What mattered at the moment was her duties as a member of the kitchen staff, and she quickly went to work. Soup was left on a pot, that was one thing she had been told to do. She'd also been told the reason - that with sometimes widely varying shifts, it was important to have something nourishing and available for the workers. Soup could be left simmering at a low heat with occasional water or other ingredients being added to keep it going. A few chunks of hardbread and one had a traditional sort of meal for the busy around the Empire.
She quickly lost herself in her work, familiarizing herself with the location of various ingredients and tools. It was better than focussing on the honor for her family of having one of its members directly serving the Heir.
Of course, if she screwed up - the dishonor on her family would be a very bad thing. Very bad. Disastrous. Maybe not taken out and shot, but still pretty bad.
No, it really was best not to consider that.
"WHAT?! KASUMI HAS GONE TO WORK FOR THE OVERLORD?!"
"Well, yeah," said Nabiki, wiping spittle off her face.
"Sorry," absently said Akane, realizing she'd just spit rice all over her sister's face. "When did this happen?"
"While you were out at that field trip to view the Grand Cannon," said Nabiki.
Akane spluttered at the thought of her eldest sister working. How scandalous!
"Decent wage, good benefits, really nice retirement package," pointed out Nabiki as she spread a few forms on the table. "If it weren't for Clause 43, I'd be all over it."
"'Clause 43'?" asked Akane.
"The one about acting in the best interests of the Overlord - or else." Nabiki spread her hands. "Some gambles are not worth the cost."
"I thought number 43 was about beautiful members of the Rebellion," mumbled Akane.
"You're not still thinking about leading a cell of rebellion against the Overlord, are you Akane?" asked Nabiki. "What about his Robot Legions Of Death?"
"Easily dealt with," said Akane.
"Heavily armed Legions Of Terror?"
"They rely on weapons," answered Akane.
"Ganja-grenade riot police?"
"I can hold my breath," said Akane.
"Secret police," tried Nabiki.
"WHAT Secret Police?" asked Akane. "I've never heard of them."
Nabiki sighed. Maybe she'd still grow out of it. Having to report on her own younger sister would be such a pain. "Akane, you've been listening to Kuno again haven't you?"
"He's got the right idea," said Akane, absolutely unaware of how much things had changed for her to agree with Tatewaki Kuno.
Meanwhile, the Invincible Overlord oversaw his latest obstacle for world domination.
"You've got to be kidding me," said the Invincible Overlord to the Masked Minion.
"No, this is indeed what we have discovered," said Masked Minion Number Four.
"Furinkan Senior High School? An 'Anti-Evil-Overlord Club'?" The Overlord considered this briefly. "Saadisi?"
A weaselly looking old man in a labcoat came out of the shadows, adjusting his glasses. "May I test weapons on them, your lordship?"
"Not just yet, have some agent infiltrate the group, find out if any of them are something other than blithering idiots, and then I may indulge your tastes," said the Overlord. "I don't have much hope for their intellectual prowess if they went ahead and named their club something so glaringly obvious. Other than that, I'll leave it in your hands."
"May I indulge in diabolic laughter, my lord?" asked the mad scientist.
"Later, it's been upsetting the chickens," said the Overlord. "Which were also your creation, I believe."
"Explosive chickens," said Saadisi with a shrug. "I was just trying for explosive eggs. Ah well. You can't -"
"-make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, we know, we know," said the Overlord, wondering once again if Saadisi hadn't made that mistake simply so he could keep using that joke.
Number Four watched as the evil, or at least perverted, mad scientist went off cackling. "Why do you keep him on the payroll?"
"He's amusing," said the Overlord. "He also comes up with useful things from time to time. I have someone watch to see what he's throwing away. He also comes up with things that should absolutely not work, but somehow manage to function anyway. Eventually I'll retire him to some mountain laboratory with highly paid and attractive assistants for his years of good service. Part of their pay will be to subtly sabotage anything that might be used against me."
"Ah," said Number Four. Retirement benefits for the elite under the Overlord's rule were a major incentive for loyalty.
"Be that as it may," said the Overlord, "what can you tell me of
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(Posted Wed, 15 Sep 2004 19:20)
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