Oscar Meyers
Part 2: Academia
By 
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005

Chapter 8

The first year dining room was crowded, but exceptionally quiet for lunchtime. Finals for 
the second quarter were approaching and everyone was thinking about the upcoming 
tests. The waitress had just delivered lunch to Oscar and his roommates. Lisa asked, "So 
where are Debbie and Georgia?"

"Not sure," answered Oscar as he eyed his tuna fish salad sandwich. He lifted a slice of 
bread and saw the pile of onions laid across the tuna salad. He nodded in pleasure when 
he saw that they had added the onions as he had requested. The cook thought it was a 
major crime to put onions on a tuna fish salad sandwich. 

Mike frowned at Oscar and asked, "So what is happening with you guys?"

"Nothing," answered Oscar in a curt tone of voice. He didn't like to think about the 
strained relationship that had emerged among the three of them. Somehow, he had 
become the third wheel in the relationship. 

"I'm serious."

"So am I. Nothing is happening," replied Oscar. It wasn't clear to him if they were upset 
that he wouldn't choose between them or that they believed he wanted them to turn into 
lesbians. It didn't really matter anymore why they were upset. He hadn't been to bed with 
Georgia since the weekend when Debbie had come to the house to visit. Debbie had 
never touched him in a sexual manner. If it hadn't been for the willingness of others to 
relieve the sexual tensions that he developed, he would have gone crazy by this time. 

Sharon swallowed the bite of her sandwich that she had been chewing and looked across 
the table at him. In a harsher tone of voice than she had intended to use, she said, "Well, I 
wish you would stop doing nothing. I'm getting tired of fucking you while you're 
dreaming about them."

Partially agreeing with her complaint, Lisa nodded her head in support. Mike had heard 
that complaint too many times to let it pass without remark. He countered, "You know 
better than that, Sharon. He's not thinking about others when he's in bed with you."

Wanting time to consider a response, Oscar took a bite of his sandwich. As he chewed, he 
considered Sharon's complaint in an attempt to decide if it accurately represented how 
she felt about their sessions the past few months. After swallowing, he grunted, "It 
doesn't matter what I'm thinking when I'm in bed with her. It's what she's thinking that's 
important. I apologize if I gave you cause to think that."

Uncomfortable, Sharon shifted in her seat and replied, "I know that it's not true. You just 
long for them so much that I can't help feeling like you'd rather be with either of them 
than with me."

Greg had sat down at the table in time to hear the last exchange. Unaware of the earlier 
thread of the discussion, he said, "Everyone can see that he loves those two, but they 
don't seem to return his feelings to the same degree. Sometimes I wonder if they don't 
love each other more than him."

Tired of being the center of conversation, Oscar picked up a potato chip and examined it. 
He wondered how the chip manufacturers managed to peel all of the potatoes that passed 
through their plants. He knew it had to be a machine of some kind, but he couldn't 
imagine what it would look like. Even as he thought about it, he knew that he was just 
trying to find something other than Georgia and Debbie to think about. He sighed.

Knowing that he wouldn't get an answer from Oscar, Mike turned to his two other 
roommates and asked, "Are they lovers?"

Gabby and Abby sat down at the table in time to hear Mike's question. Abby asked, 
"Who are you talking about?"

"Georgia and Debbie," answered Sharon wondering how Oscar's love life, or more 
accurately his lack of a love life, had become so important to the group. She decided that 
it was because Oscar was always helping them through their problems, but that none of 
them seemed to be able to help him with his. 

With a knowing wink, Gabby asserted, "They aren't. If they were into women, I'd know."

Her comment was greeted with chuckles around the table. Over the past few months, 
Gabby had spread her sexual wings and flown far and wide. In the process, she had 
sampled the pleasures of just about every woman that enjoyed same sex loving. Mike 
turned to Oscar and asked, "So what is the deal between them?"

Ignoring the question, Oscar held up another potato chip and said, "I'm going to try and 
get a tour of a potato chip factory."

"Why on earth would you want to visit a place where they make potato chips?" asked 
Mike jarred by the unexpected change in topic.

Shrugging, Oscar said, "I want to see how they peel all of those potatoes."

Recognizing that Oscar was changing the subject on purpose, Mike said, "Hey, don't 
change the subject. What is the deal between Debbie and Georgia?"

