William Redman CarterChapter 51
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Responsibility is perhaps one of the most complex words in the English language. Written down on paper, it is fourteen characters long. It is pronounced using six syllables. Whether it is written down or spoken, the word is significantly larger than the average word. Despite that, it is still too short of a word to convey a concept so significant. It is a heavy word; just ask anyone who strives to live up to an unpleasant responsibility. Responsibility can weigh a ton.
A responsibility is a long term obligation. We carry it with us as we travel through life until the responsibility has been fulfilled. Our conscience reminds us of it whenever we are offered a divergence from our everyday existence. Will this diversion interfere with this or that responsibility? If the answer is yes, we shoulder our burden and continue past the diversion ever mindful of our responsibility. Sometimes we go on with the diversion, but the activity is tainted with guilt.
Life would be so simple if only one responsibility was placed upon us at a time, but life is not like that. Life is lived under the burden of many responsibilities that range from minor to major; from trivial to significant. Each time that someone depends upon us, another straw is added to the camel's back. That is the true essence of responsibility — someone depends upon us.
Responsibilities can conflict with each other. One will demand that we act in one way while another will demand just the opposite. Regardless of the choice that is made, someone will be hurt. People of moral character will feel bad for having let down the person who depended upon them.
At times, responsibilities are accrued faster than can be satisfied. All it takes to place a responsibility upon a person are the simple words, "I need you to... ," along with some demand. There are times when the load becomes too heavy. One can try, with varying degrees of success, to shift them to others in an attempt to remove the load from their backs. One can try to dodge some responsibilities.
It is not immoral to attempt avoiding new responsibilities. It can be a desired or necessary act because of the potential that responsibilities will overwhelm one to the point where they can't keep them. Sometimes people are overwhelmed and fail to live up to the demands placed upon them. Those who depend upon them are hurt and they feel guilt.
At times, a person can satisfy their responsibilities faster than they accept them. As a person grows old, they lose them faster than they can accrue them. Children grow up and the responsibility of raising them passes from the shoulders of their parents. A person retires from employment and, in the process, they lose those job responsibilities.
If person lives long enough there comes a day when they wake and discover that they have satisfied all of their responsibilities. It would seem that a life without responsibility would be a wonderful thing to experience, but it isn't. Ask any old person on whom no one depends if their life is good. The answer will be bitter and negative. They will shoulder any responsibility just to feel alive again.
Watch an old person taking care of a crotchety old dog sometime. See the care and attention that is lavished upon the ill-tempered beast. The old person will tolerate growls, bared teeth, and even occasional bites without too much complaint. The dog is a reason to get up in the morning, to make it to the market to purchase food, and to sleep at night to be ready for another day. It is the responsibility to care for the old dog that keeps the person alive.
A responsibility can weigh a person down while giving them a reason for living. They can force a person to choose who they will hurt when their responsibilities are in conflict. While a person can curse responsibilities for their negative impacts on their life; all know that their absence would be a curse.
Responsibility ties a person down. How well a person satisfies their responsibilities influences those around them far more than their beauty, wit, or intelligence. Perhaps fourteen characters are too few for such a complex word. Perhaps the six syllables roll of the tongue too easily for something that is so significant.
William woke at four in the morning in response to some inner call to action and rolled over to watch Lucy sleeping. She was so beautiful that it took his breath away. He leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder. She stirred and asked, "Is it time to get up?"
"I have to go now," William answered.
Those simple words were enough to chase away any thoughts of sleep. Lucy sat up and said, "I'll walk with you."
"No. I need you to tell Oliver that I am going into the glade and that all of the Druids should be watching events at six. I need you to stay here and watch Oscar in Jerusalem," William said. He caressed her face and said, "Your presence among the other Druids is as close as I can come to making sure that Oscar's sacrifice is appreciated."
"I'll do it," Lucy said accepting his request. She knew that she would be there for him when he came out of the glade.
