The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 101

Since verifying the presence of children didn't concern Greg, he moved on to what really interested him when he asked Toby, "Minister, did she give any descriptions of the three scientists?" "No. With hindsight, I wished I had asked."

Lucianne gently consoled, "You had a lot on your mind."

Tate added, "And she might not even know, Toby."

Toby begged to differ. "It's really nice of you to want to help defend my mate, Alpha, but let's face it, if she's privy to planning the Blue Crescent attack and the abductions at Falling Vines and Saber Vagary, I doubt she won't know who the scientists are." Greg muttered, "The number 'three' is quite peculiar."

Toby had an exhausted look when he asked, "What does that mean, Your Grace?"

Greg explained, "Most scientists don't play well with others, so most work alone, and come up with close to nothing in their lifetimes. This is with the exception of Dr Tanish and Madam Psych, but they never worked with anyone beyond themselves." Xandar questioned, "Is it possible that those working solo have altered their working style, Greg?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on what they're being guaranteed."

Lucianne asked, "What would swing the odds in our rival's favor?"

Greg thought about that and uttered, "Power. That would be my best guess, My Queen."

Toby wasn't even trying to think anymore. "What? Everyone wanted to vacuum the Authority out of Lucy?"

The duke's mouth opened intending to deliver the usual harsh retort, but the sight of the tired and saddened minister made Greg feel a little bad, so he chose to answer cordially, "Power in status was what I meant, minister. Everyone wants to be in the highest position, to be untouchable, to overthrow the one who sits on the top spot so that they'll be the one to make the rules."

"Oh. Of course," Toby noted casually like he heard about a revolution every single day to the point where he was jaded.

Lucianne asked, "What do they even want with that power? Why are they so pinned on being untouchable? They're rogues. They already have more leeway than anyone in the kingdom...as long as they do anything to go against your rules, of course." This made Xandar ask, "What are your rules, Greg?" Maybe they weren't as flexible as they thought.

Greg shrugged and explained innocently, "Nothing complicated. Just don't do anything to piss me off, which can range to something as simple as becoming intolerably loud in a bar I'm in, to something more complicated like planting a mole in my circle." While everyone processed this in silence, Xandar commented, "That's a very wide range of subjective circumstances, Greg."

Greg countered, "Says the one who came up with the complicated tax system to suck money out of individuals based not just on earnings, but properties, business, shareholding, foreign income, investment, and let's not forget the exemption only for people who can claim family support, child support, and a whole list of other things that would take me days to recite! And what's with that tax-exemption incentive about some history sh*t?"

In defense, Xandar argued calmly, "Research and publication of historical events that have been buried or burnt by our lycan predecessors is useful because we'd be able to gauge the best approach to take when we're with the other species. It helps the kingdom as a whole in the sense that it preserves peace without being taken advantage of. Of course there'll be a tax exemption for the time and money that goes into anything like that."

Christian also added, "And that whole list of things you're complaining about isn't placed there to target anyone in particular, Greg. It isn't personal, so it's not subjective. It's just economics, unlike your rules which are strongly based on emotions - your emotions."

Greg responded without effort, "I'm level-headed most of the time, so I doubt involving my emotions is a problem, distant cousin. It really isn't that hard to avoid pissing me off. Just do as I say, stay out of my way, answer questions when I ask them, and don't conspire against me. It's that simple."

Christian heaved a heavy sigh and threw his hands in the air before he decided to just give up trying to explain how that whole 'simple' thing was a problem. Xandar was not very surprised by whatever he heard. Apart from Greg's lack of birthright, the whole dictatorial line the duke just recited was the reason why Xandar was determined to never let Greg take the throne.

Lucianne decided to get the subject back on track. "Greg, do you happen to have a list of creatures who...aren't happy to do as you say, stay out of way, answer your questions and not conspire against you?"

Somehow, the way Lucianne recited the whole list in the sequence Greg said it earned a few soft chuckles and made some of the judgmental faces turn into ones of amusement. Desmond snorted and abruptly stopped when Greg's fierce eyes went to him. Lucianne prompted, "So, there IS a list, Desmond?"

"Queen, ain't no list needed. Almost anybody with an ego and who ain't workin' for boss don't like doin' those things. And it ain't personal. These folks just don't like being bossed around, ya know?" "That's...understandable, I suppose." Her sights returned to Greg when she asked, "So, which scientists are the most...rebellious ones, Greg? Surely, they can't all be certain that they can overthrow you."

He was definitely flattered by her confidence in his ability to keep the rogues in line, and couldn't help but smile before he answered, "I haven't had a problem with self-proclaimed geniuses for more than two decades, My Queen. The last ones were..." That was when it hit him.

"1

His eyes went to his top four, who were lost for a brief moment before they too realized who they were looking for. It made sense! The Callow triplets were the only ones who worked in three, the only scientists who defied Greg by spreading tales about how he was not fit to stay on the top of the rogue chain, the only ones who died without leaving corpses.

Lucianne squeezed Xandar's hand tightly to cope with the painful silence. She didn't want to interrupt their thinking process but the wait was an ordeal! Christian and the alliance members weren't doing any better.

It was like the royal mavericks were discussing amongst themselves but that couldn't be possible seeing that their eyes were clear so they weren't mind-linking. It really looked like they were having an internal discussion just by using their eyes. Lucianne even began to wonder whether she and the alliance members could do that after fighting alongside each other for so many years.

After the royal mavericks recalled the last time any one of them mentioned the name 'Callow' in their own investigation, Greg scoffed darkly before he muttered with a sinister smile, "Those bastards are going to die for real this time."