Chapter 986 (2/2)

“It’s the center of everything. Erickson Steel. We always said that… My… my plan…” Now Evan Crane’s voice dropped to a whisper. Surreptitiously he lit another the cigarette and pulled as hard as he could. His hands were trembling.

“That’s why it was such a genius move of Randidly Ghosthound to sacrifice it,” Senator Heathridge hissed. “It sparked so brilliantly our eyes were fixed upon it. But this whole time… he was playing us for fools. By placing the company directly in our crosshairs, he’s been able to hide all of his true moves in Congress. If I hadn’t gone back through the travel schedules of the prominent members of Congress… hehehe… it’s such a bold stroke…”

While Senator Heathridge seemed to be caught up in some emotion halfway between awe and envy, Evan Crane struggled to control his much more violent emotions. He knew Heathridge; although he currently was caught up in some fixation, the man was still incredibly intelligent. He simply wasn’t seeing that Randidly Ghosthound wasn’t the problem. It was Erickson Steel itself that provided such value.

But Evan couldn’t just say that outright and point out how strange it was. Heathridge was too arrogant to admit he was wrong. Instead, it was better to try and lead Senator there with guided logic.

Pushing the cigarette smoke out through his nose, Evan asked. “Perhaps this is just a ploy… but what does Erickson Steel resisting the police have to do with other Zones trying to make a world capital? Randidly Ghosthound possibly meeting with these Senators… what does it all mean? Do we have any proof of this?”

“The proof is in the pure genius,” Senator Heathridge breathed. “All the pieces we’ve already seen from Erickson Steel, we just didn’t understand the shape. We thought they were solving a puzzle, but they were building a palace. Even I… until I received a bit of intel from the West. The new Zone… contact has been established. They are… currently under the protection of the Western Coalition. After making the hundred-kilometer journey, on foot, without any difficulty, in only two days. A journey that had them coming up South, past Lake Apollo.”

Evan blinked slowly. “That… was the direction that the Ghosthound was last sighted heading.”

“So let me put it plainly for you.” Senator Heathridge ground his teeth at such an intensity that Evan could hear it over the phone for several seconds. Only then, with his deep frustrations vented, did he speak. “The Western Coalition has been trying to convince the Zone Transportation Board to expand its network in the West for months to fuel industrial growth in the region. We, the opposition, have opposed such a measure to specifically isolate Erickson Steel in the Western Region.

“Suddenly, out of nowhere, Randidly Ghosthound appears and, allegedly within a night, produces an Engraving pattern for a train car that revolutionizes the energy consumption. After that, Erickson Steel provides the schematics to the ZTB for no charge and they are suddenly the best of friends. Without missing a beat, Erickson Steel makes no use of this newfound relationship capital. Instead, they make the inexplicable decision to close all of their branches.

“We thought they were on the run or planning some sort of move. But what this really did was drag some Senators in crucial positions to the Erickson Steel Headquarters. Where Randidly Ghosthound met them and explained his proposition. If they helped him with his true goal, he would provide them the push to expand the manatech rails in their territory. After all, Erickson Steel now had the ear of the ZTB. And what better cherry to sweeten the dessert than telling about the newly connected Zone?

“Then Randidly Ghosthound headed South. For all that he has been a mystery, no one denies that he is definitely a very high Level. He has more than enough strength to assist the expedition from the new Zone in making it through the badlands to arrive at Zone 1. Where they are conveniently found and protected by members of the Western Coalition. Picked up as if they had known they were coming the entire time…”

Evan Crane licked his lips. “But, there is one thing that I don’t understand. I… I can see the moves. I can even see sort of how Randidly would offer these things to all of these different entities. But… but what does he want? And also… why did he choose to antagonize the police? As long as he stays in Zone 1, that will come back to bite him.”

For several long seconds, Senator Heathridge just laughed. It was a low and throaty laugh of a man experiencing immense satisfaction at the confusion of another. It was condescending and spiteful. Evan lit up two more cigarettes, struggling to control his temper. Based on the abrupt uptick in laughter, the Senator had heard him. Evan’s face burned in silent fury.

“All men want the same thing, Evan.” Senator Heathridge finally said. “Power. Is it really so strange to think that after Randidly went away for almost six months, he returned to find that someone had taken the reigns of power he once wielded in Donnyton? And that made him furious.”

“Randidly Ghosthound famously has no interest in political power,” Evan said reasonably.

Senator Heathridge laughed again. “Bullshit. They took his power and he punished them for it. Then he came here. The Orders follow the Order Ducis, who follows him. He antagonized the surrounding areas, fooling us into raising the foreign propaganda against Erickson Steel. No one wants him here any longer. He already had Senator Firefly in his pocket, but now he’s bought the support of the Western Coalition… and likely he already has an agreement with this new Zone.”

Chewing on the cigarettes in his mouth, Evan tried to slow the flow of the conversation to something manageable. “But-”

Senator Heathridge didn’t allow Evan to finish. “So when Zone Seven pushes for a World Capital… and Randidly Ghosthound steps forward and offers some of the extensive lands he owns around the Erickson Steel Headquarters… will there be a unified enough resistance to stop the suggestion? His is the most famous name on Earth.”

Evan Crane shook his head wordlessly. Although there was a certain sort of twisted logic to it, he just felt that this wasn’t right. This… this didn’t match the reports about Randidly Ghosthound at all.

But the Senator clearly had been quite taken with this grand scheme. “He offers up a pitiable steel mill in one hand… and he palms the world capital right out from under our noses. Truly… this is the first time that I’ve ever admired someone. This is the first time… I’ve ever truly met my match.”