Blood Double (God Wars #1)(18)
Ferrigar stared in surprise at Pheligar. Surprise was an emotion Ferrigar seldom experienced. "Why is that?"
"I believe he needs to see someone."
*
Breanne's Journal
The budget. That's what we were discussing. And yes, it is just as boring as it sounds. It had gone on for hours, with arguments made for this improvement or that new project, until they arrived at an area that irked me. Had Gavin known how I felt about it, he would have slapped a hand over my mouth. As it is, he didn't and that's how things turned out as they did.
"The money from the palace tours cannot be budgeted elsewhere," I snapped, when discussions began on that particular item. Several vampires wanted to build information kiosks throughout Casino City with the money. "That money currently comes to me. I budget it as needed to the comesuli," I added.
"That is a drain on us," another vampire stood and whined. "It would better serve Casino City if we pumped that money back into its economy."
"Really?" I asked. He was aggravated at having to pay taxes on his casino. Those taxes were currently ten percent—a bargain in my estimation. "The tourists aren't paying for tours of your casino," I pointed out, even as Gavin sent profanity-laced mindspeech to me, telling me to shut up.
"Those tourists come here," I said, ignoring the cursing in my head, "So they can gawk at this behemoth." I spread my arms. "Your Council meetings are paid for by the Crown. That blood substitute you're drinking is paid for by the Crown. The comesuli who wait on you hand and foot while you're here are paid by the Crown. The money from those tours goes to pay for equipment needed by volunteer fire departments on the light side of this planet. It pays for other necessities, such as comp-vids for students. Research and field trips for schools. Supplies and equipment for disaster relief. The list is nearly endless," I said. "And that brings us to something else that aggravates me."
The vampire was stunned, I could tell. And it probably wasn't a good idea for any monarch to inform her Council that they aggravated her, even though they did.
"What aggravates, you, my Queen?" Flavio stood. It was probably a good thing he did, Gavin was ready to clap a hand over my mouth and haul me off for another beating.
"A rather large portion of the population has no representation in this chamber," I said. "In all this time, no comesuli members have been allowed. They are the future of Le-Ath Veronis, and I'd like at least one Representative from each of the major cities."
"That would be three seats, Raona. I do not have a problem with that request." Flavio nodded and sat down. If I'd wanted to create a firestorm of debates, however, that's all I had to do to accomplish it. Gavin was scowling the entire time, but eventually it was decided that the comesuli could send a five-member delegation to Council meetings from then on, and have their votes count. The Council also decided that the comesuli could stay or leave if executions had to be performed.
"I still think information kiosks are a good idea," the vampire was in my face as I attempted to leave the chamber. Gavin stood nearby; I could tell he wanted more than anything to snatch me away and yell for a while.
"Then get your fellow casino owners to install them. At the moment, it is my understanding that people walk inside the shops, businesses and casinos for extra information. Can that be a bad thing—that they see what you have as they walk to your information desk? Electronic maps to supply information are already scattered throughout Casino City, are there not? Those give directions and answer standard questions; it only requires that you enter the information you want. It is likely, too, that every visitor has a comp-vid in their hand, with ready information available there. I have no idea what you think manned information kiosks might gain for you."
It would be an insult and perhaps tip my hand if I told him I knew he wanted his lover to be paid to do nothing while the electronic map stations did the work. He was the one behind this idea, and had convinced others to take up his cause.
"You should have listened to the others, Gip," a vampire laughed and slapped Gip on the back as he left the Council Chamber.
"I'm glad you brought up comesuli membership in the Council," Flavio was suddenly at my elbow. I was glad he was with me as a scowling Gavin escorted us to the Queen's suite.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Gavin followed that question with profanity in many languages, once the door to the Queen's suite was shut behind us. It didn't matter the language; I could not only understand it, but could read the meaning in Gavin's face. If he'd been human, he would have suffered a stroke, I think.
"Gavin, consider your words," Flavio interjected.
"I told her to keep her mouth shut unless I instructed her to speak." Gavin wasn't letting up.
"Today, she sounded like Lissa and not a parrot," Flavio pointed out. "Lissa would have lost her temper and treated that fool worse than this one did."
"He wanted to give his lover an income so he wouldn't have to pay to keep him in clothing," I muttered, hugging myself. "He wanted that money to go to his lover for no work."
"Because he's a miserly bastard," Flavio agreed.
"And it infuriates me when I see the comesuli taken advantage of. I'm sorry that it has infuriated you as well, Gavin." I turned and stalked into the Queen's bathroom, slamming the door as hard as I could behind me.