Deadly Wands (60 page)

The crowd mobbed her, all talking at once,
accepting her as one of their own. The woman who had to be the
Matriarch -- she just gave off that kind of authority -- picked her
up like she won a championship. The English started singing a song
as they put her on their shoulders and carried her to the house
like a Roman senator. This was not the awkward reception she had
been dreading.

Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all, Billy
privately wondered.

The Matriarch met the guys outside the front
door. Her one good eye examined Prince like an Arabian horse. “Is
this the Indian you keep bragging about?”

“Show her, brother,” Billy urged him.

So Prince extended flame fifteen meters.

“Does he understand the rules?” Susan asked
Billy.

Prince looked alarmed. Billy put a friendly
hand on his shoulder. “Every time I visit, Susan makes me ‘donate’
five times a day. I strip, put on a blindfold, then women who wish
to have my children have their way with me. Few speak and I never
know their identities. Susan prefers this because it reduces
jealousy, gossip, and back-stabbing. It’s more like a medical exam
than sex. For hot sex I need your sister.”

Billy smiled when he said it, so Prince
didn’t hit him as hard as he wished.

Princess planned to share Billy with several
hundred women on their honeymoon so her children could have as many
powerful siblings as possible. She’d continue this for the next two
years. Princess, Susan, and Emily would spend hours discussing the
logistics, reviewing potential recruits, and organizing tracking
systems.

“Susan keeps track of the results. Since her
son runs Global Bank, she arranges for any children to receive a
kilo a year for eighteen years. It’s basically what they did to us
in Europe and Asia, but with barely edible food.”

“I can’t wait to start,” Prince said.

“Is he always this easy?” Susan asked
Billy.

“He matures slower than wine.”

“If you’re ready,” she said, taking Prince
away, “I’ll show you where you can bathe. You’ll be very busy for
as long as you stay here.”

Against everyone’s expectations, Prince would
soon fall so deeply in love with one of Billy’s cousins that he’d
marry her when Billy wed Princess. A duel wedding for the twins was
the perfect way to close the circle since they met Billy three
years before.

Billy entered and found Princess and Emily
whispering suspiciously in the corner. He felt naked every time
they looked at him. He never expected them to get along, much less
conspire against him. His fiancée waved him over, and he dragged
his feet the entire trip. It reminded him when he was just a kid
and his father made him fly as slow as possible.

“We’ve agreed to raise our kids as siblings,”
Princess told him, “since a threat to one is a threat to all.”

“I appreciate you informing me,” Billy said
carefully.

“You should impregnate her before we
honeymoon.”

Billy sometimes wished his fiancée was more
possessive. “Yeah, impregnating her before our wedding is better
than after,” he said dryly. “But, hey, if you two are really into
each other, maybe Emily should join us on our honeymoon.”

Billy said it sarcastically, but apparently
not sarcastic enough.

“You are so hot,” Princess told Emily.

“You’re just saying that.”

“I’ll prove it.”

Princess pushed Emily’s hand south to the
land of milk and honey and Billy could tell when she arrived by the
freakishly big smile on her face. Princess exploited the moment by
teasing her with a ridiculously long kiss that sent the
Englishwoman into the clouds.

“Why can’t you kiss like that?” Emily
demanded of Billy with a straight face.

Princess laughed it off. “Lesbians are the
best kissers. Did you know that 94% of all women sometimes fake an
orgasm? The rest are gay.”

Billy would have left if watching them kiss
didn’t give him an unbearable hard-on.

“Can I have you?” Princess asked Emily as if
ordering lunch.

“Now and forever!” Emily answered with an
enthusiasm that made Billy swoon. You’d think it was the girls
getting married. “I have so much to learn.” As if Billy didn’t
teach her anything these past six years. “Billy, you can join us if
you’ll promise to pay attention.”

The world’s most powerful man meekly followed
them to Emily’s room, as they chatted happily, hand in hand. He
feared they’d be enemies, but never imagined he should fear them
becoming lovers. He felt replaced.

As a child, he acted like a man. Now he felt
like a kid, surrounded by demanding women planning his wedding.
They told him what to wear, what to do, and who to sleep with. No
wonder he spent the last decade at war.

