Page 25 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

Kian had stopped seeing Navuh as a real threat, but Kalugal was still clearly wary of his father.

"What kind of fencing system do you have in mind?" Gavin asked. "I need to know so I can design around it." He looked at Kalugal. "You don't want your mother to feel like she's living in a prison."

"I don't think there's a way to avoid that unless we install lasers, and that's not possible out here in the wild. We don't want to cook unsuspecting animals."

Kian was surprised that Kalugal cared, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

Killing was inevitable, but senseless killing should be avoided when possible.

Kalugal described the fence. Tall metal posts that let the view in while securing the perimeter. Sensor strips buried in the ground that registered weight and movement. Cameras on the posts with overlapping fields. One gate that locked automatically.

Gavin made notes on his tablet, muttering about maximizing views.

"So, this is the one?" Ross asked. "It's decided?"

Kalugal nodded. "It will do."

"Good. Then I'm out of here. I need to prepare a geological report on that development in Agoura Hills."

"I'm done too." Gavin snapped a few pictures. "I'll have the plans ready by tomorrow evening or Wednesday morning." He turned to Robert. "I'll send them to you as soon as I have the material specs so you can start ordering everything."

"Thank you," Robert said. "The sooner I get them, the better."

"Well, have a great rest of your day, gentlemen." Gavin followed the geologist up the hill.

Robert looked at Kalugal, waiting to be dismissed.

"You can go," Kalugal said. "I'll stay for a few moments to get a better feel for the location."

With Robert following the architect and geologist, Kian and Kalugal were left alone within a rectangle of white stones.

"Regrets?" Kian asked.

Kalugal looked at the stones for a long moment. "Many, but not about the location. I regret growing up an orphan, even though both my parents were alive. My mother was a prisoner, just like I was, and my father was my lord, and neither was my parent. Now I'm his landlord. The Fates sure have a warped sense of humor."

Kian put his hands in his pockets. "What are you going to call him?"

Kalugal frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your father. What are you going to call him when you visit your mother? I'm sure you're not going to call him 'my lord.'"

"Is scumbag an option?"

"It will upset your mother."

"Right." Kalugal smoothed his hand over his goatee. "How about I just call him Navuh?"

"That works." Kian pulled his hand out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what to call Khiann."

Kalugal pursed his lips. "Why not just use his name? It's not like he's your real father. He's just your mother's mate."

"I know. He's also a twenty-year-old kid, and my daughter calls him Gapa. I grew up on the story of Khiann. My mother picked five human fathers because they looked like him, so I've spent two thousand years as the closest thing to a substitute for him. Now the original is here, and he looks like me, and it's disturbing because he's not my father or my son, and our names sound too much alike."

"What's he like as a person?"

Kian shrugged. "He seems like a decent guy. My mother wouldn't have fallen in love with him if he wasn't."

"Right." Kalugal kept stroking his goatee. "Could senior and junior work?"