Baka chuckled. "Well, in that case, I guess I'll just have to find something to occupy myself until your breath smells good enough to give me a briefing. Something like say, I don't know, holding a baby?"
"If I keep letting you near him, he might get the idea that I think you're okay. By the way, thank you for taking Song to the reception and looking out for her."
"You're welcome."
"And whatever you do, please, please, don't tell Ram."
"Elora..."
"Thanks. Love you." She hung up before he could finish his thought and peeked out the bedroom door. "Ram. Baka will be at the door in one minute. I told him he could hold Helm while I get ready, then we'll take him to breakfast and do a briefing."
"He'd better have his briefs on already."
She laughed at him and shook her head, not because that was funny, but because Ram was of the opinion that, if a joke was good once, it grew better with age and would kill on the hundredth telling.
When Ram opened the door for Baka, Blackie growled and showed how big he was by making his ruff stand straight up.
Baka chuckled. "Still not a fan, I see."
Blackie whined in protest when Ram confined him to the bedroom with his mistress. Before they left the apartment Elora called Sol. "Just keeping you in the loop. Baka's here. We were thinking we'd do a breakfast briefing downstairs. Do you want to join us?"
"You know what I know. Spell it out then stop by my office before you take him to meet the vamps."
"Okay. See you later."
Next she texted Glen. where are you?
visiting vamps.
?? ok taking baka to breakfast brief then coming there
TEXT me when ur on the way
ok why?
There was no reply.
Over an "Eggie Spinach Benedictine" skillet for two, Ram and Elora relayed every detail they could remember about the events of the previous night which were extraordinary even by The Order's standards. Baka was quiet as he took it all in. It was easy to see his mind was busy processing through the logical ramifications of what such a fortuitous development could mean for the success of his Vampire Inversion project.
"If they're willing to help, it could shorten the time-table. By years. Possibly." He appeared calm, but Elora could tell that Baka could barely contain his excitement.
"I thought you'd be pleased and I'll bet you're eager to get a look at them. If you're ready, Sol wanted us to stop by his office on the way down to meeting your new recruits."
"Recruits? Let's don't get ahead of ourselves."
"Positive thinking. Never hurts."
"No indeed."
Sol's welcome to Baka was as warm as it ever got with him. The Sovereign said hello and shook hands, then instructed Baka to let him know if the Lady Laiken wasn't seeing to his needs. Ram, Elora, and Baka each had their own internal reaction to the way that thought was phrased. It never seemed to cross Sol's mind that innuendo might be inferred so they ignored it.
On the way to the former trainees' rec room, at the last minute, Elora remembered that Glen had asked her to text.
Almost there.
Just as they were at the door Glen came rushing out and held his arms across the entrance with the door to his back, blocking their way.
"Hold on. There's something I have to tell you."