The months passed without much of anything too remarkable occurring. William spent most of his time working with the candidates running for office. Lucy worked on the program trying to find ways to represent the quality of the society graphically. Construction on the facility for holding the computers was progressing nicely. The young couple kept the staff very busy as well.
With the ever increasing need for data, Victoria spent nearly every hour of the day searching for new sources of data and, as a result, was very happy. She now had sources in nearly every government agency in the country and half of the governments around the world. She kept Dawn busy writing programs for importing that data for use by William's program.
Jack was continually coming up with new polls to develop data concerning the lives and standard of living of individuals living in various parts of the country. The questions he was asking in his polls had become more subtle. Rather than asking if people were happy with their lives, he asked about their leisure time activities, their jobs, and their plans for the future.
Barbara and Sandra were not as busy with work, but their private lives had taken on a deeper meaning. Although they had never ridden horses before moving to Arizona, they now went riding several times a week. While riding, they found a friend who joined them almost every time they went out. The friendship with Derrick was quickly moving to a more romantic foundation.
Despite being busy, a regular routine was established at the house. Lucy and William spent the early morning practicing Tai Chi and swimming before heading to the lab. They would work the day taking a break for lunch. After dinner, they usually relaxed by reading books or going to one of the social functions at the reservation. It was a rare occasion when they went into Phoenix, but they always stopped by the homeless hotel when they were there.
Ed looked down the conference table at the individuals gathered there. With a sigh, he said, "I call the meeting of the board of directors for the Fusion Foundation to order."
William could tell by the expression on his father's face that he was not pleased about the subject of the meeting. Of course, none of them really enjoyed being there for budget meetings. Ed picked up the binder in front of him and said, "You've all had a chance to go over the budget. Are we in agreement with the allocations of moneys presented in it?"
Everyone around the table nodded their heads. Ed said, "I'd like to move that we adopt it without discussion."
"I'll second that. I'd love to have a short meeting for a change," William said. The budget outlined how thirty billion dollars was going to be spent over the next year. If someone started challenging the allocations, they could be there for days.
Everyone around the table chuckled at the comment. Ed said, "All those in favor of this budget please say Aye."
The vote didn't take long. William was ready to pack up and leave when Ed said, "There's one matter that has to be addressed before we go."
Sherry, looking much older than William remembered her, asked, "What's up?"
"The money from John's patents is starting to dry up," Ed said looking around the room. This was the second year in a row in which the income from the patents had dropped.
Surprised by that announcement, William sat up and asked, "How did that happen?"
"The technology has been around for a long time. People have made improvements on it. The original patents aren't in such high demand anymore," Ed said.
"How bad is it?" Sid asked with a frown.
"We saw a five percent drop this year. I expect that the money will drop to about ten percent of what we see now in ten years," Ed answered.
William sat back in his chair wondering how he had missed that coming. Looking into the possible futures, he didn't see anything about the Fusion Foundation failing. In fact, he saw it playing a large role in the future. He said, "We have a large war chest invested. How are our investments doing?"
"They are doing fine. A lot of our investments are growing in value, but to access the money we would need to sell them. We are going to have to change our investment strategy in order to make them a little more liquid. It looks to me like we are going to have to live off of them for the rest of the foundation's future," Ed answered.
William looked at Ed and saw that he had been aging significantly over the past few years. Looking around the table, he realized that everyone was getting old. Sherry had to use a walker to get around now. Sid's hair was grey and the man slumped in his seat. He looked over at Kelly and saw that his mother was getting old as well. It dawned on him that they would be replacing members of the board over the next few years.
The discussion of what should be done filled the air. Silent, William watched the men and women around him try to solve the problem. Rather than participate in the discussion, William wrestled with what would become of the Fusion Foundation in the future. There were twenty board members and sixteen of them were over sixty. Most of them had been handpicked by John Carter. The question was where they could find men and women of equal caliber.
William became aware that the talking had stopped. Looking around the room, he noticed that everyone was looking at him. Confused, he asked, "What?"
Ed said, "Sherry wanted to know what you thought could be done to resolve the money problem?"
"Sorry, my mind was elsewhere," William said stating what had been obvious to everyone.
Sherry asked, "So what do you think?"
Taking a deep breath, William said, "I think that we all have to give the matter a lot more thought. I suggest that we end the meeting now."
