Adam decided that the Four Lords should match at the dance tomorrow evening. And I, as their club dog, had to go with the style. Adam handed me a perfectly fitted (for a guy) tailed jacket, a purple tie (He said it was manly) and shoes three sizes too big, because normal guys don't wear women's 6 1/2 shoes.

Returning to my dorm building, I found Taki in a state of panic.

"I can't do this. I can't do this." He was saying repeatedly to Neil. "I can't go."

"So what are you going to do when your several fiances wonder where you are?" Neil replied.

Taki took out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Ok, well, three of my fiances don't attend Saint Catherine's. Ah-lee-uh" He sounded out, reading from the paper, "is away on holiday. So three of them are at SC." He looked horrified by the prospect.

"You know," I said, "Polygamy is illegal in the United States."

"I won't marry them." Taki protested.

Neil gestured to me and drew me aside. "Taki is afraid of women." He said softly. "He hates them with a passion, all because he's engaged to something like seven girls."

"So, is he gay?"

"I'm not gay." Taki shouted. "I just hate women."

"That sounds like your gay." I told him. Taki looked outraged, so I took it back. "Ok, Ok, I'm sorry. You're not gay, you just hate women. Why are you engaged to so many if you hate them?" And, anyway, who even got engaged against their will these days? I guess that rich parents can cut off their kids if they refuse to marry the specified person, but it still sounded old-fashioned and wrong.

"So are you going to the dance or not?" I asked.

"He's going." Edmund said from a couch, looking over the top of his book. "There is no way that he'd lose a chance to dance with 'that person.'"

"'That person'?" I repeated.

For some reason, Taki turned very red. "Just forget it. I'll go." He sludged out of the commons.

"Wow, Edmund, way to crush a man's spirit." Neil took his book from him. "Now, tell me who 'that person' is."

Edmund put on a totally fake sad expression. "My apologizes." He said, snatching his book back. "If I told you, I would be making enemies with one of the future heads of a key Japanese company, and I'm afraid I can't do that if I want to achieve world domination."

"World domination?" I repeated. Who knew he had such lofty goals?

"Correct, my young friend. In the near future, I will stage a coup d'etat, defeat several minor but powerful nations with nuclear weaponry, and force weaker weaker governments to submit to my will." He gave one of those villain type laughs, the kind that you think people only do in movies. "Of course, you'll be given a position in this new world, if you desire, young Ethan. How about you marry my sister and become my third in command."

I ignored the 'marry my sister' part and asked, "third? Why so high up?"

"Because, frankly, you'll be assisted by several more qualified people, like the Zachs and our dear friend Taki. Neil is my second."

Neil gave a mock bow.

So the future ruler of all mankind and his second in command went back to doing homework. I just smiled and left.