Chapter Summaries

Victor and James waited to enlist at a temporary recruitment station near Fort Jesup, hoping to fight in the Mexican-American War and strengthen themselves through battle. Two burly men arrived and headed for the front of the line, apparently targeting the youths beneath the tree.

• Victor and James joined a queue at the recruitment station, ignoring other applicants’ contemptuous looks.
• The pair focused on joining Zachary Taylor’s forces so they could fight in the coming war and hone their abilities.
• As the lines slowly advanced under the hot April sun, Victor and James moved into the shade.
• Two burly men arrived, mocked Victor and James, and strode toward the front of the queue.

Victor and James stood firm when a burly man tried to shove them out of the enlistment line, and Victor retaliated by lifting him by the throat. The man kicked at Victor but could not make him release his grip.

• A burly man mocked Victor and James and shoved them, but they barely moved.
• The man shoved them again and then used all his strength, while Victor and James remained planted in place.
• Victor signaled James to let him handle the confrontation.
• Victor clamped one hand around the burly man's throat and lifted him off the ground.
• The burly man struggled and kicked Victor, but Victor continued choking him without reacting.

Victor subdued two men who provoked him at the recruitment station, but spared them after remembering Chen Mo’s lessons. The soldiers then saluted the shabby old man who had intervened: Brigadier General Zachary Taylor.

• Victor caught one burly man's punch and crushed his fist while holding the other by the throat.
• A nearby man told Victor to stop before he strangled his captive, and Victor threw both men to the ground.
• Victor worried he might have killed the men, but they recovered enough to flee back down the line.
• Victor turned toward the speaker, an unkempt old man riding an old horse to the recruitment station.
• The soldiers saluted the old man as General Taylor, revealing him to be Brigadier General Zachary Taylor.

Victor and James joined Zachary Taylor’s army as tensions with Mexico escalated into war, then fought in their first major battle after waiting through an artillery bombardment. They led the charge into Mexican positions, killing enemy soldiers while sustaining repeated wounds.

• Victor gave Zachary Taylor his name, and James revealed his real name, James Howlett.
• Taylor moved 3,000 soldiers into the disputed territory to build Fort Texas, and a Mexican force later overwhelmed a 63-man US reconnaissance unit without Victor or James present.
• On May 8, Victor and James waited through a day of artillery fire as Taylor’s forces fought off the Mexican army.
• The next day, Taylor ordered more than 2,000 infantrymen to charge Mexican positions, and Victor and James led the assault.
• Victor and James fought through the enemy position, killing Mexican soldiers in close combat as both accumulated wounds.

Victor and James fought at the front of Zachary Taylor’s campaign against Mexico, helping break the siege of the US Army stronghold and winning battle after battle as Taylor advanced into Mexico. Taylor admired their courage but let them remain on the front lines, and the chapter left his army pushing deeper into Mexico’s border region.

• Victor and James fought Mexican soldiers barehanded, helping Zachary Taylor outflank the Mexican army and relieve the besieged US stronghold.
• Zachary Taylor renamed the stronghold Fort Brown in honor of its fallen commander, Brown, and later received a brevet major general promotion.
• On May 13, 1846, the United States formally declared war on Mexico, and Taylor spent several weeks expanding his forces before advancing into disputed territory.
• Victor and James charged at the front through successive battles, improving their fighting skills while surviving repeated bullet and bayonet wounds.
• Zachary Taylor offered to transfer Victor and James to serve as his guards, but they insisted on staying at the front, so he let them continue fighting.
• Under Zachary Taylor’s command, the army won successive battles and advanced deeper into Mexico’s border region.

While Zachary Taylor won victories in Mexico and occupied Monterrey after agreeing to a ceasefire, Chen Mo expanded his ranching empire in the West. President Polk later ordered Taylor to remain in northern Mexico and transferred most of his elite troops and supplies to General Winfield Scott.