"Why don't you ask them?" answered Oscar. The discussion had nearly destroyed his 
appetite. 

Mike looked down at the remains of his lunch and, with a suddenness that startled 
everyone at the table, stood up. Now that he had permission from Oscar to talk to the two 
women on his roommate's behalf, he decided to take advantage of it. As he started to 
walk off, he said, "I will."

Everyone except Oscar, who appeared to be more interested in his sandwich, watched 
Mike walk off. Sharon commented, "Has anyone else noticed that he's gotten a lot more 
aggressive lately?"

Picking at her salad, Lisa looked over at her roommate and answered, "Yes, I've noticed a 
lot of changes in the people around here. Mike's gotten a lot more assertive. You've 
gotten a lot softer in your build. I've lost a lot of weight. Abby has become more 
nurturing. Gabby has become a lot more sexually liberated. The only one that hasn't 
seemed to change is Oscar."

Mike, for most of his life, never asserted himself because of his low self-esteem over the 
small size of his cock. His self-esteem problems disappeared after having been to bed, 
and satisfying, more than twenty women. His studies had suffered for a while, but now 
his grades were higher than ever before. He had become more engaged with the people 
around him. 

The ten pounds gained by Sharon had all settled in the right spots. The outline of her 
body had softened and become more feminine. The tall lanky basketball player physique 
that she had developed by working her body beyond her fat reserves was gone. Standing 
straight had thrust her breasts out making her look even more voluptuous. Greg thought 
she was the most attractive woman walking the earth.

Losing close to forty pounds had changed Lisa's beach ball figure into something more 
like an hourglass figure. She still had a ways to go before anyone would beg her to be a 
fashion model, but it was the best she had looked since she was eight. Males had even 
started looking at her with expressions that weren't full of disgust. She had become aware 
of the fact that she was interested in men and women.

Until coming to the school, Abby had never been very nurturing. It wasn't that she was 
cold, it was that she was reserved. She was raised in a household that didn't demonstrate 
affection easily. She had never been the kind of woman that hugged others. Before 
coming to the college, people often noted that her hugs were stiff awkward acts that left 
everyone feeling uncomfortable. In the short time at the college, that had changed. Now, 
she was quick to hug and she was a great hugger. On the few occasions when others 
ended up in the infirmary, she was always there comforting them and cheering them up. 

After her conversation with Oscar, Gabby had dropped her rules about 'good girls' and 
embraced sex with a passion. After she had slept with a half dozen of the men, she had 
gone on to experiment with women. She had enjoyed her times with women far more 
than she had thought possible. It was with some delight that she now accepted invitations 
from both sexes. 

Surprised by Lisa's comment that he was unchanged since entering school, Oscar looked 
over at Lisa. Living there, while hiding the fact that he was a Druid, had left him much 
more reticent than ever in his life. Even as a geek, he had been honest and open about his 
feelings. He said, "I've changed."

"Not really. Sure your love life sucks, but you're always there to help anyone with a 
problem. You're quick with a joke to ease a situation. When something needs to be done, 
you get very serious and business like," replied Lisa.

Sharon nodded her agreement and added, "You're still a man of mystery, too. It's like we 
can all feel this deep dark secret is lurking beneath the surface."

"You can say that again," remarked Gabby.

"The Druids know the secret," commented Greg. He had seen too many cases where 
Oscar talked with the Druids like an equal. The refrain that Oliver prevented him from 
talking about things had been repeated many times. It only made him even more 
mysterious.

Oscar wasn't paying attention to the discussion. Instead, he was staring at the door to the 
dining room as though expecting something to happen there. His hand went to his chest 
as if he could still feel the weight of the medallion there. The others at the table noticed 
his stare and turned to see what was happening.

Suddenly, a force of nature entered the room. Ed Biggers stepped through the doorway 
and the sheer power of his angry presence immediately captured the attention of everyone 
in the room. It became so quiet that it was possible to hear a pin drop. Seven red robes 
clustered behind him as he stopped to look around the room. Oscar gasped when he 
recognized Jennifer Wilson, Georgia's sister, standing behind Ed. 

"It's a black robe and he looks pissed," observed Greg as he looked at Ed Biggers. He 
could feel his heart beating in his chest and chills ran down his spine. It wasn't fear that 
he felt, but the concentrated energy that seemed to gather around the angry Druid. 

