He took an antique wooden gavel from its recess and rapped on a worn wooden plate, announcing the start of the impromptu meeting. On the acoustical signal, a bank of telecoms automatically rose from the floor, each screen displaying the unsmiling face of one of his underbosses. At the bottom of each screen was a listing of their confirmed kills, income for the past year, known expenses, and the names of the surface ships and submarines the officer personally owned.