01-17-2018, 09:55 PM
This was breakfast, not an official talk. Nikolai learned what he needed from the Americans. Invariably, Evelyn let slip her true intentions. They wanted an agreement that channelers refrain from military positions, while the United States would consider police forces tolerable. Nik wanted to shake his head. Like he said before, neither the US, China, nor himself had any intention of withholding channelers from foreign defense positions. It would be impossible. "What you're really seeking is a promise from me that I won't turn a channeler against the United States."
All the faces turned toward him, but he was rather dismissive. He cherished Evelyn and all she could do for him, but her naiveté showed. "They are humans, the channelers residing in all our borders, but we are here to talk about missiles. You want a promise that I will not turn a missile against foreign nations, and in turn, you will promise likewise. So far, the world has resisted another catastrophic war. None of us have unleashed hell against any other nation. If you want an agreement that I will not seek war against the United States, you already have one."
He smiled.
When was the last time a country made a dime invading another country? Invasions squander vast amounts of money and blood needlessly. Nations made more money by avoiding wars than engaging in them. Nikolai proved the better way to conquer. He's stated his interests over and over again. Third world nations were an entirely different story. Lebanon and Chad, Tibet and China, Honduras and El Salvador. Borders were compromised all over the world. That the major powers refrained from attacking fellow first world nations was not out of the goodness of their hearts, it was economical not to. You steal far more with a briefcase than with a gun. Besides, all the channeling needed to take what he wanted occurred thirty years ago. Should he take an interest in shaking the foundations of the world a second time, the United States could not stop him. They shouldn't be worried about channelers in the army. They should be terrified that Nikolai didn't flatten a mountain range on a fly-over.
"Draft your documents and I will read your proposal. In the meantime, Commander Vellas, a word in private?"
As soon as he stood from the table, others followed. His gaze lingered on Evelyn as he passed, but only momentarily. She was the key to this. She didn't realize it, but she was the missile she feared. She would win him the United States, and once they were absorbed, the rest of the world would follow.
Outside the dining hall, he gathered Michael to him and created a wall of silence around them to speak freely. The two walked casually, Nik with his hands clasped behind his back. "I never properly thanked you for dealing with Andlain."
He made himself do so now. "Thank you."
He had a feeling Michael had been all too eager to unleash a plague of carnage upon Andlain and his cult of followers.
"I also never told you what really happened in the basements. I gather you have pieced it together, but you should know more. The Atharim that attacked me included the head of their order. His title is Regus, and he is of the Vatican. Yes, the Vatican."
He raised a brow. Vatican City was the only city-state in all of Europe that was outside his dominion. Yet they continued to endure. Nikolai didn't care. His memories flashed back to his own time there, brief as it was. The torn tattoo on his arm seemingly burned bright with those thoughts. Regus' office, Garrett's father had been an incredible man. It pained Nikolai to kill him, but the zealot would not relent.
He turned and looked at Michael. A pair of Staffers passed by. They took a wide berth but both dipped their heads low in reverence for the Ascendancy and his chief general as they passed. Clearly they could not hear what was being said. Nikolai took a breath, but the fury he felt in the hospital had cooled to deadly determination. "He wielded weapons I did not know exist. He called, no he commanded, an ijiraq as they are named. Through me, it pulled the power with such ferocity I thought I was going to rip the world apart, Michael. Such power. Surely it should have killed me, but the creature buffered the danger somehow. I do not understand it. Have you ever encountered tale of such a creature?"
he grit his teeth. A member of the Consulate of the Interior passed just then, caught a glimpse of his expression and hurried onward.
Nik steadied his emotions. "Had I known he commanded such a creature, I would not have let him in."
All the faces turned toward him, but he was rather dismissive. He cherished Evelyn and all she could do for him, but her naiveté showed. "They are humans, the channelers residing in all our borders, but we are here to talk about missiles. You want a promise that I will not turn a missile against foreign nations, and in turn, you will promise likewise. So far, the world has resisted another catastrophic war. None of us have unleashed hell against any other nation. If you want an agreement that I will not seek war against the United States, you already have one."
He smiled.
When was the last time a country made a dime invading another country? Invasions squander vast amounts of money and blood needlessly. Nations made more money by avoiding wars than engaging in them. Nikolai proved the better way to conquer. He's stated his interests over and over again. Third world nations were an entirely different story. Lebanon and Chad, Tibet and China, Honduras and El Salvador. Borders were compromised all over the world. That the major powers refrained from attacking fellow first world nations was not out of the goodness of their hearts, it was economical not to. You steal far more with a briefcase than with a gun. Besides, all the channeling needed to take what he wanted occurred thirty years ago. Should he take an interest in shaking the foundations of the world a second time, the United States could not stop him. They shouldn't be worried about channelers in the army. They should be terrified that Nikolai didn't flatten a mountain range on a fly-over.
"Draft your documents and I will read your proposal. In the meantime, Commander Vellas, a word in private?"
As soon as he stood from the table, others followed. His gaze lingered on Evelyn as he passed, but only momentarily. She was the key to this. She didn't realize it, but she was the missile she feared. She would win him the United States, and once they were absorbed, the rest of the world would follow.
Outside the dining hall, he gathered Michael to him and created a wall of silence around them to speak freely. The two walked casually, Nik with his hands clasped behind his back. "I never properly thanked you for dealing with Andlain."
He made himself do so now. "Thank you."
He had a feeling Michael had been all too eager to unleash a plague of carnage upon Andlain and his cult of followers.
"I also never told you what really happened in the basements. I gather you have pieced it together, but you should know more. The Atharim that attacked me included the head of their order. His title is Regus, and he is of the Vatican. Yes, the Vatican."
He raised a brow. Vatican City was the only city-state in all of Europe that was outside his dominion. Yet they continued to endure. Nikolai didn't care. His memories flashed back to his own time there, brief as it was. The torn tattoo on his arm seemingly burned bright with those thoughts. Regus' office, Garrett's father had been an incredible man. It pained Nikolai to kill him, but the zealot would not relent.
He turned and looked at Michael. A pair of Staffers passed by. They took a wide berth but both dipped their heads low in reverence for the Ascendancy and his chief general as they passed. Clearly they could not hear what was being said. Nikolai took a breath, but the fury he felt in the hospital had cooled to deadly determination. "He wielded weapons I did not know exist. He called, no he commanded, an ijiraq as they are named. Through me, it pulled the power with such ferocity I thought I was going to rip the world apart, Michael. Such power. Surely it should have killed me, but the creature buffered the danger somehow. I do not understand it. Have you ever encountered tale of such a creature?"
he grit his teeth. A member of the Consulate of the Interior passed just then, caught a glimpse of his expression and hurried onward.
Nik steadied his emotions. "Had I known he commanded such a creature, I would not have let him in."