Yesterday evening I met the Prince of Darkness for the first time. Maya got invitations for both of us to a black tie dinner, organized by the Ministry. As a Beta I was given the cover of being Maya's research assistant. We found some evening dress thanks to a friend of Isis, who used to work in the theatre. The dinner was lavish. Held in an elegant house in St James's that used to be a gentlemen's club, with crystal chandaliers and the elegance of a bygone age. There were many original masters on the walls, and I thought that I recognized some from the old National Gallery. We ate smoked salmon, fillet of beef with roast potatoes, and a dessert of fresh strawberry cake, all washed down with fine claret and port. It was like being in a dream or watching an old movie. Lord Mandelbrot is the closest thing England has to Lucifer. The Chairman's right hand man, the dark Lord is suave, well dressed and charming, yet known for his ruthless streak. When you meet him his cold blue eyes pierce your soul, on the lookout for the slightest trace of weakness. Mandelbrot is the power broker of England. His official position is Party Secretary. He is credited with being the mastermind behind the Party's takeover of power. He is the kind of person that makes you feel that you want to get away as quick as you can, yet some how his presence seems to hypnotize you. When we shook hands I felt a shiver run down my spine. Something inside me said to watch what I said and did very carefully. Maya warned me before hand that she had a suspicion he knew a lot about the resistance, and that he was allowing us to exist as a potential source of chaos in the future, that he could use against his enemies in the Party. It was as if we were about to become the unoffical opposition. The motto of the party is "One Party, One Future!" yet Mandelbrot said to Maya during the course of dinner that he saw the value of diversity as a source of innovation. She was not quite sure how to reply and simply said that she trusted the Party's vision of the future. We were provided with an official car to get us home, as the dinner finished long after the curfew was in place. As we said goodnight Maya pressed a note in my hand. It said,
"Luciferi primo cum sidere frigida rura
carpamus, dum mane novum, dum gramina canent
Let us hasten, when first the Morning Star appears,
To the cool pastures, while the day is new, while the grass is dewy" (Virgil)
Lunch Sunday 1pm, usual place
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