• Zachary Taylor was promoted to major general and commended by Congress, while Victor and James remained unimpressed and wished Chen Mo were leading them.
• Chen Mo stayed in the West, expanding his ranches, which employed more than half the people across the region.
• Zachary Taylor accepted an eight-week ceasefire at Monterrey after three days of fighting, and later occupied the city when the Mexican garrison withdrew.
• Victor and James repeatedly rolled their eyes at Zachary Taylor for agreeing to the truce, while President Polk grew concerned about Taylor's independence and rising popularity.
• President Polk ordered Zachary Taylor to remain in northern Mexico and transferred four-fifths of his trained elite troops and war supplies to General Winfield Scott.
• Mexican soldiers spread rumors that Zachary Taylor's troops could not be killed, and fear of fighting them weakened Mexican morale.

Victor and James helped Zachary Taylor defend Buena Vista against Antonio López de Santa Anna’s vastly larger Mexican army, fighting continuously through the decisive two-day battle. Taylor won, and as the Mexican-American War moved toward peace negotiations, General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City and Anaya became Mexico’s interim president.

• Zachary Taylor prepared his weakened force and strengthened the defenses at Buena Vista as Antonio López de Santa Anna approached with the Mexican army.
• Antonio López de Santa Anna sent probing units against Taylor’s troops, and Victor and James led teams that destroyed the attacks while survivors reported that the pair were devils.
• On February 22, 1847, Antonio López de Santa Anna launched a full-scale assault with 20,000 troops against Taylor’s force of just over 4,700.
• After two days of fighting, the Mexican army’s morale collapsed, and Antonio López de Santa Anna retreated; Victor and James had killed several hundred Mexican soldiers.
• Congress awarded Zachary Taylor a gold medal for his victory, while General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City and Anaya was elected interim president on November 11, 1847.

After leaving the army, Zachary Taylor traveled toward Kentucky with Victor and James, who had also chosen to leave military service. When Victor revealed that they served a mysterious Master, Taylor began wondering how that Master had known to send them to his unit just before the war began.

• On November 26, 1847, Zachary Taylor led his remaining men out of Mexico and returned to the United States.
• Zachary Taylor requested to leave the army, and President Polk approved his discharge; Victor and James also declined to remain in service.
• Zachary Taylor traveled with Victor and James, growing closer to them and sharing lessons from his life and military experience.
• Zachary Taylor asked Victor and James why they had come from New York to enlist in Texas, and Victor said they liked fighting and their Master had sent people to bring them.
• Victor and James proudly identified themselves as their Master's attendants, prompting Zachary Taylor to question how their Master had anticipated the war and sent them to his command.

Victor and James told Zachary Taylor that their Master, Chen Mo, was stronger than they were and owned a farm more than ten thousand times the size of Taylor’s plantation. After the United States and Mexico signed a peace treaty, Chen Mo led pioneers in developing the newly acquired western lands.

• James and Victor praised Chen Mo as their all-knowing, powerful Master when Zachary Taylor asked about him.
• Victor and James confirmed that Chen Mo was stronger than both of them, astonishing Taylor.
• Taylor invited Victor and James to visit his Kentucky cotton plantation, but they showed no interest in leaving their Master.
• Taylor said his plantation covered a little over three thousand acres, and James replied that Chen Mo’s farm was more than ten thousand times larger.
• The United States and Mexico signed a peace treaty, transferring more than half of Mexico’s territory to the United States.
• Chen Mo led pioneers in developing the West, where ranches, farms, and mines appeared across the new territories.

Chen Mo expanded his ranching empire across the American West, positioning himself to control future territories through land, workers, and votes. He also acquired land covering most of the country’s future oil reserves and California’s gold deposits, while setting his sights on Russian Alaska.

