Disclaimer: Need I say Disney?

Author's Note: I think I need to add a little angst to this story. Let's see if I can crank it up to eleven.

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Chapter 21 The Lesson

The green HumVee pulled up to the curb in front of the Stoppable residence. "Ron, you know I usually take a medium sized drink," Kim said abashedly, "but you had to get us both those Super Big Chug's when we stopped for gas. Now I need to use the ladies room before we pick everyone up and head for the airport."

"Sorry KP," Ron said as they got out of the vehicle, "I wasn't thinkin and they were cheap. I need to drop off my laundry and pick up a few things from my room anyway."

"Excuse me!" Kim yelled as she raced into the house and almost knocked over Harry Jackman coming out the door.

"Certainly," Jackman chimed to only the wind as it closed the door. Jack looked through the window of the door and saw Kim was at the top of the stairs already. He shrugged, walked out to the Hummer and hitched a thumb at the house. "I hope you and Kim didn't have a tiff." he said jokingly to Ron.

The Pontiff pulled his suitcase out of the back of the Hummer. "Nope. Big soda plus long drive equal pit stop. I need to go myself but I want to drop off my dirty laundry."

"Right," the Chief of Vatican Security laughed and glanced up the street. "Say, isn't that Lord Fiske?" He motioned to a tall, thin man headed toward them.

"It don't look like him," Ron said warily as he peered at the figure. His face brightened in recognition. "Yes it is! He musta went through the reverse mutation treatment he told Kim and me about. He ain't as hairy and he's wearing shoes." Ron waved to his former Arch Foe. "Hey Monte, lookin' good!"

"Your Holiness," Lord Montgomery Fiske hissed as he stopped a few feet from the pair and bowed to each, "Mr. Jackman."

"Lord Fiske," Jackman said cautiously as his hand snaked into his jacket. "What brings you to Middleton?"

"I wish to have a private word with the Pontiff." He noted the ready posture of the Security Chief and added, "I hold no ill will toward Young Pope Ronicus, I only wish to chat with him about mutual matters."

Jack removed his hand from beneath his jacket but kept it at the ready creasing his lapel. "Monkey Power type business?"

"Yes," Fiske nodded once before he smiled brightly. "But have no fear, I did sign the Peace Treaty." Fiske stepped forward, hooked onto Ron's arm and led him down the sidewalk saying, "You'll excuse us. This is for the Pope's ears only." When the two Monkey Masters were twenty yards down the sidewalk Fiske stopped and faced Ron. "I've read of your two Miracles Your Holiness. Is it true?"

Ron tittered and cringed, "Yeah I guess. I healed a woman in Brazil with the Power but I'm not sure if I had anythin to do with the plane."

"Whatever," Fiske growled. "Are you aware of the other aspects to the Power we possess?"

"Not really," Ron shrugged. "I did erase a TV cameras tape when I got mad at the interviewer a few weeks ago. Other than that and the Healing Power... Master Sensei is suppose to teach me about the Power sometime soon."

"There are many facets to the Power we possess," Fiske sighed. "One of them is future sight. I have seen our future Young Pope and I must tell you," he paused for dramatic effect, "yours is most bright... Ronald."

"And what about you?" Ron wondered aloud.

"I'm afraid I must teach you one very important lesson before you never see me again."

"A lesson from you Monte?"

"Yes Ronald," Fiske sighed and stepped to one side of Ron. He shot a quick sideways glance at Jackman before continuing. "In your many battles with Villainy and your current travels you have come up against many situations, except one. You have never face death."

"But what about the lady in Brazil?" Ron puzzled. "She was dying."

"But she didn't," Fiske said as he took a step back. "You've never seen a man die or looked down the barrel of a gun and saw your own demise. I have Ronald, and it changes your whole outlook on life."

"If you say so," Ron said cautiously. "Is that what you want to teach me about?"

"Yes. Believe me when I say you will become a great man in the future and this lesson will be a major part of what makes you great." Lord Fiske looked down at his now normal hands. "If you see death close at hand, you learn more about life and how to live it fully and cherish it." Fiske looked the Pontiff in the eye. "Of how precious it is."

"I think I see what you're getting at," Ron said scratching his head.

Fiske peered down at the ground. "I don't think you do." Lord Montgomery Fiske laced his fingers behind his back and peered up at Ron. "I do this knowing all to well the consequences and with full knowledge of how it will turn out. You believe me Ronald."