As if Greg's comment had attracted Ed's attention, the black robed Druid marched 
directly for their table. Before Ed reached the table, he shouted, "Those bastards took 
Fusion Foundation rescue workers hostage. I want them back."

Looking up at Ed, Oscar nodded his agreement knowing that he was being called upon to 
help. He was wondering how Oliver would react when Georgia, followed by Debbie, 
slipped out from behind the wall of red robes. Oscar stared at the load Georgia was 
carrying in her hands. She held his red robes, his cloak, and the box containing his 
medallion. From across the room, he could feel the medallion calling out to him. 

When Georgia reached Ed, he picked up the robe and threw it to Oscar and said, "Put this 
on. You've been called back to service."

Recalling the words given him by the Two-Sided One, Oscar was convinced that this was 
his final service. Getting up from the table, he moved to stand in front of Georgia. He 
slipped on his robe feeling that by doing so that he was accepting his death. Despite the 
morbid thoughts, it felt good to be wearing his robe.

Georgia opened the box containing the medallion and held the box out to him. Before he 
had a chance to reach out for it, the medallion flew from the box and settled around his 
neck. The chain had miraculously been repaired. Everyone in the dining room gasped at 
the sight. 

Having seen the medallion fly to Oscar, Ed commented, "Only a God or a Goddess can 
put on a medallion or remove it."

For Georgia, the sight of Oscar in his robe and wearing the medallion brought back 
memories of paintball. As memories of other good times came over her, tears welled up 
in her eyes. The situation with Debbie suddenly seemed petty. It would be better to share 
him than lose him. It would even be better to have sex with Debbie than to lose him. She 
said, "It's good to see you dressed like your true self."

"Thanks," replied Oscar as he reached out and took his cloak from Georgia. He wanted to 
say more, but knew that it would be unfair to her for him to tell her that he was about to 
die. He slipped the cloak over his shoulders, feeling its comforting embrace. He reached 
out and stroked her cheek. In a very soft voice he said, "I love you so much."

Knowing that she was speaking for both of the women, Georgia replied, "We love you 
too."

Glancing over at Debbie, he added, "I love you too."

Debbie had been puzzled when Georgia had collected the robe, cloak, and box. Until Ed 
had given the robe to Oscar, she hadn't understood what they signified. She was stunned 
at having learned the truth about Oscar. This put everything she had believed into a new 
light and one that she would have to discuss with Georgia. After sharing a quick glance 
with the other woman, she said, "We'll be waiting for you to return."

The comment tore at Oscar. He didn't want them waiting for him only to get news that he 
had been killed. Unable to hold it back, he said, "The Two-Sided One told me that with 
this mission all of my current problems would be solved. I can only assume that I won't 
be coming back."

Ed barked a laugh and said, "You tell what you believe in voice laden with truth, but 
what you believe is false."

"Huh?"

"He didn't say you were going to die, only that your current problems would end," 
answered Ed as he looked around the room impatiently. He was waiting for someone else 
to show up before leaving, but the desire to move was strong. Although he had very 
strong personal reasons for wanting to rescue the Fusion Foundation workers, he was 
being motivated to act by the Gods and Goddesses. The Two-sided One had dictated 
bringing Oscar, thereby undermining Oliver's restrictions on Oscar. 

Georgia held her hand over her mouth as she thought about what Oscar had said. Debbie 
was in a state of shock at the idea that he could know his death was coming, but would 
say nothing about it. His words left them feeling guilty. They had punished him out of 
anger at him for not choosing between them, not knowing that he didn't expect to live. 
Oscar didn't notice as he was still processing the information that Ed had given him.

A few minutes later, Oliver strode over to Oscar. Holding out the pistol that Oscar had 
brought with him, the Grand Druid said, "Here's your gun. Give it back to me when you 
return."

Seeing the gun snapped Oscar out of his thoughts. As soon as he took the gun, Ed said, 
"The helicopter is waiting."

Giving into the forces motivating him to act, Ed turned and left the room while Oscar 
added the pistol to a pocket of his robe. The weight felt comforting. Patting the other 
pockets, he decided that he would pick up a couple of MREs at the earliest possible 
moment. Once he had those, he'd be ready for anything.

As the other red robes followed Ed out of the room, Oscar paused to look at his 
classmates that were scattered around the room. Every eye in the place was on him. For 
the only time since the beginning of his stay at college, Oscar felt like himself. Taking a 
deep breath, a very relaxed and happy Oscar said, "I must go."