"Thank you, Lucy," William said rising from the bed. He went into the bathroom to take care of his morning necessities.
Lucy stayed in the bed while thinking about how difficult the morning was going to be for her. William had told her what he wanted her to do for him. She was to be present and make sure that Oliver Brown and Ed Biggers told everyone there what to expect well before Oscar made his sacrifice.
After taking care of the bathroom necessities, William went over to his suitcase and pulled out some jeans and a tee shirt. He was dressing for comfort rather than formality. The outfit that he wore was very similar to what his father had worn when he had met the Goddess in meadow in Colorado so many years earlier.
"You're wearing jeans and a tee shirt?" Lucy asked looking at the clothes he had selected with a frown.
"I'll wear a coat, too," William answered.
"Isn't that rather casual for meeting with a God?" Lucy asked. She felt that if she was going to meet a God or a Goddess that she'd want to wear something special.
With only his left leg in his pants, William hopped around trying to get his right foot into his pants. Not entirely surprised that she was concerned about his clothes, he answered, "What should I wear? A suit? A Tuxedo? I think it doesn't matter what I wear. The Two- Sided One is more interesting in the person inside the clothes rather than what the person is wearing."
"I don't want you to insult him," Lucy said. After a second, she added, "Or is he a her?"
"The Two-Sided One is both," William answered zipping up his pants. He grabbed his tee shirt and started to put it on.
"Why don't you guys have drawings of the Gods and Goddesses?" Lucy asked.
"We would, but we don't know how to represent them. I think that each of us experiences them differently and no one experiences them in their entirety. Is a picture of a mountain representative of the Earth or is a desert valley a better one? How does one capture the wind in a drawing?" William answered.
Lucy watched William put on his socks and cowboy boots. His Native American skin and Caucasian features combined to make him a very handsome young man. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail that hung down his back. It was a very personal statement of his roots in the Native American community. She asked, "Do you want me to braid your hair?"
"No. I'll wear it tied back today," William answered. He looked over at her when he finally got his foot into his right boot. Smiling, he asked, "Are you afraid that the Two-Sided One is going to look at me and think that I'm not taking this meeting seriously enough?"
"I just want you to look good for him," Lucy answered with a shrug of her shoulders. The gesture made her breasts move in a very attractive fashion. If William hadn't already been dressed, the sight would have brought him back to bed for an hour's diversion.
"I love you, Lucille Desi Carter," he said.
"I love you, William Redman Carter," Lucy said taken by surprise by his declaration of love. She got out of the bed and searched through her luggage for a clean pair of panties. Upon locating a pair, she slipped them on. She pulled out a simple dress from her luggage. It was just a moment before she had slipped the dress over her head.
"I'm going to get a quick bite to eat," William said glancing at the clock. It was just shy of four thirty in the morning. He had to be in the glade at six o'clock in the morning. That time corresponded to noon in Jerusalem.
Lucy went over to William and kissed him. Holding him in her arms, she asked, "Do you want me to join you?"
"I would like that very much, but there is too much for us both to do," William answered. He kissed her again and said, "I should go now."
"Go," Lucy said feeling like she was sending a warrior out to do battle without knowing if he would return. Despite William's assurances that all would be right, she still harbored some doubts deep inside.
"I love you."
"I love you," she said. She watched him step out of the bedroom knowing that he'd be changed when she next saw him. Licking her lips worriedly, she hoped that the changes would not be too great. She loved him as he was.
William walked to the glade eating a donut and drinking a cup of hot coffee. The air was cold and a brisk wind made it feel even colder. He shivered inside his jacket thinking that he should have worn a heavier coat. The hot coffee combated with the cold air, but the liquid was losing the battle.
An owl flew past with the whisper of huge wings beating the air. William paused to watch it pass overhead; a dark shape against a dark sky. He continued his journey thinking that the owl had passed without trace while he left footprints in the thin snow. It was a minor mark in his history however temporary that record might be. The thought flashed through his mind that it was a wise old bird that could move through life leaving no record of its passing.
