Heart of Steel: Book II of the Jonathan Pavel Series Read Online Free PDF

were to ever reverse his position on Jonathan, he could hardly make a speech about it on the Senate floor, and it wasn't a topic of conversation to be raised in the club rooms of the Capital. No he’d need to make some gesture such as  inviting the young upstart to his family estate as part of the holiday festivities. This was one of the many reasons Jonathan was listening to Glorianna Halman drone on about her dear boy on First Planting Eve, rather than getting very drunk in the River Front district the way he wanted to. The fact that Halman’s niece and not he had extended Jonathan the invitation was not something any Landed, least among them the standard bearer for proper form, was going to admit. So, for all intents and purposes, the cloud of disapproval cast by the Senator was lifted and hopefully Jonathan thought listening to the poor, tearful  Glorianna go on about Marcus’s love of baseball, it would help unstick his currently stuck career.
    Finally, around 23:00 Glorianna retired thanking Jonathan once more for coming to offer his condolences. Jonathan wished her a good night, and then made a beeline for the bar staying well away from her fuming brother.
    The great Landed families might not be what they once were, but they did know how to lay down a spread. The bite size appetizers being circulated by purple and gold uniformed waiters were of the highest quality and most expensive; caviar, foie gras, slip fish liver. Even poached Crag Dragon eggs were served,  which seemed a bit unpatriotic to eat seeing as how the great mountain predators were one of the official symbols of the Republic, but they were delicious.  Also present was quail wrapped in bacon, stuffed peppers, smoked Lox fish, New Bengal passion fruit, and actual Teja Mastiff meat thinly sliced and sauteed in mushrooms. The bar, or rather the three bars strategically positioned around the room to prevent crowding, were as impressive as the appetizers. A vast variety of fine wines and imported beers shared shelf space with 300 year old whiskeys, and actual Terran Vodka. Jonathan handed his flask to the bartender, pointed at the New De La Platta bourbon, a drink he personally knew cost per bottle what he made in a month and said, “Fill her up.”
    Taking his flask and a well made cocktail, Jonathan played a strategic game of hello and hide and seek with his unwilling host. He made sure to greet as many people as possible, so it couldn't be denied he’d been here while staying well away from Eugene Halman. It didn't last long. Three cocktails and half a flask later, Jonathan, who had stopped to rest on the balcony overlooking the dance floor where Nathan and WIlliam were twirling Zeta and Heather among the other party goers,  felt a very forceful tap on his shoulder.
    Turning, Jonathan saw the grinning visage of Senator Eugene Halman whose face reminded him very much of one of those funeral masks some cultures were so fond of.
    “Why Commander Pavel. I had No idea you were coming to our little party,” the Senator said all smiles, while his eyes screamed murder.   Jonathan took a swig of his flask and offered it to the Senator, who didn't break eye contact with Jonathan but continued to glare daggers. 
“Sorry to hear you weren't informed Senator, I was sure that Will had mentioned that Heather told you. Must've slipped your mind old age and all that.”
    If Jonathan had wanted to be diplomatic, that was precisely the wrong thing to say, but at this point thanks to the copious amount of alcohol he’d imbibed Jonathan didn't particularly care about being diplomatic.
    The Senator's eyes narrowed and he lowered his voice to a whisper which was menacing,  “You know I’d almost forgotten about you. I hadn't forgotten poor Marcus but you... you jumped up little Provo prick. You’d just about slipped my mind, but now you're at the very top of my shit list.”
    Jonathan looked at the old man. He seemed so much smaller in person than he did on