• Chen Mo claimed much of the prime land in the West and hired poor settlers as well-paid cowboys, farmers, and miners.
• Chen Mo planned to use his ranches and growing workforce to shape the populations and elections of western territories as they became states.
• Chen Mo recognized that ranches alone would not preserve his dominance as other businesses and capitalists moved west.
• Chen Mo’s land purchases covered more than eighty percent of America’s future oil-producing regions, which he intended to reserve for future use.
• Chen Mo expanded into California, where his ranches concealed rich gold deposits, and kept Alaska in mind as a future prize.

Chen Mo’s plan to acquire Alaska after its sale to the United States was explained, while Zachary Taylor traveled with Victor and James and repeatedly compared himself with their Master. Taylor challenged the young men by boasting about how many places he had visited, and Victor asked whether he meant in America or abroad.

• The chapter explained why Russia sold Alaska to the United States and why Chen Mo intended to acquire it afterward rather than buy it directly from Russia.
• Zachary Taylor entered Kentucky with Victor and James, arguing with them as they defended Chen Mo’s wealth and appearance.
• After learning Chen Mo was in his twenties, Zachary Taylor regained his confidence and claimed he had visited more places than Chen Mo.
• Victor asked whether Taylor meant places within the country or abroad, and Taylor admitted he meant within the country.

James and Victor detected an ambush on the road, but Zachary Taylor dismissed the warning until a hidden shooter fired at them. James shielded Zachary from the bullet while Victor launched himself toward the shooter.

• Victor and James told Zachary Taylor that their Master had traveled widely, including in China, but Zachary insisted he could teach them about the dangers of travel.
• James spotted an ambush ahead and stopped Zachary's horse, though Zachary saw no sign of danger and urged them onward.
• A gunman hidden in a tree fired at Zachary, and James jumped onto his saddle to shield him from the bullet.
• Victor spotted the shooter's position and launched himself from his horse, using his claws and powerful limbs to propel himself toward the tree.

Victor and James survived a bandit ambush, with Victor climbing into the trees to kill the hidden attackers and James unharmed by two bullets. Zachary Taylor learned that the pair were truly invulnerable and discovered how they had noticed the ambush as they continued on their way.

• Victor bounded up a tree and killed a hidden attacker, then leapt through the canopy to reach another tree.
• A second gunshot struck James, but he remained unharmed while Zachary Taylor tried to pull him out of danger.
• Victor returned from the trees after the attackers stopped firing, and Zachary Taylor saw two dead bandits beneath the trees.
• James tore open his bullet-pierced shirt to show Zachary Taylor that his chest had no injuries, then changed shirts and rode on with Victor.
• James explained that he and Victor had suspected an ambush because the birds fell silent near the spot.

After Victor and James rescued Zachary Taylor from bandits, they teased him on the ride to his Kentucky plantation, where he reflected on their hidden abilities and resolved to protect their secret. They declined to stay, said goodbye, and continued toward New York.

• Zachary Taylor asked Victor and James how they had learned to recognize ambushes, and Victor credited their Master while mocking Taylor for sitting exposed during the attack.
• Victor and James teased Zachary Taylor for comparing their Master unfavorably with himself, and Taylor rode behind them in silence despite not being truly angry.
• Zachary Taylor reflected on Victor and James's extraordinary powers and decided to help keep their abilities secret.
• Victor and James escorted Zachary Taylor safely to his Kentucky cotton plantation after defeating several groups of bandits along the way.
• Zachary Taylor invited Victor and James to rest at his home, but they turned their horses toward New York and said that no feast lasted forever.

After Victor and James returned to New York, the Whig Party persuaded Zachary Taylor to run for president in 1848. A huge donation from a New York benefactor bolstered his campaign, and Taylor asked the donor’s representative who his boss was and what he wanted.

• Victor and James said farewell to Zachary Taylor and rode back to Chen Mo's manor in Brooklyn.
• The Whig Party nominated Zachary Taylor for president at its convention in Philadelphia on June 7, 1848.
• After representatives persuaded him to run, Zachary Taylor left his Kentucky plantation for Washington to begin his campaign.
• Zachary Taylor began raising campaign funds, but a huge donation from New York quickly filled his coffers and surpassed Lewis Cass's.
• At his Washington campaign office, Zachary Taylor asked Tom who his boss was and what the donor wanted.

