“You big baby,” Anastasia scolded. “And after I warmed up, too.” She sat down cross-legged a few feet away from him on the mat. “It seems to me that you have been a popular boy, since you arrived at the Academy.”
“I guess so,” Alex said, giving up on massaging out the kink is his shoulder. “It’s mostly been stuff like this afternoon. Some idiot approaches me and tries to get me to have a private talk, which always ends up being a half-assed recruitment speech.”
“And your suitors. Are they always from the Hegemony?”
“I told you already. Always. Why is that, anyway?”
“I would be upset, were it was any other way,” Anastasia said. “The Black Sun has a centralized leadership structure. When we make a recruitment approach, we do it as an organization. Whereas the Hegemony is at best a loose affiliation, and any cartel that gets the idea will try and approach you, independently. But, don’t think too badly of them, as it is primarily an issue of timing. With Eckhart and Tuesday out on Field Study until winter session, there is a leadership void for the Hegemony at the Academy. After the New Year, I am certain they will make a formal attempt.”
“And that doesn’t bother you? I thought that they were your enemies.”
“I don’t give the Hegemony enough credit to let them worry me,” Anastasia sniffed. “And the Black Sun has no enemies. At worst, there are other cartels that we have philosophical disagreements with.”
“You sure about that? Because they seemed to be very afraid of you.”
Anastasia smiled at him. It wasn’t a pretty thing, severe and a little malicious, but at least it made her seem a touch more human.
“As they should be,” she said, sounding satisfied. “Would you like to know what makes me different from everyone else who has approached you thus far?”
Alex nodded wearily.
“I am the only one who doesn’t need you, Alex.” Anastasia leaned forward, and spoke with sincerity, her manner composed and serious. “Neither I, nor the Black Sun, need you in order to fulfill our ambitions and goals. My cartel’s dominance and my own position within it are assured. We would hardly turn you away, should you desire a further association with the Black Sun — to the contrary, we would welcome you, as you have the potential to become quite useful. But, wanting and needing is not the same thing. Do you see the distinction?”
“Yes,” Alex replied sullenly. “Very flattering. Are you really so confident in the Black Sun?”
“Of course,” Anastasia said, blinking and looking a touch surprised at the question. “You needn’t take it from me, though. Ask Emily what she thinks the next time she tries to take you home — oh, she may couch the language a bit more, but I promise you that she sees what I see.”
“Which is?”
“The Black Sun Cartel is roughly the same size as the entirety of the Hegemony. With our affiliate cartels, we are somewhat larger. And we have no internal divisions or disputes; unlike the Hegemony, we do not waste our energy fighting each other.” Anastasia glanced briefly up at the clock on the wall, and then back to Alex. “If you factor in the Academy, there are an average of nearly two students affiliated with Black Sun for every one affiliated with Hegemony. Time and circumstances are on our side, Alex, and we are patient. We have been waiting for generations for the time to be right, and we won’t move until it is. And everyone can see the tide changing.”
“That all sounds great. I’m happy for you, really. But, if you don’t need me, then why are we having this conversation?”
Anastasia gave him another, more predatory smile, and he liked this one even less.
“We are, of course, not overlooking your considerable potential.” Anastasia paused and cocked her head to the side. “And then, there is the fact that I cannot simply allow you to join the Hegemony.”
“Oh?” Alex said, grimacing. “And how would you stop me, assuming I even wanted to do that?”
“I won’t try and persuade you the way Emily would, if that’s what you are thinking,” Anastasia laughed. “No offense. I was going to try reason, actually. I don’t think you would want to join the losing side in a fight if you had other options. The more you learn about the Hegemony, the less, I think, that you will find yourself sympathetic toward them. Don’t think that because Emily is a nice person that the Hegemony itself is benign.”
“And if reason doesn’t work? What’s after that? Vaguely worded threats, maybe?”
“No,” Anastasia said emphatically. “I don’t make threats. I have never seen the point. The next step would be bribery, to be frank. If you have no interest in doing the right thing, then perhaps you would be interested in doing right by yourself. So, if a number were to pop into that busy head of yours, well, you come speak to me directly, and I will be happy to make it happen.”
“You mean, like, money?” Alex asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes, Alex.” Anastasia said, amused. “I mean money. In virtually any amount that you care to name. Or, any other kind of material possession. Cars, houses, those blinking black boxes that boys love so much, whatever you like.”
“Wow,” Alex said faintly, his head swimming. “I have to at least give you points for honesty and forwardness, if nothing else.”
“Go ahead,” Anastasia said encouragingly, “pick a number. Surprise me.”
“Not right now,” Alex said, then caught Anastasia’s superior look and hurriedly added, “maybe never.”
“In my experience, the only things in this world that don’t have a price are those without value. And despite all appearances, you certainly do have value. Let us assume,” Anastasia said reasonably, “that I am simply offering to pay you with the wrong currency. Shall we talk for a moment about your little friend Emily? She’s certainly found a receptive audience in you.”
“What?”
“Surely you have noticed that, lovely though she is, Emily is hardly the only girl on campus, yes?” Anastasia’s eyes were full of laughter, her face a bit cruel. “I mentioned that the majority of the students are destined for the Black Sun, after graduation, which means they are going to find themselves under my jurisdiction, eventually. I am certain that I could make any introductions that you might need. Similarly, I can assure you that they any advances you make will be well-received.”
Alex looked at her with obvious shock and distaste.
“That’s going a bit too far.”
“Would you prefer that I invite you home? Make moon eyes at you during class?” Anastasia said mockingly. “I am trying to make a point, Alex. I don’t want you on my side as much as you
“And I’m guessing,” Alex said warily, “that on the flip side, you could make it very hard for me, right?”
Anastasia appeared to consider a moment before responding, and in the interval, Alex noticed her eyes dart back up to the clock. If she had someplace else to be, he wondered irritably, why didn’t she just go?
“I suppose I could,” Anastasia allowed, looking displeased. “But I don’t care much for that sort of thing. I am not here to try and make you do anything. Particularly not something that I have the utmost confidence that you will do of your own free will, eventually.”
“How can you be so sure?” Alex wondered aloud. He found Anastasia’s tremendous confidence unnerving — her demeanor was so self-assured and authoritative that he had to stop himself from nodding along in agreement as she spoke. He’d underestimated Anastasia, in more ways than one, he realized. “Are you one of those people who can see the future or something?”
“No one that I’m aware of can ‘see the future’. If you are referring to precognition, then no, I am not a precognitive.” She smiled almost wistfully, much to Alex’s surprise. “It would be much more convenient if I were, though. Have you ever read a report written by a group of precognitives, who are collectively trying to out-think other groups of competing precognitives?” Anastasia clucked disapprovingly. “It borders on utter gibberish, let me tell you.”
“Fascinating,” Alex muttered.
“Oh, don’t be sullen,” Anastasia scolded. “I offered all the money, power and girls that you could desire. How can that possibly be such a bad thing? Or, is it that you prefer Emily’s recruitment tactics?”
“You seriously need to stop bringing that up,” Alex said petulantly. “I barely even know her. And, no one is recruiting me into anything.”
“Certainly. I assume that it is normal for you, then, arriving at a new school, to have the prettiest girl in class fascinated by you from day one, yes? Does that sort of thing happen to you often, Alex?”
Alex looked concerned for a moment, and then his gaze hardened.
