Chapter 32 Losham
LOSHAM
When the resort was functioning as intended, the hotel suite that served as Losham's temporary office had been reserved for the most discriminating guests to the island.
Princes and ministers had stayed in those luxury rooms, enjoyed the marble floors, the expansive windows, and the French doors that led to a balcony that spanned the entire top floor of the hotel.
But the magnificent ocean view topped the rich architectural details and luxurious furnishings, and Losham caught himself looking out the window instead of preparing for the upcoming meeting.
The dining table that Losham had repurposed as his desk dominated the main room and was littered with reports, blueprints, and the remnants of three cups of coffee that Rami hadn't cleared yet.
"Rami!" He called toward the bedroom that his assistant had repurposed as his work area. "The meeting is in less than ten minutes, and I need this table cleared."
Rami rushed out of the bedroom. "Apologies, my lord. I got distracted by the project you assigned to me."
"That's okay. Just do what I've asked for."
"Of course, my lord." Rami collected the papers and the cups, stashed them wherever, and returned with a cloth to wipe down the table.
When the knock sounded on the door, Rami ushered the three inside and then retreated. "I'll be in the other room if you need me."
That meant he would be standing behind the closed bedroom door with his ear pressed to the wood, listening to every word.
"Thank you, Rami," Losham said before turning to his brothers. "Good morning. Please take a seat."
Kolhood pulled out a chair across from Losham and sat. He didn't return the greeting. Hocken and Hazok took their seats on either side, forming a triangle that faced Losham like a tribunal.
"We need to talk about our father," Kolhood said.
Losham had been expecting that assertion because it came up in every meeting in one form or another.
"What specifically would you like to talk about?"
"I want proof that he's alive."
Losham had been providing the same answers each time, but the repetition didn't dull the blade. If anything, it sharpened it, because each time Kolhood asked, he upped the ante.
"Our father is still recuperating in his private apartment in the harem, and as you well know, no immortals are allowed to enter the harem compound. There are no phones either. This is how our father wants things to be."
"Then send a human." Kolhood crossed his arms over his chest. "A human with a phone."
Losham hadn't thought of that option, and he desperately needed an excuse for why that wasn't possible.
"You know that once a human enters the harem, they don't come out unless it's in a casket. Not my rules. Father's."
Kolhood arched a brow. "So? I'm sure we can spare one of the many humans working on the island."
Losham swallowed. "Father is going to be furious."
"Father doesn't need to know," Kolhood countered.
Losham snorted. "Really? Like our father couldn't read a human's thoughts from a mile away? He'll know."
"Then put a listening device on the human without their knowledge and instruct them to interrogate the service staff about what's going on with their lord."
That was possible, and it wouldn't yield anything that could harm the narrative because the harem staff had been compelled and thralled by Dave to believe that Navuh and his concubines were still residing on the first and second floors of the pyramid.
Losham smiled at his brother. "This is an excellent idea, Kolhood. I'm surprised that I didn't think of it myself."
The compliment caught Kolhood off guard, and for a moment, his hostile expression turned confused.
"Are you going to do it or should I?" Kolhood asked.
"I will. Father left me in charge because he trusts me the most, so if he discovers that I sent a human to check on him, I could excuse it as fulfilling my duty, making sure he was okay. You, on the other hand, would have a harder time justifying the maneuver and avoiding Father's wrath."
Kolhood's jaw tightened. "I want verification. Not your word. Proof."
Losham nodded. "I'll give you access to the transmissions from the device so you can hear what is being said. Is that good enough?"
"It will do. When do you plan on doing that?"
"In a day or two. It's not a priority, and I need to find a suitable human. Father is very selective about the harem staff."
That was true, and his brothers knew it, but that wasn't the reason Losham was buying himself time.
It had been a while since the harem staff had been thralled and compelled to confirm the story that Navuh was in his apartment, recuperating from the meltdown he'd suffered and demanding not to be disturbed.
It should still be holding, but a reinforcement couldn't hurt. A visit from Dave through the secret tunnel would take care of that, and no one would be any the wiser.
