Chapter 15 - Brewing a Storm
Daniel's in trouble again. And to be fair to everyone else involved, it's his fault.
I think this particular part of the saga started one afternoon we both had off work. The story, however, probably starts on the day he met Mary Sue. Seriously, he should never have married her. I don't know whether he's cut out for marriage at all, but he's certainly not cut out for marriage with her. She likes stability, he likes not being tied down.
Anyway. He asked me if I wanted to go for a quick drink, and even though he made a mistake marrying Mary Sue he's still my best mate. So we went for one. One, I said, because I wanted to spend some time with Alana. She's not getting any younger.
We chatted for a bit about this and that. Man stuff. The sport results (“I tell you, the Llama's are going up.” “Not with the current manager they're not. He's ruining us!”), films (“The new SpiderSim is rubbish. Don't go see it.” “Fair enough.”), the families (“Lilith and Zane seem to be getting on well.” “Really? Yesterday they were fighting so loudly it was like being in a war zone.”)
It wasn't why he'd asked me out for a drink, but I wasn't going to push the subject. He'd talk eventually.
“So, how's about a boy's holiday? Just you and me, or we could invite some of the lads from the team. I think we could all do with a break from the wives.”
“Daniel, really? Leave the girls and the kids?”
“Why not? We deserve some fun. It's not like we should have to spend the rest of our youth going to work, going home, looking after people.”
“We're not that young anymore.”
“Exactly! Why waste what youth we've got left?”
“I'm not leaving Alana. We don't know how long she's got left.”
“A weekend, Seb. Dancing, hot girls, maybe a bit of diving or sports or just lounging around with a few beers. It's not exactly going to wreak your life, and she'll still be here when you get back.”
Lilith's probably got her dad all figured out. I sorta get the impression she's got everyone all figured out, even if she doesn't really want to spend any time with any of us. And she still creeps me out.
Angela, I'd say she has no clue. She's too wrapped up into her own sweet little world. She paints, and she sings to her little doll called Dirk, and they have a tea party and that's about the extent of it really.
I prefer Lilith. Even though she's possibly onto me, I'd rather a smart kid any day of the week.
And Zane? He's the perfect heir. His Evil is shining through already. Watch the way he plays, and you'll see.
“You've got to kill him. Because I said so! I hate him and so he's going to die!”
Okay, he needs a little bit of refining. There are very few Evildoers, outside of the storybooks of Raven Goth and William and Voldemort, that can get away with unbridled murder. Keep it low key, take a few things over, Evil is a slow game these days. I know the military on this island is about as useful as a chocolate teapot, but still. Caution. It's better to take over the world in 200 years than to nearly succeed in 100 and end up in front of the Bridgeport military.
To that end I quit writing. Slow scale indoctrination is all well and good, but it's not my job. There's a lot more that should be done before the world is ready for my books. Nobody could understand them yet if they tried, which is why they didn't sell great.
This genius* is going on a quest for knowledge. Find out the rules before you break them! Learn all you can about the worlds systems before you smash them down! Discover the secrets of the universe, and turn them to your own gain!
Got slightly carried away there. Sorry.
But it's not like I can get carried away to anyone else. That would be weird. I stick by my initial assertion that if I told the others they'd only want immortality too. And I need eight of my blood, not eight of any random heritage. So it's me and Zane at the moment.
Zane, who I'll leave to live a normal life for as long as I can. He'll learn more that way. Learn more about the people he's set to rule over, which is of course useful for any Evil Overlord.
And do his homework. Because even if your destiny is to rule over everyone else you need to do your homework. For one thing, if your subjects are cleverer than you they'll definitely figure you out. And algebra builds character.
He hates it. Good. Every sensible person should hate algebra.
Before I go finish with Zane's tutoring, I should tell you that the twins are teenagers now. They had a joint birthday do, just family, on the morning of their birthday so as they didn't have to go to school.
It was Lilith's idea, probably unsurprisingly.
I'm scared of having two teenage girls in the house.
I don't know what their parents make of it. Daniel hasn't even been home since, the idiot. Mary Sue cried, although she doesn't know I know that. I know she wanted more children, though.
Angela's funny looking**. Inherited her dad's face, and it doesn't look great on a girl. She doesn't seem interested in fashion, either, just slinging her hair back and heading off to mess around with her dad's sculpting station.
Lilith, on the other hand... well. She's a stunner. I wouldn't be upset if she was the one producing my grandbabies. Not at all.
A/Ns:
*Seb doesn't have the Genius trait. He just thinks he does.
**I don't necessarily share his opinion on Angela. But he's right that Lilith's prettier.
