Salute To The General

Very quickly, Nathan was able to meet with Zion in an isolated interrogation room.

Zion's hair had shockingly turned white overnight, which gave him the bespectacled man the appearance of a grizzled elder.

That aside, Zion's attire remained prim and proper, and he was both physically unharmed and mentally alert. His silvery mane, though, made him resemble more of a wizened scholar than an important official.

Zion was extremely surprised to see

Nathan. "What are you doing here, Chief Cross?"

"I've come to visit you because Mr. Windsor is concerned that you may be subjected to mistreatment, as do myself," said Nathan in his deep inflection.

That drew a bitter smile from Zion even as his eyes welled up. "Previously, I was told that you are a forthright and upstanding man, but I was skeptical about that. To think that you're the only one dropping in to see me now that I'm in trouble!"

Nathan had not much to say about that and only turned to regard Braydon, Colin, and the others to the side solemnly. "Step outside, all of you. I'd like to have a word with Mr. Lucas. Also, have all the surveillance equipment inside of this room turned off." Braydon expressed no objections and filed out alongside Colin, the Elite Eight, and whoever else was there.

closed behind them with only Nathan and Zion left alone inside, the former asked candidly, "What's going on here, Mr. Lucas? Braydon said that you'd confessed to the

by that? Did you really break the law? How much were you

no hurry to answer. Instead, he asked, "Do you

really still in the mood

thought inside, he fished out a

a pack, in Nathan's possession. "This cheap stuff? Shouldn't you be smoking something else better than this,

ones as well. Sometimes, I may continue smoking the exclusives at home if I don't manage to finish the ones that I am issued. But

Nathan frowned and asked, "Do

and no," Zion

supposed to mean?"

he continued, "I was under the impression that someone in your position surely has habits similar to myself, settling for nothing but the best when it comes to your vices. Even if you're that hard up, it still ought to be the

on leave, and besides, I don't think there's any correlation between quality and affordability. In the

"Then, we're

have the premium stuff. Sometimes at work, businessmen or the guys under me would offer me all sorts of stuff after the job is done. Cigars, alcohol,