Idolatry: A Romance

The story opens in mid‑19th‑century Boston, inside a grand granite hotel that looms over a graveyard. A weary traveler pauses at the check‑in desk, eyes the guest register, and notes an odd succession of names—Doctor Hiero Glyphic in room 27 and Balder Helwyse in room 29. The narrow gap between those entries hints at a chance encounter that could ripple through the lives of everyone present.

Both men carry enigmatic pasts—Glyphic, a scholar of obscure symbols, and Helwyse, a restless traveler with a taste for adventure. As their paths cross, the narrative weaves a subtle romance through witty observations about truth, artifice, and the ways ordinary moments become extraordinary. Listeners will be drawn into a delicately balanced tale where humor and melancholy share the same breath, inviting reflection on the fragile ties that bind us.