Ophion nodded, looking pleased. “On massive scale,” he added, regarding Humphrey with understanding. “I can see your motivation is a personal one. As long as that’s the case you’ll never see all there is to accomplish.”
“And reading about de Bory and D'auberteuil will allow me to do that?”
Ophion’s exotically handsome face betrayed no emotion then. “The men were racists, Tesano, but one couldn’t deny the genius of their vision.”
Humphrey nodded. When he was just starting his research and thinking he was completely mad, the insights of the 18th century lawyer and former governor lent a certain structure to his theorizing.
Ophion continued, “Their plan was to create a new racial hierarchy. It would be populated with the offspring of mates with specific or...favored genetic traits.” He fixed Humphrey with a stony look. “My point is, those men dreamed on broad scale. Yes, at the heart lay racism, but beyond that their goal was to create new soldiers, who could serve the community in ways others had been unable to.
“In addition to providing security,” Ophion went on, “it was believed the mulatto soldiers would be more skilled at policing the enslaved thus eliminating the need for a mandatory service that called too many precious sons of the white aristocracy into the militia. They forgot personal issues for the most part and used their interest to realize greater purpose.”
“And my personal gripes are preventing me from doing this?”
“I know you have issues with your father’s bastard being half black.” Ophion cocked his head, grinning while Humphrey looked taken aback. “Please don’t tell me you didn’t have me checked out when we first met. Hear me, Tesano. If all you want from this is some way to gain final say over something as insignificant as race, then I can’t use you. I need passion that will hold out for the long haul.”
“To what end?” Humphrey probed.
Ophion regarded Humphrey, for what Humphrey deemed, a long uncomfortable moment. Then, the man turned. Humphrey followed. They moved from the center of the warehouse floor to a far wall along which there was a row of doors. Ophion hesitated before opening one and then he urged Humphrey to follow.
Hesitation drifted in, but soon Humphrey was moving into the dark space. Ophion flipped on the lights and it took a few seconds for Humphrey’s eyes to adjust. When they did, he gasped.
Tentatively, he moved forward. “What is it?” His voice was hushed, his gaze full of wonder.
“The future.”
The vague reply drew Humphrey’s smirk. “I suppose it’ll take my name on the dotted line to know more.”
“More or less,” Ophion sighed. “Go home, Tesano. Come back when you’re damn sure you want to be part of this.”
A sudden, fierce light flashed in Humphrey’s dark eyes and made his striking features seem menacing. “That’s all? You’ll say no more?”
“Just this,” Ophion scanned the room shrewdly before returning to meet Humphrey’s accusing glare. “This endeavor will require many moving pieces. More than that, it will require like-minded individuals committed to seeing it through by any means. There will be no turning back. Now, go.”
With the order, Humphrey backed away from the tall apparatus occupying the wall. In the center of a glass tank were an assortment of tubes, pipes, pumps. Boxes of varying sizes were also built into the mechanism. Something in the most distant recesses of Humphrey’s mind told him he already knew what this was, but the truth of it was so...grotesque, his brain wouldn’t allow him to see it for what it was.
Ophion was right. Humphrey needed to be certain. Despite all the...personal passions that had fueled his research, joining this...whatever this was, would require all of him. All of him, forever.
~29~
“Hey! Goin’ out for a last hoorah with Gabe and Stone. Ari’s looking after the brat. You comin’?”
“Nah,” Roman declined the invite. He continued his back and forth trek from the bureau to a suitcase he’d been packing for the last 15 minutes.
Pitch moved into the bedroom and took a seat in the armchair near the closet. “Are you down about having to leave the little princess? Hell...” Pitch winced, “stupid question. Sure you are. Any guy would be.”
“It’s for her own good,” Roman’s tone was flat, emotionless. “She’s sweet, innocent. Everything I’m not-doubt I ever was.”
“Damn right,” Pitch grinned when Roman gave him the finger.
“Seriously speaking,” Pitch continued, looking anything but serious. “I have more in common with her than you do.”
Silence carried for barely a second and then Pitch drew the back of his hand down a darkly bronzed cheek. Understanding dawned and Roman dissolved into much needed laughter.
Pitch enjoyed the moment as well, but soon sobered. “Her looks aside which are...incredible, she really is an angel,” he said.
Roman didn’t turn when he approached the bureau that time. He could feel the muscle dancing along his jaw in appreciation of the truth. “Yeah, she really is,” he said.
~~~
Roman spent the next half hour packing. Pitch had gone to join the others and told Roman they’d wait on him to come down. Roman was in no mood for company, but he supposed a drink couldn’t hurt. He decided to have it alone in one of the hotel bars. No questions would be asked about his age and he was glad, figuring his last name partly took care of that. He considered drinking alone in his room, but admitted that would make him feel a little too sorry for himself.
Accepting the suite of rooms below the penthouse level meant the Tesanos would share the floor with another party. The group had arrived several days prior, but they and the Tesanos had all been like ships in the night missing each other’s comings and goings.
Roman saw Eka Kamande leaving a suite at the end of the hall and entering another next door. He frowned. He’d been certain the Kamandes were all on the penthouse floor.
Roman stopped near the elevators and punched the down button. He heard a high-pitched sound followed by a crash of glass and smiled. Clearly, the additional rooms were for the brothers’ female companions. The elevator dinged upon arrival. Roman tugged at the cuff of the heather brown suitcoat he wore over a dark shirt open at the collar. He supposed he looked dapper enough to drink himself into a much needed stupor.
He heard a woman’s voice. It was a clear word that time; instead of the high pitched shrill he’d heard before, and rang out just as he was stepping into the car. Roman froze, certain that his mind was deceiving him given where it had been all day.
“Eka!”
“Imani,” reflexes kicking in with lightning speed, Roman broke into a full run. His speed increased the closer he got to the door at the end of the hall. With brutal efficiency, he used his shoulder to smash through the heavy ale-colored wood.
“Imani!” he was answered by the shatter of more glass.
Roman followed the sound through the suite, instinct telling him it came from the bedroom. Ignoring the reddish haze shading his vision, he bounded through the space. His steps slowed just a fraction when he heard a thud and a curse in a man’s voice. He ran down the first hall he came to, crashing through the first door he approached.
Nothing.
