Ranma glanced uncertainly at Nabiki, who had made notes during the discussion. The page she had torn from her notebook lay innocently in his lap. “Um, what I want is somewhere for all my clan to live, somewhere I can train – both myself and any students and, uh, kids, and I’ll need money to pay for stuff.” He glanced again at Nabiki, who smiled thinly. “Uh, the money’s gotta be, uh, free of…” He peered at the piece of paper. “‘Tax-free or tax paid, legally earned or otherwise obtained, not accessible by Pops or Mr Tendo under any circumstances or anyone acting on their behalf, invested in or ready to be invested in reliable long-term trusts or enterprises.’ And I gotta be smarter, to look after all that, so I need ta know about, um, ‘financial and business management, resource planning, general people management, childcare,’” he glanced at his mother uncertainly, “‘common academic subjects,’” at Kasumi, who gave him a serene smile, “and, um, ‘Tantric techniques,’” at Akane, who blushed hotly because she hadn’t really meant her suggestion to be taken seriously even if her future mother-in-law approved. “Um, can I wish for all that?”
Belldandy tilted her head to one side thoughtfully.
“I, I mean, I can go for something smaller...”
“Oh, no,” said Belldandy. “I think granting all of that would normally not be possible as a small wish, but there may be a way...” She reached into the sparkling mass that was Genma grasping her lamp, and withdrew a couple of telephone-directory sized tomes. The sparkles briefly changed from actinic and angry to gentle-looking pink fireflies accompanied by a pleasant hum, but Genma didn’t appear to appreciate the alteration.
Opening one of the tomes, she folded through the pages for a moment before inspecting one closely. After a moment, she unfolded it further, producing a large and complex diagram... which opened still further, becoming a larger and still more complex chart. She pursed her lips, and glanced aside at Happosai. “No,” she muttered to herself, “That wouldn’t be very nice.”
Amaterasu leaned over her shoulder. “Bell-chan?” she asked.
Belldandy pointed to a portion of the chart, and followed a line through to another part of it.
“Hmmm,” agreed the other goddess. Happosai shifted uncomfortably. He had a nasty feeling that braving the nice emanations to watch the latest complication in Ranma’s life was a mistake; perhaps he ought to have followed his first impulse and found a nice shrine maiden to steal underwear from. “Still, long-term investment...”
Belldandy nodded slowly.
“Happosai of Edo,” said Amaterasu sternly. Happi gulped. “Your last named heir has been dead for a century and a half. Your will – written some fifty years before that – specifies the heir to your school is also the heir to your possessions and wealth. Is that still your intent?”
“Yes?”
“Who is the heir to your school at this time?”
Happosai could easily see the answer expected. In fact, the only people in the room who couldn’t were Soun (who was unconscious still) and Genma (who was not paying attention to the conversation for some reason). Unfortunately, that wasn’t the answer. “Genma,” he admitted unhappily.
“What?” Even the goddesses seemed surprised at that.
“How is that slob better than Ranma?” demanded Akane.
Happosai winced at the fiery regard of the several women, and Ranma’s rather disappointed one. “Yes, well. I admit the boy could probably beat his father in any fair fight even before Belldandy-sama transformed him, and I don’t doubt Bastet-sama will help him even more,” no harm in buttering up, after all, “but he hasn’t even touched on several core elements of the school.”
“Like panty raids, old man?” asked Ranma disgustedly.
“Ah, no.” Happosai wilted under the gaze of the goddesses. “That’s just how I, er, choose to practice some of the more, uh, esoteric... ahem. No. Also, while the Moko Takabisha is a powerful technique, it isn’t unique; many schools have ki blasts of one sort or another. In fact, that’s how you developed it, isn’t it? The Yama-sen-ken and Umi-sen-ken are unique, as is the Tendo Demon Head. Until you develop something equivalent, you cannot be considered a master of the school, and therefore cannot be the heir to it in the presence of any full masters.”
“Oh,” said Ranma. “Pops never told me that.”
“Probably because he thought you would set out to develop something, and end up becoming the heir over him,” returned Happosai with more of his usual vigour. “Not that that wouldn’t be a good thing, you understand.”
“So you agree to provide Ranma with the guidance he will need to become the heir to your school?”
Happosai looked from the werecheetah to the pre-eminent goddess of Japan and back again. He considered the proposition carefully. “Yes,” he said finally. “But no more than he needs, you understand? My school does not spoon-feed its students.”
“That is acceptable.”
“Oh, and I can point him in the right direction for the tantric exercises; I added them to the school years ago, but Genma never paid any attention to those lessons.” Seeing the expressions around him, he added, “Hey, why do you think Ranma’s an only child when Soun has all these beauties?”
Nodoka narrowed her eyes; first at Happosai, and then at her quivering husband.
