Webb and Quent eyed each other and a disparaging smile appeared on their faces.
Quent took the lead and answered his question. “Turns out you're really a deserter. But that aside, I have to say you really surprised me. You have no shame at all. You even have the balls to show up.”
Nathan ignored his ridicule and dived right into the topic. “Quent Douglas, right? If I remember correctly, you work for Clifford. I can't help but wonder, have you not learned anything after years of serving Clifford? Who told you I was a deserter? Did the government release that information? Or did the Headquarters of the Chief Military Governor release it?”
Quent was suddenly at a loss for words.
Indeed, there was no official announcement saying Nathan was a deserter.
It was merely Clifford's own conjecture. When they could not find Nathan after the war erupted, they came to that conclusion on their own.
Now that Nathan interrogated him, Quent was caught in a tight position all of a sudden. It was not like he could say it was Clifford who accused Nathan of being a deserter.
Seeing his dilemma, Nathan continued. “I hope you're aware that I still have my military rank. Do you know the penalty of slandering military officials?”
Quent's evasive gaze wandered about aimlessly.
He suddenly realized that tackling Nathan was not as easy as he thought it would be.
“You're the one who went missing after the war. You can't blame the public for surmising what happened.” Quent raised his voice hypocritically to cover up his disconcertment.
“You don't have to worry about those people, I won't let any one of them walk away with impunity,” Nathan retaliated calmly.
“How dare you!” The veins on Quent's forehead bulged in fury.
“Well, there's still a lot more that I dare to do. I'll come to the Davier family later on, but now, let's talk about what you did to my wife, shall we?”
Speaking, Nathan's gaze hardened as it landed on Webb, who suddenly became inexplicably rigid under Nathan's glare.
Calm down, Webb Goldstein! Stop chickening out!
Nathan is not that powerful anymore. You have the whole Goldstein family behind you, and Mr. Davier too! Man up!
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Salute to the General