His words created a flurry of discussion, but William tuned it out. He was jogged out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, William realized that he was alone in the room with Ed and Kelly. Kelly asked, "What's the matter?"
"The reduction in income to the Fusion Foundation isn't the only problem we are facing," William answered thoughtfully.
Feeling like it was the most significant problem, Ed asked, "What else is the matter?"
Sighing, William said, "Half of the board members will be dead in ten years."
Ed heard the truth in William's words. He slumped in his chair while thinking about it. He realized that not only was the Fusion Foundation facing an economic crisis, but that it would have to do it with new leadership. He asked, "Are you talking about me?"
"I didn't look," William answered. There were some things that he didn't want to know. The Two-Sided One was kind and hid some aspects of the future from him.
"Oh," Ed said feeling a little sense of relief.
"How many of the members are over seventy?" William asked.
"More than one, that's for sure," Ed said.
Kelly nodded her head in agreement. She put a hand on Ed's arm and said, "We're getting up there in years, too."
"I know," Ed said. It was time for him to think about the future. He looked at William and asked, "Will you run the Fusion Foundation after I die?"
"No," William answered.
"No?" Kelly asked surprised by his refusal.
William answered, "I told Happy Harry when I was added to the board that there would come a time when I would step down. I can't be put in charge of the Fusion Foundation."
"I forgot about that," Kelly said. Her brow wrinkled while she thought about it. Finally, she asked, "Why will you step down?"
William leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. He said, "I'm directing the evolution of the world to produce a lasting peace. That will not make me a popular person. If I'm affiliated with the Fusion Foundation, it will lose all credibility. I need it to be credible."
"I don't understand," Ed said.
William rose and went to the door. Closing it, he turned back to face Kelly and Ed. He said, "We are Druids and what I tell you must never leave this room."
"Okay," Ed said frowning.
Concerned by his involvement of the powers that be, Kelly said, "Okay."
"The world is facing a financial crisis unlike anything in the history of the world. The Fusion Foundation is going to be the only thing standing between civilization and barbarianism," William said.
"You're going to let that happen?" Ed asked shocked to his core.
Nodding his head, William answered, "Yes. It is the only way to bring lasting peace."
"You can't be serious," Kelly said.
William looked over at her and said, "There are some very wealthy people who have done nothing to make the world a better place. Some have gotten rich off the misery of others. I have to rid the world of them and an economic crisis that removes their money from them is the only way to accomplish it."
"The rich are pretty good about protecting themselves from disaster," Ed said.
"This disaster will strike at the heart of what makes them rich," William said.
Kelly said, "I can't see how that could happen."
"I'm nearly the richest man in the country. I will lose ninety percent of my wealth during that crisis. I will be the richest man in the world when the crisis is over," William said.
Ed sat back and stared at William. The idea that he would lose ninety percent of his wealth was almost incomprehensible. William had become a multi-billionaire by the time he had turned sixteen. He said, "You know it is coming. You could protect your wealth."
"No, I can't. There will be no safe place to put my money," William said shaking his head.
"What about us?" Kelly asked.
William said, "You are better protected than I am. You'll still lose about ninety percent of your wealth, but you won't be destroyed by it. You'll recover very quickly after the crisis is over. You have a real source for your wealth. That won't change."
"I don't understand," Ed said frowning.
His medallion became warm. Putting a hand on it, William said, "I can't tell you more than that."
Kelly looked over at William and said, "The family is going to continue after us. We're bringing in another husband."
"Finally," William said with a grin. He returned to his chair and said, "Tell me about him."
"His name is Bill Strauss," Ed said. He smiled and said, "Claire and I met him when there was a construction accident. He was a bystander who charged in to help dig out some people who had been trapped. Parts of the building were coming down around him and he was carrying a guy out."
"Another hero," William commented.
"Yes," Ed said.
William asked, "What does he do for a living?"
"He works in a wire company. He makes wire," Kelly answered shrugging her shoulders.
"He has dreams," Ed said watching William for his reaction.
Kelly said, "He wants to save the world from trash."
"Interesting," William said thinking about it. He smiled and said, "Very interesting."
Mike Clark sat at the conference table waiting for the mysterious person who had brought him there. He had no idea how much the conference table cost, but he was sure that it cost more than his house. He was pretty sure that the chair cost more than his off-the-rack basic blue suit. The overwhelming display of wealth only made him more nervous.
