Dear Edmond, you may be the figment of the boundless imagination of a singular gentleman named Alexandre Dumas, but you have made a particular impression on me so much so that I felt quite obliged to write to you in tribute. When I first made your acquaintance you impressed upon me the seemingly endless elation of a child in spring. Your diligent and determined love for the seas made want to explore that endless lake that Poseidon calls an abode. Your love for your master monsieur Morrel, showed me that when a young person seeks to follow before they lead, all barriers to industrial progression can crumble and that great things can be accomplished!
My dear Edmond you demonstrated to me the true meaning of love, which would be later tested, but a test which you doubtlessly weathered. Your love for your father and for your betrothed, Mercedes, demonstrated to me in crystal clear sight that a man is truly happiest when he is surrounded by those he loves. Your subsequent arrest and detaining left a rather bad taste in my mouth as reading on seemed to me as being forced to enter a dark cave with you, and I felt that there would be no light nor any way out. You were but a lad then, and your countenance, although radiating with happiness, made no impression upon the procurer de roi, so on you went Edmond, into your damnation, but you saw fit to make it your salvation.
Your struggle and strife within that abyss called the Chatteua d'ff made me cringe and shudder! The doubts which you wrestled constantly, made me pity you, but I stayed that pity for I knew that your will was stronger than the walls that ensnared you. Your battle with that spectre that rises in the hearts and minds of the disturbed soul cast a light on something that I dare not mention, and your fateful encounter with a man that I have previously described as a fallen star rising from his temporary abode, to show you the way toward the light, solidified my admiration for you. I'm sure your appreciation for this man goes without saying, but your diligence surfaced once more, and like the Abbe, you managed to concentrate the faculties of your mind into a singular cause that would alter your life forever. You showed great ingenuity and strength in the way in which you handled both the Abbe' s death and your escape, and because of it, you have seen fit to bestow upon your conspirators the fate which you thought they deserved.
Your sojourn across the Mediterranean after your escape from the cemetery of the Chatteua d'iff, was carried out with the poise of a man who was in complete control of his destiny.You stood stoic upon that rock in the sea amidst the storm, and providence rewarded you for your faith. The sailor within you, mingled with the words which you described as burning like fire before your eyes, gave you a keen sense of direction, and guided you toward a man who would later prove to be a trusted companion; and to an Island that held upon it's rugged terrain the treasures and trinkets that unlocked the endless possibilities known and unknown to man. Upon your return to Marseilles you scrupulously plotted against your conspirators, naming them and weaving your deadly thread in and out of their accursed lives with a piercing needle like a maestro.
Rome and Paris became your home, Edmond, and within those ancient cities you showed me a side to chivalry that has never before been exposed to human behavior. your elusiveness became a mask which you wore constantly, thrilling and seducing Parisian high society like a spider when it draws in it's prey. The details of your ingenious plot and the characters within it are many, and naming them would be unbecoming. But, your manner and wisdom and divinity have scarred me as you have left me speechless and numb. You have bestowed upon me the high art of nobility, erudition, and impeccable taste. I hope that in time that I can come to emulate your countenance dear Edmond, for it is otherworldly, and as you said in your letter to Maximilian; it stems from a world called grief. I shall wait and hope monsieur le Comte, for as you said; all human wisdom is contained within these two words.
Your faithful student.
Tshepo.
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