Odin sat in his seat, seriously pondering whether he had ever offended Luke.
Mephisto froze, and the two Soul Fires in his eye sockets flared brightly.
"Explain!" Mephisto sat up straight. He thought Luke's idea was excellent and highly feasible, but his somewhat rigid mind could only sense a few of its intricacies without ever finding the way in. That feeling of being just one step from the door yet unable to kick it open left him restless. He was certain Luke had more to say, and he wanted to hear it.
"How is the banking business developing?" Rather than elaborate, Luke asked an unrelated question. It immediately drew Odin and Ancient One's attention.
Whether the Hell Dimension lived or died had nothing to do with them, nor was it their concern. But the Energy Bank was closely tied to them and the forces behind them.
Under the stares of the other three, Mephisto gave an uncomfortable smile. "Everything is going smoothly. We've already recruited quite a few promising candidates, all ruthless types willing and able to work hard and take risks. We've signed supply-and-demand agreements with at least a dozen of them. We're still negotiating with the rest, waiting for an opportunity to get them to sign contracts. Give it one or two thousand years, and our bank should officially begin operating on a proper footing."
As Mephisto spoke, his back gradually straightened. Whatever else happened, he believed he had done his utmost for the Energy Bank. It had nearly become his life's work, and the degree to which he cared about it was second only to his home base, the Hell Dimension.
Building such a framework from scratch in such a short time had certainly required Luke and the others' full support, but Mephisto believed his contribution had