As an automotive engineer, he had a good living, but it wasn't really a lot of money. He had quit and stayed out of the industry for ten years after the company he worked for turned down his product concept. During the day he worked at a hardware store while at night he designed his dream car. Three years ago, he had finished the design and begun the most difficult part of his quest to make his dream car a reality.
For the past three years he had visited every investment company in the country looking for the capital necessary to start his company. Everyone he talked to had turned him down. The idea of starting a new car company that would compete with the existing companies was viewed as too risky.
Although he wasn't a suspicious man by nature, he knew that the big car companies were blocking him at every turn. Repeated lawsuits had been filed to shut him down. He'd suffered through three tax audits. He'd been told point blank by a banker that no one in the country would invest in his company.
Two days ago he had received a telephone call to come to this place. He wasn't sure if it was a business or a house. He wasn't even sure who he was going to meet. The message had been cryptic, "Come to this address if you want to start your company." Unwilling to give up on his dream, he bought a bus ticket and made his way there.
Barbara entered the room and asked, "Would you like some coffee while you're waiting for William to arrive?"
"Yes, ma'am," Mike said thinking that he now had a first name for the person who had called him there.
Barbara went over to the telephone and dialed a number. After a few seconds, she said, "Peter, could you have a coffee service sent to the conference room?"
"Yes, those chocolate chip cookies would be great," Barbara said smiling over at Mike. She hung up the phone and said, "You're in for a real treat. We're getting some of Peter's chocolate chip cookies."
"Thank you, ma'am," Mike said nervously.
Barbara took a seat and said, "William will be here soon."
Mike shifted nervously in his seat and asked, "William Who?"
"William Redman Carter," William answered stepping into the room. He reached across the table to shake hands with Mike.
Mike rose and accepted the handshake. He said, "Mike Clark."
"Have a seat," William said gesturing to the chair. While he was sitting down, he looked over at Barbara and asked, "Can we get some coffee?"
"It is on the way. Peter included his chocolate chip cookies," Barbara answered.
"The ones that come in the bag?" William asked.
Barbara laughed and said, "No. He made them."
"I really like the soft ones that come in the bag," William said. William reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. Sliding it across the table, he said, "That is how much I'm willing to invest in your car."
Mike glanced down at the piece of paper. He looked at it a second time unable to believe what he had seen. He counted zeros and was shocked that there nine of them. He blurted out, "Two billion dollars?"
"That's right," William said leaning forward. He added, "There are some conditions attached to that money."
"What kind of conditions?" Mike asked unable to take his eyes off of the scrap of paper. He forced himself to look up at William.
William said, "You wait three years to start. You guarantee your cars for twenty years or a million miles. You sell the car for less than ten thousand dollars."
The conditions stunned Mike. He shook his head and asked, "Three years? Twenty year guarantee? Less than ten thousand dollars?"
"That's right," William replied.
"You're crazy," Mike said thinking that he had wasted his time. He had plans for marketing his car for over thirty thousand dollars.
William chuckled and said, "Three years from now, the big automakers will experience some significant business challenges. Two of them will launch products that will fall flat in the marketplace. One of them is already suffering from poor performance in the marketplace and their workforce will be coming up for labor negotiations. None of the companies will be in a position to worry about you. They'll be struggling to stay in business.
"Furthermore, I'll want you to work for two years with my brother-in-law to put some finishing touches to your car design. With his assistance, you'll be able to guarantee your cars for twenty years or a million miles."
"Who is your brother-in-law?" Mike asked skeptically. He didn't know of a single automotive engineer who would dare suggest that their design would last twenty years.
"John Fitzpatrick," William answered.
Mike stared at William recognizing the name. As far as he knew, there was no one who was better in automotive engineering than John Fitzpatrick. He took a deep breath and exhaled noisily. He said, "Oh."
"John will also help you get the price down to under ten thousand dollars," William added. He looked at the door and said, "Ah, the coffee is here."
Not having heard anyone behind him, Mike turned to look at the door. It was closed and he couldn't hear anything.
Without saying a word, Barbara stood up and opened the door. She stepped into the hallway and greeted Peter who just arrived there with a pushcart. She carried a silver tray with a china carafe of coffee into the room and set it on the table. The tray held four finely crafted china cups, a crystal pitcher of cream, and a crystal bowl of sugar.
