Document transcript

ON THE HISTORY OF THE OLDEST HOUSE

The Oldest House has revealed much to me during my months in the Foundation, but many questions remain. Primarily, the tree etchings bewilder me. What is their significance? If the House has changed shape over its lifetime as I've theorized, then was a tree its first form?

I sent a team to the Schwarzman Building in search of pre-settlement accounts of Manhattan Island. From those, I discovered a single relevant line: “And there I found a tree not known to me. The Devil twisted within its bark." That line, taken with the fact that certain American cultures believed some trees would offer wisdom and guidance, is indeed interesting. However, it's hardly firm evidence. And though I am now bound to the Oldest House, I remain a man of science.

Of course, there are numerous ancient beliefs regarding trees. Yggdrasil, the Tree of Knowledge, yaax imix che. Some cultures offered blood sacrifices to trees, while others claimed trees endowed chosen individuals with inhuman powers. Do New York City's many murders act as sacrifice for the Oldest House? Does the House have a chosen champion?

Is it me?