Page 25 of Dark Chains: First Link
Losham sat in his garden chair and looked at the bougainvillea growing along the far wall, its pink and purple colors vivid against the lush green background. The air carried the heavy sweetness of frangipani mixed with the saltier undertone that the ocean breeze delivered, and the sun wasn't scorching yet.
It was an oasis of peace and tranquility on the island that was anything but.
Rami emerged from the house carrying a tray with a French press, a cup, and a stack of folded newspapers.
He set the tray on the side table. "Good morning, my lord."
"Rami, we've discussed this."
"Good morning, Losham." Rami corrected himself without missing a beat.
Losham waved his hand in the direction Rami had arrived from. "Go get yourself a cup and sit with me."
They went through the same ritual nearly every morning and evening, but Rami always brought just one cup or one wine glass and waited for an explicit invitation to join Losham.
It suited him well because sometimes he didn't want company, especially when the clan's compeller called him at night.
Rami returned with an additional mug, pulled the other chair closer, and sat.
The guy was the perfect companion, smart and loyal, and if he were a female, Losham would have gladly made Rami his partner in life. But he needed a capable assistant more than he needed a life partner, and females couldn't be employed in such positions on the island. He also wasn't attracted to males, which was fortunate because such proclivities went against Mortdh's teachings and carried the death penalty on the island. Rami, on the other hand, was exclusively attracted to males, and Losham pitied him for his enforced celibacy. He was most likely not the only one with such preferences, but seeking out others like him was just too dangerous on the island. It had been so much easier for Rami when they had been living in California.
It had been easier for Losham as well.
The island was a pressure cooker that demanded that he constantly perform.
With his brothers, he had to be the smart but accommodating leader who could get along with every one of them, and with the clan's compeller on the phone, he had to perform compliance because he had no choice. With Rami, he could be himself, drink his coffee and read the paper, and not worry about projecting an image.
The coffee was good. The beans had come from the same shipment as the newspaper, part of the regular supply run that kept the island provisioned with everything from ammunition to imported cheese. The logistics of maintaining a self-contained military installation in the middle of the Indian Ocean were complicated, and Losham had gained a new appreciation for the complexity of it since he'd been tasked with it.
His next procurement should be several talented programmers to computerize that system and make it easier to maintain.
Losham unfolded the newspaper and scanned the headlines. There was one active war going on, and several internal conflicts that had turned bloody. All good news, the desired results of the Brotherhood's efforts. The one troubling article involved a bank where the Brotherhood kept some of its money. He made a mental note to transfer the funds elsewhere and, while he was at it, to siphon off some of it to his private stash.
Come to think of it, he could take it all and blame the loss on the bank folding.
Smiling at the fortunate turn of events, Losham sipped his coffee and turned to the business section, but his attention wavered. There was a sensation in the back of his mind, a low-grade discomfort that had bothered him since he'd woken up, like a hint of a memory or a thread of thought that remained out of reach.
Something was off.
He picked up his phone and checked his emails. Three were from various department heads regarding nonurgent matters. One was from the harbor master confirming the next supply ship's arrival schedule. Two from his brothers.
The first was from Hazok, requesting an update on the excavation timeline. Losham typed a response that was noncommittal but made it clear that he was on top of things.
The second was from Kolhood.
Losham read it twice because Kolhood's messages were never just about what they said on the surface. His brother was no simpleton, even though he sometimes sounded like one. He hadn't been put in charge of the army just because he was Navuh's son and it had been his turn in the never-ending position rotation. He'd earned the rank by cunning and outmaneuvering the other brothers who had vied for the position.
Kolhood was requesting a council meeting. The stated purpose was to "discuss the ongoing situation."
Losham sighed and set the phone on the table. "Kolhood wants another council meeting."
"When?"
"He didn't specify. He's leaving it to me, which is generous of him and means that he wants to appear collaborative rather than confrontational." Losham picked up his coffee and drank, watching the steam curl above the rim.
The council meetings were verbal sparring matches, and each one required more energy than the last. Kolhood was smart, ambitious, and impatient. The other two brothers took their cues from him, which was regrettable. Losham needed to get them on his side.
The good news was that they weren't trying to kill him yet, but that was a temporary situation.
