Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
I had to return to the office, to reassure our employees, to send a message to our enemies, and most importantly to coordinate the search for my sibling. We had to find Tarquin at all costs.
Instead, I’d arrived at my office that morning to be greeted by House Pierce having histrionics in my waiting room. Not taking the case wasn’t an option. We owed Peter a favor, and he’d come to collect. In Prime society, a business runs on favors, and you are only as good as your ability to pay up. This is something that I had to impart onto Arabella. Raw power matters, but base matters more. Can you pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t spoken to in two years, and compel them to do something that wouldn’t be profitable for them, either to balance the books or to owe them a favor? Would they take that call? That’s what being a Prime power means.
I was the only one among the MII personnel who could’ve taken down Adam, and it would’ve been very difficult. I had to buy time, so I asked for the subcontractor with the best performance and got the Baylors. I gave them a cursory glance, because my time was in short supply, and they seemed to fit the bill. The plan was never to have them take down Pierce. I simply needed the appearance of an active investigation, and I counted on them being smart enough to keep from getting hurt.
Had I known Nevada would take this at face value, I would have… No, you know what, I would have done everything the same. In that particular state of mind, with what I knew at the time, I would’ve still made the same decision, because that’s who I was back then.
George: But you are not that man now?
Augustine: My priorities have undergone a certain shift. The old adage says that if you beat a dog long enough, it will become vicious. I had been beaten for years in many ways. I had sunk very deep into the cycle of retaliation and pre-emptive measures. It took a catastrophic event to spark some self-awareness.
George: Connor threatening to kill you?
Augustine: That I had expected at the time. No, it was the fact that Nevada came to me. In her place, I would’ve eliminated me. It was cleaner and safer, while the alternative was messy and had questionable chances of success. She sat in my office, and I could tell that she was deeply conflicted. That woman genuinely didn’t want to hurt me. It was another way to be. A way I strived for once, a long time ago, and had forgotten. As unbelievable as it seems, there was a time I was idealistic. Alas, House warfare doesn’t suffer idealists.
George: Do you like yourself more now?
Augustine: I’d like to think so. I have drawn some lines, which I will not cross.
George: Did you recover your brother?
Augustine: Yes. He survived.
George: And your father’s killer?
Augustine: smiling.
George: I see. Can you tell us a bit more about your family?
Augustine: I have two siblings and a cousin, whom I’ve taken in.
George: Are you romantically involved with anyone?
Augustine: Yes.
George: Is that all we’re going to get? No details?
Augustine: Yes.
George: In that case, let’s move on to a less sensitive subject. Konstantine Berezin.
Augustine: laughs.
George: Is he as good as he claims to be?
Augustine: Yes.
George: As good as you?
Augustine: No.
George: Why?
Augustine: Konstantine maintains his illusions sporadically during missions and in his spare time, for fun. I spent two years of my life pretending to be my dead father in front of high level illusion mages on our payroll. I’ve had significantly more practice, and my stakes were a lot higher.
George: Will we ever learn more about that?
Augustine: If they give me a book, you will. Without any false modesty, I believe I would be quite profitable for them.
George: False modesty serves no one.
Augustine: Indeed. So, tell me about yourself. What is it like to be married?
George: It is bliss. Let us conclude this interview, and I will tell you all about it.