Summary

In the Prologue, a Masonic initiate to the thirty-third degree went through an initiation process. He was surrounded by wealthy and influential men. As he went through the ritual, the initiate continued to say to himself, “The secret is how to die” (4). As the Worshipful Master told the initiate it was time to take his vows, he thought about how he had lied about his intentions and his desire to be a Mason. The Masons had no idea why he wanted to become a member. When he first drank the wine, he felt his lung tighten and thought perhaps it was known he was lying but the feeling passed. As he looked at the master, he thought about that man that he would soon lose everything that he loved.

In Chapter 1, a boy with claustrophobia rode an elevator up the Eiffel...