"Sure I do," Ron shrugged. "You never lied to me before."

"Then I ask two things of you to help fulfill my destiny."

Ron shrugged again. "What are they?"

Fiske heaved a heavy sigh and quickly said, "First yell gun and second allow me to die!" He pulled a pistol from behind his back and took aim at the Pontiff.

"Gun?!?" Ron yelped and jumped backed.

Harry Jackman's reaction was instantaneous. He swiftly drew his weapon from his shoulder holster as he ran toward the pair. "Stop!" he yelled.

Shots rang out from both guns.

One bullet pierced Ron's right shoulder as six rapid fire slugs invaded Lord Fiske. Both men went down. Jackman covered the twenty yards in two seconds and held his aim on the downed Lord as he glanced at the Pontiff. "Ron are you hit?" He warily inched toward the clean-shaven Fiske and kicked the gun from his hand.

"OW!" Ron yelped as he clutched his shoulder and thrashed about on the ground. "He shot me!"

Jackman bent down and checked Ron. "He shot you in the upper shoulder but it doesn't look like he hit anything vital. Keep pressure on the wound," he advised the Pope. Jack pulled his cellular phone out with his free hand and dialed three numbers. "Emergency! There's been a shooting at four eighty-five Washington Street. We need police and an ambulance pronto! The Pope has been shot!" He listened for a few seconds. "Yes Pope Stoppable!" he growled and hung up the phone. "Idiots."

Fiske raised his head slightly and softly said, "Physician, heal thyself." His head haltingly dropped back to the ground.

"Yes Ron," Jack realized what Fiske had meant. "Use your Healing Power to stop the bleeding and seal the wound."

Ron stopped his manic rolling on the ground and a serenity came over his face as his hands glowed a soft blue. The aura encircled his shoulder. As the glow faded Ron bolted up and yelled, "Monte!" He scampered over to the English Lord and checked for vital signs. "Monte you can't die!" Ron held the now less hirsute man in his arms and rocked.

Lord Fiske's eye's fluttered briefly as he weakly said, "Yes, yes I can Your Holiness. I saw my demise in a vision. A vision where I teach you and pass on my Power." Fiske raised his hand and placed it on Ron's chest. A violet aura emanated and seeped into Ron. Lord Fiske coughed weakly and tried to smile. "And thus endeth the lesson... Ron." Lord Montgomery Fiske sank out of Ron's grasp as his last breath escaped his lips. Ron bent over the English nobleman and wept.

"RON!" Kim screamed as she leapt off the front porch and raced to the scene. "What happened Ron?" she yelled as she almost tackled her husband. Kim didn't get any response from the Pontiff. She looked begging, up at Jack.

Jackman holstered his gun. "Fiske he... he walked up to us and said he needed to talk to Ron about the Power. I was cautious at first but he reminded us of the Peace Agreement so I let my guard down." Jack's face reddened as he swore, "I let my damn guard down!"

"It was a lesson," Ron said weakly with his face in his hands and both almost buried in Lord Fiske's chest.

When Ron didn't continue Jack said, "They walked down here and talked for a few minutes. Ron suddenly shouted gun and..." His head sunk to his chest. "Both Fiske and I fired at the same time."

Kim wrapped her arms as best she could around her husband. "Ron, a lesson. You said he was teaching you a lesson. A lesson on what?"

"Death," Ron softly said as he sat up slightly, still bent over the figure on the ground. "Monte said I hadn't faced death before and that was the lesson he was teaching me. How to face it and what it looks like." He looked up at Kim with tear stains eyes. "We ain't never faced death before KP. I've never..." Ron's next words caught in his throat and he collapsed into Kim's arms. They both began to cry as the sound of emergency sirens grew from all directions.

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"I won't go unless KP comes with!" Ron said loudly as he struggled, restrained on the gurney. "KP!"

"Were not allowed to have passengers in the Ambulance," the Emergency Medical Technician informed the Pope as he cinched the straps a little tighter, "hospital rules. They might distract one of us and there'd be an accident."

Ron stopped struggling and glared menacingly at the man. "I'll give you an accident!" he growled as his eyes flashed a fiery blue. "I want my wife to come with me!"

Kim politely tapped the EMT on the shoulder. "Excuse me. Do you know who you have there?"

"A gunshot victim," the other EMT said brusquely as the two men started to push the gurney to the back of the ambulance.