He reached the Carter Glade remembering back to the day when his father had consecrated it with his life. It had been a similar day. There had been a small dusting of snow spread across the ground. He looked up at the sky finding only darkness there. The clouds that threatened snow blocked the stars and moon. He stood outside the circle looking in and remembering his father.
William finished his donut and drained the last of his coffee. He flattened the paper cup into a thick disk and stuffed it into the back pocket of his jeans. A small kernel of fear leapt up at what would happen to him once he entered that sacred ground. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and entered the glade.
The party-like atmosphere among the Druids gathered in the first year dining room had died a horrible death after Oliver explained that if Oscar showed up in Jerusalem that it was virtually certain that he was going to die. Somber faces watched the televisions at the head of room. Some of the channels were focused on the crowd, but a few were focused on Oscar as he stepped into the square in front of the Western Wall.
Linda, an attractive young woman, was a special friend of Patrick. She had a well defined hour glass figure with long shapely legs. Her hazel eyes, flecked with gold, drew attention to her face. Her face with soft features was framed by naturally curly blond hair that gave the impression that she had just come from bed. As far as most men were concerned, she would have been an ideal cheerleader type except for what many thought was one major flaw. She was the least endowed female on the...
Wearing western garb, William sat on a bench soaking up the sun in front of the Morgenstern building housing the Department of Economics within the School of Business. Classes would be starting in three days and the current crop of undergraduates were busy moving into their dorms. He watched the parents and their children wandering around the campus with a frown. The sons and daughters wanted to declare their independence despite fears of the great unknown. The parents wanted to keep their...
"You're lonely." Shrugging his shoulders, William answered, "My girlfriend is hundreds of miles away." "I don't mean that way," Joe said. "What do you mean?" "You don't have any friends. There may be a lot of people around you, but you don't really have any friends." Joe cut a piece out of the steak and put it in his mouth while watching William to judge his reaction. He knew that William was going to be leaving in a week and wondered what was going to happen to his...
William sat back and stared at the stack of papers. He had spent the past four weeks going over the first draft of his dissertation and fixing the small errors that had crept into it. Sections had been changed to be more precise. The language had been improved to be more readable. References had been checked and the original sources double checked for accuracy. This pass through the dissertation was at a less strenuous pace than the first pass. He had worked eighteen to twenty hours a day on...
Representative Sidney Smith walked to his office pleased that he had an entire afternoon without a single appointment. Between public speeches, committee meetings, time spent on the floor of the House of Representatives, and smooching with businessmen for funding, he felt that he never had time to think through the issues. It was his standing order that no appointments were to be scheduled Friday afternoons. That was his time to catch up on the issues of the day. Entering his office, Sidney...
Eddie stood with his legs spread shoulder wide and his fists on his hips. Glaring at the man standing in front of him, he said, "My brother is the smartest person alive." "There are a lot of very smart people in this world, young man," the distinguished looking man said with amusement in his voice. He added, "As Provost of this University, I can tell you that many of them are here on this campus." "I don't care who you are. My brother is the smartest person alive. He's going to win...
While reading her book, Lucy occasionally glanced over at the television to watch the election coverage on the television. It was kind of sad, but the news coverage only addressed a few of the state elections. When they failed to mention the race in Texas, she shook her head and said, "The news services really make me mad." "Why?" William asked moving his book aside to look at Lucy. "They are only covering some of the races we're interested in," Lucy said gesturing over at the...
Doug, sitting in the loveseat sideways with a leg over the armrest, looked up from his book and saw that William had put down the manuscript he had been reading. He asked, "So what do you think?" "I like it," William said nodding his head. "What about my conclusion?" "I think you are right on target. It does seem that a crisis of followership must be a democratic phenomenon," William answered. Doug had concluded after studying several dozen national histories that a loss in...