The goddesses put their heads together, and spoke quietly. Ranma could hear them (so could Nabiki, who virtuously ignored them) but couldn’t understand a word they said. The second tome was consulted, and soon sprouted a selection of large maps. Nabiki couldn’t resist a sidelong peek, but couldn’t read any of the legends on them; couldn’t even recognise the script used, in fact. Ranma had a similar problem, but recognised some landmarks and the shape of a length of shoreline from walking around Japan for ten years. Amaterasu produced a scroll, which was consulted and returned to wherever she had found it.
Finally, Belldandy nodded decisively and looked up at Ranma. “Well, I can’t grant your wish directly, but I can grant something that should cover the same effect with rather less disruption needed.”
“Um, thanks.”
“However, you will need to put a little work into this for yourself. I recommend you take advice as you need it; Nabiki-chan will help you with the money at first, and Bastet-chan can help with many other things, but you must learn the necessary skills for yourself.”
Ranma nodded. “Sure, I can do that.”
Belldandy smiled. “I know. Now, your great-uncle Saotome Ichiro is a reasonably respectable man who owns some quite large estates on Hokkaido and Shikoku. Unfortunately, he is due to die of cancer in the next few days. Since he disinherited his own children some years ago, normally your father would inherit, but I shall arrange for a private investigator he has engaged to find your father to make a report which will lead him to place his holdings into trust for you. That will give you both a source of income, and some lands you can use to settle your new clan in.” She smiled brightly. “Choose carefully which estate you keep, now, and remember that you will have to pay quite a lot in taxes on them so you must sell some of them.”
“I – he – I didn’t even know I had a great-uncle!” exclaimed Ranma. “Can’t you...”
Sadly, Amaterasu interrupted him. “It is his time, Ranma; as you are not eligible for a Heavenly wish, it is not possible for Belldandy or I to prevent his passing.”
Belldandy nodded. “It would count as a medium wish all on its own, by genie standards, now.” She sighed. “There are times when even the gods are not permitted to act, Ranma. He has had a full life, and is not afraid of what is to come.” She waited until Ranma nodded unhappily, and smiled. “Now, there are also the lands the werecheetah clans held in Africa. Those will make marvellous places for you and your new clan to run freely, but I think you should talk to Brittany Diggers – the other werecheetah, and the only survivor of the old werecheetah clan – before you move to claim them.” Beside her, Amaterasu pursed her lips, but didn’t interrupt. “Perhaps you could claim them jointly. There are a great many artefacts there of the old werecheetahs, and there are also some mineral deposits of great value, not to mention the area is perfect for some, now what was the term Megumi-chan used, hm, ecotourism!”
Nodoka roused herself to ask a question. “Belldandy-sama, these artefacts are of Diggers-san’s ancestors, are they not? And these lands are her ancestral home.”
“Yes, although she was adopted by her present family as an infant.”
“I see.” Nodoka nodded politely. “I suggest it is essential that she be consulted before any decision is made about them.” She tensed as Amaterasu looked at her, but the Japanese deity kept her peace.
“Of course,” smiled Belldandy. “Now, the knowledge that you need. Unfortunately, simply giving people knowledge almost always seems to lead to utter disaster, but since I am granting your wish by, hm, adjusting some decisions here and there, I can make arrangements for you to have teachers in these things.” She smiled brightly. “There will be other virtues as well. You will have to pursue those fields of study, Ranma, but to begin with, a schools inspector will be visiting Furinkan High tomorrow. Don’t worry about making a good impression on him,” she finished with a little grin.
Amaterasu covered her mouth politely, her eyes twinkling.
“Um, sure...” said Ranma uncertainly, and a little disappointedly. Then the words ‘utter disaster’ sank in, and he thought a bit more.
Neko-ken, and his father training him in it. Bakusai Tenketsu, and Ryoga trying to attack him with it. The Super Soba, and Akane and Shampoo both eating it.
Admittedly, those were all cases of partial knowledge leading to disaster. But they did incline him to believe a goddess when she told him just giving knowledge away could lead to problems. And he remembered Bastet’s words before she went – that he should pay attention to more than just his martial arts teachers.
Belldandy sipped again at the tea, and sighed. “Well, I’m finished here.” She stood gracefully, and bowed to Kasumi. “Thank you for your hospitality. I have enjoyed my visit.”
“Oh, but you can’t leave now!” exclaimed Kasumi. “Won’t you at least stay for dinner?”
Belldandy smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, but at present I am constrained by the rules of my role. As I have granted all the wishes Ranma is entitled to, I must depart immediately.” She paused, and added hopefully. “Another time, perhaps?”
“Oh, that would be lovely!” replied Kasumi.
“Yeah,” added Ranma. Akane found herself nodding agreement. Nabiki twitched internally at the thought of visits from deities; she just knew this was going to be a regular thing.
“I’m covering for Jaenna for three more clients... if I call sometime next week?”
Kasumi nodded with a smile.
With a faint grin, Belldandy turned to face Ranma, rested a finger against the side of her nose, and faded to a wisp of smoke that poured down the spout into the lamp. There was a POP and the lamp disappeared.
“I always wanted to do that,” said a faint voice.
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(Posted Thu, 03 Aug 2006 23:43)
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