Deadly Wands by Brent Reilly Page B

defenses with the leaders of
American University. Warning them that the Khan would retaliate,
William paid them to build even more concealed bunkers and to stock
each with as many anti-personnel bombs as they could find.
    William sent Billy, as the Baron, to visit
every tribe that contributed quads to the raid, with University
recruiters. Before the entire tribe, Billy would show off, flying
higher and faster than anyone believed possible. He let them
measure his flames and showed the various shapes and sizes of
weapons he could conjure up. His specialty was using all four wands
to blast a huge crater to destroy the myth that only Genghis Khan
could use boot wands for something other than propulsion.
    He praised the quads by name who participated
in the raid, had them show off the priceless treasures they
acquired, and offered full scholarships to anyone who could fly
long distance. Then he offered free wand sets to every quad who
didn’t already have them. Thousands of teenagers who never had the
opportunity to test their wand abilities did so now, to tears of
joy from family and friends. Those with the strongest power
received the strongest wands, so they had to compete against each
other in front of everyone who mattered. Being hugged by the Baron,
as he gave them wands, coins, and scholarships, became the defining
moment for an entire generation of American quads. Several million
teenagers imprinted on the Baron like a baby duck to his mama.
    Finally, Billy laid out backpacks full of
wealth for food, schools, and hospitals. Then he showed maps of the
highways they planned to build to unite the Americas in commerce.
But, before handing them over to tribal leaders, he told them the
price they’d pay:
    “The wealth we took back from the Mongols
will fund food production, infrastructure, education, and
healthcare, which will create millions of jobs and power the
American economy, lifting millions from poverty. Your greatest days
lie before you. You will give your children greater opportunities
than you ever enjoyed.
    “But the price you must pay is unity. Only
together are we strong. Violence against each other or your
neighbors weakens us. That’s how Genghis Khan has been able to
slaughter you for centuries. Let the Mongols duel to the death. I
need you to live for your families. Strengthen the policies,
systems, and institutions that enable you to resolve problems
without bloodshed. Warring tribes threaten the American system of
representative democracy, the core of the new American identity,
and therefore must be removed like a cancer.
    “I have given your returning heroes more
wealth than they can spend in a lifetime. In return, they have
sworn a solemn oath to protect the peace. You think Genghis Khan is
not now planning to exterminate all Americans? You destroyed his
capital, stole his treasure, and slaughtered his people. Right now
he’s wondering why he didn’t wipe this entire continent clean years
ago. Unity will make you strong, rich, and safe. Warring against
your neighbors will destroy you all.”
    Genghis had been sending punitive raiding
parties into the Americas for two centuries. He never bothered to
conquer the tribes because they didn’t have any wealth to steal, so
the Mongols just killed everyone and burned cities, crops, and
herds. They killed far more Americans through disease, starvation,
and displacement than through violence.
    Because these raids depopulated western
Canada, the closest city, San Francisco, was several thousand
kilometers from Siberia. Anchorage was a fortress, not a city, and
acted as a tripwire to buy San Francisco time. American University
took responsibility for defense by vigorously patrolling the Bering
Strait and manning the ten lines of fortifications between the
Strait and Anchorage.
    With spring coming, scouts noticed Mongols
bringing food, munitions, and supplies by the ton. Siberians warned
them that the Khan would invade with a million quads. The
University did