Zachary Taylor won the presidency with campaign funding from New York, learning that the donation was offered in gratitude for his care of Victor and James. After taking office, he blocked an American expedition against Cuba and faced an intensifying dispute over whether slavery would be allowed in the lands gained from Mexico.

• Tom told Zachary Taylor that his boss's large donation came with no demands and was meant to thank him for caring for Victor and James.
• Zachary Taylor defeated Lewis Cass and was elected the twelfth president of the United States.
• On August 11, 1849, Zachary Taylor warned Americans not to join an armed expedition against Cuba, causing the plan to collapse and angering Southern slave owners.
• Zachary Taylor faced conflict over whether slavery would be permitted in California, New Mexico, and other lands acquired after the Mexican-American War.
• California sought admission as a free state, New Mexico demanded a territory where slavery was prohibited, and Congress became mired in disputes over slavery.

President Zachary Taylor defended preserving the Union as the nation edged toward secession, but after drinking iced milk and eating cherries on a hot day, he became gravely ill. He died on July 9, thinking of Victor and James as his vision faded.

• Zachary Taylor opposed slavery's expansion, urged admitting California as a free state, and vowed to defend the Union by force if necessary.
• After attending Washington's Independence Day celebration on July 4, Zachary Taylor drank a pitcher of iced milk and ate a platter of cherries at the White House.
• Zachary Taylor suffered severe abdominal pain, and Alexander S. Wotherspoon diagnosed him with cholera and treated him with calomel and opium.
• Zachary Taylor's fever continued to rise, and his doctors reported that his condition was grave on July 8.
• On July 9, Zachary Taylor gave his final words, thought of Victor and James, and lost consciousness.

After dying in the White House, Zachary Taylor awoke in a bed and learned that Victor and James’s Master, Chen Mo, had brought him back to life. Taylor examined Chen Mo and was left wondering what kind of being he was.

• Zachary Taylor regained consciousness and opened his eyes beneath a white ceiling.
• Taylor recognized Victor and James beside his bed and worried that they had died too.
• Victor told Taylor that he had died, but their Master had revived him.
• Taylor looked at Chen Mo and sensed an authority beyond that of any leader he had known.
• Taylor met Chen Mo’s gaze, felt exposed, and wondered what kind of being his Master was.

Chen Mo restored Zachary Taylor to life and revealed that someone had murdered him by poisoning his milk with arsenic. Taylor realized the Southern slave owners might have been behind the plot, but the chapter ended before the culprit was confirmed.

• Zachary Taylor thanked Chen Mo for saving him and learned that Victor and James had planned to invite him to their estate.
• Chen Mo told Taylor that he had intervened because Taylor was one of Victor and James's few friends.
• Taylor learned that he had been murdered rather than killed by malaria after overeating and overdrinking.
• Chen Mo explained that someone had put arsenic in Taylor's milk.
• Taylor suspected the Southern slave owners had arranged his murder.

Chen Mo told Zachary Taylor that bankers, led by Henry Clay, had arranged his death after he opposed establishing a private central bank. Taylor realized that President William Henry Harrison had likely met the same fate for resisting the bankers, and he was left enraged and sorrowful about the power of capitalists.

• Chen Mo told Zachary Taylor that someone other than Southern slave owners had killed him.
• The account traced international bankers’ efforts to establish a private central bank in the United States and Henry Clay’s leadership of the Whig Party’s banking agenda.
• William Henry Harrison rejected Henry Clay’s control and opposed a private central bank before falling ill and dying in 1841.
• Henry Clay and the bankers expected Zachary Taylor to support a central bank, but Taylor declared that the idea would not be considered during his term.
• Zachary Taylor learned that Henry Clay and the bankers were behind his death and concluded that powerful capitalists controlled the country.