“You wanted to see me, your highness.” Losham bowed before his father.

“Yes, let’s go into my office.”

Navuh got to his feet without the usual fanfare, gathering his robe and pulling it up as he took the stairs down to the room’s level so it wouldn’t impede his speed.

He seemed rushed, perturbed.

Expecting more bad news, Losham’s gut twisted uncomfortably. Navuh was very old, and there was little that rattled him. Had they lost another big client?

Navuh waved a hand motioning for Losham to close the door, casting a shroud to block any sound escaping the office at the same time.

“I changed my mind,” he said as he sat down on one of the overstuffed armchairs.

“About what, my lord?”

“The clan. We can’t leave them alone.”

That was a one-eighty departure from their previous conversation. “But what about the resources?”

Navuh waved an impatient hand. “That’s exactly why I changed my mind. As long as they perceive us as a direct threat, they have no choice but to fortify their defenses. That costs money and bleeds their resources. If they feel secure, they will divert all that money they are making from their technologies into more and more technologies. If we want to catch up to them, we need to slow their progress.”

Losham was duly impressed. “It’s similar to what the Americans did to the Russians with the space program and the arms race. Not wanting to fall behind, the Russians bled money on those and bankrupted their country in the process because they couldn’t afford it.”

“Precisely.”

Lifting the lid off the box of cigars he kept on the side table, Navuh pulled out two, cut the ends and handed one to Losham.

It was the most fatherly gesture Navuh had ever bestowed on him.

Actually cutting the cigar for him, with his own hands?

“Thank you, my lord.” Losham jumped to snatch the lighter and lit Navuh’s cigar.

“How do you want to go about it?”

Navuh puffed on his cigar for a few moments before answering. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t expect results. All I want is for them to feel the pressure. You can have warriors visiting clubs in Los Angeles, where we suspect the clan headquarters are. If they catch a civilian, they can try to interrogate him, but I don’t care if they learn anything. Kill the worthless shit and send a message that we are out there.”

“What about the allocation of resources?”

Navuh smiled and waved with his cigar, the smoke trailing behind his hand. “We have thousands of soldiers with nothing to do other than train. I say we send them out to make money distributing and selling drugs, and spend their so-called free time in clubs. You can arrange cheap housing for them, four to a room for all I care. And if they want spending money, they will have to work for it in the drug trade.”

“Are you suggesting we offer them a cut?”

“Why not? Figure something out that will motivate them to work hard and fill our coffers with money.”

“How many soldiers are we talking about?”

“As many as you deem necessary. Put them on a rotation schedule so they don’t get too comfortable in their new roles and try to venture out on their own.”

Losham was having a hard time hiding his excitement. Navuh’s idea might be his ticket out of the island and back to Los Angeles. After tasting freedom, being cooped up on the resort was starting to feel like island fever.

“Of course, my lord. Would you want me to set up the operation?”

For the longest time, Navuh didn’t answer, puffing on his fat cigar as if Losham wasn’t even there. Then he sighed. “I wish I had someone else I could send. I like having you here by my side.”

Losham’s heart sank. “You honor me, my lord.”

“But I want this thing up and running as soon as possible, and you’re the one who can set it up the fastest. After the operations are set up and running smoothly, I want you back here.”

Losham dipped his head to hide his smile. “Yes, my lord.”

The hand with the cigar went waving again. “Don’t get too comfortable there. I want you to fly back here every other week and give me updates in person.”

“As you wish, my lord.” Losham dipped his head again and waited for his dismissal.

“As long as you are there, you can head the program we talked about before. Recruiting whores for the clubs.”

Well, technically they weren’t whores before getting recruited, as Navuh had called it, but he wasn’t going to correct his father.

“Yes, my lord. With so many different responsibilities I will need capable assistants.”

He had no intention of soiling his hands with such a dirty business. A chosen underling could learn what needed to be done and head that project while Losham spent his time more productively. He would supervise and suggest improvements as needed, but he would do this hands-off.

It wasn’t that he cared for the humans. They were an inferior species and needed herding by their betters. And it wasn’t even about whoring, he had no problem with that either. In fact, Losham loved a good whore as much as the next male. But pimping was for thugs—an occupation most unbecoming of someone of Losham’s caliber.

“Choose whomever you want. I give you a free hand. Just remember that the days of lavish spending are over. No fancy hotel suites and no expensive dining.”

Disappointing.

“Naturally, it does not apply to you, or any of my other sons, just to everyone else.”

That was a relief. “Thank you, my lord.”

“That being said, don’t overdo it.”

“No, my lord.”