A few days later, the Matriarch ruined an
otherwise pleasant supper. “Billy, I’m sorry for the loss of your
babies. Ouch! Did someone just kick me?”

Princess glared at her. Nobody could believe
a guest kicked the Matriarch in her own home. Her eye patch made
her look like a pirate.

“Exactly what babies are you sorry about,
Susan?” Billy asked, all senses on full alert. She sat there acting
deaf, so he turned to his bride-to-be. “Honey, what babies have I
lost?”

Princess looked anguished. Susan left for the
kitchen -- a sound tactical retreat -- leaving the bride to defend
the silence.

“The Khan is paying a ton of gold for the
heads of your children. He has gotten eight so far, that I have
confirmed, although the Mongol News Agency says twenty-four.”

“He’s killed twenty-four of my babies?” Billy
couldn’t believe it.

"Prince led the unit that destroyed one team,
but there are many Imperial Guards who want revenge for you putting
a price on their families."

Billy had almost forgotten about that. "But
they gang-raped my mother to death!"

"The only way to stop it is to kill the Khan.
But, for reasons I don’t understand, you’re waiting for the
Olympics.”

“I told you! We need Genghis alive so the new
kingdoms get their acts together and to motivate quads to see us
duel at the Olympics.” And, he didn’t add, so I can live a few more
years before withdrawal kills me.

“Then expect more dead babies,” Princess said
harshly, losing her appetite. She got up, turned to Emily, and said
something stunning: “Tell him about his mother.”

Emily was halfway out the door when Billy
flew in her way. “What about my mother?” Emily stared at him like a
dog levitated for the first time. “What’s going on?”

“Your mom was not raped,” Princess said.
“Make her show you the video.”

Billy felt lightheaded. “Emily, please.”

She could not refuse him anything. Emily
searched for the video, one among thousands, every heartbeat taking
an eternity. When she found it, she let it speak for itself.

Of all things, Billy saw his father on the
day his mother died. He looked, just, devastated. On every level.
His wife’s corpse was not yet cold and already he turned into a
shell of a man. William looked into the wand like a cow about to be
tipped over.

“Billy, I’m using Emily’s stick to record
this since you may inherit mine too soon. I’ll tell her to tell you
when the time is right. The way Emily looks at you makes me trust
her more than anyone on Earth. After her heroism today, I’m gonna
let her have as much gold as she can carry and beg her to have your
children once you’re old enough. Your mother already gave her
advice on how to seduce you, even though I thought that just too
weird.

“I can’t imagine how old you are now.
Probably older than I’ll ever be, although I can’t see you as an
old man. I was hoping to be a grandpa before I checked out. Now I
only want to inflict as much pain on them as I can before I’m
killed.

“I sure hope you finish this. Since you were
six, I’ve always felt that if someone could stop the conflict, it’d
be you. I was willing to sacrifice all of us to stop the bastards.
The suffering they’ve caused is unimaginable.”

William burst into tears. The man who awed
Billy turned into jelly. “They killed my wife and babies, Billy.
The mass murderers burned the entire city, and blasted everyone who
tried to escape. The kids I told you were my brother and sister
were really my son and daughter. My wife survived the fire by
blasting a hole under the house, but the Mongols not only gang
raped her to death, but made her watch as they bashed the heads of
our babies against a rock. I know because they left a video wand as
a message to others. And they didn’t even know who I was. All they
knew is that the quads from that city defied them. So it wasn’t
even personal. It was policy. And that’s what unlocked my rage.

“It hurt so much I could barely fire up a
wand. I went to England to escape the war. I never thought I’d ever
love again. I certainly was never tempted to have more children.
The loss was overwhelming. Nothing hurts more than losing a child.
Three years later I was still wallowing in grief when your mom
levitated me into the clouds. Wow. I had never met anyone like her.
Her wands must have been magical because she had me under her spell
before I even knew her name. I’ve never been more flattered than
when she chose to run off with me rather than become queen of
England.”

