Richard knew deep down that as long as William didn't self-destruct, neither he nor any future English Prime Ministers could do much to control him.
In fact, as William aged and expanded his influence beyond his own interests, it was likely that he would have a decisive impact on many aspects of England's society and economy.
From the moment Lena showed interest in infrastructure investments, some had already begun to worry about the Devonshire family monopolizing England's essential services.
This concern wasn't lost on seasoned politicians like Richard and his colleagues.
However, there were two reasons they couldn't push back too hard against William:
William's Value to England
William was far too important to the country. His technological breakthroughs outpaced the rest of the world and represented England's best chance at revitalizing its global standing. Pushing him too far might drive him to the U.S. or even a major Asian country. Given England's current capabilities, all they could do in such a scenario was bark like mad dogs without any real recourse.
William's Lethal Insurance
William's stockpile of red mercury nuclear devices was a sword hanging over the heads of everyone in the know. Adding to this, his ability to pilot spacecraft to Mars and cultivate survival resources like potatoes meant that even if Earth were destroyed, William and his family could thrive on Mars.
Under these circumstances, only fools would force a direct conflict with William.
Fortunately, Lena Devonshire seemed to have a strong sense of loyalty to England, which gave Richard and the other officials some reassurance.
As long as William didn't change his nationality or betray England, most minor issues were no longer worth their attention.
On the flip side, working with William came with many benefits. The uptick in foreign intelligence operations targeting England in recent months proved how valuable William's presence was.
Many now admired King Philip's foresight. Over decades, he had gone to great lengths to forge a bond with William, even tying the Devonshire family to the royal family by building a strong relationship between Prince Wilson and William.
Even now, William often thought of Wilson, the second in line to the throne, whenever he made major decisions.
Watching Wilson standing casually nearby, Richard and General Marco couldn't help but envy him.
Wilson was a shrewd operator who managed to maintain an excellent relationship with William and even earned Lena Devonshire's fondness—sometimes more so than William himself.
The idea of dismantling the aristocratic system seemed increasingly unrealistic, as the royal family's connections with the Devonshires strengthened.
Richard and Marco shared a silent nod, silently admiring King Philip's early investment in this relationship. Real friendship required genuine effort.
As for the increasing stockpile of gold in the Devonshire family vault, Richard wasn't overly concerned.
Gold might belong to the Devonshires now, but as long as it remained in England, history showed that no family's dominance lasted forever.
Eventually, a foolish heir would squander the family's wealth, and the gold would find its way back into England's hands.
The thought made Richard feel slightly more at ease. If they couldn't control the strong-willed, distrustful, and ruthless William, they could at least target his descendants.
Surely not all of William's future heirs would be as capable. Once the Devonshire family produced a weak link, its power would naturally decline.
If William knew that his staged interactions with Lena had convinced England's elite that the Devonshires were loyal to England, he'd likely laugh out loud.
Even if the U.S. begged him to move, William would never go. Living in England, a mid-tier power, provided a much more comfortable balance.
As for moving to China? That was out of the question.
If William tried to operate in China the way he did in England, some "higher power" would crush him underfoot without hesitation.
Amidst their private thoughts, none of them noticed that William's spacecraft had arrived at the coordinates of the alien corpse.
Sunday's reminder refocused everyone's attention.
The Predator had discarded the alien corpse in the northern hemisphere's largest dune field.
The spacecraft hovered above a reddish hill of rock and sand, about ten meters high.
Given how much time had passed, the alien corpse was nearly buried in sand. If it weren't for the exact coordinates and the fact that the body rested on the hilltop, it would have been almost impossible to locate.
Using the ship's life scanner to confirm the alien had no signs of life, William cautiously landed the spacecraft.
Looking at the alien partially buried in red sand, he regretted not deploying his engineering robots beforehand.
Now he had no choice but to grab a shovel and start clearing the sand himself.
After about ten minutes of effort, the alien's black bio-armor, menacing face, and sharp tail stinger were finally exposed.
Continuing to clear away the remaining sand, William deliberately muttered, "Every time I see these damn things, I feel sick. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to breed them?"
In the London Space Center's command room, Richard and Marco exchanged glances. Through their earpieces, they could hear William's muttering, but the other staff members, unaware of the private channel, only displayed shock and excitement.
Relieved that their private channel remained secure, Richard and Marco nodded to each other.
They recalled earlier speculations about the U.S. experiments involving electrocuted aliens and realized William might have been involved.
Although they previously dismissed this theory as baseless, William's behavior now suggested he had indeed encountered and possibly fought aliens multiple times.
Seeing William's familiarity with the creature added credibility to his earlier claims about them.
With a loud "crack," William shoved his shovel into the alien's body, causing its bio-armor to snap the shovel's metal edge.
At the same time, corrosive liquid oozed from the alien's body, sizzling and bubbling as it ate through the sand and rock beneath it.
"Bloody hell," William exclaimed, pretending to panic.
He grabbed the broadcast sphere and zoomed in on the bubbling sand. "These sands contain a high percentage of metal, but more than 70% is quartz.
"And it's still dissolving! Damn it, this means even using glass containers might not be safe!"
Cursing under his breath, he added, "What the hell am I supposed to use to store these two alien corpses?
"If the bodies break apart on the ship, they could corrode a massive hole in the hull.
"But if I leave them here, what's the point of coming all the way to Mars? And worst of all, I'm stuck on this damn planet!"
Richard and Marco, both on edge, remained silent. Given William's increasingly paranoid and distrustful behavior, they were reluctant to say anything that might provoke him.
After a long pause, Richard cautiously said, "Let's not rush. We'll consult with experts to find a solution.
"If we can't guarantee safety, it might be better for you to return to Earth first. Once we identify a corrosion-resistant material, we can retrieve the bodies later."
"Exactly," Marco added. "Take it easy, William. Right now, you're the only person who can reach Mars. We've got plenty of time."
"F***," William cursed, tossing aside the broken shovel handle.
He turned to leave but stopped when Wilson suddenly called out, "Wait a minute!"
(End of Chapter)
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