Chapter 8
Lakshmi and Jack Berglund rode the subway together from Brooklyn Heights and then on foot to the company site where the Bluthund Community meeting was to take place, which they had been preparing for a week.
It was a building located on Park Avenue, the headquarters of an insurance company whose CEO was Dr. W. Richardson, Master of the Bluthund Community in New York City and one of its founding and prominent members. The fact of being able to meet on a Saturday in such an accessible, comfortable and elegant place was a great advantage for the members who had to attend, since in the past they had had to resort to much less recommendable places, including a garment factory abandoned in a dangerous section of Brooklyn.
They announced themselves to the security guard in the building's lobby, who already knew them and had instructions to show them through.
"Lou, is Dr. Richardson here yet?" Jack inquired.
"Yes. He has been around for over an hour. He and Mr. Watkins are getting everything ready for the meeting."
Jerome Watkins was the master of ceremonies at Bluthund events.
"Has anyone else arrived?"
"Not so far ... but look at the door, the Japanese gentleman has just arrived."
Lou opened the door to the building and greeted the newcomer.
"Good morning, Mr. Suzuki."
"Can we go up to the meeting room?" Jack asked after greeting the newcomer.
"Of course." Lou replied. "It's the big room on the third floor, by the middle elevator."
When the three guests reached the third floor they saw Richardson and Watkins in their shirtsleeves moving a heavy folding door to connect two sections of the room that were usually separated.
"Can I help you?" Asked Jack.
“Yes, bring another seven chairs and place them around the table. That'll do. ”Watkins replied.
"What can I do?" Lakshmi asked.
"Distribute the jugs and glasses of water and put the coffee machine to heat."
When everything was settled, the two remaining members of the New York Committee, Madame Nadia Swarowska and Dr Dieter von Eichenberg, came up at the agreed time of nine in the morning.
"Who else should come?" The lady asked.
"Admiral Donnelly, State Department Advisor for Special Projects. You know him" Lakshmi replied. "In reality, this man is the contact of our Community with the areas of the United States government and he is the one who will pose the problem that they ask us to solve."
"An expert on the subject will also arrive." Dr. Richardson added. “He is also a Bluthund member from the European region, who has traveled especially for this project.”
"Who is he? Do I know him? ”Asked Jack.
"I think so. He is Dr. Corrado Gherardi, a former Jesuit priest specializing in the history of religions in the world. "
"Former Jesuit?" Lakshmi's question was accompanied by a puzzled expression on her face, evidenced by her furrowed brows.
"Yes, he was in Palestine and left the Order to marry a local woman, with whom he currently has five children."
"And of course, the four rookies who are going to join this action group are missing." Jack added. "I called each one of them last night to ask them to come at 9:30, to allow us to arrange everything."
At 9:30 a.m. the four recruits arrived. The security man had escorted them to the meeting room door, confident that no one else was to arrive at the building that Saturday morning. With natural shyness they entered the large room, equipped with all the modern methods of presentation, and in which a select group of people sat and waited for them. When they had seated mixed with the other participants, one of the attendees stood up and approached the desk that was in front of those present.
“Good morning, I am glad that everyone was able to attend our meeting on time and I thank you for the effort made to achieve it. As you will see afterwards, some of those present here have traveled from Europe to attend. "
“I am Jerome Watkins and I am the Master of Ceremonies for the Bluthund Community. Although our community is an informal association without legal status and freely organized around social networks, it nevertheless has customs and implicit rules and a flexible organizational mode that allows it to face the challenges that are proposed to it successfully. "
Addressing the four young men he added.
“You are in a formal meeting of the Community Steering Committee, held especially to discuss a specific issue that is going to be presented in a few minutes. Next I am going to introduce you to the members of that Committee. At the far left of the first row of chairs is Dr. William Richardson, Master of our Community at the New York City headquarters. ”
The man in question rose to his feet and bowed to the present. Watkins went on. "The lady is Countess Nadia Swarowska, a member of the Committee and a link to the Community in continental Europe."
The lady imititated Richardson's gesture. Watkins stood in front of another of the attendees.
"Dr. Dieter von Eichenberg is an expert in western and eastern esotericism, as well as a well-known polar explorer."
New greeting from the appointed.
“As for the other members of our local Committee, you have already had the opportunity to meet them in the course of your training. I refer to Mrs. Lakshmi Dhawan, Professor Taro Suzuki and our Organization Director Jack Berglund. ”
Jack saluted with a sweeping wave of his hand. The Master of Ceremonies continued to address the four recruits
“Let me I ask that each of you now please introduce yourself and briefly refer to your experience and your reason for choosing Bluthund. Logically and for reasons of courtesy we will start with the ladies. "
He added making a gesture of invitation to Zhi.
Once that stage was over, Watkins stood up again and this time addressing Jack Berglund, he said.
"Then, as your tutor, Jack will tell us what was done in the intensive training course that our new colleagues did in the preceding weeks."
As soon as Berglund finished with his explanation, Dr Richardson stood up and referring to the four students he said.
“Now you are full members of our Community. On behalf of the Executive Committee, I extend a warm welcome to you. As you can see Bluthund is a group not only informal but invisible. It does not have its own headquarters or physical means, but rather it´s located in the computer cloud. We can say that it is basically software, although as you have already seen and will see in the future, it can make available to its members hardware and the tangible means that are needed to help them fulfill their function. Now we will pause for a coffee and then Dr. Eichenberg will begin to explain the subject at hand, that is, the mission that you have not requested and in which you will have your baptism of fire. "