"No, I mean who!" The stretcher stopped as they peered at Kim. "He's Pope Ronicus the First. I'm his new wife." Kim extended her hand and shook both EMT hands. "You wouldn't want to create an international incident, would you?"

"No," one of them chimed weakly.

"Besides," Kim continued, "his wound looks to be only minor and you don't need to rush to the hospital. You said you were taking him there only as a precaution."

The two medicos exchanged looks and both shrugged. "If you put it that way," the one at Ron's feet said as he shoved the gurney to the back of the vehicle. "Hop in."

"I'll tell your parents and drive the Hummer to the hospital," Jack said to Kim as she climbed in. "I'll be there as soon as I'm done with the Police!"

Ron glanced around the inside of the ambulance as best he could from his position, flat on his back. "It's awfully bright in here, all the walls are so white. KP, it's almost as bright as it was on the set during our interviews."

"Your interviews Ron," Kim corrected him. "I was just sitting beside you in case you got brain freeze, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Ron tittered and nodded.

The EMT took a good look at Ron's face. "Hey you're right, he is the Pope. I recognize him from those interviews." He reached into a drawer as he said, "I really think you have some marvelous plans Your Holiness. Now if you can follow through on them."

The EMT pulled out a pair of scissors and tested them in the air for all to see. He started to move toward Ron's shoulder. The Pope thrashed about and hollered, "No You DON'T! You're not cutting into my jersey!"

"But I need to change the dressing on the entry wound."

"No No NO!"

Kim knelt next to Ron's head and placed her hands on his good shoulder. "Ron amp," she said softly.

"But I've had this shirt for eight years!" Ron whined.

"You have six more just like it," Kim giggled. "You've had them all for eight years."

"But it's my lucky one," Ron pouted.

Kim looked over at the blood stained area of the shirt. "I think it's a goner Ron."

"Oh, Man!" Ron groaned. "It's the one I was wearing when you first kissed me."

"We can give it a proper burial when we get back to the Vatican," Kim smiled. Ron's pout was quickly trying to turn Puppy Dog. Kim laughed. "Okay, we'll have it framed and hang it above the fireplace."

"Promise?" Ron said hopefully as he ceased his struggle.

"I promise," Kim said crossing her heart. "You can tell our Daughter all about it when she gets old enough. Now let the man do his job."

Ron smiled and calmly laid back on the gurney.

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Kim sat next to the hospital bed and held the Pontiff's hands. Kim asked in a serious tone, "You want to talk about it?"

"Not yet KP," Ron said staring at the foot of the bed. He squeezed her hands. "I'll let you know when I got it all sorted out and I'm ready to talk."

"I'm here to help Ron," Kim said sweetly. "Sometimes it helps to talk thing out."

"I know KP, but I..." Ron searched for words.

"But this is a lesson you'd like to learn on your own," Kim finished his sentence. "I guess I understand. I have no references of my own to assist with something like this."

"As Monte said, if you look down the barrel of a gun and see your own demise, it will change your whole outlook on life."

Kim smiled. "Your outlook on life has always been so sunny."

Ron chuckled derisively, "Yeah, right. When Fiske pointed that gun at me I saw my whole life flash before my eyes just like in the movies. I guess I had it pretty good, in a bumbling stumbling kinda way." He let out a long breath through his nose. "Now I'm thinkin about all the things we covered in Current Events class. About all the places where there's wars or famine. About the cities where there's no health care cause the clinics had to close. About..."

"We have had it good here in Middleton," Kim interjected while squeezing his hands. "But now we live in Rome and you're one of the most powerful men in the world. You're the Pope Ron." Kim looked down at their interlaced fingers. "When I talked to Mom on our way back from Brazil, she asked me if I remembered the old saying, God works in mysterious ways. I immediately thought you had received your Monkey Power three years ago so you could start healing people now." Kim paused as she peered out the hospital room window. "Now I think you also invented the Nacho so you'd get a yearly check, amass a fortune, become Pope and get shot by Lord Fiske; Just so you'd be in a position to do something about all the misery in the world."

"Now that's mysterious!" Ron laughed. Kim joined in.

"I see our patient is in good humor," Mrs. Dr. Possible said as she and another doctor entered the room.

"Hi Dr. P!"

"Hi Mom!"

"This is Dr. Keenan Blade," Ann Possible said in introduction. "He's going to operate on you Ron, to remove the bullet."

Dr. Blade went to the bedside and lifted the bandage. "Hum!!! How long ago were you shot?"

