A parcel of mystery

A parcel of mystery

One day, new life.

It was breakfast time, in my life that is just after 8 am. I had just sat at my table, steaming coffee, bacon and eggs and today’s newspaper. Heaven must be like this. Then “Rosy” my dog, began to bark furiously at something as yet unseen, at the outside of my front door. Reluctantly I went to see what the fuss was about, no post on the welcome mat, then, through the glass panels on my front door I saw what looked like a gigantic spider float up and shoot off down the drive. I grabbed the door handle and rushed out nearly falling over a box placed on the top step. I managed to sidestep this as I watched a drone leave at very rapid pace. The box was addressed to me but did not have all the usual carrier labels stuck all over it, in fact when I examined it, the only markings on it were my name and address! I picked up the package, called Rosy to heel and went back to my breakfast. Unannounced parcels are not allowed to disrupt this most vital meal of the day Order and quiet restored, I finished my meal and turned to the mysterious box. It was not very heavy, it did not rattle, when shook and it was very clean. It was also absolutely undamaged, not a single sign that it had been though a distribution centre. No postage stamps, no carrier labels nothing. Whoever sent this had done so privately, they must have flown the drone, or at least controlled whoever did so. I removed the outer layer of brown paper and started on the cardboard box. No letter, no note to indicate the sender, no marketing leaflets, all getting stranger and stranger. I opened the box and inside was a book, covered in bubble wrapping plastic, as if it was so fragile. I laid the book on my dining table and examined the packaging to make sure I had not missed any indication about the sender. The book was well used and obviously old but cared for. The spine was not broken, no pages were loose. As I turned some pages, I could see some handwritten notations in the margins but these all orderly and neat, done with care. The cover was cracked black leather with a faded gold embossed title, it was such a simple title; Seek, was all it said. I looked at the inside cover pages expecting to see the usual publishers and copyright declarations, but nothing not even the authors name. The paper was thick and yellowing with age. The numbers 1437 were handwritten in a copperplate style, faded but visible. I turned the pages with care, this was a printed book but if the numbers were a date, it is too early, since according to the usual history, the printing press was not invented till 1439.

Mystery was being heaped on mystery, my breakfast dishes went unwashed, all plans for the day were forgotten, I became totally absorbed in this strange gift, assuming that what it was. The book did not smell musty, showing it had not been hidden away for years but the pages were remarkably well preserved for something so old and on hand made paper. The wording was in a very old version of English, not easy to read unless you had made a study of the period. I had. If the date was 1437 James the second of Scotland was the new 6-year-old king there and Henry the sixth was king of England and France, although the French did not recognise this. War raged throughout just about all of Europe. The period was so turbulent with alliances formed and betrayed seemingly every few months. Very few people could read and write, even some lords relied on others to do this for them. Communication was by handwritten notes, often in code, and these carried on horseback. Being a courier then was a dangerous occupation since, even if you avoided bandits and enemies, your life could be ended by your own master because he wished to ensure your silence. So, this mysterious book appears to come from an age of total confusion and upheaval. I turned the pages with great care. As much from habit rather than anything else, I mentally translated the text into modern English and typed this into my laptop as I read the printed words.

It was a study of the power struggle between the Christian orthodoxy of that time, The pope being absolute ruler of the only recognised Christian church, and those who wished to return Christianity to simple following of the teachings of Christ. Their problem being that the only records of the words spoken by Jesus, were under the control of the pope. Who wrote this book and who sent it to me and why? I instantly knew that this book would change my life forever. All my plans for the future were now dropped, translating, and recording the work had to be my life work. I also knew even then that I had to be extremely cautious, the church of Rome may not have the absolute power it once wielded but it is still rich, powerful, and guards its history. Not having read the book yet I did not know if it would be critical of the early church of Rome but the fact that this work has delivered in secret was a good indication that extreme caution was needed. The fact that it was printed and not the work of some monastery scriptorium indicated it had not been commissioned by people who hated “progress” and wished to keep the transmission of knowledge securely in the hands of the priestly class. The initial mystery was the written date.

It took me fifteen years to finish my study. During this time, I came to agree the date, I also came to know that I would be wise to delay publication of my findings until I was about to die, and even then, I would need several platforms, spread about the world, to ensure suppression could not take place. It was not until I had finished my initial translation and had started to study the text line by line, word by word, checking my interpretation of the meaning when alternatives were possible, that I received a letter from a well-known London barrister. In this it was claimed that while examining the estate of a reclusive Cambridge academic, it found a reference to myself and a possible exchange of documents. The letter went on to say if I had any such documents they were the property of the gentleman’s estate and inheritors. I wrote back saying, this part truthfully, that I had never met the gentleman.

I packed and moved abroad not leaving any forwarding address, I then moved home and country, several times before settling into obscurity.