King of War Tech novel · Chapter 18 of 24

Chapter 18: Dinner With Mother

The private dining room at the Navy Club seated twenty, and every chair was full.

Twelve directors, the Admiral with two captains, and at the head of the table, Stellan.

Marjorie sat at his right hand in her pearls.

She had told him she would come only if her daughter and her son-in-law sat beside her.

He had agreed, because he had a plan for the evening.

Imogen and I took the two chairs at the foot of the table.

Stellan stood and tapped his glass.

"Tomorrow the Navy sees what my brother started," he said. "Tonight I want to thank the person who has held this family together."

"My mother."

Polite applause.

Marjorie did not lift her hands from the cane.

"She has had a very hard month," Stellan went on, in the voice of a good son.

"She's been hearing Clyde on the telephone. She says he talks to her."

"I've asked a few doctors to look in on her tonight, for her sake."

Two men in gray suits stood in the doorway.

Behind them waited two others in white jackets, with their arms hanging.

I knew those two.

They were the strangers from Clyde's doorway.

Marjorie stood up.

She did it without any help, which made the room go quiet.

"Gentlemen," she said to the directors. "My son has a problem with the truth, so I will say this once."

"I have read the statements myself."

Keep reading free with an account. Start King of War Tech from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.