The noise level in the room was almost loud enough to deafen a person by the time that 
Oscar left. Oliver was left in the room trying to restore order. Even after ten minutes, the 
room had not returned to a semblance of normalcy. He knew that the students would have 
to work through this on their own.

Giving up, he left the room wondering what would be the long-term consequence of 
Oscar's very public call to duty by Ed Biggers. Even before Ed had shown up at the 
college, he had known that Oscar was going. He shook his head at the idea that a dozen 
Druids had shown up to support Ed. Only Operation Druid's Revenge had involved more 
Druids than that. 

At the table, Lisa looked at the others gathered around the table. In a weak voice, she 
said, "I guess we discovered his deep dark secret."

"It explains a lot of things about him," commented Abby thinking back to the amazing 
fight between Oscar and Ling. Oscar was closer to the Druids on campus than any other 
student. They didn't intimidate him like the other students.

"A red robe. He serves the God," commented Greg still trying to come to grips with the 
events that he had witnessed.

Irritated, Gabby looked up at Debbie and Georgia. She charged, "You knew."

Georgia nodded her head and said, "Yes. I've known him for a long time. I met him 
shortly after he returned from Afghanistan when he was known as the Renegade 
Warrior."

That revelation shocked Debbie as she stared at the woman that had become her closest 
friend. Neither Georgia nor Oscar had even hinted that he was a Druid. Their explanation 
about his discussion with the Two-Sided One made sense in light of that revelation. Of 
course Georgia would believe that he had talked with that specific deity. Who would 
doubt a Druid when he talked about the Gods and Goddesses? In a tone of voice that 
conveyed her hurt, she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"The Grand Druid ordered that we could not tell anyone," answered Georgia.

Gabby glared at Georgia and said, "We wouldn't have said anything."

Looking over at Gabby, Cole commented, "But you get mad at her for doing exactly what 
you would have promised. Interesting."

The comment struck Gabby like a slap to the face. Realizing that she was right, she 
apologized, "I'm sorry, Georgia."

"No need. It seems that a lot of people have been keeping secrets," replied Georgia. She 
was hurt that Oscar had not mentioned what he had understood from his discussion with 
the Two-Sided One. She looked over at Debbie understanding how the young woman felt 
about the information that they had kept from her. After taking Debbie's arm, she said, 
"You and I need to talk."

Oscar sat on one of the bench seats of the transport plane staring at the floor thinking 
about Georgia and Debbie. The vibrations of the plane taking off bounced him around in 
his seat. The jolts and bumps kept breaking his train of thought. After one spectacular 
bump, he looked down at his wrist and realized that he was still wearing the bracelet with 
his room key on it. The reminder made him wonder what would happen when he returned 
to the college. It would be horrible if his fellow students changed the way they treated 
him.

When the plane reached cruising altitude, Jennifer sat down next to him and nudged him 
in the side with her elbow to get his attention. Looking over at her, Oscar said, "Hello, 
Jennifer."

"Hi Oscar," replied Jennifer, "it seems that my sister was a little irritated with you."

"A little?" he asked in a tone of voice that emphasized that his question was an 
understatement of what Georgia actually felt.

"We didn't have much of a chance to talk, but she did tell me that you have been lusting 
after another woman," commented Jennifer.

Defensive, Oscar retorted, "I didn't have any choice in how my body reacted to Debbie."

"Hey, I'm not upset with you. You haven't done anything to harm anyone. It is their 
jealousy that's the problem," replied Jennifer. She had been afraid that her sister would 
react that way the first time he found a woman to whom he was attracted. Druids tended 
to be very secure and that security often attracted others, some of whom were very 
attractive. Oscar was human and that meant he would be attracted to some of the finer 
specimens. 

It wasn't a male thing that he would be attracted to women and weak in resisting the 
temptations presented by those interested in him. She attracted men and was frequently 
tempted by them. She didn't have a significant other in her life so she was free to give 
into her temptations. It was a sign of her honesty that she knew that when a man did enter 
her life for good that she would still be tempted and would likely succumb to them. 

"I love Georgia so much," said Oscar. Tired of thinking about the subject, he looked 
around the plane at the other Druids relaxing on the bench seats. Most of the red robes 
were men, although there were three women. He wondered what his role would be in the 
upcoming operation. In fact, he wondered what the operation was going to be.

