When Dromio looked over at Ichiamo, all he could see was a soldier running up to him from behind with his baton out. Before Dromio could call out his name, Ichiamo took out his knife from inside his glove and spun into a circular motion until he was in a seated position with the soldier standing over him. As soon as Ichiamo stood up, all of the soldiers’ bowels fell out on the floor.
As they fought, Bastiannius watched from a distance, moving in carefully but strategically toward them. He knew that his soldiers were little to no match for the boys fighting together, but separately they were vulnerable. Priam kept encompassing the boys with soldiers until they were separated.
Then he struck. As soon as Dromio was alone, Bastiannius came up from behind and with a good thrust, jammed the knife right in between Dromio’s ribs and twisted it. Dromio fell to his knees and began screaming.
Ichiamo saw his brother trying to reach for his back. As he struggled to make it over to Dromio, a soldier jumped on his back and lodged the knife in between his shoulder blade and shoulder cuff. Once Ichiamo dropped to his knees, the soldier walked over, grabbed him by the hair and slit his throat.
Displaying the power and strength of a true Santos, Ichiamo crawled over to his brother and shielded Dromio before falling flat on his body.
Bastiannius smiled. Priam's men had done their work.
Bastiannius made a call on his communicator outside the Bull Market Triangle to Ventilicus.
“It’s done,” he said.
“Do you have your bags at home?”
“Ready to go.”
“Leave Crystal Metropolis immediately. Go to Guapa and stay there until I tell you otherwise.”
Bastiannius left immediately. In attacking the Boardwalk sons, he was going to be a wanted man. He thought to himself that Ventilicus was a smart man. He could handle everything else...
****
Belarius went into the Santos Palace the next day to find out that the news had traveled all over it. Luciana Santos was all over him about who was responsible. She told him that Dromio suffered badly and was dying.
Surprisingly, Ichiamo was alive, but he was suffering pain as well.
“What monsters would do such a thing?” he asked her.
She had already sent out a message to Timon. Until he came back, she and Belarius had to calm the court’s nerves.
While Luciana did this, Belarius went back to the Strator Circle, a legislative stadium where the strators of Crystal Metropolis held their most tense meetings. There, he met with Ventilicus. He stayed serious as most strators were tensed. He and Belarius were alone in the bulky building, so it was not as if he could scream at the sign of trouble.
As he walked toward him, Belarius’ nerves started acting up in his tall, slender body. Besides his cold demeanor, Ventilicus was muscular, a brute for a strator, and much older.
“Why here?” Ventilicus asked. “We could get caught.”
“We’re safe!” Belarius said tensing up. “The rest of the strators are trying to figure out how to handle Timon when he gets back. He’s going to go ballistic.”
“Especially on me if he finds out.”
“You’re secure,” Belarius said. “Just as long as you get the rest of the strators to go along with me.”
“That’s no problem! After everything you’ve done for me, consider me your first supporter.”
“Is your...special friend gone?”
“He’s going back to Guapa.”
“That’s good! For the time being, we wait. Right now, we work the strators. Then, I’ll tell Timon when he gets back."
The two strators shook hands and gave each other a hug. In Belarius’ view, it was two swords coming together for battle...
****
Timon had to erase his Solaria plans after he received a call from his mother about his sons. He returned to the palace like a storm. No one was ready for his anger. He pushed the court around, looking for answers until his mother came in and calmed him down just by hugging him tenderly. She knew that in her old age, there was no way that she was going to calm his brute son down for long. Timon wanted answers.
First, he went to see his sons in their bedroom. Ichiamo was getting better, but his speech was crippled because of the wound he suffered to his throat. Dromio was still in his coma. For days, he would be there with only Luciana coming in to see them. He did not want to deal with strators, lators or cursers at this point.
The family doctor, Claudius Fenton, came there to check on them.
“Ichiamo has a chance at recovery, thank the stars," he told the Santos king. “Dromio, however…we may have to come to grips that he may not live another few days.”
Timon broke down from that point. His mother was able to catch him and take him to the floor to hug him like she did when he was a child. Dina was gone from his life years ago, and in a few days, he was about to lose his oldest son. Claudius had dealt with cases like this, but he knew that soon, he would have to heal two people: Ichiamo physically and Timon mentally and emotionally.
****
Days later, as Fenton predicted, Dromio died, never fully recovering from his wounds. Ichiamo was out of the bed, but still not at 100 percent. He still carried the stutter and lisp, walked with a limp, and did not have the use of one arm for a while.
