Petrov and Mattie are not immune;the compeller will know about us from them.
The collective processed everything in silence. Eight bodies were standing at the end of a pier and looking at the ocean, while their combined consciousness evaluated the probabilities of success against the certainty of failure if nothing changed.
Staying on the island was even more risky than escaping it.
The enhancement program that kept Dave alive was vulnerable to the power struggles among Losham's brothers. Kolhood wanted the Eight eliminated. Others might agree once Losham's grip on authority weakened further. And Losham's grip was weakening, day by day, as his brothers probed and doubted more and more the story about Navuh's self-imposed exile to the harem. Dave did what he could to reinforce the story and make them believe it, but the three senior commanders were not easily thralled and compelled, and they shook off the effects faster than he could reinforce them.
The window was closing. Perhaps not today, and not this week, but the trajectory was clear, and Dave had spent enough time analyzing trajectories to know that the ones that pointed toward destruction rarely reversed themselves without intervention.
Mattie's request was not just compassionate, it was strategically sound, though she probably didn't realize it. The dormant women were a bargaining chip. If Dave could offer the clan not just intelligence about the island but the liberation of the Brotherhood's captive breeding population, the offer became too difficult to refuse. It transformed a request for asylum into a rescue operation and turned into a partnership to do a charitable act of monumental proportions. The clan would not be able to refuse, not just because it was the righteous thing to do but because it would deliver a massive blow to the Brotherhood, effectively halting their ability to produce more warriors.
15
LOSHAM
The guards at the external posts straightened as Losham and Rami passed them by on their way to the lab.
His personal guards walked ahead and behind him.
Navuh would not have walked the short distance from the mansion to the lab. He would have asked his assistant to summon a car with a driver, and there had been wisdom in that beyond the performative. Walking left Losham more exposed, but he refused to show fear.
Choosing to walk instead of taking a car was in itself a show of force.
Rami pressed the intercom, and a moment later, the lock disengaged and he pushed the lab door open.
Inside, the lab was bright with midday sunlight, and the scientists looked up at them with twin apprehensive expressions.
The girl sat on a chair by the window, with a book open on the table beside her and her injured hand propped on a foldedlab coat. She watched Losham with the wary stillness of a small animal that had not yet decided whether it was better to run or to freeze and play dead.
"Good afternoon," Losham said. "I came to check on your progress."
"Of course." Dimitri set down whatever he'd been working on. "What would you like to know?"
"Where do you stand with the human enhancement formula?" He sat on one of the stools while Rami remained stationary by the door.
"We're making progress." Dimitri's tone was professional, modulated to convey competence without overpromising. It was a tone Losham recognized from every subordinate who had ever stalled for time while trying to appear productive. "The theoretical framework is solid because we are basing it on the same protocol we use for Dave, but some of the compounds are too dangerous for humans even in small amounts. The challenge is calibrating the dosage to start testing without killing our test subjects."
"You have three weeks left on the timeline I gave you."
"I'm aware. And I believe we can have a viable proposal ready by then. Not a finished formula, that would take months, possibly years of clinical testing, but a proposal that outlines the mechanism, the projected outcomes, and the recommended next steps."
"A detailed proposal," Losham said. "I don't want something general that spells out nothing. I want a concrete course of action."
"I understand, but a formula without proper testing would be useless at best and lethal at worst. I assume you don't want dead test subjects."
It was a bold statement, bordering on insolent, and Losham noted it. Dimitri was growing comfortable. The question was whether that was because of his developing relationship with Dave or simply the natural confidence of a man who knew he was too valuable to punish.
Both possibilities were concerning.
"I want results," Losham said. "A proposal is a starting point, not a destination. Make sure it is compelling."
"It will be."
"Very well." Losham stood. "By the way, I have been informed that the Eight have been spending more time than usual in the lab. What is the reason for that?"
The slight tightening of Dimitri's shoulders told Losham more than any excuse either scientist could come up with.
"They are curious," Dimitri said. "They want to know about the world."