Oscar didn't have long to wonder as Ed stood and cleared his throat to get everyone's 
attention. Once he was sure that everyone was looking at him, Ed announced, "A little 
less than twenty-four hours ago, terrorists kidnapped ten of the employees of the Fusion 
Foundation. These ten people were in Turkey helping to dig out survivors of a 6.4 
magnitude earthquake."

Everyone on the plane gave Ed his or her full attention. Oscar could feel the desire to 
hunt terrorists rising and couldn't contain a growl that escaped his lips. In concert with 
the growls that had arisen from everyone in the plane, Ed continued, "Twelve hours ago, 
the kidnappers released a tape in which they were threatening to behead all ten of the 
hostages unless the Fusion Foundation gave them twenty million dollars. They are 
scheduled to be executed in two days."

That anyone would behead a human being was barbaric. The idea that they would do that 
to someone who was helping others was abhorrent. Oscar found himself touching the 
pocket that held his gun. Others had similar reactions and touched the weapons they 
carried.

After looking around with a feral grin on his face, Ed said, "We know exactly where the 
hostages are being kept. Three of them are in Turkey, three are in Iraq, and four are in 
Iran. The appropriate governments will do nothing about the situation for reasons that are 
their own. I believe that they fear destabilizing their political hold on the people. By the 
time we are done, that is going to change."

Oscar wondered what Ed could have planned that would change the minds of three 
governments that feared taking on terrorists. He glanced over at Jennifer and noticed that 
she was wearing a smile that would have chilled even the most hardened terrorist. 
Whatever she had planned, it was going to be spectacular. 

"Jennifer is our strategist and she's worked out a plan on how to meet with certain leaders 
of those three countries. When all is said and done, you will be leading their troops on 
raids against terrorist strongholds and the hostages will be released. The particular 
organization responsible for this heinous act will no longer exist," continued Ed. He 
paused and looked around at the Druids seated there. 

"How do we know where they are being kept?" asked Penny Vinter. 

Oscar leaned over to Jennifer and asked, "Who's she?"

"She's a weapons specialist. She occasionally does black ops for the CIA. You can't have 
anyone better on your side in a firefight," answered Jennifer. She wondered how Oscar 
would get along with Penny, but kept the question to herself.

"Annette Baker is watching over them," answered Ed. 

Oscar was about to ask about Annette Baker, but Jennifer anticipated his question and 
said, "She's a servant of the Two-Sided One. She has the gift of far-sight. She's sitting 
back in the states watching over the hostages right now."

Oscar nodded although he wasn't sure what far-sight was. The information made him 
realize that there were more Druids involved than were sitting in the plane. That alone 
was sufficient to send a shiver down his spine. This was big and seemed to be getting 
bigger the more he learned about it.

Ed paced up and down the center of the plane for a second before he said, "There will be 
three teams."

Looking over at Oscar, he said, "Oscar, Penny, and myself shall be the government 
contact team. We'll be sneaking into some of the most secure places in the world - the 
homes of some of the most paranoid power hungry men that live. Annette Baker will give 
us real-time Intel as we make our way in."

Oscar looked over at Penny and exchanged a nod with her. His style of warfare was 
patient, waiting for the opportunity to strike and then going in to strike hard. He 
wondered what style of warfare was her specialty. Black Ops usually meant getting into 
position, moving in, taking out the objective, and getting out with lots of planning and 
practice beforehand. 

Ed said, "The second team shall consist of Jennifer, Annette, and Caesar. They will 
provide strategy, intelligence, and logistics. Listen to them, they are very good at what 
they do. Jennifer shall give you directions on what you are to do. Annette will let you 
know about any surprises that might be planned. Caesar will make sure that the material 
you need to do the job will be where you need it."

Watching Jennifer and a Hispanic man seated across from her exchanged nods, Oscar 
realized he knew very few of his fellow Druids. This was a chance for him to rectify that 
situation. Ed turned to the remaining red robes and said, "The rest of you constitute the 
third team. While most of you aren't associated with the military, you have military 
backgrounds. You'll be directing soldiers, probably very poorly trained soldiers who are 
unwilling to follow orders. Your task is to motivate them."

Ed stopped pacing and asked, "Are there any questions?"