Timon wanted Dromio to rule. He was his strong, handsome son like Demetrius was to Nero. Ichiamo was loved, but he was just someone to follow the crowd like Demetrius’ brother Alejandro. He was never considered to be a leader based on his father’s standards.
A private funeral was held on a spaceship and Timon held his anger. He watched carefully the caravan who came to pay respects for his son. Luciana was with him, doing the same thing. Timon would whisper to her mother when there was someone he thought he did not like.
“Belarius is on our corner,” Luciana told her son. “He’s trying to find out what the other strators think.”
“I know what most of them think,” he said under his breath. "They don’t think I know, but I’m going to continue to let them think that.”
After the funeral, Timon went to Dromio's body, ready to release it into space. Instead, he held off and in private, only wanted to see certain people in his ship quarters.
One of them was Strator Belarius, who entered calmly and carefully as Timon stared off into space.
“My mother told me what you try to do for me while I was away,” he said sternly. “I thank you for that.”
“I’m only trying to follow my king,” Belarius said.
“The strators has more power than I do.”
“They’re only given that power from the people.”
Timon laughed at that notion. “And what do the people think of me? Really! You can tell me.”
Timon was serious as he turned to see Belarius’ face. Belarius knew that he had to choose his words specifically.
“Well, it’s not good, my king,” he said. “Most of the strators, I can say, want you gone. But you still have some still loyal to you.”
“Do you think some of those unmoral strators had something to do with my son’s death?”
“They could,” Belarius answered. “But there’s a way I can find out. I have some good ideas.”
“And what would that be?”
“Make me Prime Strator,” Belarius said calmly but warily. “Give me the power over them. That way, I can find the culprits who did this. I assure you. In doing this, Dromio’s death will be avenged.”
There was a pause. Timon grabbed his forehead with both hands. Belarius could see the veins bulging out of his head. It was part grief and the withdrawal from the drugs he had been taking. Lately, the Jove was not doing much for him and he had to try something stronger.
He went to his desk, where all of his stash was, and took out some potions. He drank one of them. Then, he drank a different one. Belarius watched suspiciously, standing back.
Timon said, “Granted! You’re the new Prime Strator. I’ll issue the decree r
ight away.”
Belarius was about to feel good inside, but then Timon came close to his face and pointed his finger at his mouth.
Timon said, “If you don’t find who did this, or if I find out you had something to do with this, I’ll make you pay a thousand fold for your betrayal. And trust me, my wrath’s greater than the stars in the sky and more frightening than any hell you may fear. Make sure that your ideas and accusations are 100 percent accurate.”
Then, Timon dismissed him and hit the bed hard. He rubbed his head crazily. The headaches were coming back. A mix of emotions and drugs were taking their toll once again...
****
Once the royal court was back in Crystal Metropolis, Belarius went to work right away. He knew that his moves had to be swift and diligent. He relaxed for a while and watched the streets of Crystal Metropolis and inside the walls of the Santos Palace with precision. Luciana would ask him many questions, but Belarius told her to relax and let him handle things. Other strators were asking him questions, since he was the new Prime Strator.
Then, he came out on the day to Timon's bedroom when the king felt better and was much calmer.
“Ventilicus,” Belarius told him. “He’s been planning your demise for years. He has half of the strators in his pocket. He paid a former Democrat Guard to do it. I know where he’s hiding. What do you want done?”
“Who’s this soldier?”
“His name is Bastiannius Priam. He’s hiding out in Guapa.”
Timon stared at him with confusion. “Guapa? Alejandro’s territory?”
“Could that be important?”
Timon shook his head. “Anyway! This Ventilicus? Will you testify against him and the others if they come out?”
“Of course! Ventilicus for sure, as long as I’m protected. I’ve heard that he could be a bully at times. The other strators would take some work.”
“One thing about strators,” Timon said with a chuckle. “They can easily be replaced. They’re plenty of people outside these walls that want to be one. I mean, I think you said it yourself. The people choose the strators. I am of the people. So I can choose new ones. I’ll have someone bring Ventilicus in.”
“And what about Bastiannius Priam?”
“I know who could handle that problem. Leave that to me. You did well. There might be a future for you as long as you continue to obey me.”
Timon patted him on the back, which could have easily been a stab in the back. Belarius knew that no matter what he did from this point forward, he was going to have to keep a good eye on his "new friend."
****
Meanwhile, as Timon left his bedroom and took a walk down the halls of the Santos Palace, Timon went to his other secret weapon.
There was a Democrat Guard he had his eye on for a while. The other Democrat Guard soldiers were thinking that maybe this soldier and the king were lovers because of their closeness. He was known for handling secretive and dirty jobs no one wanted.