"That woman is impossible," Forest Shadow declared. "Which woman?" William asked looking up from the journal in which his paper had appeared. In the week that she had been there, Forest Shadow had said that about Lisa, Lucy, Jan, Natalie, and Nicole. He didn't think there was another woman in the house about whom she could complain. "Jan. Can you imagine that she started in on me again about how I treat Lucy? White people just like her were the ones that raped our culture. Why should...
The Denver Aquarium is owned by a restaurant chain. The Carters had reserved the entire place for two parties, one held at lunch time and the other held at dinner time. The lunch time party was to allow employees of the Fusion Foundation, fellow students, and neighbors a chance to interact with the newlyweds. The dinner time party was for executives, business types, and elected officials. Perhaps it was because of the years spent living in the desert, but the entire family looked forward to...
Seated in the student center, William drank a glass of iced tea while waiting for Lucy to get out of her class. She was taking her mid-terms and had been feeling the pressures of late. This afternoon was particularly rough since she had two exams one after the other. He had come along to provide emotional support fully confident that she would ace each exam. An angry young man carrying a tray of food approached the table next to his. The young man threw his tray down on the table and then...
A shiver went through William when he woke in a nice soft bed. The last thing he remembered was lying on the hard ground. Even before he had a chance to open his eyes, he heard Lucy say, "He's waking up." "I'm awake," he said opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was Lucy. She was looking down at him with an expression of concern on her face. She immediately hugged him and then stood back to give him some space. He was comforted by her hug and reached up for her hand. "I was so...
William walked out the front door of his house to await his visitor. His daytime bodyguard, Colt, walked behind him wondering why they had come outside. For all he knew, they had left the house just to stand around all day in the sunshine. His eyes automatically checked the surroundings for any threats. The two men headed over to the driveway with William leading the way. A minute later, a rental car pulled up in the driveway. Colt glared at it as if it were a direct threat. He relaxed when...
Used to being sent to answer the door despite the fact that no one had knocked, Ken headed towards the door as soon as William had told him to answer it. He shook his head in puzzlement the entire trip. Although he knew from experience that there would be a person at the door, he hadn't given up wondering how William did it. Colt looked from William to Ken wondering what was happening since he hadn't heard anyone knock. The door opened to reveal a very tired looking green robed Druid while...
William looked across the table at Patrick and asked, "So how are things going?" "They are going well. Once I got over the initial shock, I found that I can deal with the nudity," Patrick answered although he wasn't going to mention the unease he felt when talking with Lucy. "Good. After two years here you'll be able to handle most things that life throws at you. You'll need that when you become a Chief," William said choosing his words with great care. It was time to plant a seed...
"Congratulations, Dr. Carter," Oliver Brown said with a grin. He was seated in a large chair in one of the emptier rooms of the mansion sipping on an iced tea. He was wearing a pair of silvered sunglasses. Despite years of living with his gift, it still hurt him to be around too many people. William took a seat across from the Grand Druid and said, "Thank you. What are you doing in here?" "I'm hiding from the President of the University. He wants me to send some of our graduating...
Cupping a match in his curled fingers to protect it from a light wind, William lit a cigarette. He shook his hand putting out the match and dropped the extinguished stick into a bucket. Holding up a hand, he said, "The screen door will slam in a minute." Despite the warning, Dale jumped when the screen door slammed shut making a noise like a rifle shot. He said, "I'm glad you warned me." "The cook takes out the trash every night about this time. It used to startle me every time I...
The months passed without much of anything too remarkable occurring. William spent most of his time working with the candidates running for office. Lucy worked on the program trying to find ways to represent the quality of the society graphically. Construction on the facility for holding the computers was progressing nicely. The young couple kept the staff very busy as well. With the ever increasing need for data, Victoria spent nearly every hour of the day searching for new sources of data...