"What time is it?" Ron answered back. He looked at Kim. "When did we arrive at my folks house. It was about five minutes after that."

"It was around two," Kim said in a bit of a huff. "I kept checking my watch trying to figure out when I could use the bathroom!"

"You know we have a built in toilet in the back seat of the Hummer," Ron shot back. "You coulda gone at any time."

"And you know I don't like to use it when the HumVee is moving. I feel so... exposed!"

"But the windows are tinted. No one can see in."

"I know," Kim whined as her peak wound down. "But it's still so awkweird."

"Wait!" Dr. Blade said, hoping the bathroom banter was over. "Are you saying you were shot around two o'clock this afternoon?"

"Yeah," Kim and Ron said in unison.

The surgeon poked and prodded at the scar. Ron giggled from the doctor's touch. "But this isn't a fresh gunshot wound. It appears to be at least a year old!"

"I told you he was an unusual patient," Dr. Possible laughed. She settled down quickly. "This is Pope Ronicus. He's the one that healed the woman in Brazil. Ron has the Power to heal."

"Wellll," Dr. Blade said as he examined the area again, "I can operate and take the bullet out whenever you'd like."

"I don't like!" Ron huffed as he crossed his arms. "I wanta keep it." He looked up at Kim. "It'll be a reminder of the lesson Monte wanted me to learn."

"But Ron," Dr. Possible warned, "if the bullet is made of lead..."

"That's not a problem," Harry Jackman interrupted as he enter the room, "there's no chance it will break down and cause lead poisoning. The Police checked the gun and it was loaded with high density polymer projectiles. They don't break down for well over five hundred years."

Dr. Blade pulled an x ray out of it's protective sleeve and held it up to the light. "The bullet isn't near any bones, vital veins or muscles so... I don't see any reason why it can't stay put."

Kim folded her arms in front of her. "I guess the Pope has a permanent souvenir!"

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The room was finally cleared of doctors and other visitors. Kim laid down on the bed covers beside her husband and prodded the area around the scar. "I can feel the bullet under your skin," she marveled.

"Yeah," Ron tittered nervously. "Ah, KP... I'm ready to talk."

Kim wrapped her arms around his torso and nestled in as best she could with her head on Ron's chest. "Go ahead. Tell me what happened first."

"Well, when Monte approached Jack and me he said he wanted to talk to me alone. I think Jack was a little concerned cause he put his hand in his jacket."

"That's standard procedure," Kim monotoned as she patted his chest, "when a known enemy, former or otherwise, comes near. Jack wanted to be ready with his gun, just in case."

"Yeah I guess. Anyway Monte claimed Peace Treaty and walked me down the sidewalk. He asked me if I knew everything about our Power. I told him about the cameras at the interview and healing Juanita but that was the extent of what I knew. Monte said he had a vision of the future, one of the other Monkey Powers. He told me I was going to do great things."

"I think you will," Kim enthused from her comfortable position.

"We will," Ron said stroking Kim's auburn hair. "With you by my side, I can do anything!"

"Hey, that's my line," Kim whined as she sat up.

Ron's goofy grin appeared. "Yeah but did you copyright it?"

"No," Kim pouted and playfully slapped his chest, "but it's still my line." Ron pulled her back into his embrace. "Okay, Monkey Fist said we would do great things," Kim conceded. "What about his future?"

Ron shifted nervously in the bed. "That was the strange thing. I asked the same question and he said he had to teach me this one lesson and then I'd never see him again. He told me he knew how it would turn out and he fully accepted the consequences."

"Do you think he saw his own death in the vision?"

"He musta," Ron said definitively. "How else would he know Jack would be at my house visiting with Mom?"

"Is that when Monkey Fiske told you about staring down the barrel of a gun?" Kim queried.

"Yeah, but I don't think we should call him Monkey Fist anymore," Ron said shaking his head. "I think he underwent the reverse mutation cause he wasn't as hairy and he was wearing shoes."

Kim doodled a finger in and out of Ron's hospital gown. "You know, I noticed but it didn't register?"

"Yeah, I almost didn't recognize him at first either," Ron laughed. Just as quickly, his smile turned upside down. "But that's when the lesson started. Monte told me seeing a man die or facing your own death can change you."

"Did it?"

"Up until that point," Ron started as he pulled Kim closer, "my biggest concern was you getting mad at me for doing something dumb or Mom getting on my case cause I needed a haircut. Now... Monte died..." Ron tried to choke back the tears but he couldn't. Ron sobbed openly and cried out loud, "Monte... he died in my arms!"

