Chapter 1

Finally it was over. The last of the mourners had left, leaving only my immediate family. There had been a large number of people at the funeral, and nearly all those attending had come to our house for the wake. My father was, no had been, a very influential and respected man within the financial circles of our state. His wealth would of course had something to do with the attendance as well, his companies were and still are very far reaching.

Now came the last official part of the day. The reading of his will. At least this part wouldn't be to bad, my mother was to be the one to let us all know who received what, and in what proportion, the solicitors would carry out instructions at a later date.

She stood in front of us, opened an large envelope, and for a while read quietly to herself. Before she started speaking, I admired her appearance. If anybody could make a mourning dress look good, she could. Standing at about 5'10," she was quite tall for a woman. Her cherry red long hair was a great contrast to the black dress she was wearing. Long legs, not to wide hips, and a great jut where her breasts were would excite any man I thought. Least of all her 17 year old son. Oh well I thought, she's unobtainable, I'll just have to find a girl that looks like her one day.

My father had done it, so why couldn't I. When he was 20 years old, he met and married my mother, aged 17. I don't know if it was her families wealth or her looks that made him move that fast. Within a year, they were there proud parents of a baby girl, Margaret, my sister. Two years later I arrived. I'm Brad by the way.

"Okay everyone, lets get this over with. There's a small amount going to cancer research, only 2.5 million dollars, the rest of the cash, companies and this estate is to be divided amongst us." Wow, 2.5 million is small?, was my immediate thought. And to explain, us included me, my sister, my mother and her younger sister Lucinda, their mother Eve, and my fathers sister Michelle.

She continued, "All of us women are to receive 10% of the shares of the companies, Margarets' to be under my control until she is 21 years old and Lucinda's as well. The remaining shares are all Brad's, to be under my control,... legally at least, till he to is 21." Surprisingly, most the woman looked at me with a strange smile, as if there was some sort of family joke. What was going on here?.

"The remaining cash reserves of approximately 12 million dollars is Brad's as well, again officially under my control until he is 21. Yet again a whry smile from allmost everyone." The total estimate of value of everything comes to around 153 million dollars."

Shit I thought, I didn't know my father was worth that! And what's this business of "officially" under my mothers control, and their strange looks, especially Lucindas'.

My mother continued, "The last thing is to give you, Brad, an envelope containing a message from your father."

"What's in the message mother" I managed to utter.

"I don't really know Brad, but I expect it to be an explanation of sorts."

She walked over to where I was seated, handed me an envelope, and then stood expectantly in front of me. Looking around the room, all the others again had a strange look on their face.

I couldn't handle being watched in such a way. Their looks, plus the overwhelming news of our/my wealth was too much for me. Standing, I said quickly, "Excuse me, I'm going to my room to read this and think, goodnight everybody." As I stood up my mother said "when you need someone to talk to, just page whoever you want and they'll come to you immediately son." I just nodded, and left what I always have thought of as a spacious library. At present, it felt very claustrophobic.

Paging at least I understood, as I walked into my bedroom. The house was so big that sometimes the only way to find someone was to ring their room. Yes they all lived there, though I hadn't ever worked out why. After kicking of my shoes and removing my jacket, I lay on my bed and opened the envelope, which was simply addressed 'Brad'.

It read," Dear Brad, if you're reading this it's obviously because I've gone to to that great bank vault in the sky. Joking son, but thats I can really say, accept that if you get an inkling of possible cancer, do something about it straight away. I didn't, and no amount of money could stop the inevitable."

"I imagine by now you're wondering why you received the lion's of share of my money, let alone the odd looks your family are most likely giving you. Simply put, they were all in my control." What could that possibly mean?, I thought, pausing my reading. In his control,... what kind of control.

I started reading again, "I found out whem I was eighteen that by thinking in a strange way I could control minds. I can't explain how it works, or if you, my son, will have the ability. I didn't draw attention to myself. I just used my 'influence' to control people. Sometimes business people, sometimes women for... well you can probably guess. In case you don't have the power, for every person I have controlled, I have conditioned them to a trigger phrase that you can use to exercise the same power I had over them. Below is a list of the trigger words for everybody you can control. Use the words on anyone on the list and see what happens. The business men are all the same, totally agreeable with any proposal you are presenting. The women, well don't try your sister first, she hasn't been fully programmed yet. Father/ daughter stuff is not for me. But you will see that's my only taboo. Have fun, as well as controlling the family fortune. Love Dad."

I reread the message twice, but couldn't really understand the implifications of it all. Well, there is only one way to fully work out what the story was. I would have to ask one of the women. But which one. The letter said that my sister Margaret wasn't programmed, whatever that meant, so she's was out. After pondering for a while I decided which one would be the easiest to ask questions of, so I rang her room.

"Hello."

"Could you please come to my room and explain some of things my father wrote to me about" I asked.

"Of course dear, I will be there straight away" my grandmother answered.

Very shortly, my gran arrived in my room." Yes darling, you wanted me" she said in a strange, partly subservitive manner. I noticed she had changed from her funeral attire and was wearing a summer dressing gown.

"Gran, I'm trying to work out what exactly my father means in his letter, can you help me."

"I believe sir, their is a trigger phrase for you to use on me."

Sir? What could she mean. Bewildered, I looked at the my father's letter, and found a corresponding phrase for her name. Okay, here goes.

"Eve, 'giants tree'." She immediately fell to her knees and put her hands behind her head, eyes looking down to the carpet before her.

"Yes master Brad, I am now at your sole command" she said in a soft voice.

"What do you mean gran?."

"I am at your command master."

"Wh... what commands can I give you?."

"That is up to you master" she quietly answered." I am surprised it is I that you choose me to be your first master, we all thought that you would start with your mother."

What's all this master bullshit I thought. Why would the family play such a practical joke on me?. But hang on, my dead father wouldn't be a part of such a joke. Well I guess I'll have to command her to do something she normally would refuse to do. My grandmother was quite a noble woman, part of the local high society, and the proud grandmatriach of our family.