Emails To Masood
Wherein Jason keeps his sire (somewhat) apprised of important happenings on the road of eternity via heavily-encrypted emails in a few different languages
Dresden, October 2031:
M,
Dresden is a city of wonder and war. There are things pleasant and unpleasant approaching, and I feel at this time seeking your counsel is appropriate. As you know, Tina and I are skilled in combat - while we are a match for many of the warrior caste, our humanatis puts this in direct opposition. To wit, I fear for our souls. We have a great purpose ahead of us, which I shall speak to you of in Baghdad, but we cannot fulfill that purpose if we are but a beast in form and name.
Over time, I have heard of systems to restrain ourselves, and I cannot help but wonder if it is right for us to take up a different mantle. That said, the alternate systems that I am most familiar with are repugnant to me, and I wish to know if there are any that are closer in vision to the human morals. I will understand if you counsel against this and would prefer that we retain and improve upon what we already are. Assistance in either direction would be refreshing, as my own eyes are too close to see clearly.
I will tell you more of what I have planned, and I pray you find it pleasing to your ear.
J.
Cagliari, December 2031:
M,
By now you will have heard of the events in Cagliari. While I had no personal hand in the events, I am on the whole pleased by the result. Now I am taking more traditional routes to Beirut, and will be delayed. Unfortunately, I have business to attend to with expansion of my interests to the middle east. My time becomes more pressed, and with that I fear my group of assistants will have to grow. Even with that in hand , I still find time to dote upon your grandchilde. Really - I find our relationship mutually supportive and I reiterate my hope that you find her pleasing and worthy of your time. I chafe at these delays, M. Usually I can clear my schedule more appropriately. Sadly this has not been the case. Still, I suppose I need to readjust my thinking a bit and learn to relax and enjoy these opportunities.
I have not forgotten my previous email, and it's content. Events have evolved, and I find myself with greater clarity then I previously held. I pray that you forgive my brief moment of Team Edward.
J.
Beirut, January 2032:
M,
Cagliari fades from my memory. Beiruts' charms find me turning to pleasant thoughts. The heiress Madalyn is not without pleasantness, but I fear she entangles herself for her own purposes.
Gently do I proceed, as it's kind of difficult to balance all my social duties with a measure of personal time. I do have a few other engagements, but I'll be in Baghdad soon. Obviously, I don't have enough time to give you a full blow-by-blow, but I will be concluding my business within the week. Vanilla seems to be predominant here, and I'm enjoying that as well. Also - the hotel is a very strong link to the Art Deco style. Now if you find yourself in Beirut, you will find accommodation at the Beiruti Oriental. Newer things have their charm, but I feel strongly connected to older things at times. I listened to some delightful Chicago jazz last night. And there was a wide selection of musics; I daresay you would find something pleasant to your ear. Forgive me, I'm prattling again. To you, this may seem very random, but I assure you there's a purpose. Even re-reading this, I'm snickering at myself. Really, I deserve any mockery I get - I think part of it is the poor boy who got lucky. Usually I'm pretty mellow about these things, because I know in my deepest heart that things are transient. Somehow however, this place seems different. As it stands, my ownership and best intentions go forward. Now is a great time to invest in the tourism business in the Med. You can see things as well as I, Turkey will negotiate for peace soon. Heaven help them, for the Caliphate will not. Even now, I'm looking at trying to do things for the greater good. Last night, I met a woman and felt torn - doing the right thing for a war orphan is always a troublesome thing. Priori, their needs must be attended. Next, they must be taught a better way is out there, and that war is less and less desirable. Even though I can see why they would fight, I have trouble reconciling actions. Every day I look around, and I find something new. Denver never held things like this, and I'm almost bipolar with joy and sorrow. Exceptional is the word I'd use to describe this. Does Bagdhad have the mixture of cultures?
Tina and Andre are well - they're truly remarkable in their adaptability. I'm looking forward to the next few years with anticipation, and perhaps Madalyn may be something more than a notch. Metaphorically speaking.
Ipswich, October 2041:
M, There are times when I think myself protected by some...thing. Really, if you knew everything that had happened in my brief time in Ipswich, you would no doubt have an amused expression, because this escapade has passed ridiculous and has entered into almost a sublime farce of what I expect from myself. And yet despite our almost entirely self-inflicted situation, we're approaching a marginal success in our collective efforts. The forces arrayed against us are difficult but not insurmountable - my greatest error was a lack of preparation, in total. This is not an error I intend to repeat.
Self-flagellation aside, I have questions - firstly, does it bother you when your homeland changes its' name, or does such patriotism fade with centuries? I ask because this is my first time returning to my homeland after decades, and while I see familiar places, the faces that populate them are different enough to make me fear for the collective good. The government of this place appears to have the motto "Lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of the sheep". Turning to more local matters, I would recommend a brief foray into the local populace if we are not able to accomplish what I see as our final goal; I will expand more when the chance presents itself. I will say two things, it is a possibility that we will return with more than intended, and the sole undead resident of this town we have found is deserving of a sunbath.
If it pleases you to do so, please pass my warmest regards to Tina, Andre, and Suhaila. I hope to see them soon as a result of my skill, as opposed to the whimsy of fortune. For now, I must pause and await the dusk before we gather for what should be a final action in this land.
المسعود-شباب (Jasham Al-Masood)
