“I’m used to being in charge, you know. But for you, I’m willing to consider a fifty/fifty arrangement.”
“Fifty/fifty is exactly what I had in mind. How do you like that? It’s far more powerful than what I sell downstairs. I save the good stuff for private use. But look, if I’m going to keep control of the hordes I’m about to unleash, I need somebody like you. No, I need you.”
Gideon rose to his feet and began prowling around the room, his darkened eyes drinking in the expensive furniture. A low glass-fronted cabinet near the desk displayed an array of sheathed weapons, all older than Gideon, but he passed by it to head straight for the chair behind the desk.
“You know what I miss about the old days?” He sat down, propping his feet up on the corner of the desk as he leaned back in the soft leather. “Respect. Fledges these days don’t appreciate what it means to live as long as we have, Henry.”