Mike stared at the silver tray. In his search for money he had been to a lot of offices of very wealthy men. He hadn't seen anything like this. The young man wearing a blue work shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots didn't strike him as the type who would go for such an obvious display of wealth.
Peter, wearing his chef's uniform, brought in a plate of cookies. The china plate was piled high with very large chocolate chip cookies. William looked at the cookies and asked, "Have you got any that come in the bag?"
"No," Peter said shaking his head. He cursed the day that William had found the cheap chocolate chip cookies at the grocery store.
William looked at the coffee service. He didn't like the little china cups that Peter kept trying to force him to use. He preferred a good sized mug that held more than three sips of coffee. Looking up at the chef, he asked, "Did you bring a mug for the coffee?"
"Yes," Peter said. He went out to the hallway and brought in a second tray filled with mugs. He put them on the table and said, "Here you go."
"Thanks," William said reaching for a mug.
Barbara reached out and grabbed a cookie. She put it in her mouth to take a big bite out of it. She gave a low moan that was almost sexual in tone.
"Couldn't wait to eat one of those cookies, could you?" William said.
Barbara mumbled around the cookie. She chewed and swallowed before she answered, "I had to make sure that I got one."
William gestured to the coffee and cookies. He said, "Help yourself, Mike."
"Thank you," Mike said. Before reaching for a mug, he slid the piece of paper William had given him to the side. He grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee. The fact was that he was happy to see the mugs appear. He was terrified that he'd break one of the fragile looking china cups.
Barbara went back into the hall and returned with some china plates. She set one down in front of Mike and one where she was seated. Holding up a plate, she asked, "Do you need one?"
"That's all right. I'll just use the one the cookies came in on," William answered with a grin.
"I knew it," Peter said marching from the room triumphantly.
Barbara set the plate in front of William and, smiling at him, said, "Use this one. At least that way your guest might get a cookie."
William poured a cup of coffee into one of the mugs. He took a sip and said, "There are times when I really miss Lisa. She really knew how to make a simple cup of coffee."
Mike took a bite out of a cookie. The flavor burst over his tongue. He moaned while chewing it. After swallowing, he said, "That is a good cookie."
"Have you ever had one of those chewy Chips Abouy cookies?" William asked.
"Lots of times," Mike answered. He was unable to believe the subject of conversation. He had come to talk about building a car and William was talking about cookies.
"That's a good cookie," William said looking Mike in the eye. He leaned forward and said, "A bag of those cookies sells for a price that is the same that you would pay for one of those cookies on that plate. If Peter were to sell his cookies, he might sell a couple thousand of them in a year in a single gourmet cookie shop. They sell thousands of packages of Chips Abouy in each and every grocery store across the entire country every year."
"This is a better cookie," Mike said holding up a half of a cookie.
Nodding his head in agreement, William pointed a finger at Mike and asked, "If you were to invest in a startup cookie company, would you invest in Peter's cookies or in Chips Abouy?"
"Chips Abouy," Mike answered realizing that William wasn't talking about cookies at all.
"I want you to produce the Chips Abouy equivalent car," William said, "I want a car that is affordable, reliable, useable, and durable. I want ninety percent of the population to buy your car rather than one built by the other car companies."
"Yes, sir," Mike said. The cookie suddenly tasted like sawdust in his mouth.
William made a gesture to Barbara and then took a bite out of a cookie. Barbara slid a folder over to Mike and said, "Inside the folder is a good faith check for one million dollars. There is also a contract that states the terms in which the remainder of the two billion dollars will be delivered. Take it to a lawyer of your choice. When you are convinced that the deal is acceptable, sign the contract and send it here. William will make arrangements for you to work with John Fitzpatrick."
"A million dollars," Mike asked with a frown. He wondered if he was getting bought off for a million dollars rather than the promised two billion.
William said, "You came here on a bus. I doubt you could afford a lawyer that would give you good advice at the moment. Use the money to pay a lawyer and to cover your living expenses for the next three years."
"Okay," Mike said thinking that he'd read the contract very carefully before cashing the check.
William smiled and pulled out his medallion. He said, "I'm a Druid. You can trust me."