"The lady will escort me, if you please?" I greeted her after her rest stop. I had been directed to guide the woman to our library, where she would wait until the Club Officer was ready to speak with her. She looked around as we walked the hall, seemingly surprised by the rich carpeting, the art on the walls, the statuary. There was a history to each piece, some of which were many hundreds, some even over 1000 years old. Each donated by Club Members, and by grateful Guests.

The Club has a history well over 700 years; it has always been a private organization. Our membership was increased by invitation only, with approval of the majority of existing members. Privacy was a matter of some concern, and all members were sworn such on admission. Knowledge of the Club's membership and activities at its several locations around the world could be harmful should it become general knowledge.

A group of men with similar needs, desires, and beliefs, the Club was formed by Nobles during the late 1200's as an organization for education and fellowship. The Club changed over the years, and spread to locations on every continent. Some years of growth and change followed, and the interests of the group changed. Education became formalized, help for the poorest became available from social service agencies... many started by our members. The organization made many anonymous contributions to schools and libraries, as well as to care organizations such as Red Cross/Crescent or the Salvation Army.

Once the major efforts of assisting growth and welfare of society in general were taken care of, the needs and desires of the members came to the forefront of the Club members' attention. Society's progress had brought with it some unfortunate changes not foreseen by the members, among them the Emancipation of women and slaves. Certainly, as the then-upstart nation said in its early documentation, "All men are created equal." But that had nothing to do with *women*! At least, not in the eyes of the membership. The group so long focused on the betterment of humanity had had no interest in raising the level of slave women... after all, did not all the various holy books of the religions of the world raise man to a level above women? Were they not to be subject to the needs and desires of their male superiors?

Such was the firm thought of the membership. And thus, so were the directives of the Club Officer to me regarding my responsibilities at the Club. As a gentleman's gentleman, I had been trained never to put my needs or beliefs above those of my employers. And I never had.

These ruminations ceased about the time I arrived with Lady Red (so I thought of her) to her destination. I admitted her to the library and checked that the water carafe was full, then exited and locked the door behind me. The lady would now await attendance of the Club Officer.