Abandon his obligation (End)

Roger re-reads a particular line. I reiterate, this inheritance is yours whether you flee at this instant, abandon your efforts, or succeed in the endeavor I ask of you.

One way of looking at that sentence was that Roger would not be punished for refusing to follow Sebastian's instructions. On the flip-side, it also meant that Roger would not be rewarded at all if he did choose to go through with Sebastian's wishes.

All-in-all, there was absolutely no incentive for Roger to go through with this arduous task set before him. He just wanted to do what he'd intended to do from the moment he got the invite: show up, get the money, go home.

"It just says I've inherited some money, and that I'm not part of whatever this game is," Roger says to the crowd. "I dunno about the rest of you, but if I'm not needed to stay here the whole week, I ain't gonna. Someone else can take the master bedroom."

He looks to his wife to ask if she's on board with him, but her look of relief tells him everything he needs to know. She heads over to stand by the door while he walks up to the man in the tailcoat. Roger hands the man the letter. "So, whatever these 'gold certificates' are, do I get them now or will they be delivered to me?"

The man skims it, then gives Roger a very displeased glare. "They shall be brought to your car," he says, icily but professionally.

Several other people in the room have opened their letters and started reading them now. Judging by their expressions, they have not been granted the same easy out that Roger had. They watch with envy as Roger walks across the room towards the exit.

He and Becky leave the room together. As soon as they step out into the hallway, they are greeted by a refreshing wave of cool air, and gasp appreciatively.

"Wow, am I glad to be out of there!" Becky chuckles. "So, how much did we get?"

"Fifty-thousand," Roger says, as they start walking back the way the butler lead them, towards the exit. "In something called 'gold certificates'."

Becky looked at him with awe and confusion all at once. "But, those haven't been used in decades. They're antiques! They aren't exactly money any more, but they're big collectors' items. They'll probably sell for way more than their face value, if we play our cards right!"

Roger cocks an eyebrow at her. "Well, aren't you knowledgable?"

She giggles. "What can I say? I watch a lot of auction shows."

They push open the front doors and are hit by the biting rainstorm once more. Becky huddles close to Roger, and the two of them make their way back to their car, dragging their bags behind them.

To their surprise, the bald man in the tailcoat has beaten them there. He is holding a small metal briefcase, which he offers out to Roger once he gets close.

"Your inheritance, all present and accounted for," he says dryly. "Please drive safely, and have a pleasant night."

Once Roger takes the briefcase from him, he struts with dignity back inside the mansion. Becky and Roger look at each other and shrug.

Within the dry safety of the car, Roger undoes the clasps and pops open the briefcase. Inside is what looks like several dollar bills, except that the backs are coloured a vivid orange. They're definitely old, but also seem to be in absolutely perfect condition.

"Ooh, there's even a few thousand-dollar certificates in there, those are really rare!" Becky coos. "We are gonna make a killing at auction!"

"Sold!"

As the crash of the gavel echos around the auction room, Becky leaps up and hugs Roger excitedly. In total, their certificates have earned them two-hundred-and-seventy-six thousand so far, and they've only just sold half the contents of the briefcase.

Roger never did find out what big secrets Great Uncle Sebastian had intended for him to uncover, but he doesn't much care. A happy wife and a fuckton of money, what more could he ask for?