"Thank you for coming."
Damon grasped Eastiel's hand and shook it with a firm grip. He had been negotiating with contractors long enough to know exactly how valuable a willing specialist was. "I'm lucky. They said you refused offshore work for the next year. What happened?"
Eastiel chuckled as they walked through the dam's operating and maintenance base, a labyrinth of concrete corridors and humming machinery that smelled faintly of river water and industrial lubricant.
His steel-toed boots clanged against the metal grating with each step, his bright yellow hard hat tucked under one arm. "My girlfriend is pregnant. So I decided to stay inland for a year. At the very least."
"Oh!" Damon's face broke into a surprised smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Edengold." He sighed in wonder. "Wow. Are we going to meet the next heir of the Edengold line?"
