Master Marvin,

I’ve sent a telegram to my accountant in St. Louis. He’ll be wiring you the funds to cover any financial difficulties the troupe incurs while we finish dealing with the quarry. I understand from my junior associate that you’ve been having some frustrations, and I want to make sure our working relationship remains solid in the upcoming years. We may not agree on everything, but I can forgive some poor hiring choices in the name of furthering our mutual interests. Looking forward to many more tours together.

S.,

I’ve resolved things with Williamson. You really should have let me handle this from the first letter. Would have saved both of you some yelling.

You remind me a bit of me when I first joined our organization. Did they tell you that story? I happened upon a library filled with forbidden tomes, taught myself the sorcerous craft, and then demanded entry. It’s tempting to believe that magic means you can do whatever you want. Well, magic and Union war medals. How lucky you are to have been caught and punished early in the war, forced to do garrison work under Carson out in New Mexico, protecting our settlers from those bow-wielding savages. How lucky that you’ve done your penance. Unfortunately, membership in our organization erases any goodwill you may have earned otherwise. The minute they find out your true allegiance, you’ll be nothing more than another renegade. This is the true damnation of Lincoln and Hamlin and Grant, that our presence this far north is akin to escaped slaves, and we will be shuffled back to the South in chains when we’re caught. We need to stay quiet. We need to stay safe. And staying quiet and safe means playing nice with our business partners. Williamson is greedy and self-centered but do you think I would work with him if I had an alternative? Focus on the target; that’s your job. Mine is keeping this group together until you succeed.

Speaking of your job, your idea about sending the other performers as bait might have paid off at least. Benton’s missing, and according to some of the minstrels, our quarry was missing at church today. Have one of yours investigate, if you would.

P.S. Please be more circumspect about sensitive details when writing anything down. Specificity will get us hanged. I expect that sort of carelessness from Marvin and I can account for that, but not you. If we are investigated and one of your letters bears greater scrutiny, you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting it, whether it be measured in weeks, hours or seconds.