William looked down on his wife and caressed
her long blond hair. “When you left, I assumed the Khan’s guards
raped her. But here is her last video.” He held up Elizabeth’s wand
and played her dying words, urging him to kill them all. Then she
cut her own throat. “Crap! Sorry, Billy. I meant to stop before you
saw that. Oh, I’m such a mess right now.

“To be sure, I checked her body. It turns out
they only wanted us to believe she had been raped to distract us
when they attacked. A wand doesn’t work if the quad can’t focus.
I’m not saying they would not have raped her, if given the chance,
but that they didn’t. I’m just happy she died like a warrior rather
than a victim. How we live determines how we die. She lived with
purpose, and died with purpose. It takes more courage to die well
than to live well.

“Billy, Elizabeth surpassed all my
expectations. Did you know I once asked her where she wanted to
retire? She looked me in the eye and said she never wanted to
retire. She expected to die as she lived, fighting tyranny,
oppression, and servitude. She knew I’d do the same, and you know
she expected even more from you. I wish I could say I was sorry we
placed such a huge moral burden on you, but I’ve never seen anyone
carry so much responsibility with greater grace. Ten generations of
your family expect you to finish the job, regardless of the
sacrifices. I do not expect you to be happy, but I do expect you to
be consequential.

“The love of my life just died, Billy, so
please understand that I can’t think clearly. Your mother wanted
them all dead, so I think I’m gonna honor her dying wish by letting
you believe they raped her. That horror will motivate you when all
else fails. On those long flights, over those lonely camp fires,
when you have to eat unsalted yak for the millionth time, only
uncontrollable spite will get you up when your body craves sleep.
Son, I need you angry. I need you vengeful. I need you cruel.
Because only then will you do what must be done to win this
war.

“But doing this to my only child is gonna
make me feel like shit. But I’m gonna do it anyways. And I hope you
can forgive me, even if I can’t forgive myself. I love you so much,
but nothing means more to me than crushing the Mongols. I need you
to stop them from doing to others what they did to me. Make an
example out of them so that no one else ever tries to conquer
humanity. There will always be war. For my dying wish, Billy, I
want you to make this the last world war.”

Then William kissed his wife for the last
time. Maybe he forgot he was recording because the emotional dam
burst and reduced William to a sobbing mess. Billy had never seen
his father like this before. Papa had always been his hero.
Watching him fall apart unnerved Billy. When the video finally
ended, Billy had no idea when he started crying. Or how to stop.
All his life he felt like an adult. Now, within spitting distance
of his 18
^th
birthday, he became a scared little child in
a big scary world.

“I’m so sorry,” Emily said, aghast at what
this did to him. Could Billy still idolize his father? Would he
still raid in the summer? Did they just lose the war? Could he
still duel the Khan? Did she just screw everything up? She fled to
her room in a panic, and seemed to take all sound with her. The
house felt unnaturally silent until his bride-to-be manned up.

“I should have kept my damn mouth shut,”
Princess said firmly, wiping away her own tears. “Until now, I
thought I had the world’s most amazing parents. Hell, they weren’t
even close. With a mom and dad like that, no wonder you turned out
so great. You once told me that your father was a greater man than
you’d ever be. I thought that ridiculous, but now I see what you
mean. After knowing how awesome our parents were, I can’t help but
fear our children will become soul-crushing disappointments.

“Emily told me about the video, but didn’t
let me see it. Even with my face between her legs. If I had, I’d
never have made you watch that. After all that you’ve been through;
after all that you’ve done for others; after all that you’ve done
for me -- I just shat on the memory of your parents. You’ll never
see them the same way ever again. I stole your last illusion. I
can’t believe I did that to the person I love the most -- just days
before I give him another baby. I don’t deserve you. I’m sorry,
Billy, but I can’t marry you. You should marry Emily instead. If
anyone is worthy of you, it’s her.”

Princess loudly waddled out of the room,
vehemently cursing herself.

Billy stood like a statue, wondering how he
got here. The world’s most powerful quad could not move his limbs.
Billy felt stuck. Not just physically, but mentally and
emotionally. If he stood before an alter, he would have felt like
many grooms, only more so.