Immortal War

“It is, Commodore Li,” Black said with a nod. “I’m here with a proposal on behalf of the Federation. It concerns both you and your deputy.”

“I have three deputies currently,” Cheng Li said. “Which of them in particular are you referring to?”

“Connor Tempest,” Ahab Black confirmed.

“Me?” Connor said, stepping forward curiously.

“Yes,” Black said. “I’m here to make you an offer you can’t refuse.” His cold eyes drilled into Connor’s. “I’m here to make you the Federation’s next captain.” He punched Connor jovially on the shoulder. “Now what do you have to say about that?”

34

LADY LOLA TURNS THE CARDS

“He’s just so darling!” Holly said, swinging baby Evil up in the air. It made the little lad giggle.

“He’s a doll,” agreed Nathalie. “He has his father’s nose, don’t you think?”

“Never mind.” Lola spoke from behind them. “We can always get that rectified later.” She shrugged. “Still, much better he has Sidorio’s looks and my brains than the other way around.” She moved over to the other bassinet. “Look at dear little Hunter snoozing away. Now he’s definitely got the looks of a Lockwood! Such a stubborn little jaw!” She turned back toward Holly and Evil, who let out a yawn. “That’s a big old yawn for a little man! Are you sleepy? Shall Mummy put you down for a nap?”

With both babies settled in their cribs, Lola led Holly and Nathalie out from the little nursery into the main part of her cabin. “Ladies, can I offer you a drink?”

“Yes, please, Captain,” Nathalie said.

Holly nodded. “That would be nice.”

“Make yourselves comfortable!” Lola gestured toward the collection of chairs clustered around the coffee table. “I’ll bring them over.”

“Thank you!” chorused the two young Vampirates, taking their seats.

“It’s I who should be thanking you,” Lola said, “for keeping me company while Sidorio and the others are engaged in the attack on The Nocturne.” She carried over the drinks, then walked over to collect her own glass before taking her seat on the chaise, beside Holly. “It’s not in my nature to miss an important attack like this, but Hunter was a bit colicky earlier and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him.” She glanced over her shoulder, toward the nursery. “He seems happy enough now, though, doesn’t he, my little devil?”

The girls nodded. “Motherhood really suits you, Captain,” said Nathalie.

“Thank you.” Lola nodded graciously. “Of course, I had children in my mortal days, but that was several lifetimes ago. I thought I might be rusty, but it all seems to be coming back to me.” She sipped her drink. “Gosh, this is good!”

“What are we drinking?” Nathalie asked.

“Molucco Wrathe,” Lola said, wistfully. “Sadly, we’re down to the last couple of bottles. He drinks unusually well, doesn’t he?”

Nathalie nodded. “Simply delicious.”

“Doesn’t he have a brother?” Holly said.

“That’s right—Barbarro!” Nathalie exclaimed.

“We could always harvest him!” said Holly.

Lola smiled at Holly. “You’re an ideas girl.”

“Captain,” Nathalie said, opening her bag, “since we have a little time on our hands, how do you fancy a game of cards?” She reached into the bag and took out a small velvet pouch with a gold tassel and set it down on the table.

“What a splendid idea!” Lola exclaimed.

Nathalie tugged at the drawstring of the velvet pouch and freed the deck of cards inside. “How’s about I set them up and you turn them over?”

“Perfect!” Lola clapped her hands with delight. “What fun!”

“Why do you want me to become a captain?” Connor asked Ahab Black as he faced him across the table in Cheng Li’s cabin.

“You’ve shown great potential,” Black said, his bored monotone somehow lacking conviction. “We’ve reached a crunch point in the war, and, by investing in a young gun like yourself, the Alliance will be making a powerful statement to our enemy. We’ve got no end of surprises! We fight on! We fight until we win!”

There was a discreet cough from the other side of the table. Both men turned their gaze toward Cheng Li. “As Connor’s commanding officer and a key member of the Alliance war cabinet, isn’t this something that should have been discussed with me first?” she asked.

“You didn’t know about this?” Connor was surprised. Generally, Cheng Li knew about everything before it happened.

“No,” Cheng Li said. “I didn’t. And I’d have appreciated a heads-up.”

Connor knew she and Black had history, and her irritation seemed genuine. What was Black up to?

Commodore Black shrugged. “We’re in the midst of the most extreme theater of war either of us will live to see, Commodore Li. Things move darn fast within such a scenario.”

“I understand that,” Cheng Li said with exaggerated patience. “Even so, there are certain protocols that must be observed…”

As Cheng Li and Ahab Black locked horns, Connor’s attention drifted. His eyes glanced up at the picture of Chang Ko Li above the captain’s desk. Connor had seen the imposing portrait many times before. Now it seemed different somehow—as if the dead captain were watching these petty human matters with amusement. In the greater scheme of things, what did it matter whether Connor said yes or no to being a captain? What did it matter if a protocol or two were broken? There were bigger forces at work, and, Connor was coming to see, he had no real chance of fighting them, no way of stemming the inevitable tide. He could almost imagine Chang Ko Li nodding approvingly at him.

“Aha!” he heard Cheng Li say. “So that’s what this is really about. The money Connor inherited from Molucco!”

“My inheritance?” Connor brought his focus back to the conference table.

Cheng Li’s almond eyes were sharp with indignation. “Did you miss that, Connor? It appears that the Federation will be only too happy to grant you a captaincy, but there’s a hefty price tag attached.”

Connor sat back in his seat. “What is the price?” he asked.

Ahab Black took a pen and envelope from his jacket pocket. He scribbled a figure on the envelope and slid it across the table, past Cheng Li’s eager eyes, toward Connor. “That should seal the deal,” Black said.

Connor reached for the envelope and raised his eyes.

“That’s a lot of money!”

Lola and Holly watched as Nathalie set out twenty-two cards on the highly polished coffee table. Lola recalled that the hand-painted cards were an antique set passed down through many generations of Nathalie’s aristocratic line.