A Mysterious Letter

Professor Falerton receives a mystery letter, containing some wild new information.

A letter slide quietly underneath the gap at the bottom of a large mahogany door. Inscribed on the front of the letter read the words, “Urgent, for one Mr. William Falerton.” Footsteps could be heard outside the door and soon a key unlocked the door and a man walked in. Professor Falerton upon seeing the letter, eyed it cautiously for a few seconds, then without hesitation, quickly picked it up from off the wood floor. He didn't recognize the handwriting as that of any of his colleagues at the University. He set it alongside the books and papers he had under his right arm and continued to walk towards the back of his neatly kept office towards his desk. He sat down with a gesture of relief and satisfaction placing the stack consisting of the books, papers, and the letter on the desk. It had been a long day and he was in need of some time alone to rest. First he wanted to attend to the matter of the letter. He grabbed his letter opener with his right hand and the letter with his left, neatly opening the letter with extreme precision and obvious experience. Once opened, he grabbed the letter out that was folded into thirds. He unfolded the letter and began reading.

“Dear Mr. William Falerton,

                                I am quite aware of your expertise in geological, archaeological, and navigational matters. Your skill set is uniquely varied and your experience speaks for itself. For the want of privacy, I will keep this letter short and vague. I will answer all your questions when we meet in person. I am a member of the reform club and I have been interested in matters of the ancients for most of my life. A map has recently come into my possession that details the location of a lost city. As you can imagine I am intrigued. I must know if this 'lost city' exists. This is why I am putting together an expedition and I would like you to be the head of this expedition. I have already reached out to the other necessary members and I have purchased a ship capable of the voyage along with the appropriate supplies. If you would like to accept my offer please meet me at 9:00am tomorrow morning at the reform club. You will be compensated ten times the normal amount you receive at the University. You will also have the honor of publishing any new discoveries in the sciences.

 Your Friend,

   Mr. S”

Professor Falerton reread the letter and stared at it in disbelief. Could this be a prank by his students or his colleagues? Most likely it would turn out to be just that, but Professor Falerton was never one to give up on investigating a good mystery.

Reviews

[Steve B]

well we all know which path he will take, and the story is highlighted well by this chapter.
so far so well, to a good platform to start this adventure.

[Gaard]

Thank you for reading the chapter Steve and for your review!