“What did he say?”
Veekay didn’t want to talk. But there his boss was, demanding that he talk. Veekay hadn’t slept all night. Hadn’t slept for the last few days, and he desperately needed some time to digest everything that had happened.
“Can I go to sleep?”
“I need to know, Veekay.”
Normally, Elkay was never that demanding. Even though he spent almost as many hours awake as his Ksa did, Elkay had been rather lenient on them, letting them take naps when they needed, as long as they spoke to him first. Everything was being run on a tight schedule, so everyone needed to know who was available then. In fact, Veekay’s little trip was the first time they’d broken schedule, but luckily Elkay always planned for these sorts of things.
“Please, ser.”
“Five minutes. Then you can go to sleep. I will let you have a little lie-in as well.”
Veekay sighed. He couldn’t turn down a lie-in. An extra half an hour in bed would do him wonders. But Veekay was unsure if he was too tired or delirious to even speak properly.
“The N-Class Ksa. They’re his kids.”
“His what?”
“Kids.”
“As in?”
“As in either he fucked a bunch of Rethans and got them pregnant like fifty times or something or he’s laid like hundreds of eggs over the years. I don’t know. I’m tired. I flew back here because honestly I was worried he would send his Ksa to kill me.”
Elkay put his arms around Veekay. “They are genuinely his kids?”
“He threatened me. I told you, I could sense that they were Deitic.”
“Yes, you mentioned that to me when you told me about the voice you heard.”
“Well, he thought I was threatening his kids. Called them children. Can I go to sleep now?”
Elkay sighed. “Did you convince him or anything?”
Veekay shrugged, too sleepy to really care. “I don’t know. He’s like, a fucking idiot stubborn stupid… thing… He said I was wise though. I don’t think I am. I just follow orders.”
With a smile, Elkay patted Veekay on the shoulder. “That is fine. At least he took the time to listen to you. As for you, go to bed. One of your siblings will wake you up at demi nine. On your way, can you get Teekay to come and speak to me?”
Veekay nodded and wandered off upstairs. A small bang was heard as he tripped on the last step, and another as he knocked on Teekay’s door. A brief conversation, and Teekay quickly came down to replace Veekay.
“So… uh…” Teekay hesitated. “So much for no heirs?”
Elkay shook his head. “They were never his heirs, always his servants. The more I learn, the more I realise how we have all been tricked by Photeianos’s foulness.”
“What do you need, ser?” Teekay asked, wanting to change the conversation. He’d always been friendly with the lower members of the N-Class, and knowing what Veekay had just told him, he wondered if those friendships would falter.
“I have a few things I need to go through with you. Security detail. Afterwards we need to arrange a break in our schedule. Find space for you all to take a day off. We need it. You deserve it.”
“And after that, ser?”
“After that? Business as normal. We have a chance, Teekay. We have a chance…”