Tears welled in Kim's orbs as she stroked Ron's face with one hand and kissed his cheek. She nestled into his neck and held him tight until his tears let up.

"Lord Fiske... he said I should learn how to live live to it's fullest and how to cherish it." Ron sniffled before he added. "He said life is precious. Me knowing that would be a big part of what makes me a great man in the future." Ron's ire grew. "If he thought life is so darn precious then why'd he haveta die!?"

Kim sat up, crossed her legs under her and face the Pope. "I think you said it earlier. His death has you thinking about other places and people, not just our little sitch. You're now thinking globally instead of locally."

"You're right," Ron said in realization. "We gotta look in to funding some health clinics or after school programs." Ron was almost bouncing on the bed with excitement. "Where else can we help?"

Kim laid down on top of Ron to quiet him down. "Mom said you shouldn't get too excited while you're here." She ground her hips into his and sexily growled, "But I see it's too late." Kim sat up and tucked her legs under one hip while tentatively doodling her finger down Ron's chest toward her ultimate goal. She demurely looked down, blush and pleaded in her shy little voice, "What can I, Sister Ronica, do to assist His Holiness with his... growing asset?" She batted her eyes at him and winked as her hand rubbed the sheets above the target.

"Nothing," Ron harrumphed as he crossed his arms.

"Nothing!?!" Kim said in shock.

"Nope, nothing!" Ron frowned for a few seconds before his sly grin grew. "Unless that door locks and we can get some privacy!"

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"Ron, you got a letter from a Solicitor in Dover today," Kim said in sheer curiosity while waving the envelop in the air.

"Toss it in the trash KP. I don't want to buy nothin." Ron continued to stare at his office computer and type a word or two.

"NO Ron," Kim giggled. "In England a solicitor is an attorney. The letter is from a lawyer."

Ron stood up, took the letter and held it up to the light. "Why would a lawyer be sending me a letter? From England even!" He handed the envelop to Kim by one corner, like it was contaminated. "You open it. It must be bad news."

Kim took the letter, ripped it open and started to read. "From Solicitor Lee Gull, Dover England. Your Holiness, this is to inform you, at the request of Lord Montgomery Fiske..." Kim looked up from her reading. "Why would Fiske send you a letter through a lawyer? Could it be about the lesson?"

Ron took the missive and stared at it. "Maybe. Maybe he wanted to make sure I got the meaning of his lesson?"

"But that happened a couple of weeks ago."

"Wait NO!" Ron shuddered at what he read. "Monte didn't, he couldn't!"

"What Ron?" Kim queried and snatched the paper from his hand. She quickly read on. "This is to formally inform you that, since Lord Fiske has no living relatives or heirs, you, Pope Ronicus the First, are hereby named Lord of Fiske Manor with possession of all properties and titles within."

"You mean I just inherited his castle?"

"Yes Ron!" Kim enthused. "And his title. You're now an English Lord!"

"An English..." Ron said as he plopped down in his chair.

"Right." Kim bowed low and giggled. "You're now Lord Pope Ronicus!"

"I'm a..." Ron tittered for ten seconds while Kim continued to read in silence.

Kim's arms went limp as she gazed off in the distance in a haze. "It says you inherit his estate that consists of over one thousand acres, horses and stables, and the castle and all the furnishings. It also says you should be receiving a manuscript Lord Fiske wrote on his discoveries of what the Mystical Monkey Power entails. The whole inheritance is worth over a million Pounds Sterling."

"Is that a lot?" Ron begged in total ignorance.

Kim smiled and curtsied, "It's just shy of two million dollars, Your Lordship."

"That's a lot," Ron laughed. He suddenly realized something and bowed to his wife. "Thanks for the nine one one... Lady Kimberly!"

Kim slapped her forehead. "Ooooo that's right. Since we're married, I get a title too."

"Wait!" Ron said in a panic, "we're forgetting about someone."

"Who?" Kim begged.

"What about Bates!"

"Bates?" Kim pondered for all of two seconds before she place the name. "Oh yeah, Fiske's manservant. I don't know Ron, I guess you inherit him too."

Ron held his hand out. "May I see the letter M'Lady?"

"Certainly M'Lord" Kim giggled and gave Ron the missive.

