The Black Book Society

From the very beginning of time, the fates have known what to expect. They have seen all and known all. However, they became bored with the linear progress of man and decided to instill into the societies little black books, whereby these particular people would become chess pieces for the fates. As the fates allowed, they would grant these select people with the knowledge of the future based on their decisions then. It is then known that these people were apart of “The Black Book Society”. These people would live and die by the book, as these books could lead these men and women to success and everything they wanted. The fates were happy, as they were finally entertained, until one day a particular man’s book went missing.

I, your trusted narrator will do my best to convey the truth to this story. Rest assured you’re in good hands. Many people throughout the world and history had these special books, however, our story takes place in the empire of Rome.

During this time, the Roman Empire was still a republic and Caesar was becoming popular. Luckily for Caesar, he was one of the lucky men, he was in “The Black Book Society”. He was granted the answers to all his questions, he simply had to write or think of the question and the fates would reveal the answer. He asks, “should I invade the Gual to give myself prestige enough to go back to Rome?” The answer as history will tell, is obviously yes. Caesar is a household name, a man who represents the ultimate man. A man who had no fear and was limitless. However, on his return to Rome, he would be named Dictator of Rome. This angered the Senate of Rome, as they saw him as a threat to the Republic. Caesar, then joined by his girlfriend, Cleopatra of the Alexandria empire has a son, Caesarian. They plan to take the Roman empire and Alexandrian Empire and combine them, under a monarch. Becoming King and Queen of the Empires. As obvious as it can be said, these two power couples both had a book, though neither knew that of each other. They simply asked the questions and were granted the answers. Caesar had become so empowered he simply stopped asking questions of the fates. Caesar believed he was smarter than the book. This would be the beginning of the end.

One such Senate member was approacehd by the others, his name was Brutus. Brutus was a man that loved what the Republic stood for, and had faith that Caesar would return Rome to its former glory. Brutus had seen Caesar as a father figure, though he was not so enamored that he won't do what was necessary for the Republic. However, with the arrival of Cleopatra and Caesar’s new son, Brutus started to lose hope. Would the Republic fall? Has the Republic already fallen? Brutus was then indebted to the fates when he should happen to find a little black book one day. The good man Brutus was, he looked for a name in the book, only to find there wasn’t one. It was a nice notebook, made of fine leather. It is now I must take a sidebar and let you know dear reader, this book was never meant to be Brutus’s, in fact, this book belonged to our hero, Caesar. You see, Caesar had epilepsy during a time where this was not known about. Caesar suffered a seizure and misplaced the book. The fates were intrigued to find that Brutus stumbled upon this book, and decided to allow this new line of history to continue, without interfering.

Brutus that night went home and looked at the book. The pages that had been blank started to fill up with every thought he was thinking, then after his thoughts were passages. Brutus read with intrigue. The book was telling the stories he knew, ones that he had lived. Finally, he read a sentence, “what do you want to know?” Brutus was aghast as he finds himself thinking, “do I kill Caesar?” The book then reports back and says, “yes.” Brutus is even more taken aback. The Senate was going to call a special meeting tomorrow and the plan was to kill Caesar. Brutus never thought they would actually go through with it. Brutus slams the book shut. He only wanted to uphold the Republic, but murder? Brutus went to bed that night, distraught. The next morning, Brutus checks the notebook, and the pages are again blank, except for the question and answer. Brutus tucks the notebook behind the blade that he plans to use to stab Caesar. As the time draws near, the Senate converges in the chambers, awaiting Caesar. Caesar enters the chamber, and Brutus holds his breath. Within seconds the first blow is delivered to Caesar’s back, then more and more of the members stab him. He has swirled around and grabs Brutus’s shoulder. As he looks up into Brutus’s eyes, Caesar sees a flash and is stabbed by Brutus, in the final blow. As Brutus releases his breath, Caesar takes his final breath and whispers “why you, Brutus?” The Senate members all drop their swords and start to leave the chamber, Caesar’s body stabbed 23 times. It is then Brutus is left alone with Caesar’s body that he pulls out the black book again. He realizes he hadn’t asked the right question but had been given the right answer. He was the one to kill Caesar, but was this the right action for the Republic? The book responds to this question, “No. Get out of Rome, the Republic is no more.” Brutus realizes he had made a mistake, and in his haste to find his mother, Servilla, he drops the book next to Caesar’s body. Brutus, our dear Brutus, takes his own life on the battlefield many years later after the assassination, and after the Republic falls.

Dear reader, if you know history you know that the empire of Rome takes the assassination of Caesar very seriously and uses him as a martyr. Caesar becomes one of the most well-known people in the world and history. Caesar’s book is found by his second in command, Mark Antony. Mark Antony leaves Rome and marries Cleopatra, as the book instructs. As the upheaval in the empire continues, Alexandria is also in shambles. The two, Mark Antony and Cleopatra die in a double suicide. Their books were lost to the ages.

It is unknown who has these books now, or even how many there were. Of course, the fates know as do I, but I will tell those stories at a later time. I beg you, dear reader if you find a black book, be sure to ask the right questions. As our dear Brutus found out. Or perhaps, is it better to not know?