They met away from the palace in a special floating palace near the Sabine River, known to be his special private place to get away from the fuss of the Santos Palace.
“Touchstone,” Timon said. “There’s something I want you to do.”
“It has to be special that we have to meet out here among some fruits,” Touchstone said cockily.
“I’m sending you to Guapa. I need you to find some information there.”
“No one to kill?” Touchstone asked.
Timon was pleased with his vicious and enthusiastic nature as he sat in his dining room. “Don’t think there isn’t any. There’s someone I want you to kill. His name is Bastiannius Priam.”
“Priam? Isn’t he Alejandro’s nephew?”
Suddenly, Timon stopped himself and stood up. “What did you say?”
“Yeah! Priam is Alejandro’s nephew. His mother is..."
"Amilie!" Timon finished. "That slut! I can't believe this. She's not even here and she's still causing problems." He shook his head. "It makes perfect sense."
Timon's mind went back to the time his mother tried to set him up with the wild party girl daughter of Nero Santos. Out of all the things she had done in her life, the one accomplishment in her record was Bastiannius had a fruitful career without any help from her.
Timon shrugged. “That’s good to know. Now you can dispose of that secret along with his body. Is that clear?”
“It shall be done,” Touchstone said.
After that, Timon separated himself from Touchstone. Staying with him longer was going to get him the urge to do something personal. He knew that he could lean on him for more than one thing…
****
Guapa was known for its forest and the vegetation that it traded to other planets for the sake of empire. Alejandro Santos made the planet his home, building a castle on a hill so he could see the countryside. He had another purpose: to escape his name, which became anonymous for treachery.
Just like for Alejandro, Bastiannius Priam Santos, son of Nero's only daughter Amilie, used this as his personal hideout. After committing the attempted murders of Timon's sons, and because he had a family, Guapa seemed like the ideal spot. The forests, it said, hid any secret anyone want buried.
Bastiannius Priam was Alejandro Santos’ nephew, but it was not something he advertised. He was in his own world, living on a farm in a strip of land given to him by his uncle in Guapa with a good wife and eight children; five sons and three daughters.
After his time as a Democrat Guard defending the honor of Crystal Metropolis, he spent most of his time tending to the land he protected since he was a teenager; land that consisted of mostly grasslands, forests, and waterfalls full of milk.
He was having problems that started since Timon came to power. He was given a notice that someone needed his help. When he met that person, he had high hopes that this man was going to liberate Crystal Metropolis of Timon Santos. For the time being, he thought to himself that he would have another chance to do something right.
But all he was worried about since he came back from his special mission in Crystal Metropolis was his family. He knew that they were going to be in the most danger because of him.
The day he came back, he gathered them all in the room to give them a family talk about the future. The older children listened carefully, but Bastiannius was talking more with the youngest children: Cheron, eight years old, and Imogen, six.
“We may all have to hide soon,” he told them. “Things will change. Luckily, we saved a lot of money and we can start over wherever we want. The important thing is that we’re together. And we have to be careful with anything that we do, even if it’s the simplest of errands.”
He told his sons that they had to watch over their mother and sisters if something happened to him. He told his daughters that they had to protect Cheron and Imogen with their lives.
After that, there was nothing but carefulness in the Priam household. Bastiannius watched everything with the gun and the sword. Some days, they were no errand run and he had other workers go shopping for food and clothing.
Then came one day when Bastiannius needed some more weapons from the blacksmith. He came back, went into his living room, and saw that his furniture was rearranged on the floor and soldiers drenched in black and yellow held his family, worried and crying, at gunpoint. Even his youngest children were held against their will. Bastiannius looked in another direction and saw someone sitting down in his special rocking chair, smoking a pipe serenely.
Then, he got up and came to Bastiannius’ face.
“Touchstone’s the name,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. I helped myself. I have to say you have a nice house. A nice family, too! Everything about you speaks...tranquility. I wish I had this. But then again, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I've always been draped in chaos. So I guess I’ll just stick to what I have and what I do. Do you know what it is I do, Bastiannius Priam Santos?”
Touchstone reached out from his pistol and shot Basti
annius’ knee. Bastiannius was holding on for dear life. Touchstone went down to his level.
“I make people conspiring against our king understand that it won’t go unpunished. I’m a loyal soldier, something that you used to be a long time ago. Well, since you’re no longer one, don't try to be a hero."
Touchstone walked to a desk with paper and a pen sitting there. “All I want you to do is go to the desk and write some names.”
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 5