No one is sure how the Masquerade events started, or even who is behind them. Josh had been hearing about them for maybe five years now, just rumors and whispers. It wasn’t something that was ever advertised, and no one knew how to get an invitation, or who had been to them before.

That’s how secretive it was. You couldn’t request an invitation. You just received one like some kind of lottery. They happened every quarter like clockwork, on the equinoxes and solstices. They’d been the topic of discussion at town hall meetings, and Josh had heard the cops had tried looking into them at one time, but nothing had come of it.

Josh thought he was being sued when he opened the door and saw an older man in a tailored suit standing there holding a briefcase.

“Mr. Monroe?” The man asked.

“Yes? And you are?” Josh asked hesitantly.

“I am Levi Smith, of Patterson, Smith, and Jones,” Levi said, shaking Joshes hand. “May I come in?”

“Am I being sued for something?” Josh asked.

“Not at all, sir,” Levi said.

Josh invited him in, and after the older man declined anything to drink, they sat down at the kitchen table.

“Before we begin, I need you to sign this agreement that you will not disclose the topic of this conversation to anyone,” Levi said. “You can decline to sign, and I will be on my way. If you sign, you will be paid a thousand dollars for your time, and we will discuss why I am here.”

Josh took the agreement and read it. It was a pretty standard nondisclosure agreement. It was limited strictly to the conversation that would take place on this day. Unsurprisingly, tt had a penalty clause meaning Josh would owe damages if he violated it. Josh wasn’t a lawyer yet, but he had taken a number of courses on contract law, including one specifically on NDAs. Not seeing anything that worried him, and his curiosity getting the better of him, Josh signed it.

Levi took the agreement, handed Josh a copy of it, as well as a thousand dollars in cash.

“Excellent. Now that’s out of the way,” Levi said, pulling a manila envelope and another set of documents out of his briefcase. “Let’s get down to business. I am here to formally invite you to the Autumn Masquerade Soiree. It takes place on the 22nd of September, and guests are expected to arrive between the hours of five and six in the evening.”

Levi slid a contract to Josh.

“You may of course reject this invitation. If you do, you will keep the thousand dollars and be bound by the NDA not to discuss this conversation or invitation with anyone,” Levi explained. “If you accept, you will be asked to sign a more comprehensive contract that will prohibit you from discussing your invitation, as well as anything you see or hear at the Soiree. There is also a code of etiquette agreement all guests sign. It will cover the dress code, expectations, and behavior during the event.”

Josh read the contract, looking for any fine print or ambiguous language. Like anyone interested in or studying law, Levi was very familiar with Patterson, Smith, and Jones. They were one of the oldest law firms in the state and well respected. There were no red flags in the contract itself. Though he was surprised that he would be given a persona, an alias to go by, and for the duration of the event, attendees were not to use their real names or divulge any personal information about themselves, or ask for such information from other attendees.

“This dress code is going to be an issue,” Levi said. “Most of my income is spent on my tuition and living expenses.”

“That is not a problem. For our guests who would face a financial strain to attend, we have contracted with a tailor to provide everything for them. You need only show up to the appointments to get measured and fitted,” Levi said. “We also provide an additional ten thousand dollars in cash to cover lost wages or any other expenses, such as grooming, accessories, and the like. The remainder of the money is yours to keep.”

Josh was stunned. He would be provided with the formal attire, which he was certain would not be cheap, as well as another ten grand, just to attend this event? Normally, this would be setting off alarms in his head. Maybe it was the fact that this event had been going on every three months for at least five years. Or the fact that the person they sent to invite him was probably a three thousand dollars an hour lawyer from a prestigious law firm.

Josh signed. He’d been hearing the rumors and whispers of these events for years now and had dreamed of being invited. Since there was nothing in the contracts that made him suspicious, he felt he would be a fool not to sign.

“Excellent. In the packet are a copy of the contract, the code of conduct and etiquette, as well as information for the tailor,” Levi said, sliding the packet over to Josh. “A towncar will be sent for you, expect it as early as four thirty. In the car, there is a mask that will obscure the top half of your face, as well as a voice modulator. You must put both on before you exit the car, and they both have a skin-safe adhesive that will make removing them difficult for at least sixteen hours. Removal of either during the event will result in your being removed from the premises and trigger the penalty clause of the contract.”

Josh knew all this, as it had been clearly spelled out in the contract, though he was uncertain of the reasoning behind it.

“Voice modulator?” Josh asked.

“Yes, it is a little patch that adheres to your throat,” Levi explained. “I do not know the specifics of how it works, but I have worn one as a demonstration so I can answer questions like this. You do not feel it, there is no sensation of it working, but it alters your voice just enough that it still sounds like a natural voice but can not be identified as your own.”

“Why do we have to wear one?” Josh asked.

“To maintain the illusion. During the duration of the event, you will not be Joshua Monroe, a graduate student studying law. You will be the persona listed in the packet. You should study it carefully over the next couple of weeks,” Levi said. “It would shatter the illusion if the person you are talking to, who may be playing the part of a queen or duchess, didn’t have such a modulator, and you recognized them as the receptionist at your doctors office or the cashier at the local grocery store.”

It made sense when put like that. Not having been able to find anything concrete about these events, Josh had no idea what to expect, but if it were thought of as a live-action roleplay, such precautions did make sense. The masks and voice changers would help in preventing awkward situations as people interacted with people they knew without realizing it.

“Everything you need is in the packet. I would suggest setting up an appointment with the tailor at your earliest convenience. You will also need to go to the listed clinic three days before the event for STD testing. Anything not treatable with antibiotics will disqualify you from these events. My card is also in the packet. Call my office if you have any questions, concerns, or issues,” Levi said as he stood.

The time between the invitation and the event passed in a blur as Josh got ready for it. The tailor appointments were a lot easier than Levi thought they would be. In the end, he came out of there with a Victorian-style suit, black velvet and dark green embroidery, with matching vest, green tie, and overcoat. It came with shoes, a formal gentleman’s cane, and pocket squares. Josh didn’t even want to know how much it must have cost, since it fit him perfectly and was made of quality materials by a master tailor.

The trip to the clinic was easy and actually a familiar process as Josh got tested regularly. He thought the testing requirement was odd, as there had been nothing else in the paperwork mentioning sex. Josh guessed it was just in case attendees hooked up at the event, to keep them safe.

Josh read and reread the packet of paperwork, memorizing it like he would for a final exam. Tonight, he was no longer Joshua Monroe, but William Blackwell Eqsuire. He was surprised to learn that the title Esquire didn’t mean lawyer like it did here in the States but was meant to indicate someone above a gentleman and below a knight in the aristocracy.

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