Deadly Wands

by Brent Reilly

CHAPTER 78

  Billy held a secret meeting with the few dozen relatives who knew his duel identities. He scheduled it during Princess’ childbirth to be sure she wouldn’t attend. He felt naked not wearing something that covered his face. He made them record him, then gave it to them bluntly.

  “I’ll die when I run out of Mongols to kill. Many of you can get by with flying a lot, but my addiction is the strongest in history. No quad with half my strength has ever survived retirement, even blasting mountains into rubble. It’s what keeps the dueling arenas alive. It’s the real reason I’m waiting two years to duel Genghis Khan. Victory will kill me. I may survive the war, but not the peace, so we need to plan now for my absence.”

  He paused to let them absorb this, not appreciating how his words contrasted with his boyish face or the energy radiating from him. The Matriarch, of all people, looked ready to cry with her one good eye.

  “My father warned me about this. We just didn’t think this day would arrive so soon. I found it harder to enjoy our victories because each one reduced my life span. Winning battles felt like committing suicide. Please don’t tell me how sorry you are, because I regret nothing. I’ll have lived longer in twenty years than most people who last two hundred.”

  Although death staring at him in the face was a hard way to enjoy a honeymoon. Just convincing Princess to marry him took more energy than it was worth.

  “I’ve made out my Last Will and plan to legalize it in every relevant country. If something also happens to Princess, then Emily becomes the executor of my estate. She knows how I want my fortune invested. I’ve also given her my video diaries for her to release after my death, along with my parent’s. What? Oh, yeah, I’ve been recording myself since I was little.

  “My problem -- it sounds weird to call it that -- is that I have too much money. I want to spend as much as possible, as fast as possible, as constructively as possible, so I need people I can trust to spend it for me. Under the parent non-profits that I’ve started, I want you to invest heavily in food production, infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Buy as much farmland and ranchland as possible to feed people during famines and for leverage over bad leaders. I also want to give free land to Americans who move to the Stans. I’d like to see huge herds of cattle and buffalo there, like in the American Midwest.

  “I want to hire as many marathoners as possible. Some can fish off the coasts. Long flights and blasting the ocean -- so dead fish float to the surface -- will help ease the pain of their addiction, while feeding the hungry. Jack, please start a global postal service to employ others. George, hire marathoners to increase ship speed.

  “I plan on holding a family get-together at the end of every year. Since they’ll be the world’s best quads when grown, I want them to develop personal bonds. Jack, as our common ancestor, I leave you in charge of my general war fund, charity, and investment company, although Princess or Emily can overrule decisions. Please do everything you can to keep my kids from killing each other.

  “The world economy will soon be booming. I want everyone to credit peace for their prosperity. Genghis Khan made world war his legacy. I want to leave world peace as my legacy. That is my dying wish for all of you and for all of my children. See to it that they live up to it.”

  Now that Billy bummed them out, he tried to lift them up. The king never married the Matriarch, nor informed her that he once told Billy he’d marry her. Since he had more money than time, Billy thought he’d hurry that along. He turned to the king, but waited until he grew impatient, because that never got old.

  “Grandpa, if you marry Susan before my wedding, I’ll forgive that thousand ton loan.”

  The room exploded as if bombed. Everyone but King Richard was on their feet hugging and screaming. Susan not only lifted Billy up, but kissed him on the lips in front of her new fiancé. They weren’t, after all, blood related. No one bothered to ask the king if he accepted because no one refuses a thousand gold tons.

  King Richard finally understood how this little brat kept beating the Great Khan -- through surprise. Billy’s true talent was not war or dueling, but surprising. He must have gotten it from his parents.

  Some actors perform on larger stages.

  Emily started chanting, “Queen Susan, Queen Susan!” When the room finally quieted down, Billy thought he’d clarify something. Like all good surprise attacks, this one had more than one shocker.

  Billy called Emily and their firstborn up front.

  “Emily -- or should I now say, Lady Emily -- I’m not giving away a thousand gold tons to make Susan royalty. I’m doing it to make you royalty.”

  And, with that, even King Richard broke into tears. The beefy guy picked up Billy and Emily and everyone else hugged them until the tears of joy dried up. William did flips above them and Billy saw past Emily’s shocked expression that he made her the happiest girl on Earth. The utter devotion he saw in her eyes helped heal his wounded soul. But he was not done. Billy could be vicious in his generosity.

  “But our children are less likely to ascend to the throne if they remain illegitimate.” That stopped the music. “Princess refused to marry me after making you show me that video. Do you know how I convinced her otherwise?” He didn’t wait for an answer because Emily looked about to shatter into a thousand pieces of glass. “By promising to marry you if something ever happens to her.”

  Billy caught Emily as she collapsed. William, however, was past mere joy. He slammed into them so hard he knocked the three of them down. He sat on King Richard’s barrel chest and joked, “Do you know what I like most about a fair fight?”

  Every quad in the world saw the video of Billy taking the Third Millennial.

  Billy was laughing too hard to use his wands, but the king chased him around the high ceilings. Billy brushed Emily’s blond hair from her face so she could see his eyes.

  “Emily, should the opportunity present itself, will you marry me?”

  It felt like such an odd question to ask the mother of six of his children right before he married someone else.

  “You actually do understand how much I love you!” she whispered in joy.

  “I’m gonna take that as a yes.” Billy turned to Susan. “Several of your offspring have died for me. Ennobling your descendents is the least I can do for their service.”

  Which is why he invited Prince’s beautiful fiancée to this meeting. Billy called her in front of everyone and William let the king finally catch him.

  “Cousin Mara -- or should I say, Lady Mara -- your sister Mary died protecting my mother the day she was killed. I cannot thank her enough. But I can try.

  “When my future brother-in-law wouldn’t shut up about how wonderful you are, I suggested he turn the baby in your tummy into a prince or princess by marrying you. So if you ever hear him call me a genius, that’s why. As royalty, I warned him that you should own an estate to pass down to your children. Since he didn’t know what to buy, he just gave me control of one of his accounts. I doubt the fool had any idea how much was in it. Anyways, you should soon own several estates in England and Ireland, a dozen in Europe, a huge territory in the Stans, and an agent is buying land across the Americas. Just in case you two have a lot of children.

  “I also had your forgetful groom put you in charge of the charities he started for war orphans and widows. And I gave a thousand gold tons in your name to his tribe to build roads, schools, and hospitals. I hear they’ve already named a street after you. The rest I donated to the families of those who either gave or risked their lives saving him.

  “And you’re still richer than the king, who just got a thousand tons wealthier. But please don’t lend him money -- that’s my job!” Billy paused to smile at grandpa. “It’s better to give to family than to lend, and it costs about the same.

  “Your boyfriend has invested heavily in my companies, but he doesn’t care about business. I hear you’re a whiz w
ith numbers, so perhaps you’d consider a membership on my board of directors. Our children will be cousins twice over, but I want them to grow up as brothers and sisters. After all, any one of them could one day rule England.”

  And, more importantly, Billy needed powerful people willing to work hard to make his legacy last. His mother was right: only lasting peace justified killing so many. Falling short of that would make him the genocidal monster he spent his life destroying.

  When Susan, Emily, and Mara sobbed together in a group hug, it occurred to Billy how frequently he made women cry. He didn’t have the heart to tell Mara that Prince would spend the rest of his life dueling to satisfy his wand thirst, rather than living large in luxury in London. Effectively, she’d be a widow as soon as they married.

  “You’d make a great king,” his grandfather flatly stated in awe.

  “Thank you, grandpa. It’s in my blood.”