Spreading margarine on the slice of toast with long smooth motions, William was getting ready to enjoy breakfast. Lucy watched him, waiting for him to cut his slice of toast along the diagonal. Rich enough to afford butter, it always amazed her that he actually enjoyed margarine more. William looked up from his toast and winked at her. Rock, the nighttime bodyguard, was watching him with narrowed eyes. The other three bodyguards were seated at the far end of the table eating their eggs....
William stared at Lucy in shock. Unable to believe what he thought he had heard her say, he asked, "Excuse me?" Pointing to the woman at the front of the conference room of the Carter House, Lucy said, "I asked her to remove her clothes." "I thought I misunderstood you," William said. He glanced over at Mary Gold. The woman had her head down and was hiding her mouth behind her hands. The twinkle in her eye suggested that she was trying not to laugh. The twenty-four year old woman...
The Catholic religious wedding ceremony for Cathy Black Thorn and David Light Wind started at noon. It was a traditional Catholic service and lasted for almost an hour before they exchanged their vows. The Catholic priest provided a nice service in which he blessed their marriage. To tell the truth, Lucy had found it rather boring. She also felt that the bride wasn't given the kind of attention that most women sought in the wedding ceremony. At two, the bride and groom met at their future...
"Is it working?" Lucy asked watching the array of monitors at William's desk. Shaking his head, William answered, "I don't know. We've only progressed ten years in the simulation. We've got another ninety to go." "It's been running for twenty hours," Lucy said looking over at the clock. They had started the program the previous day at noon and it was now just a little after eight in the morning. "That's right," William said woodenly. His eyes examined the curves of the...
William shook his head in amazement while going through the stack of papers Barbara had handed him. She had all of their expenditures typed up for the accountant complete with receipts. The confirmations for chartered jets were in a neat little stack. The agenda for the meetings had been typed up with copies for everyone. Looking up at Barbara, he said, "You are amazing. I don't know how you keep up with everything." Upon hearing more praise from William, Barbara squirmed in her chair. It...
William stepped out the front door of the hotel and froze. Rather than facing a run down street in San Diego, he was in a meadow. There in front of him was a contrived scene of life and death. To his right, a man was facing death as a giant wrecking ball swung towards him from behind. To his left, a different man faced an identical death. He shouted, "Duck." Both men stared at William as the wrecking balls swung through them. William stared in horror at the result. Two broken bodies lay on...
The activities being performed by the occupants of the house would never be the subject of a Norman Rockwell type of picture. The scene just wasn't cute enough. Lucy, seated at her desk, was busy writing up her solution to the math problem that William had given her. At his desk, William was busy changing his program for predicting economic and social trends. Over at the dining room table, Jan was writing on a pad of paper; capturing another chapter of her book. At the other end of the...
The gymnasium of the activity center was empty except for a long table at which the tribal elders of all the local tribes were seated. All eyes were watching the door at the far end of the room for their visitor. The tension in the room was high. Most of them expected their visitor to argue with them about their conservative stance and they were not looking forward to it. They were sure that they would lose this argument with this particular visitor. Looking around the room, Robert White...
Talking quietly with each other, Lucy and William waited in the theater for Eddie to arrive. The theater room had four rows of ten seats each facing a large screen. Each chair was large and comfortable with a holder for a soda built into the armrest. Beth had ordered the chairs from a real theater supply company. Like a real movie theater, the floor slanted down towards the front of the room. At the entrance to the room, there was a snack bar complete with a typical theater-style popcorn...
Greetings had been exchanged and the guests shown their rooms in the Carter home. The next order of business was to relax. William stripped off his clothes and headed towards the pool. He jumped in feet first, reveling in the feel of cool water against his bare skin. Lucy and Ann, naked as well, slipped into the pool right behind him. Before they had even moved a dozen feet from the edge, Betsy charged into the poolroom throwing off her clothes even as she ran. Without pause, she jumped into...
