Industry & Intrigue (23 page)

Luthais nodded. “All right, fair
enough.”

She looked at him still lying
naked on the couch, she admired his naked body for a few moments
and said
,
“Shouldn’t you be getting dressed? If we’re gone too long someone
could notice our absence.”

Luthais shrugged, “You perhaps. Not me
though, most of those people downstairs view me as a brat who likes
to play with guns. Especially my older sisters,” bitterness dripped
off his voice.

Alyssa
gave him a look of sympathy and said,
“Let me give you some advice Luthais. Don’t give a fuck what they
think of you, what matters is what you do. Even after I made my
first fortune from the steam engine, there were people who didn’t
believe I had invented it. It took me many years of success to gain
the reputation I have now. You have to do the same, forget about
perception and do as well as you can. Respect will come when you
earn it.”

“
That’s all well and good,” he
said, “but my sisters treat me the same no matter what I
do.”

“
Then you have to prove your
worth to them
. Show them how much they need you, no one can do
everything alone. Not even a Mordain,” she replied.

He
heard sounds of a commotion from
outside. Alyssa strolled over to the window and pulled back the
heavy curtain a fraction. She smirked, “In fact your family may
need you sooner than you think.”

He sat up. “What is it?”

“
Labor
activists by the looks of it. I heard
your sister has been having difficulties with them. I wonder how
they could have found out that your father’s wake was
tonight.”

Luthais stood up and
pulled
on
his pants. “Because I let word get to them,” he replied.

Alyssa turned to him, “Why on Somal would
you do that?” she asked in surprise.

He slipped on his shirt
and replied, “Why
not? At the least it’s a chance to embarrass Tegan.”

“
I see,” said Alyssa. She
couldn’t understand, she didn’t have older siblings on her back all
the time.

“
It’s not like they’ll do any
real damage and even if she traces it to me she can’t do
much
,” said
Luthais. “Shall we return?” he asked, now fully dressed.

“
B
est if we take turns,” said
Alyssa.

“
Then please by all means,
ladies first
,” he said and held the door open for her.

Chapter 20

Tegan
laughed heartily at the joke her
guest had made. He was short for an Estaran, but in a room full of
Alkons, his height matched them. His hair was a darker color than
most Estarans, though he still had the trademark thin cheeks and
blue eyes. He had a number of scars on his face and bare forearms,
evidence of his profession as a soldier.

In spite of the dress code she had
requested for the wake, he had still come wearing his armor. Not
his full body-armor of course, only a black coated chainmail
covering his chest. She hadn’t been surprised though. Hector Cicero
was a lifetime soldier and commander of the Red Knights. She
suspected there were few places he would go without his armor, a
man like him survived by being careful.

Of course for Tegan,
he represented a
business opportunity. Hector was looking to upgrade his forces and
she wanted to ensure that he purchased his new weapons from Typhon
Trading’s armaments division.

He
finally finished his tale of military
actions in the Chasan Peninsula. It was time for her to bring up
the topic of weapons. “So Hector, I heard that you’re looking to
outfit your men with new firearms, for the next season of
contracts?” she asked.

“
Did
a little bird tell you that?” He
roared with laughter and downed half his glass of beer.

She couldn’
t tell if his boisterous
attitude was genuine or not, he had been playing the happy soldier
for most of the night, but he had to be smarter than he appeared.
She refused to believe he had reached his position without good
business sense.

“
I shouldn’t be surprised,” he
said. “Cormac Mordain’s wake and his daughter is already trying to
sell me weapons. You are your father’s daughter no
doubt.”

Before Tegan could reply, she saw Tessa
pushing through the guests towards her. “Wonderful,” she
muttered.

“
Tegan
, this is neither the time or place.
Commander Cicero has honored us with his presence tonight and
you’re bothering him about contracts,” scolded Tessa.

Tegan
loved her father and grieved for him,
but she had inherited his ruthless pragmatic streak. Her father
wouldn’t have hesitated at doing business at anyone’s wake, not
even his own children. If the opportunity was there for the taking
she wouldn’t let sentimentality hold her back.

“
I’
m not bothering him, sister, I was
merely asking a question,” said Tegan. “Why don’t you go and have a
drink and entertain you government friends. I believe Councilor
Sonrach wanted to discuss the taxation situation in Shiel with
you.” Tessa was trying to punish her for what the suspicions she
had in regards to the Silverton CEO. Another problem to thank her
idiot brother for.

Tessa glared at her, but
she turned away and
went to look for the councilor. Tegan smiled, Shiel had seceded
from Estara during the civil war and petitioned to join Alkos. It
had taken a long time but they were about to officially become part
of the empire, once the tax issue was resolved. Her sister had
wanted to deal with the issues of the province since she had taken
office and mentioning it would get rid of her.

“
She’s right you know,” said
Hector. “You shouldn’t be trying to do business at a time like
this. You should be more mindful of your older sister’s advice. You
never know when you will miss it.”

Tegan scoffed.

Hector grunted in amusement, the scar
nearest to his jaw stretching to pale white as he moved his face
muscles. “You may not be too fond of her right now. Death hits
everyone in different ways, but nothing is harder than family. Take
the advice from someone who has buried far too many of his
own.”

Tegan’s face went red in shame, “I’m sorry
Hector, I didn’t mean to-”

He waved his hand.
“Ah forget it girl,
I had worse arguments with my own siblings. It’s what we’re built
for. Tell you what, how about we schedule a meeting for next
Haleday, how does ten o’clock sound?”

