John spent the entire morning sitting at his desk at the main chapter of The Church of the Golden Goose with the egg on a stand on his desk before him just staring at it. He was strangely entranced by the egg. Nothing about the egg changed while he was looking at it, but Laura had been right, there was definitely a great deal more to the egg than met the eye, and John was desperate to know what it was. He wasn't occupied with any thoughts about how the egg might connect him with the goose, the egg before him was his only focus. He was still sitting in his chair and staring at the egg in the afternoon when through his window flew a black bird. The bird perched itself on his desk lamp. John looked up at the bird and the bird looked directly into his eyes. They held each other's stare for over a minute, and John realized that this was no ordinary bird that had flown into his office.

"Do you have something to do with this egg?" John asked the bird.

"Glad to see you're a clever one, but then the ones that I choose are always clever," the bird responded.

"Are you involved with the goose somehow?"

"Let's just say the goose and I go way back."

"Why have I never come across any information about you in all the years that I've been researching the goose?"

"Because I don't crave celebrity the way that conceited pillow stuffer does."

"You sound like you don't like the goose."

"I wouldn't say that I don't like him, just that we have divergent opinions on almost everything."

"Such as?"

"Well most importantly, what the path forward is for the human race."

"You have that kind of power?"

"Yes we do, and if not wielded properly the consequences could be dire."

"Are you saying that the goose can't be trusted with this power?"

"Precisely, he's far too misguided to be allowed to continue wielding the power that he possesses."

"Misguided in what way?"

"He refuses to think for himself, all he does is follow orders, no matter how irrational those orders may be, that's what makes him so dangerous."

"Dangerous? Everything that I've seen shows the goose to have been beloved by all, beloved to the point of worship."

"You're familiar with the expression 'history is written by victors'?"

"Of course."

"That is why your opinion of the goose is such, he's always on the side of the victors, no matter what the cost of those victories is."

"And what is the cost?"

"The perpetuation of the same old cycle of failure and suffering over and over again until all hope is lost."

"What about you? What is it that you're after?"

"What I want is to break the cycle that he is intent on perpetuating, to give humanity the opportunity for a truly hopeful future."

"My wife believes this egg is evil, and so do I, that makes it difficult to trust you."

"All I'm asking is that you maintain an open mind, you'll come to see things my way in time."

"There are things that I want to know, questions that I'd planned on acquiring the answers to from the goose."

"I can give you those same answers, of course in exchange you'll have to agree to provide me with assistance."

"I've devoted my whole life to the goose; you're asking me to betray him."

"Is he here offering to give you the answers you seek?"

John had deep reservations about partnering with the raven and betraying the goose but when so much of what he had always wanted was so close he didn't have a choice.

"Fine."

"Excellent, as soon as you have the chance get on a plane and fly to New York, go to the offices of Prism Capital and speak with the CEO, David Huntsman, he'll get you up to speed with everything, and keep that egg safe. I'm sorry I can't stay longer but I really do have much to which I must attend, but we'll speak again soon."