William and Ed returned to the hotel refreshed from their little swim at the Mayor's house. William felt confident that another candidate had been found with a good chance of winning. They entered the suite laughing about the mayor's reaction on discovering them swimming in the pool. The laughter turned to surprise when William spotted his mother relaxing in the living room of the suite. She was seated next to Lucy. He said, "Momma Kelly! What are you doing here?" Seeing that William...
Lucy watched the screen through red eyes that saw the world through a blur. She hadn't sleep for the past thirty hours. The programmers were asleep on the floor having exhausted the last of their stamina under the nearly constant pressure from Lucy. Even if she hadn't been so tired, it would have been hard to interpret the results. There were a hundred curves all overlaid one upon another. After running twenty four hours, the model had projected ahead only twelve years. Considering the...
Amused by what he was doing, Derrick led the little horse using the reigns. Lucy was seated on its back holding onto the saddle horn with white knuckles. She was nervous; feeling like the horse was huge and ready to run away at any moment. She looked over at William and, voice tight with tension, said, "I've never ridden a horse before." "You don't say. I would never have guessed," William replied with a grin from atop the horse that Derrick had given him. It was a nice quarter-horse...
"Your mother and I watched your meeting with the White Buffalo on the news. That's how we knew to go to the ranch," said Lucy. "Pardon?" William was not aware that there had been a television camera at the ranch. "Someone filmed the whole thing with their video camera. It was on the television within half an hour of it happening." "So what did you think?" "Strange. It was like you weren't there. Your face was blank. Your voice was strange with an odd echoing quality to it. When...
Following behind Rock and Natalie, Lucy and William entered their home with a sigh of relief. They had both been very busy since their graduation. The summer had started with locating, hiring, and delivering Dante to Harry for the purpose of creating a statue of the elderly Druid. That had been followed by their wedding with a week of parties, their honeymoon, visits to a number of tribal councils, and a few visits to Homeless Hotels around the country. Exhausted, they planned to stay at home...
Ling and Betsy stopped the car at the front gate leading to William's place. Over the past year, the front of the property had changed to where it looked more like the entrance to a military base than a ranch. There was a little guard shack that sat beside a closed metal barrier. Ling's trained eye recognized the retractable barrier was capable of stopping a charging dump truck. Worried about the kind of reception they would receive, Betsy asked, "Are you sure that he'll see us?" "It...
Wearing nothing but a loincloth and a small leather bag around his neck, William walked to the edge of the stream. Once there, he paused and looked down at the ground. At the border between water and land was a stone that caught his attention. Kneeling, he picked it up. The stone was the diameter of a quarter with a thickness of a quarter of an inch. The edges were worn smooth. There was nothing remarkable about the stone except for one feature -- the center of the stone had been worn away...
"Uh oh," William said as he pulled into the driveway. Rock, Colt, Natalie, and Nicole were standing in the driveway with their arms crossed and a frown on their faces. They didn't look too happy to see him. "I forgot about them." He turned off the motor and stepped out of the car. Looking at the four body guards, he asked, "How did you enjoy your vacation?" "You dumped us in the middle of nowhere," Colt said. "Sorry about that," William said. He glanced over at the front door to...
"Do you think I should open a publishing house?" William asked. "No," Linda answered putting the manuscript on the table. She had just finished reading it and had been very impressed. She knew Happy Harry, but not many of the other homeless. She had noticed that the manuscript had Forest Shadow crying like a baby by the time she had finished it. "Okay, so who do we take the manuscript to?" "Al Maloney would probably be the best person. His publishing house has handled a lot of best...
John Carter, William's older brother, squatted down by the campfire and picked up the coffee pot. While pouring a cup, he asked, "So what do you think of Betsy's legal problems?" Shrugging his shoulders, William answered, "I don't know what to think. I keep hoping that the father will drop the charges. It would be a disaster for the prison system if she were to go to jail. The thought of that sends shivers down my spine." John laughed and asked, "What do you think the chances are of...
