Jacob’s plan was in motion when he attended Mick’s inauguration with Sarah, Catalina, Dexter, and the monkeys, whom Dexter somehow persuaded to wear ties for the occasion.
The ceremony was held on a royal cruise liner, and the events surrounding the swearing in had been carefully planned by the king himself. Mick and the king stood in front of a massive window that looked out into space, the stars bright and impossibly numerous and close, almost as if they were audience members watching the ceremony themselves. Mick wore a black suit with a sparkling silver tie, and the king wore golden robes.
“The stars have given us our lives,” the king said to the audience, which hushed at the sound of his soft voice. “The stars don’t just watch over us, they give us the energy to grow our food and warm our planets. They allow us to live among them for our brief flicker of life. More than that, they are inside all of us. Many of the atoms that make up our bodies were born in the heart of supernovas. They are a part of us. They guide us, light our way, and give us life.”
The king gestured to the backdrop of stars through the large window. “And so it is with the stars watching over us that Mick Cracken takes his oath of office as the president of the universe. For he is bound to two authorities alone: the will of the Astral people, and the stars, the givers of life.”
Mick nodded solemnly, and Jacob was mildly surprised to see him taking things so seriously. Even though Jacob had been trying to focus on his plan and avoid thinking about the fact that he hadn’t won, he couldn’t help but picture himself in Mick’s shoes, with the king swearing him in and giving him the keys to the universe. As much as he had already tried to move on, there was a part of him that still wished he had won.
“Please raise your right hand,” the king said, and Mick followed his instruction. “Do you swear on the stars to serve the Astral people, to hold their needs foremost, and to abide by their will?”
As Mick said his first “I do,” Sarah edged closer to Jacob and leaned into him a bit with her shoulder.
“Do you swear on the stars that you will protect the Astral people from harm and keep them safe from all their enemies, whether from outside our community or from within?”
Jacob recoiled at this oath, and even Mick paused for a moment after hearing it. Mick turned to face the audience and locked eyes with Jacob. His face was indecipherable, and Jacob wasn’t sure if Mick was thinking of him as an enemy or a friend.
“I do,” Mick said.
“And do you swear on the stars that you will work to make the universe a better place, and ensure that human beings are responsible stewards of the space that the stars have given us to live in?”
“I do,” Mick said.
“In order to become president, by the rules established by the Election Council you must name a vice president. Whom do you choose?”
Mick gritted his teeth a little and muttered, “Catalina Penelope Cassandra Crakenarium.”
The crowd chattered with excitement, and Jacob’s jaw dropped. Mick was naming his sister vice president? Jacob looked over at Catalina and she winked at him.
The king reached over and picked up a scepter that was resting on a small altar. It had a piercing light at the end that radiated strong bright silver beams, very much like a star. He tapped it on Mick’s shoulders and then handed it to him.
“Then by the authority of the stars and the Astral people, I hereby abdicate all power, give up the throne, and declare Mick Cracken president of the universe!”
The crowd gave a strong cheer at the pronouncement, and Jacob imagined the billions of people watching throughout the universe. After a moment he joined in and clapped respectfully. Sarah reluctantly clapped too.
Jacob searched the king’s face for some sign of how he was feeling now that he was no longer a king, for some hint of why he gave up the throne and what his motivation had been.
And after a moment, Jacob suddenly realized what the king was thinking: He was proud. After nominating Jacob for president, after seeming to favor him and awarding him victory in the third Battle Supreme, the king was instead really, truly, unabashedly proud that his son had won.
The king didn’t really intend for Jacob to win after all. Jacob thought back to what Dexter had said about why the king had nominated Jacob for president. The king had said, “Because the survival of the Planet Earth depends on it.”
But that wasn’t the same thing as winning.
The king had tested Mick and sent his biggest foe to run against him to challenge him, and perhaps taught him some lessons in the process. But as the king cheered on Mick Cracken’s victory and stared at him not as the king but as the father of the president of the universe, Jacob knew that the king had wanted his son Mick to win all along.
