Khai sat on the deck of The Eye, his legs up, sipping a cup of tea. The Eye sat at the outer limits the Dolphin could travel underwater. He felt fortunate and furious in the same breath. As a rule, he hated surprises. In his business, it almost always meant delay, hardship, or gross expense. Oil had built him and broke him without warning, the sweet crude leaving a bitter taste in his life. If Jens spoke truthfully of the sphere’s value, it would handily return him to power and influence. The Judas self-interest of Richard Kent had demonstrated this with his visit.

‘The sphere is a fake,’ Kent had told him, ‘take nothing with you. Transmitters have been placed inside the box and within the fabric.’

‘What a coward,’ Khai thought. He despised disloyalty. It’s impossible to accomplish anything worthwhile if you can’t trust those around you. Kent had not even told him why. ‘It’s in my best interest,’ was all he could say. Khai couldn’t deny it had worked in his favour, this time.

‘If there is anything else you feel I should know, feel free to contact me,’ Khai had told Kent, handing him his card. The heat of Khai’s hand activated the imagery on the thin-film. Pictures of oil refineries, drilling platforms, and construction sites faded from one to the next. Khai’s contact information appeared after the last scene of him standing proudly in front of the doors to Aidel Oil, the face of the building stretching high into the searing desert sky. Kent had hesitated in taking the card, wanting to avoid any physical link to Khai. In the end he gave in, not knowing where this relationship would end. He had come this far already.

This is just a very quick post with an update to the story-line. I’m in the midst of a valiant effort to get as many words written tonight as possible before the rigors of the week begin again. Chai tea and Ghirardelli 86% Cocoa squares will help to get things done every time. Mmmmm…

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving!