​     Goldbody had already reached his headquarters on Pete's Peak when the frantic communique from the Prime Minister came through. "Goldbody, what in the hell..."

     "I've decided that I want more than a mere 500 billion," Goldbody replied. "I've decided that, instead, I want the entire planet. Just hand it over. All your precious little governments and all of that? That's all over. It's all mine, now."

     "That's the most outrageous..." 

     "It's a new world, friend. I have four of those squirt guns located all over the world. I want complete capitulation within the hour. Otherwise, I promise you, within two hours, one billion people will be wiped off the face of the Earth. 

CONTINUE