Waves lapped at the lonely ship. The crew and passengers were already on board. Everybody was ready to leave. All except one. ‘I can’t lie to you Jack. You’re my best friend.’ Today’s mask was plain, ornamented with a silver that complemented the black suit and hat he was wearing. Jack could see a single eye behind The Baron’s mask. Something different. Something revealing. ‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Or at all? If I’d known you were leaving, I would have gotten the three of us together so me and Laurelle could say goodbye.’ ‘That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you.’
It hit Jack then. ‘You needed this to be a secret. Is something wrong? If there’s something wrong, Baron, I’ll do everything I can to right it.’ ‘There’s nothing you can do, Jack. Even if you eliminate the people after me, more will find out, and more will come after me, and if they find out you’re involved, they’ll come after you, too.’ ‘Wait. Did you just say, “eliminate”?’ ‘No matter what anybody does, they’ll find me eventually, and I’ll either have to fight or flee. They got too close last month. I can’t risk it happening again.’ Jack grabbed The Baron by the shoulders, wide eyes searching for something, a change, an unseen emotion. Something. ‘Then let me come with you.’ The Baron removed Jack’s hands from his person. ‘You have a life here, Jack. Laurelle needs to know that I’ll be gone, too. You have your mother, your sister, and an entire workshop filled with the things you’re passionate about. You’re not like me. You can’t just give everything up.’ He looked away from Jack. ‘Earlier this morning I left a letter on your workbench. Given that you’re here now, I doubt you saw it.’ ‘Did you break in-’ ‘When you get home, read the letter. It’ll tell you everything you need to know. About me, about why people are after me. I know you’ve been curious for a long time. I can’t tell you in person, but it feels like the right time to let you know. But Jack,’ suddenly the remorse in his voice was gone, replaced by a seriousness that somebody might use when scolding a child. ‘If you read that letter, you can never come find me. For my own safety, and yours. And no matter what you do with it, you must burn it afterwards. Don’t show anybody else. Do you understand?’ ‘Can I at least show Laure-’ ‘Do you understand?’ Jack hesitated. ‘Yes.’ They looked at each other for a moment. And for that moment, Jack could swear he saw tears rolling down from that one semi-visible eye. ‘Goodbye, Jack.’ The Baron took his suitcase, and headed for the ship. ‘Wait, Baron!’ Jack called. ‘Can you at least tell me where you’re going?’ ‘You’re an intelligent man, Jack. I know you can find out from the clues in the letter and what you already know about me.’ And he boarded. And ever so softly Jack said, ‘Goodbye, Baron.’
The letter was on his workbench, just as promised. The envelope was brown, with The Baron’s own wax seal holding down the flap. Jack ran his finger over the seal’s bumps. If you read that letter, you can never come find me. For my own safety, and yours. How long had Jack known The Baron? A long time, that was for certain. And for every second Jack had known him, he had wondered who the man was behind the mask. There had only been two things Jack knew about him; people called him The Baron, and nobody knew anything about him. And in this envelope was The Baron’s entire life - supposedly - sealed with a beautiful crimson wax for his best friend, and the one person he could supposedly trust. Jack would be able to figure out where his friend had gone, but he needed the clues that were inside the envelope, written on the page he couldn’t read if he ever wanted to see his friend again. What a situation to be stuck in. But did The Baron really mean what he had said? For as long as Jack had known him, The Baron had been lighthearted and fun, and was always willing to joke with his best friend. That must have been it - just another joke, a final sarcastic warning from Jack’s best friend. Jack tore open the envelope and read the letter. And soon he found out that it wasn’t just another joke.
