His masters would want to see these tonight; they were his records of activity from the last six months. He had no intention of telling them what he had really been doing the last six months. Both packets had falsified information in them but then, his people would expect some subterfuge and small betrayals. It had been his people’s way for centuries and would continue on for centuries more. So, he just let them see what they wanted to see, unawares of the feint within a feint.
He opened the first set of documents. There were receipts and transaction accounts. His false bank accounts with statements that had been carefully manipulated by himself and a very loyal servant in the banks higher branch. The man was a fool and worked for so little. Of course, the promise that he kept waving in front of the man would have just about any human with any sense drooling and begging to do as he wished.
The statements showed a one point seven percent growth over the last six months. He could easily attribute the slow growth rate to no new sources of income, building cost, and labor litigations on projects were all carefully crafted lies and forgeries with just enough truth to avoid being noticed. If onyone did notice then he always had his “true” account ledgers.
Those read very similarly to his “false” ledgers. They showed a 2.6 percent growth rate and explained the exaggerated building costs and wasteful spending of his “false” ledger. What neither of them said anything about was his students and the income he received from them. The free services and wealth that he was stockpiling in completely different bank accounts under several of his student’s names were enough to match the sum of either ledgee. For some reason the high blood tended to ignore the goings on of the humans around them. It was a critical oversight in Kenneth’s opinion and experience, but one he was willing to take advantage of.
He carefully replaced his “true” ledger in the drawer. Closing and relocking the drawer he swept the “false” ledger from the desk into his open palm as he rose to exit the room. He glanced at himself in the mirror. He wore a light-colored business suit. More of a bluish grey than any real color that stood out. He could be subtle when he wished. The shirt underneath was a muted off white with no tie. His top two buttons were undone and his jacket hung loosely open. He nodded to his image. He looked perfectly demure, and for where he was going that’s exactly the attitude he wanted to express. He allowed himself a small smile as he strolled back out to his sitting room and awaited the arrival of his student. His wait was not a long one and moments later the ringing of his cheerful door chimes sounded throughout the house. It was a simple thing, but he enjoyed the multi tonal sound of it. He rose and exited.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Michael was holding open the stratus grey metallic passenger side rear door of his XJL Supercharger Jaguar sedan. Michael was very attentive to his duties, the very model of what one of his students should be. The man had grown his business and himself for no other reason than to please him. What was a tool except to be used, if the blade dulled you sharpened it, if the fulcrum hinge broke, you replaced it. Michael had proved to need little sharpening.
Kenneth sat down in the suede seats of his beautiful machine. He didn’t have to ask to know that Michael had parked his somewhat less impressive Honda somewhere where Kenneth didn’t have to see it. He was fairly proud of this vehicle. It spoke of wealth but not obscenely so. The grey exterior didn’t attract too much attention, and neither did the symbol these days. The flicker of his individuality and personality was in the make and model for anyone who cared to look. It was true, he could have been able to afford one of his native Italian Ferraris or a Maserati but the ability to blend in with the more common place traffic of the city was a necessity.
Michael got in the vehicle and turned on the engine, the soft purr vibrated the seats. They moved out of the carport and into the streets, even at this time of night there was heavy traffic. The drive to his master’s building, the head of his House, would be a long one.
He picked out his cell from his jacket pocket and punched in a number from memory. As the phone rang, he looked up at his driver through the rear-view mirror. He pressed his will down onto his student, forcing the driver’s mind to his will, “Michael, you will not hear or remember anything about this car trip. As soon as you open your door to let me out, this trip will fade from your mind. You will remember only that you drove me to my destination. Do you understand?”
His driver focused on the road and replied simply, “I understand, Instructor.”
Kenneth leaned back deeper into his seat and put his phone up to his ear. The ringing stopped and a feminine voice answered the phone. “Yes, Instructor.”
He would never get tired of how obedient his students were. “Cassandra, do you have what I needed?”
There was a brief pause from the other end of the phone. Then the answer came, “Yes, Instructor I have acquired it. When do you want me to get it to you?”
Kenneth thought for a moment, he had to have that item, his plans hinged on it. But was it too soon? Could something like this wait? He reflexively looked out the rearview window at the busy road behind him. Any one of those sets of headlights could be eyes for his master. The idea that he still had not attained freedom from being watched vexed him. It was part of the game, he understood that better than most before he began this path. But that one thing, being watched, was like an itch on the back of his neck that never went away.
His plans had not yet reached anywhere near fruition. He turned back to the phone, “Cassandra, listen to me very carefully…”