"Fine," Kolhood said. "Let me know when you find the right human. Now, let's talk about that accursed basement. I hear that the crews have resumed work."
"They have."
"What exactly are you hoping to find down there?"
This question had also been asked before, but Losham's previous answers had been vague and invited further inquiry. He had avoided specifics because he hadn't had anything that would sound plausible until an idea occurred to him after last night's phone call with the clan.
"I was pondering the same thing, and I suspect that our father has been storing artifacts from the time of the gods."
Kolhood's eyebrows rose. Behind him, Hocken straightened in his chair, and Hazok looked up from the spot on the table he'd been staring at.
"Artifacts," Kolhood repeated, his tone doubtful.
"Yes. I could think of nothing else that would justify the secrecy and the extensive security measures.
Navuh must have hid in there items from the era of the gods.
The glass enclosure in the basement was climate-controlled and sealed, which is consistent with preserving ancient and fragile objects. "
"In what way could ancient artifacts be strategically significant?" Kolhood asked.
The question confirmed what Losham had always suspected about his brother.
Kolhood had a military mind. He thought in terms of forces, logistics, and tactical advantage.
Abstract concepts like cultural influence and ideological warfare were outside his realm of reference, and he needed things spelled out for him.
"Humans believe the gods were myths," Losham said. "Unveiling physical evidence that the gods were real would undermine the foundation of every major monotheistic religion in the world."
Kolhood stared at him. "So?"
Not too smart if he hadn't figured it out after that explanation.
"Imagine billions of people whose entire belief system is based on the existence of an invisible creator god, or no god at all, or that the creator god has several earthly manifestations, suddenly confronted with proof that aliens created their world.
That the real gods were flesh and blood and left behind physical evidence of their advanced, alien technology.
The chaos that would follow would destabilize governments, fracture societies, and create wonderful upheaval that would play right into the Brotherhood's hands.
We would emerge like a phoenix from the ashes of the world they would burn down in their despair. "
Hocken and Hazok, who had been watching the exchange like spectators at a verbal ping-pong match, both leaned forward, their eyes shining with excitement. They loved the image he had painted in their minds, and hopefully, so had Kolhood.
But perhaps that was too much to hope for.
Kolhood shook his head. "If our father had something like that, he would have used it years ago. He wouldn't have just sat on it for thousands of years."
"He absolutely would until the time was right," Losham said. "Our father is a brilliant strategist with an impeccable sense of timing."
"If he had physical proof that the gods existed, he would have shared it with us. Why hide such an important weapon?"
"As it turns out, our father hid many things from us." Losham didn't need to feign the bitterness in his voice. "He must have his reasons."
Kolhood's expression said that he wasn't buying it, but he couldn't disprove it.
The beauty of the story was that it was unfalsifiable.
No one could verify what Navuh had or hadn't stored in the basement until the excavation reached the chamber, and by then, Losham would have a different set of problems to manage.
"Our father is a complicated male," Losham added. "He's unpredictable and very difficult to work with."
That was true, and the truth was always the best seasoning for a lie. It made everything around it taste more credible.
The three brothers exchanged glances, and as Losham watched the silent communication, it was clear that Hocken and Hazok had bought the story, but Kolhood was still skeptical.
Two out of three was not bad.
Kolhood pushed back from the table and stood. "I'm running out of patience, Losham."
"We have no choice but to be patient." Losham lifted his hands in the air. "The excavation proceeds as fast as safety allows."
Kolhood held his gaze for a moment, then turned and walked toward the door, with Hocken and Hazok following.
As the door closed behind them, Losham let out a breath. "One more round in the boxing ring done."
The bedroom door opened, and Rami walked in, looking worried. "May I speak freely, my lord?"
Losham nodded, rose from the table, and motioned for Rami to follow him to the bar area, where he turned on the faucet.
They had swept the suite for listening devices, removing everything that had been installed there to monitor the guests, but in case someone was using a listening device from across the street, the sound of running water would muffle their conversation.
Rami understood immediately. "What would you like to drink, my lord?" he said in a casual tone.
"A cup of tea would be nice."