1
Rufsur
Kalugal swiveled his chair around, turning away from his computer screen to look at Rufsur. “Did you know that long-range acoustic devices are used on cruise ships?”
“For what?” Rufsur chuckled. “Announcing that the buffet is open? Wouldn’t that cause a stampede?”
“Against pirate attacks.”
“Are those still a thing?”
“It would seem so. I asked Dandor to compile a brief about the known uses of the device. He didn’t find anything about it being lethal. But that only means that the information is classified, not that it doesn’t exist. If I want to find more, I’ll have to pay the hacker.”
Rufsur was still stuck on the image of pirate ships going after a cruise liner. “Can loud noise really deflect armed attackers? I’m sure that the devices they have on passenger ships are not as strong as what was used on us.”
“It worked to chase off Somali pirates armed with RPGs.” Kalugal turned back to the screen. “The same technology was also used by Japanese whalers against anti-whaling activists. But I doubt that the protestors were armed with anything other than banners and posters.”
“I thought that whaling was banned.”
Kalugal waved a dismissive hand. “It was never banned, only suspended to allow the whale population to recover, but the Japanese found a way around the moratorium. Indigenous groups were allowed to hunt for subsistence, and it was also allowed for scientific purposes. They made full use of those loopholes, and later, they just withdrew from the International Whaling Commission and resumed commercial hunting. Their excuse was that eating whales is part of their culture.”
Rufsur snorted. “So what? Female circumcision is part of some African tribes’ cultures. Does that excuse that barbaric custom?”
“I have news for you. Female genital mutilation is not only happening in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It’s a global problem. More than half a million women and girls have either suffered it or are at risk of having it done to them in the United States alone. Most are immigrants, but not all.”
Rufsur shuddered. “I can’t understand that. Why would entire populations want to mutilate their daughters, cause them unimaginable pain and suffering, and deprive them of ever enjoying sex?”
Kalugal’s eyes blazed with inner light. “Humans are irrational creatures. On one side, you have the fanatics, who excuse their terrible actions by religion and customs. And on the other side, you have those who cry out about injustice and discrimination in the world, and who then turn around and defend the worst of it in the name of cultural or religious freedoms and the right of the offenders to perpetrate these crimes against their own people. That’s why they need someone with a logical brain to govern them and prevent stuff like that from happening. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Meaning you?”
Kalugal lifted a brow. “Do you have a better candidate?”
“Nope. You are the man.”
In the face of such horrors, having Kalugal as the world's ultimate ruler didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
Heck, Rufsur was going to help him in any way he could.
Following a light knock on the door, Jacki walked into the office, and cast them twin glares. “What are you guys still doing here? Don’t you want to shower and change before our guests arrive?”
Kalugal took her hand and pulled her onto his lap. “You look ravishing, my love, and we have plenty of time.”
Rufsur stifled a chuckle. The sly bastard always knew what to say to disarm his mate. Perhaps if he had his boss’s talent, he would have made more headway with Edna.
“Not really.” Smiling, Jacki leaned and kissed Kalugal’s cheek. “Carol called from the airport that they’ve landed and are heading to the baggage claim, which means that they will be here in less than an hour.” She turned to look at Rufsur. “You should wrap things up and hit the shower.”
“What’s wrong with what I have on?”
Jacki shook her head. “Atzil has been slaving all day to prepare a festive dinner, and you are going to show up in jeans?”
Hoping for support, Rufsur cast a sidelong glance at his boss, but the guy wasn’t looking at him. He was too busy gazing adoringly at his wife.
They were so damn lucky. Their relationship had had to overcome just one tiny hurdle to get going, and it had been smooth sailing ever since.
Even Jacki’s transition had gone much easier than anyone had anticipated.
With every passing day, she was getting stronger, more beautiful, and more confident. Naturally, Kalugal took credit for it, claiming that his love and care for her were responsible for how radiant she looked, and not her newly activated immortal genes.
If only Rufsur’s so-called relationship with Edna could be that easy.
He sighed. “I guess I should change.”
“You guess right.” Jacki pushed off Kalugal’s lap.
“Do I need to wear a suit?”
“No, but a pair of slacks and a dress shirt would be nice.”
“No tie.”
She laughed. “No tie.”
Kalugal rose to his feet. “I’ll go now. Did you check with Atzil that everything is ready for Carol and Lokan?”
Jacki nodded. “I did. Atzil has outdone himself. It’s going to be a beautiful dinner. I also made sure that their room is ready.”
Rufsur wondered what Lokan’s visit was all about. The guy wouldn’t fly over from Washington just to spend an evening with his brother and congratulate his sister-in-law on her transition, which was the official reason he’d given.
Lokan wanted something, and Rufsur knew that Kalugal was well aware of it.
The question was, what?
“Are you coming?” Jacki asked.
“Yeah, in a moment.” He pulled out his phone to check his emails.
“Anything from Edna?” She walked up to him.
“Not today.”
It was embarrassing to admit how many times he’d checked whether she’d replied to his last email.
Jacki patted his shoulder. “Three more days to go, and then you’ll see her again.”
As if he hadn’t been counting the hours.
Since there was no new email from Edna, Rufsur resorted to reading the last one he’d gotten from her the day before.
“Come, my love.” Kalugal took Jacki’s elbow. “I need your help to choose what to wear tonight.”
Right, as if his boss needed fashion advice from anyone. He was probably planning a quickie before dinner.
Lucky bastard.
Rufsur sighed. Long-distance relationships sucked.
He hadn’t expected to go through such torment. The separation from Edna was like a constant ache that wouldn’t go away, and it had only been twelve days.
He often wondered if she’d been right to limit their communication to emails. Would hearing her voice on the phone or seeing her face on the screen have lessened the pain or made it more acute?
The problem was that the woman was stingy even with her emails, returning one to every three or four of his, and not saying much in her short answers either.
Why the hell had he chosen such a difficult female?