The Residency, Ciudad Centro, Refugio, Higgins World
The smoke from the destroyed apartment hung like a shroud over the Residency. Francos Hypath Morales, Overlord of Humanos Verdaderos, the True Humans, stood at the window staring at the still-smoking remains of the First Successor’s apartment. The fire had been so intense it had caused the stone of the mountain to melt and sag as if it were wax instead of hard basalt. His son, his son’s bride, and over twenty dependents had perished in the inferno. Heat from the cooling rocks still rippled in the air above the wall of the caldera.
Francos spoke to his chancellor without turning from the window. “Venda, have you notified Megal?”
Venda Abra, chancellor of Refugio, kept his distance. “Yes, Ser, he is on his way here. We are readying the return of the dowry, and I have asked Tuban Morales to serve as your emissary to House Denia on the matter of blood price.” Knowing how explosive the Overlord’s temper could be, he was wary.
“My uncle is a good choice. Thank you, Venda. You may go.” Francos turned away from the window. The man is a fool, he thought, but he was efficient and organized. And not bright or brave enough to be a political threat, so he’d keep him on. He nodded to his assistant.
“Serept, have the Keepers made any progress identifying any bastard children my sons may have engendered?”
Serept bowed. “Ser, it has been very difficult. Your sons’ sexual adventures were frequent, but the results were usually fatal to the women. No children have been identified in any of the private houses.” The slender telepath served to augment the Overload so he would not be exhausted from using his power. Serept Baut was strong enough to ward off the Overlord’s dangerous mental outbursts. As a result, he had become not only an adviser but a friend.
“Have them continue the search. If we could find even a bastard child, it would make it easier. It will be difficult convincing Megal he must be bonded. I do not want a repeat of last night.”
“Ser, you believe it will be difficult to convince Ser Megal to enter a bonding? Many men have suffered a death from a first encounter. Surely, he knows his duty.”
“You forget, my son’s power lies in empathy and telepathy. I punished Benitos and Marianel for what they did. Those young men forced him to mount the girl, even assisted him. The horror of her emotional reaction and her death nearly caused his suicide. It took months of work by the healers to keep him from going permanently insane.”
Francos turned and gazed again at the remains of the apartment of the First Successor and sighed. “That house was a treasure. The men of my family have used it for our first nights with our brides since it was built. Damn Marianel to the lowest hell.” Francos stared at the incredible destruction on the hillside above the city. The rooms had been built into a cleft in the wall. The whole city had heard the explosion and seen the fiery destruction.
“Will Megal’s rooms be ready for him? Marianel never really stayed there.”
“Ser, Carlos Bethal has asked that Ser Megal be allowed to stay at House Bethal until the formal mourning is over.”
“I have no problem with that. He had no preparation for this, and I am certain he would avoid it if he could. Have his rooms readied. He will move to the Residence when the mourning is over.”
“As you wish, Ser.” Serept withdrew wondering at the seemingly calm demeanor of his master and friend. It was uncharacteristic of Francos to take these disasters so calmly. Perhaps he realized how much was his own fault.
Francos was angry and knowing he had caused most of the problem himself did not make it easier to bear. His sixty-fifth name day was only four years off, and he had no grandson to present to the Council. Megal was his last hope.
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