Chapter 52 - Consulting Winston (1/2)
Once Balthazar reached his room, he immediately had a bath and went down to finish his breakfast. During breakfast, he thought further about Robert's situation. It was true that he had no idea about the trials one would have to face to join the elder council. Other than Robert, he could only ask his sister or grandfather. He didn't have much friendly relations or completely trusted anyone else in the family.
He called his sister whom he was trusted the most to confirm about it. He also needed to know if his sister also intended to contest for the position of an elder.
”Hi brother, good morning,” said Bolena on the other side of the call. She was in a night gown, her hair fell down on her face and was rubbing her eyes as she talked to him. It was clear that he had woken her up with his call.
”Good morning, Bolena. I thought you were the kind to wake up early in the morning. What is with that stupid sleepy face?” asked Balthazar. Bolena was always very disciplined since her childhood. He had only seen her in such a situation when they both were kids and shared a room. It was quite odd for her to look like that at this time in the morning which had him slightly concerned for her health.
”I was working on the biofeedback system past midnight. I forgot to sleep in time. What do you want?” asked Bolena. ”I doubt you would call so early for nothing.”
”It is just a small matter. I heard that there would be a vacancy for the post of an elder since Max died. So, I was wondering if you might be interested in it.”
”Where did this come from all of a sudden?” asked Bolena surprised. She never expected her little brother to be interested in family politics. Him asking about the vacancy of the elder post on death of Max had her genuinely confused. She began to think she was in a dream as that would make more sense.
”I am not dreaming, right?” she asked as she began to pull her hair to the back of the head and bound the strands to form a ponytail. She pinched herself to make sure it was not a dream.
”No, need to pinch yourself. This isn't a dream. I am genuinely interested in knowing if you are going to participate in the contest for the position in the elder council. I know that grandfather would like you to be more involved in the family matters as you and I are his only heirs left. I doubt that he never talked to you about this,” inquired Balthazar.
”Did he ask you to persuade me to participate?I am really busy with my research and I don't think I need to be considering this right now. I am just 24 years old and would rather like to work on my job. Still got a lot of time to be involved in those. Just butt out of it,” said Bolena with her eyes half-closed in a drowsy and irritated manner.
She already had a similar talk with her grandfather the day, Balthazar had left to Asklepian for the funeral. Winston contacted her a couple more times regarding the same. She was quite annoyed by his repeated attempts and thought that her brother suddenly asking her about this was also due to her grandfather.
”Good. I really hoped that you wouldn't be interested in this contest. Otherwise, it would be really awkward at the contest if we confront one another,” reply Balthazar. He had intentionally phrased his words so that Bolena would think that he is contesting for the being an elder and would wake up properly.
As expected, his reply shocked her awake from her stuporous state. From the way, he replied it she thought that Balthazar was competing for the post of the elder. Though he had an ill.u.s.trious career at the military and was considered a celebrity by people of her generation, he was still detested by a large number of members of the family's elder council for abruptly leaving the family and joining the military as soon as he got a chance to do it legally.
The elder council was not actually the most powerful force of the family, but a lot of decisions regarding the stance of the family about various issues was decided by them. There were branch family members among the elder council who cared solely for their own assets and profits. There will obviously be elders who would rebuke him and condemn him for his disrespectful behavior of the family in the past if he tried to contest.
”Are you being stupid?” she rebuked him directly. It was better she stopped him now before he was stopped by a majority of the elders who wanted their own friend or pawns to compete for that position.
”Not at all. Why do you raise such concerns?” asked Balthazar calmly.
”You stupid, brother! You're really stupid. How can you even think that those elders would allow you to get into the council.”
”Whoa! Whoa! Whoever told you that I wanted to enter the elder council. I just asked so that in hopes that you wouldn't be an opponent for Robert.”
”Huh!” said Bolena slightly surprised by her brother and began to think about what he actually said. ”In fact, he never told that he wanted to be an elder. Was he just playing around with me?” she thought. The she got angry again when she realized that he was just toying with her.
”You ass, you were just toying with me for fun. I hope I don't find you anytime soon or I will use my warframe to beat you senseless.”
”Haha,” began laughing Balthazar on the other end of the call, while his sister scolded him. He enjoyed those rare instances where he managed to fool his sister when she was distracted or sleepy. After listening to his sister's rant for a few minutes about the elders and why she didn't want to participate while scolding him, he finally stopped laughing.
”I also don't want you to participate as you wouldn't be able to spend much time towards this. It would be for the best if both you and I don't compete to become elders. Due to your projects and research, you don't have the time to indulge in this. I can't be because I don't want to leave my job for the post of elder. I can't do both simultaneously.”
”Then, why are we discussing this?” asked Bolena puzzled.
”Though I don't want to be an elder, I would like to have someone I trust to be one. Robert is a good choice. With his as an elder I would have a decent access to their private information and there is also the issue of the threat on our lives. Someone was helping Max and I would like to have an elder who is as concerned about it as me.”
”So, you thought of Robert. You would have him be an elder rather than me? Your own sister.”
”Stop playing. I know that you wouldn't be interested. I would like you to also support him for the present vacancy in the elder council.”
”Even if he becomes one, you can't really rely on him for information if grandpa or Walter want to hide it.”
”Of course, I can't. But it doesn't hurt to have more on our side. It would also be of use when you actually want to be one of the elders. Think about it.”
”I am fine with it. But also talk to grandpa. He would like me to participate. If you convince him, I would be very glad and support Robert.”
”OK. I will convince him. But you already told him that you weren't going to participate, right?”
”Yes. Repeatedly. But you know that sometimes he can be really stubborn.”
”I guess. I haven't really seen that side of him.”
”Well, compared to an idiot who could just leave everything he had in his life and join the military, maybe he is not that stubborn after all.”
”Wow. People really like to rub that it my face a lot,” thought Balthazar.
”Don't worry. Leave that to me. I will talk to him. You can also tell him my idea if he contacts you again,” he said to his sister.
”OK, then. Talk to you later. My head hurts from all my work and this crap.”
”Wait. Wait. But this isn't why I called you.”
”You have something else also on your mind.”
”Yes. I didn't think of asking you to support Robert till I called you. I only asked it once you told that you weren't interested. It was then that I realized that you would also have a decent amount of influence in the family due to Winston being the Patriarch.”
”So, what did you actually call me for?”
”Robert asked me to help him in the contest. But I have no idea what it might be about? You should have some knowledge regarding this, right? So, I called you to ask what could I provide Robert that he already doesn't have? I couldn't put my finger on what he needed me for?”
”Oh! You are worried about that? That is very simple. It is because he a young generation contestant,” said Bolena and cut the call.