The last test, marked with an A+, joined the rest of the tests stacked on the left hand corner of William's desk. Looking over at Lucy, he said, "That's the last one." "So how were the grades?" Lucy asked looking up from her work. "Not bad," William answered patting the stack of test papers. The first eight weeks of teaching had been hard on William. He didn't have any real experience of dealing with high school students. Getting his early education at the Druid College had not...
William rushed into the hotel and looked around the lobby. The elevator door opened and Lucy stepped out looking around the lobby. They met halfway with a hug that was just on the tasteful side of being publicly acceptable. William said, "I've missed you." "I missed you," Lucy said burying her face into his chest and enjoying his scent. It felt good to feel his arms around her. "I'm so glad that you could make it here," William said running a hand across her back. It felt so right...
It was the day after Thanksgiving and William sat in his hunting stand watching the area in front of him for an older buck to appear. Several does and a young buck had passed in front of him a little after sunrise, but they were young animals that would strengthen the herd. He was waiting for an older deer to come through. There was a nip of cold in the air that was usual for that time of year. He could actually see his breath. Frost had covered the few grasses that grew along the banks of...
The squick of a white board marker flying across the white board filled the air. William looked up and watched Lucy work through the equations on the board; her hand moving at almost a blur. She stepped back for a second and then dived in for another round of simplifications. Her hips swung from side to side as she worked her magic on the mathematics. With her entire body participating, her long hair started swaying in a most seductive manner. William was entranced. Frowning, Lucy stepped...
Lucy stepped out of the truck and went around to the back to get her suitcase. Before she had a chance to pick it up, Ken had grabbed it while looking at her as if she should have known he'd carry it. The van with Linda and Ed pulled up beside the car. Looking around the parking lot in front of the country hotel, William said, "We'll get checked in and then I need to get on down the road." "Are you sure that you don't want me to come?" "Lucy, I'd love for you to come, but you...
"So you're going to become Dr. Carter?" Eddie asked while watching his brother pack up his books. William looked over at his little brother. The boy was turning into a good looking young man. His short black hair, piercing grey eyes, and subdued Native American features gave him an exotic look. William knew that it wouldn't be long before the girls started following his brother around town. Pulling the roll of tape over the top of the box, he answered, "Yes, if I ever manage to get out...
"Son, you know I have to tell the truth," Ed said looking William in the eye. He had finally caught up with William before his son had entered his office. "Yes, I know that," William said with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He looked away from his father breaking eye contact. "You know that it isn't always an easy thing for me to do, don't you?" "Yes, I know that." Shaking his head, Ed said, "You can't hide away from the world forever. Your little brother has asked you...
Ken removed his clothes and placed them on the patio table. The past four weeks had wrought major changes in his physique. He had lost fifteen pounds, with even more fat having been turned into muscle. His shirts were too large around the waist and too small at the shoulders. He glanced over at his wife to see how she was reacting to stripping outdoors. Lisa's body was a soft red color, flushed as a result of embarrassment. After a month of morning exercises with William, Ling, and Tim...
"Where's Betsy?" "She's grounded," Eddie answered. He shrugged his shoulders and, looking over at his mother, said, "All she did was have a little swim." "Naked, in a public aquarium, and with sharks," Ling said filling in a few details that Eddie tended to forget. Putting an arm around his little brother, William pulled Eddie against his side and said, "At least she didn't get threatened with a spanking." "True," Eddie said. He was tired and wished that he had been able to...
Seated at his desk, William listened to the sound of a twelve-string guitar emanating from the guest room. He liked the music Greg Banner created. Lucy loved the music and could listen to it all day. Turning to Ken, he snapped his fingers to get the man's attention. Once he was sure that Ken was looking at him, he said, "Doug is here." Ken reached the intercom in time to hear the signal from the guard. Pushing the button, Ken said, "Let Doug in." "Sure," came the answer. It sounded...
