His immediate superior's train of thought took Kallen somewhat by surprise.
Suss remained absorbed in his grand vision and continued, "Look, could we turn this place into a 'training base for foreign church students'?"
"This idea of yours..."
"Quite a few churches have that need right now. You'll have to handle this, because your status is special. You could say the very reason they're willing to send people here is because of what makes you special.
"If you bring in another batch, we can skim off another batch. As long as we can launder the vouchers into allowances without crossing any fundamental lines, even an investigation from above won't get us convicted.
"We'd practically be earning vouchers in our sleep!"
"But sir, if we do that, our reputation..."
Lure someone in, then slaughter them-it certainly felt good. And not only could they pocket the initial "connection fee," but the subsequent "upkeep fees" would also provide a steady, long-term income. If anyone dared not pay, they could assign their people to the most dangerous missions with the highest casualty rates and let them undergo a trial of "blood and fire." It amounted to holding hostages and being ready to kill them whenever the vouchers stopped coming: draining the pond in a sustainable fashion.
But their reputation would be utterly ruined.
"Ah, that has nothing to do with me. I'll only be working here for a few years anyway. With your ability, the share of credit I get over those years will be enough to get me promoted to the Dinge District."
"So..."
"We negotiate." Suss rubbed his hands together. "You take the bad reputation, we split the profits, and then you can poke around and see what other gray areas here at headquarters catch your eye that I can give you."