Page 99 of The Seducer
The two women’s bubble of budding friendship was rudely broken when Magni pointed to Athena. “She can’t be in here.” Magni swung his head to give me a blame-filled glance. “It’s enough that Pearl gets a say. Why did you have to bringher?”
“I’m only here to help,” Athena angled her head. “Whatever is decided in this room will have consequences for the rest of the world.”
“But you’re ontheirside,” Magni accused her. “It’s like inviting a spy to sit at our table.”
“I’m not a spy, and the only side I am on is the side of humanity.”
“Yeah, yeah, spare me your pacifistic bullshit,” he retorted. “You can’t be in here, end of story.”
“Don’t talk to her that way,” I said and stepped in front of Magni with a hard stare. “Athena is under my protection and youwillbe nice to her.”
It was a rare occasion when I reprimanded Magni, and he had never been good at receiving criticism. Turning to Khan he sputtered, “Aren’t you going to say anything? Since when do we invite women to have an opinion on anything? They don’t understand the ways of our culture.”
Khan stood at the end of the table with a stern and thoughtful expression on his face. “True, but they understand the culture of the Motherlands, which gives us inside information that can be useful.”
“What the hell is this?” Magni threw his hands in the air and snorted. “Bring your wife to work day?”
Instead of getting offended, Pearl tilted her head and smiled at him. “I like how you think.” In a quick movement, she got up and left the room.
“Where the fuck is she going?” Magni rubbed his face with frustration and muttered low. “She’d better not be doing what I think she’s doing.”
His deep groan when Pearl returned with Laura confirmed that Pearl had done exactly what he didn’t want her to do.
“Is it true?” Laura was looking at Magni with skepticism. “Pearl said that you wanted me here.”
His chest rose in the deep intake of air before he exhaled, and opened his mouth to speak. “Actually…”
“Let’s get the meeting started,” Khan interrupted. “And just so we’re clear,Imake all final decisions. You’re all here as advisers, nothing more and nothing less.”
We all sat down. Pearl was on Khan’s right side, Magni on his left, followed by Alexander Boulder, Athena, me, and Laura, who sat between me and Pearl.
“The Council of the Motherlands has officially requested our help in keeping people away from the border. They estimate they can have the border repaired within four to six weeks. I have made them aware that I’ll need a long list of reasonswhywe should help them instead of taking what has been denied us for centuries.
“Pearl has advised them to take our demands seriously, and not underestimate the desperation of our men.”
Magni leaned in, his eyes burning. “AndI have advised you to take the fucking chance and go for it. We’ve been waiting for something like this to happen. Our father would’ve already been gathering our forces, and going for the kill.”
“True.” Khan was surprisingly calm, “but our father hadn’t begun the integration process like we have. There’s a reason I’m a better chess player than you are, brother. You think with your emotions, and you let yourself be blinded by your pride and desire for immediate results.”
“Because I’m fucking good at getting immediate results,” Magni grunted.
“Yes, well, the difference between us at this point is that I am willing to lure the Motherlands to me with patience, by taming them and earning their trust, while you are ready to rape them into submission.”
Magni banged his fist down on the table, his neck and cheeks red with fury. “I’ve never raped a woman in my life.” He was stabbing his finger at Khan. “There’s nothing wrong with women being submissive, and maybe it’s time you remember that real men take what they want. They don’t fucking ask for permission.”
“Calm down, will you?” Boulder said. “Nobody wants to go to war, and you know damn well that whileyoumight not be a rapist, we’ve got about one million men out there who are desperate to be with a woman. You really want to set them loose on the Motherlands?”
“They are desperate because we’ve been forced to live like this by the she-devils who run the world,” Magni hissed.
Athena sat pale and shocked.
“You are right.” Khan was looking straight at Magni while leaning back and crossing his arms. “And you speak for our people. I have no doubt that if I asked random Nmen, they would tell me the same thing. But don’t forget that until yesterday, Laura was in the Motherlands too. Let’s pretend, for one second, that Laura was still in the Motherlands and you didn’t know where. If I gave the order to invade, would you still trust your fellow countrymen not to hurt her?” Magni’s fist tightened and his jaw hardened.
“Hmm,” Khan said. “And let’s not forget all the little Milas who would be tempting to the sickos. I wonder if a girl her size would even survive being raped by a large Nman.”
Magni stiffened like a gargoyle, and with his eyes narrowed he gave Khan a low warning growl.
“Yes,” Khan said and raised his eyebrows while drawing in a deep breath. “It changes everything when it’s not some facelessshe-devilsthat will be hurt, but someone you love, doesn’t it?”
