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to decipher exactly what he was looking at.
    When finally he spoke, his voice was very low. “The second issue I want to discuss with you is related to a report that came to me from another source. It contained information about the northeast I find disturbing.”
    “Who did it come from? What was said?” William questioned.
    Stone didn’t answer him. Instead he said, “If the report is unfounded, as I believe it to be, then there is nothing for you to do. But if not, if the report is accurate, it means my orders have been blatantly ignored. Let me be very clear. I will not tolerate insubordination. I will not tolerate it from you, and I will not tolerate it from the men who report to you. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, sir,” William said.
    “Yes, sir,” Luther mimicked.
    “I will say this only once,” Stone went on. “The Sovereign Sons of the South exist to preserve our homeland and the rights of our fellow Southerners. As such, there will be times when our actions may not be in line with current laws. In other words, there will be times when our members must break the law. However, this does not mean with violence. We are fortunate to have witnessed the mistakes of the Klan. Repeating those mistakes will only be detrimental to our cause. We do not want to be forced to disband again. I have never ordered, nor will I ever order, you or your men to commit acts of extreme violence. This is not the way to achieve our goals.” He paused. “Have any of your men disobeyed you? Have any of your men overstepped your authority?”
    “Not that I’m aware of, sir,” said William.
    “I don’t believe so, sir,” said Luther, but he was confused. If he heard correctly, Stone just said no violence. Luther always followed directives that came from Stone through William, and these contained plenty of violence. Perhaps he didn’t understand what Stone meant by extreme. There was no time to dwell upon the issue, however. Stone was speaking again. He needed to pay attention.
    “With regard to this man of God, Nash. What he’s doing in his church is a problem. There are class distinctions to be maintained. Hughes, I’m going to take some time to think about this. I will let you know what needs to be done.”
    “Yes, sir,” William said. “We also believe Nash is the spook, sir. What should we do about that?”
    “You may be convinced, but I am not. Further investigation is required,” Stone said. “Emerson, I would like you to take charge of this. You will appoint men to assist you, as you see fit. All sightings and encounters must be documented. You will report your findings directly to me. You may use Houser to deliver your reports. This is critical. We cannot dally. The safety of our men is my primary concern. Is that clear?”
    Luther couldn’t believe the Imperial Wizard had singled him out, and for such an important undertaking! “Yes, sir. You can count on me, sir,” he blurted.
    “Good. I have nothing else,” Stone said. “Is there anything you would like to discuss?”
    While on their way, William had agreed, if the opportunity arose, to speak to Stone about Jon Kinsley. Luther looked at his friend, but William wasn’t saying anything. It didn’t occur to him until that moment that perhaps William was upset. By assigning Luther with the task of reporting on the spook, Stone had, more or less, usurped William’s superiority in the northeast. Of course, Luther had no choice but to accept the responsibility. He couldn’t possibly say no to the Imperial Wizard. William couldn’t be angry with him for that.
    “Is there something you would like to say to me, Emerson?” Stone asked.
    Luther didn’t realize his fidgeting was so obvious. Flustered, he stuttered, “Um, yes, um, I was wondering if my son-in-law might be considered for leadership?”
    “Your son-in-law? I assume you’re referring to Captain Jonathan Kinsley? Fought in the confederacy during the war? Inducted to the Sons in