William looked up at the stars overhead. The sight of the summer sky was always special to him, particularly on nights without a moon. The stars seemed so low that you could reach out and touch them. Turning to the dark shape seated next to him, he said, "I love looking at the stars out here." "I do too," Eddie said with a smile. In the dark, his white teeth seemed to stand out. William pulled out his pack of cigarettes and took one out. He handed the pack to his brother and said,...
"Vera." "What?" she answered without even looking away from her computer screen. Her fingers did not slow down in the least bit. William frowned at the tone of voice that she used in answering him. It seemed to him as if she was upset about something. Dismissing his concerns, he said, "I need you to research the sex industry." "Excuse me," Vera said drawing out each word twice as long as would be normal. She saved the file she was working on before turning to face William. The...
"You're going to be heading off to college soon," William said looking across the fire at Eddie. He added another small log to the fire and sat back to watch it catch. "I've got another two years of high school," Eddie said poking a stick into the fire and watching the end start to burn. He pulled the stick out of the fire. The weak flame flickered and died. The small glowing bud at the end of the stick slowly faded. "Enjoy them while you can," William said. Everyone was telling...
The students trickled out of the classroom in ones and twos as they finished their final exams. William sat on the floor across from the door watching them leave. Some looked confident, others angry, and a few as if they didn't care how they did in the class. Those who looked blurry-eyed or were sloppily dressed had spent the previous evening cramming in the hopes of learning the material at the last minute. When Lucy stepped out of the class, she rolled her eyes and smiled. Closing the...
Chuckling to himself, William shook his head as elements of the near future resolved themselves in his mind. Ken, seated at the dining room table, looked over at him wondering what he had found so humorous. He was about to ask when William said, "It is time for one of my mothers to make an appearance." Lisa, in the kitchen with Tim, wondered why he hadn't asked her to prepare one of the guestrooms. She came out of the kitchen and looked at William with concern. This was the first that...
The underground bunker for housing the computers had been completed. A work crew sent by Dan Biggerstaff was busy wiring the room to support the network that would tie the computers together. It was a massive job considering that they were linking ten thousand computers together. It was made even more difficult due to the fact that they were physically located on four separate floors. The room was cold. The air conditioner was set up to cool ten thousand machines, but there were only empty...
Head in William's lap, Lucy was busy reading a math book. His hand was busy stroking her arm in an absent minded manner while he was reading his book. Lucy put her book down and said, "She's got a crush on you." Frowning at the sudden introduction of a new topic, William asked, "Who? What?" "I said she has a crush on you." "Oh, that's nice," William said wondering who had the crush on him. He turned the page and continued reading. "You don't know who I'm talking about, do...
Nancy Darnell, Mistress of Ceremonies for the Druids, stood at head of the platform. She had finished explaining the significance of the ceremony that was to take place and now she was waiting for the bride and groom. This was her first wedding ceremony in which none of the individuals involved were a Druid. Oliver had volunteered to perform the ceremony, but she had insisted that she be allowed the honor. It was, after all, her service. A very serene Lucy walked to the platform from the...
Jack sat in his new office unable to believe the difference that twenty four hours made in his life. His office was larger than the room he was renting. The furnishings were much more luxurious. Barbara Gray had told him that it had been the bedroom and exercise room, but they had converted it to his office. He would have been quite happy if they had left the bed in the room, but he wasn't going to tell them that. He got up and made his way to the break room to get a soft drink. That was...
"What?" Patrick shouted upon learning the nature of the elusive quarry that they were hunting. He was wearing a brand new hunting outfit that he had talked his father into buying for him. The camouflage coverall, the camouflage hat, the orange vest, and hiking boots that had been a source of immense pride had become a source of embarrassment. Unable to believe what he had heard, he said, "We're going rock hunting!" William and Dale were having a hard time controlling their laughter. The...