Ron ran his finger over the masthead until he found what he was looking for. He picked up the telephone and dialed a long string of numbers. After a few seconds he said, "Hello, My name is Pope Ronicus and I'd like to speak to Mr. Gull." He paused for a nonce. "It's in regards to the Fiske Estate. Yes I'll hold." Ron leaned back in his chair, propped his feet on his desk and checked the fingernails of his free hand. "Mr. Gull," Ron said as he sat up. "I received your letter about the Fiske Estate and I had a quick question." Ron listened for a half minute before shaking his head. "No, no no. It's not about the taxes or anything like that. I was wondering what happens to Fiske's servant Bates." Ron listened again and nodded. "Uh huh, uh huh... yes. I'd like to keep him on to oversee everything. Is there any way I can talk to him?" Ron paused to hear what the Solicitor said. "Out of the country? Where?"

There was a knock on the door and Kim answered. A small balding man in safari clothes stood at the doorway. "Bates!" she said in surprise.

"M'Lady," Bates bowed to Kim.

Kim turned to Ron who was still on the phone. "Ron Bates is..."

"Not now KP," Ron said cutting her off. "I'm trying to find out where Bates is. The Solicitor guy is checking. He thinks Bates is traveling somewhere in Italy."

Kim escorted the manservant into the office and they stood before Ron's desk.

"Okay," Ron dejectedly sighed, "if you don't know, you don't know. Let me know if you, like, you know, find out where he is. Thank You for your time Mr. Gull." Ron hung up the phone and sighed as his head slumped to the desk.

"Ron," Kim tried to rouse him but to no avail. "RON! BATES IS HERE!"

"Bates!" Ron yelped, snapping out of it and finally noticing who was standing in front of him. He jumped up and went around the desk to shake the man's hand. "It's great to see you Bates. We got the letter from the lawyer and I wanted to talk to you." Ron ushered the man to a chair.

"As I need to talk to you Lord Ronicus," Bates monotoned. He pulled a large book from his leather satchel and handed it to the Pope. "I was instructed to give you this by Lord Fiske before he left for America. I knew something foul was afoot when he told me to take some time off and asked me to deliver it to you after his death. Normally I would accompany him everywhere."

Ron's crest fell. "Yes, I'm sorry about what happened. Kim and I sympathize with your loss."

"Loss?" Bates laughed. "His Lordship treated me like dirt. I'm pleased he passed on, now I'm free of his tyranny. He was not a proper employer."

Kim queried, "Do you have any plans now that you're... unemployed?"

"I hadn't really thought about it."

"Well I'd like you to stay on at the castle and take care of the place," Ron said as he sat on the corner of his desk. "KP... er, M'Lady and I probably would only visit the place once or twice a year and we'd need someone to oversee the joint full time."

"You'd like to keep me on in my current capacity?"

"Exactly," Kim joined her husband seated on the desk, "except we'd like to open the estate to the public, maybe make it a destination type place for guests to see and enjoy. Maybe make it a Bed and Breakfast. They could enjoy riding and hiking around the grounds and view all the magnificent antiques that you have. Of course you'd have to set aside a few rooms for you and us to live in when we visit."

"I know exactly what you mean," Bates said in deep thought, "but I know little about cooking."

"You can hire a staff to assist you in whatever you need," Ron offered. "A cook, a maid to keep the place clean and maybe a butler to serve everyone. That could free you up to oversee everything and do other things"

"Lord Fiske had asked me to piece together the broken idols," Bates said sadly, "and I haven't had time to start."

"I doubt if the idols would work properly if they were put back together," Kim said thoughtfully, "but they would make a nice display."

Bates stood and offered his hand to Ron. "I accept your offer M'Lord. When would you like me to start?"

Ron took the proffered hand and shook it vigorously. "I'd say you should take a few weeks off to rest up first. Why not take a nice vacation before you dig in and set up the B and B. I'll contact that Solicitor guy Gull and get an account set up so you'll have the money to run the place."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me here as your manservant?" Bates begged.

"Oh no no," Ron laughed. "I have so many people fawning over me here I have to beat em off with a stick."

"Very well Lord Ronicus," Bates laughed, "I won't let you down."

After Bates left, Kim turned to her husband of three weeks. "That was nice of you Ron. It looks like you're starting to collect titles as well as yearly Royalty checks."

"Yeah," Ron said scratching the back of his head. "Now I'm a Lord and the Pope, but I think I need one more title in front of my name."

"What would that be?"

"With all the healing I think I'll be doing," Ron said with his goofy grin spreading, "I think I'll need a degree in doctoring."