Image Carriers. Genel Anthony

were not set in concrete, and some members of the group don’t attend the meetings, opting to see Tom on their own. Others would turn up when they could, while others preferred to touch base via email and telephone, as they preferred to keep their identities secret.

      Any member that couldn’t make the meeting was not ostracised or scolded, as Tom and the other members understood their concerns or unavailability. Tom, being their Overseer, would simply contact them and pass on information, collect their messages for sharing with the rest of the group and so on. After all, this was Tom’s role.

      Martin also told Tom and the group that he and his partner were moving away, and that he would not be able to attend the meetings anymore, but would still keep in contact over the phone and internet. He told the group that they had bought a sizable property down south, and that the group was welcome to visit them at any time.

      The meeting ended and Tom saw the last of the group members leave his sizable property. Some partners drove up to collect their spouses, sounding their car horns loudly, as they pulled away from his marbled enclosed stoop.

      Tom returned inside, but not after checking that the last car left his grounds. He then set the sophisticated alarm system. He ensured that the perimeter was secured. He left the mess and uneaten food on the table in the lounge room and walked into the small room opposite the staircase. His cleaning lady was away and was due back the next day. She often chastised him when he cleans up as this was her job and she did not want Tom to do anything around the house that she could do.

      Tom entered the little room that resembled a cloak room of sorts. In the olden days, people had cloak rooms for visiting guests to hang their coats when they arrived. These grand old houses with cloakrooms are still around today, usually hidden or getting ready for demolishing. Tom instinctively searched around the room, seeming to look for someone hiding or watching him, before walking slowly towards a bookcase that looked like it was built into the wall. It looked ancient. He moved his right hand to the side of the bookcase and rubbed his fingers along the wall as if feeling for something. He then found a grove in the wood, near the back. He inserted two fingers and gently moved the bookcase forward. It jerked a little before coming away from the wall quite easily. It slid neatly and quietly to the side, revealing another door.

      Behind the bookcase was a secured silver door, reflecting the dim hallway light shining into the modest room? On the wall next to this hidden door was a computer pad, where Tom had to key in a code to unlock the door. Tom carefully entered his private digits, and the door flung open, revealing stairs going downwards into a well-lit room. The lights were still on from before. Tom slowly entered, walking down the stairs. The room was rustic, with bare walls and limited floor coverings. It resembled an old cellar that had been done up. Tom had put down a large Persian rug only recently to make their private meetings more comfortable.

      In the centre of this concealed room was a large oval work table, similar to a large conference table found in expensive boardrooms. There were about twelve black leather seats around the table. There were also spare seats along the wall near the room’s entrance. Faint beeping noises could be heard from what looked like a control panel in the far left- hand corner. Tom walked over to the panel and quickly checked the computer screens and the alarm status. Like a Safe Room, Tom could view the whole house and grounds from this location. Everything in order, he thought. He turned to the large table where paper lay scattered. He picked up his notes and sighed loudly as he read their discoveries. What does this all mean?

      Tom finally left the room, ensuring that everything was turned off as he closed the bookcase and the door behind him. He thought about his guests and how they often quarrelled with each other. If only they knew the important role they were still going to play. If only they knew what was just around the corner.