directions of your superiors in all matters of club business.”

“And I have done exactly that.”

“You have done nothing of the sort. You delayed reporting an alert on the big board by twenty-eight minutes.”

“I was working an overnight double shift. I fell asleep.”

“So you say.”

“Yes, I do say!” said Valentine 6.

“And furthermore,” said Pilgrim 3, “you reported the alert to someone outside the club.”

“And who am I accused of reporting this alert to?”

“Calvin 4.”

“First of all,” said Valentine 6, “Calvin 4 is our president, so he can hardly be construed to be ‘outside of the club.’ And secondly, can you show me one shred of evidence that I made any such report?”

“You hid in a mop closet,” said Lidenbrock 2, speaking up for the first time.

“I hid in a mop closet because I believed I was in physical danger. I was being followed in a threatening way by Lidenbrock 2.”

“There was nothing threatening about the way I was following you.”

“Oh really? If you weren’t threatening, then why did you chase me into a restaurant, behind the counter, into the mop closet, and tell me you had a gun in your pocket? That strikes me as the very definition of threatening and a direct violation of rule seventeen, paragraph three: ‘No club member shall commit any act of violence or physical intimidation to any other club member.’”

“Yes, we’re all very impressed that you’ve memorized the rules. You’re a good little initiate,” said Pilgrim 3 with a sneer of condescension. “Now tell me what you told Calvin 4.”

“I told Calvin 4 nothing. You can check my phone. Which you jammed by the way, making it impossible for me to tell anyone anything.”

“That is a very serious accusation,” said Pilgrim 3.

“Do you deny it?”

“Perhaps you haven’t heard of something called onus probandi,” said Pilgrim 3. “It isn’t my responsibility to deny accusations, rather yours to prove them.”

“Exactly,” said Valentine 6, a hint of triumph in her voice. “And you have no proof of the accusations you’re making against me. Now, if that is all, I will be going.” She picked up her bag and turned toward the door. Lidenbrock 2 stepped in front of her.

“That is not all,” said Pilgrim 3.

“It is all,” said Valentine 6 calmly, without turning back. “And if I were you, I’d consider carefully where I tread right now. At the moment, you might avoid disciplinary action. It’s possible that no one saw me in the street being hustled here by your lackey. But if you keep me in this office against my will or if you harm me in any way, your days at the Paradox Club are ended. Now, Lidenbrock 2 is going to step aside, I’m going to leave this office, and you’re going to stop harassing me.”

Pilgrim 3 nodded to Lidenbrock 2, who moved from the door, and Valentine 6 left the room. She hurried down the steps toward the ground floor. She had held it together in Pilgrim 3’s office, but now her heart raced, and cold sweat ran down her back. It had been a bold bluff, and it might work, but Valentine 6 wouldn’t believe it until she was safely out of the city. Especially considering that this time, she actually had broken club rules.

She stopped at the end of the block to catch her breath. Looking back down the sidewalk, she saw no one following. Leaning against a wrought iron railing, she unclasped her hand from around her canvas bag, revealing a book that had been sitting on the vault keeper’s desk and which she had swept up with her bag before leaving the office. Valentine 6 smiled. She felt rather pleased with herself that she had been able to purloin this volume even while under duress. President Calvin 4 would be delighted. That first night, when Calvin 4 had recruited her, he had mentioned this volume.

“If you ever have to flee the club—”