Page 143 of The Pacifist
“What the hell happened in the two minutes I was gone?”
None of us spoke.
“I see.” Nero stood up. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong or overstepped your boundaries, Anne. It wasn’t my intention to upset you all.”
Anne reached her hand up and pulled Nero down before leaning against him and whispering in his ear.
His eyes flew to Mila and me and in no time his initial surprise changed to an amused grin. “Who would have thought Motlanders capable of something that daring? Respect.”
“It’s a public place,” Anne pointed out with a raised eyebrow but that just made Nero smile even wider.
“Exactly. Every man’s fantasy!”
“You’re kidding.”
“Na-huh, most men here would give their left ball to be in Jonah’s shoes right now.”
“I doubt that,” I muttered.
Nero took a sip of his beer and stood up. “Yeah, well, except for the interruption of course. Come on, Anne, how about we give them a little privacy to finish off.”
As soon as she followed him, Mila lifted off of me so I could get my pants closed again. “That killed the vibe.”
“Yeah, having one’s sister catch you in a sex act will do that.”
My beautiful wife pulled me up from the chair and cupped my face. “Still, I liked the thrill of it in the beginning.”
I smiled back at her. “Next time, we’ll find a better place then.”
CHAPTER 32
Election Day
Mila
When election day finally came around on April tenth, Khan won by a landslide.
The News showed interviews with the losing candidates, who for the most part acknowledged that Khan was more beloved by the people than they were.
Khan’s closest opponent, Edward Wolf, didn’t go away so gracefully. In an interview he raised concerns that it had been a rigged election and called people to unite against Khan’s oppressive rule.
“Fuck him!” Mason flipped a finger at the interactive wall as he walked past us.
Khan shook his head. “And to think I showed that lowlife mercy when I could have killed him several times.”
We were in the large ballroom with family and friends. Most were in happy conversations, but Pearl, Magni, Jonah, and I stood with Khan, who was curious to see his competitors’ reactions.
“We should make him pay for saying shit like that. That’s a serious accusation.” Magni was frowning.
“Magni, calm down.” Pearl nodded to the screen. “It’s Edward’s pride speaking. Show some empathy; the man worked hard for months and is left with nothing but the feeling of rejection. He’s miserable.”
Magni elbowed Khan. “How about we end his misery? I’m tired of listening to him whining. It’s not like anyone would miss him.”
Jonah’s eyes widened as he looked to Pearl and me. “He’s not serious, is he?”
“No, of course not,” I assured him and Pearl confirmed it.
“Khan doesn’t kill his critics anymore.” She gave Magni and her husband a firm gaze. “He’s more civilized than that.”
