Salute To The General (Nathan Cross) novel Chapter 2070

“May I ask if you are well acquainted with Nathan Cross?” Clifford asked.

“What is your interest in this?” Nathan inquired in kind.

“I understand that you have sought Nathan for his input on military strategy during the North Army's battle against the Xyperian army, and also presented him a gift recently. That made me curious about the nature of your relationship with him.”

Nathan's answer was ambiguous. “I consider him a friend.”

The term itself could mean a relationship of any indeterminate depth.

His counterpart furrowed, as that did not actually reveal anything of substance.

Nathan then countered with a question of his own. “I heard that your family and Nathan have their differences.”

“Not differences, but a profound enmity,” Clifford corrected.

“An eye for an eye makes the world go blind. If both parties are willing, may I suggest that I play peacemaker. Let bygones be bygones, and the two parties try to get along from here on. What would you say to that?”

Nathan was now Chief Military Governor and Eurasia's undisputed top warrior.

Though generally a mild man, Clifford tended to side with his relatives and was rather vindictive. In his role as Secretary of the Cabinet, he excelled at management and economics.

As Chief Military Governor, Nathan's intention in advising Clifford to let go of his vendetta was with the bigger picture in mind. He did not want his personal feud with the Davier family to devolve into a problem for his country.

Certainly, it was also his way of covertly giving the Daviers a way to bow out gracefully.

If they agreed to back off Nathan, they would technically be saving their own skins.

A pity that that was not to be.

Clifford was so set in his ways, even the office of the Chief Military Governor was not enough to convince him otherwise.

“Why must you be so hasty in declining, Chief Military Governor?” Clifford laughed.

“Our Shae is an elegant beauty of virtue and grace, and had long been an admirer of yours.

Why won't you give her due consideration?”

The woman responsible for pouring Nathan's drink blushed to the ears. Her eyes gleamed with affection as she looked longingly toward the man in the hope that she might catch his gaze.

However, Nathan seemed to be completely disinterested in her.

Clifford got to his feet when he adjudged that Nathan was about to reiterate his previous answer. He approached with glass in hand. “You command the army and I, the Cabinet. A union between our families can only help us both our families grow from strength to strength.”

He walked up beside Nathan before he leaned in. “When we join forces, we'll have control of both cannon and coin. In time, well be dictating who'll be President. Or perhaps our families could split time between ourselves. Wouldn't that be a beautiful thing to behold?”