“
That would be
excellent,
”
replied Tegan.

“
Good
,” said Hector. “Now forget about
business and enjoy yourself while you pay your respects to your
father.”

The musicians played
a new song, one of
her father’s favorites and she closed her eyes. She could picture
her father playing it in his company office the first time she ever
visited, when she was only eleven years old.

She had been in awe at the office building
and factory and she was delighted to hear her father tell her it
would one day all be hers, Tessa having already turned against her
heritage even then.

“
Excuse madam Mordain?”
One of her servants
pulled her from the memory. She opened her eyes, irritated at being
disturbed. She shook it off, the servant wouldn’t have bothered her
unless it was important.

“
Yes?”
she asked.

“
May I present Count Varko
Kulthon the Fifth, noble of the nation of Enz and head of Streighas
Enterprises.” The black-dressed servant stepped back and waved his
arm out to present the man.

The count stepped forward.
H
is dark
brown hair was shaved right to his scalp leaving a thin layer of
hair. He wore a light grey business suit with a black
tie.

Tegan extended her
hand
. A
smirk appeared on his face and he took it as it was offered, giving
her a strong handshake.

“
A lady who conducts herself as
a business professional, even at her own father’s wake. You are
everything I heard you to be Ms. Mordain. It is a pleasure,” said
Varko.

Hector placed one of his strong
hands on Tegan’s shoulder and said
, “Thank you for listening to my war
stories. I think I’ll take in the rest of the party.”

“
Of course,” replied Tegan “I
will see you next Haleday.”

“
Of course
. I look forward to hearing
about Typhon’s latest firearm products,” replied Hector. He walked
off towards a grouping of councilors near the cake
table.

“
Count Kulthon, it truly is
wonderful to finally meet you,” she said, turning her full
attention to the new guest.

Varko dismissed her use of his
title
.
“Please, call me Mr. Kulthon, I detest anyone using my formal title
outside of my estate.”

“
It is a shame my father never
met
you, he
often talked about you,” she said. It never hurt to butter up a new
acquaintance with flattery.

“
He did?”

“
Of course, you are an
inspiration. Your father started with nothing more than an idea and
an office in your home and now thirty years later you have turned
his company into the largest corporate entity in your nation.
Streighas controls sixty percent of all the metal mines in Enz.”
said Tegan.

“
I have a talent for business,
and I hear the same about you. I would have liked to meet your
father, but most of my life has been spent building my legacy in
E
nz,”
replied Varko. “It is not the easiest environment for innovative
business tactics. Many of the richest men in Wurnburg still think
praying to Cyer, the god of luck is a sound business strategy. Thus
I don’t have much time to visit the capital of the Alkon Empire.
This is my first time in over twenty years.”

“
And what finally brought you to
Alkos City?” asked Tegan, curious
. “I heard you were visiting and I had to
invite you here.” It would have been rude for the most powerful
business head of Alkos not to invite her counterpart from Enz to
her home.

“
Business of course.
W
hat else is
there?” replied Varko in a sly manner.

“
Of course
.” She smiled, he was as
focused as her father. “And how do you find the city since the last
time you visited?” she asked.

“
Much bigger
and sprawling further than I
expected. The recent technological advances you have made have
encouraged rapid growth. Other than that it is much the same,
though I have been hearing the most horrible rumors about an
accident at the city’s magic academy.”

Tegan cursed the mages and whatever they
had been pulling to cause trouble the same time a lucrative
business ally was in the city. She smiled as sweetly as she could
at Varko. “The matter is still under investigation. But I wouldn’t
pay it much mind. Rumors will fly at a party in Alkos, even one as
respectful as a wake. May I enquire as to the business that has
brought you to Alkos City?”

“
To be hon
est, I came here hoping that I
could do business with your father. As that is sadly no longer an
option I would like to have a proper business meeting with you.”
Tegan smiled more brightly, this time it was genuine.

Before she could reply
however,
one
of the women near the windows gave out a small cry, “Oh look,
there’s a crowd of people at the gates. Are they here to pay their
respects to your father, Tegan?”

This
did not sound good. “Excuse me a
moment Mr. Kulthon.” She walked over to the window where more of
the party attendees were gathering. The woman was right, Tegan
could see that behind the main gates, there was a large
crowd.

O
ne of her house guards burst in through
the doors. “Madam Mordain,” he said in a state of panic.

She walked over to him and
crossed her arms
. “Well out with it. Who are these interlopers intruding on
my father’s wake?”

The guard gulped and
replied
,
“Members of the Laborers Revolution Collective ma’am. They’re
refusing to leave.”

“
And when you threatened
them
, they
still didn’t leave?” she asked.

“
Threatened uh… no, they
demanded to see the head of Typhon trading and uh…,” he replied,
suddenly realizing that he had not taken the correct course of
action.

“
And you came
stra
ight
here to get me? Varos save me from incompetent help.” She looked
him directly in the eyes. “Who do you work for?”

The guard gulped, his job was
on
the line
if he didn’t answer correctly. “The Mordain family.”

“
Correct
. So when a bunch of radicals show up
at the Mordain family’s gates and makes demands, you threaten to
shoot them. If they don’t leave then you fire warning shots at
their feet. If they still do not leave after that then you fire
into their faces. What you do not do, is come running to your
employer because they asked you to fetch her.” Tegan was shouting
at the man, her face red with anger.