The Cathari Treasure (Cameron Kincaid) by Daniel Arthur Smith

presented.
    Christophe drew his next few
words slowly, “Our apologies Madame, perhaps we have offered too many mushroom
dishes?”
    Languidly Marie turned her head
up toward Christophe, his opened mouth smile turning to an inviting gape, his
head beginning to droop.  “Disappointing,” said Marie, “mushrooms in any
form disagree with me.”  Christophe’s head shot back up and his smile went
full, “I am sure Madame will find these mushroom’s very much to her liking.” 
The Maître d’ approached the table slightly nudging Christophe for position and
produced a plate domed with a silver lid.  “I think you will find these
sweets to your liking as well,” said the Maître d’.  He placed the plate
on the table and bowed.  Christophe and the bus boy bowed as well. 
“Bénisse, personne n'est content que nous,” they said almost in unison. 
Marie and Nicole bowed their heads back at them and repeated the
greeting.  The Maître d’ then, along with the bus boy, turned away from the
table and headed back toward the kitchen.  Christophe lifted his hands,
still clasped together, to his chest, “If you need anything, let me know. 
The bus boy will be bringing some bread shortly.  We are baking it fresh
for you.”
    “Merci,” said Marie.  “Merci,”
said Cameron and Nicole.
    After Christophe left for the
kitchen, Cameron put his hands on his lap.  “This food looks marvelous,”
said Cameron.  “Too bad about the mushrooms, the chanterelles are a
delicacy.”
    Marie reached over to the
stuffed mushrooms and picked one up, “Actually I prefer morels,” said Marie,
and then bit into the cap.  “Yum, delicious.”
    “But I thought you said…”
    Nicole interrupted, “She said
what she was supposed to, ordering the white swan was not enough.”
    “Oh,” said Cameron.
    Marie lifted the domed lid from
the plate revealing an envelope pinned between small cakes.  She took the
envelope, broke the wax seal, and then lifted the flap to look inside. 
“The question was a secondary measure.  The information in this envelope
is quite precious.  These gentlemen do not even know its contents.”
    “It is the location of the
Perfect.  Correct?”
    “Yes.  A new envelope is
sent by messenger each week and the one from the week before is destroyed by
fire in the presence of at least three.”
    Cameron put his fork into an
olive, “And you know this because…” asked Cameron.  He put the olive into
his mouth.  Nicole answered,  “Our security methods are old, simple,
and efficient.  This is the way this has been done for hundreds of years.”
    “But if somebody got a hold of
the envelope, they would have the secret.”
    Marie handed the envelope across
the table, “It would mean nothing to anyone other then those sending and those
for whom it is intended.  Even our friends here would not know the
meaning.”
    Cameron took the envelope and
looked inside.  On a small card was a blue outline of a dove.  “And
you know what this means?” asked Cameron.
    “It means you will need a big
appetite,” said Marie.
     
    * * *
* *
     
     

Chapter 22
    Toronto
     
     
    They arrived at their next destination
soon after leaving the CN Tower.  Though the distance was short enough to
walk, Marie suggested they park the car a few blocks away.  After finding
a public lot to park near Trinity College, they walked over to Yonge Street.
    They easily found the address
they were looking for.  Built some time near the beginning of the last
century, the two-story building was sandwiched between two others from
different eras, one more ancient, and the other no more than a decade
old.  Though Yonge Street was a long established Toronto artery, Cameron
could see no main architectural theme.  A few blocks toward the lake from
where they stood, forty story buildings randomly shot up interspersed with two
and three story buildings, an architectural potpourri.  Cameron remembered
reading somewhere that