Getting Ready

Christmas was just around the corner. James didn't rush Mr. Daniel to head for Africa; he had plenty of time to wait, and his well-traveled teacher needed a rest. Preparing for the trip would take time, too.

James was ready to start setting up factories in the northern United States. After spending the past year surveying the region, he had a general idea of what to do.

The Howlett Family had deep roots in farming and ranching and had amassed considerable wealth, but it had no foothold in industry. He planned to join forces with Herbert Vernon and Tom, the owner of a machine shop, to break into America's heavy industry.

Going by his memories, the American Civil War would erupt in full within four or five years. Before then, he needed to lay some industrial foundations. He would use the huge wartime demand for steel and machinery to build his initial capital, then lend timely support to the Union Army and gain some political influence.

What worried him most, though, was Victor Logan's condition. The awakening of his Mutant Gene had profoundly affected Victor's personality and mind from an early age.

James had kept a close eye on Victor's life. His fearsome, brutish appearance and taciturn nature kept almost everyone at a distance. And the primal hunger for the hunt that ran deep in his blood drove him ever farther into the forest, searching for an outlet. James knew he had to find a way to rein in Victor's bestial nature. He needed a clear-headed ally, not a bloodthirsty beast.

"You want to open a factory?" Herbert Vernon emerged from the construction site looking rather grimy, surprised to hear that young Mr. Howlett wanted to enter the industrial sector.

"And in America, no less! You know what things are like there right now. A war could break out any day, and then all your investment might go down the drain!" Mr. Vernon looked at James in bewilderment. He was increasingly convinced that the young man was a spoiled wastrel who acted on every whim.

First, he'd wanted to dig an enormous cellar for reasons no one could fathom. Now he was going to America to throw his money away. At this rate, Old Howlett's life savings would be gone in a few years.

"That's right, Mr. Vernon. I plan to open a factory in America, though I'm still considering the details. The Vernon Family has deep roots in engineering. Would you be interested in working with me?"

James smiled as he spoke. He knew what the fat man was thinking. In truth, he didn't want the Vernons to get too deeply involved. The venture he had in mind would one day become a colossus, and sharing it with others wasn't his style.

"If you don't want to invest, I can still hire you to work with me, including building the factories in the future and providing some technical support. What do you think?"

"In that case... I can certainly help!" The tiny eyes buried in Mr. Vernon's folds of fat glinted as he readily agreed. Then, with a quivering smile, he said, "Don't worry! With all this business coming my way, I'll give you the best prices. It'll definitely be cheaper than hiring a contractor in America."

The sly fat man's mind was already racing through the numbers. There was no way he'd put up his own money to indulge a young master, but how could he pass up a lucrative business deal?

A grown coyote's neck was caught in a massive hand. Fingernails like a tiger's claws sank deep into its flesh. It whimpered twice, then stopped struggling.

Victor looked thoroughly satisfied. Hunting deer, elk, and antelope no longer did it for him. More than simply eating bloody raw meat, he was fascinated by grappling and fighting with predatory beasts. Whether his claws or the animal's tore into flesh, he was left intoxicated by it.

The animals of Lage Forest had to watch out for James, the menace who was destroying their habitat, and for Victor, the beast who hunted them. They were truly beset by troubles.

Victor strolled toward the manor. To hunt predators and stay away from places where humans might venture, he had been forced to go ever deeper into Lage Forest. Few people came to this part of the woods, but the snapped tree trunks and shattered rocks told him that something extraordinary had happened here.

The cracks and claw marks on some of the large tree trunks could just about be attributed to a rampaging adult grizzly. But the web-like fractures radiating across several boulders, and the nearly distinct outline of a fist in the center, told Victor that he wasn't the only one with unusual tastes and abilities.

Forest and rain were the quickest to erase scents. Victor searched the area for a long time, sniffing now and then, but couldn't pick up the slightest trace of a human. Reluctantly, he continued back toward the manor, though a hint of excitement showed in his eyes.

"Of course I can help you find suppliers for machinery and provide technical training. If I heard you correctly, Mr. Howlett, you don't mind me joining you, either?" Tom, the owner of the machine shop that had forged James's training equipment, spoke cautiously. He seemed to have a very different outlook from Dudley Vernon.

"That's right, Mr. Tom. Sorry, what was your full name again...?"

"Tom Weddell, Mr. Howlett. I'm more used to being called Tom." The shop owner didn't mind. He wasn't an industry giant like Herbert Vernon. In this era, large machine shops had few contracts to take on. Compared with a local powerhouse like the Howlett Family, he was little more than a blacksmith.

"I have to say, your offer surprised me, Mr. Tom. This isn't an investment most people would have faith in. May I ask why you've chosen to join me?" James asked with interest.

"I've lived in Edmonton my whole life. I know what kind of man your grandfather is, and I've always heard that you were bright and well-read from a young age. And then there are the blueprints and designs you gave me... Even now, I don't understand what they're for, but I can tell they're no ordinary things. If I can become your partner, taking a few risks is worth it!"

Mr. Tom Weddell spoke with evident sincerity. James's smile widened. He stood and reached out to shake the shop owner's hand. "We'll discuss the details later. Your main contributions will be technical support and access to suppliers. You won't have to risk your family's fortune. One day, your family and descendants will thank you for this decision."

James's confidence was difficult to explain. Mr. Tom filled him in on the progress of the machinery and promised to have everything built by the following autumn.

After seeing Mr. Tom out, James returned to his study. He looked at the map of North America hanging on the wall, where he had circled several American cities in red. Even with a long life ahead of him, he still felt pressed for time. The challenges he'd face in the future were too many and too great. Even a hundred times as formidable, Wolverine couldn't do it all alone. Wolves were strongest in a pack; a lone wolf was destined to wander in sorrow.

With Mr. Daniel joining them, Christmas was livelier than usual. Mr. Howlett was now barely able to move on his own, and his voice had grown fainter and fainter. James guessed he would make it through this Christmas, but not see another.

His mother, Elizabeth, had been quiet for years, and her mind had long been unstable. Every holiday like this, she even insisted they set places for John and Tony. Even the most illustrious families had sorrows no one else knew about.

After their perfunctory appearance at Christmas dinner, his grandfather and mother were escorted back to their rooms by the servants. O'Hara listened to Mr. Daniel's travel stories and experiences, laughing and shouting, sometimes nervously and sometimes with delight. As James looked out at the snow-covered Rocky Mountains, he briefly wondered whether, if this world had fewer challenges and dangers, a quiet life like this might be something to be glad for.