After a minute of silence, Ed said, "Teams two and three should move to the front of the 
plane and talk. The first team will meet at the back of the plane."

Once it was clear that Ed had finished his public announcement, Oscar and Penny moved 
to the back of the plane and sat together. While Ed continued to talk to the other teams, 
Oscar said, "Jennifer told me you were Black Ops."

"She told me you trained our anti-terrorism forces in Afghanistan," replied Penny with a 
smile as she examined the small man. Jennifer had also told her that he was the Renegade 
Warrior. She remembered when he had totally ravaged the terror network in Iran. As a 
result of his actions, she had spent a month on a runway waiting for the call to pull him 
out of Iran. Since they never had a clue as to his identity, where he was, and where he'd 
be next, the call never came until he had returned to his unit. By then, the need for the 
mission was over.  Looking at Oscar, she could hardly believe that this little guy was the 
Renegade Warrior. 

He grinned at the look she was giving him and said, "I know. I'm small."

"So is a stick of C-4," she replied with a laugh.

"I fear that our styles are too different to work together well," observed Oscar.

"We're both hunters. I don't think that'll be a problem," she countered.

"I've never taken the action into a city," said Oscar.

"Don't worry about that. We're going to be working with Annette. She's absolutely 
amazing. She'll be watching the whole area from Virginia and talking to us over the 
satellite phone. You might not believe this, but she will tell us where everyone is and 
we'll walk unseen right up to our destination," explained Penny. 

Oscar raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He asked, "We'll walk in?"

Penny smirked as she pointed over at Ed and then said, "He's coming with us. I don't 
think he even knows the word stealth. We'll walk in or we'll never get in."

Looking over at Ed, Oscar realized that Penny was right. Ed noticed the attention and left 
the front of the plane to join them at the back. Sitting down next to Penny, Ed asked, 
"You two getting to know each other?"

Smiling at him, Penny answered, "If you mean that in a Biblical sense, then I have to tell 
you that we haven't gotten that far yet. If you mean in the common sense of the word, 
then we have."

Ed laughed at her answer. Since he had finished putting together this team, he could relax 
and let the team members do their jobs. He answered, "I've got a few things to discuss 
and then I'll let you get onto the Biblical knowing stuff."

"Okay," answered Oscar looking thoughtful. In as solemn of a voice as he could muster, 
he said, "I'll see to it that we do a little of the Biblical knowing stuff."

The delayed grin on his face let Penny know that he was joking. Ed laughed and said, 
"We're going to meet with some of these so-called leaders. A few of them are supporting 
this terrorist organization. Once we get in, I'll question the leaders and find out their true 
loyalties. When I point at one as if I'm shooting him, you take him out with the stun gun. 
If anyone draws a weapon, kill them."

Penny nodded while Oscar stared at him in shock at becoming an executioner. Noticing 
the look Oscar was giving Ed, Penny said, "We aren't talking about taking out a couple of 
pussy cats. These guys have dirty hands. Some of them have killed their own kids when 
they decided the kids were trying to grab too much power. If they pull a weapon, they're 
going to use it."

Thinking about it, he realized that she was correct. These were dangerous men who ruled 
through fear, intimidation, and torture. He didn't want to think of himself as an assassin, 
but he had already come to grips with taking lethal action against strong men who 
harmed the weak. He grunted, "Okay."

"Once we have the leaders sorted out, then I'll get to work on convincing them to assign 
their forces to us."

Oscar asked, "Will you need a translator?"

Ed looked away for a second and then answered, "No."

Sure that there was a story behind the odd reaction, Oscar chose not to pursue it. He did 
notice that Penny looked confused by Ed's reaction to the question. She started to ask a 
question about it, but backed off. "What … will we be doing while you are convincing 
them to support us?"

"You'll make sure that I'm not disturbed," answered Ed with a wink. Suddenly serious, he 
said, "We have to make sure that people who help people don't become victims of evil. 
I've seen evil before and, despite years of experience with evil people, their absolute 
callousness and disregard for human beings always surprises me. Imagine kidnapping 
people that are helping to dig out victims of an earthquake."

Oscar looked away and thought about the captain who had been skinned alive. The man 
had never understood the total disregard for human life and dignity that was characteristic 
of the terrorists. He commented, "Beheadings, torture, random bombings, and rape. Evil 
men see them as legitimate tools by which to promote their grab for power."

"It makes you wonder why they do it," said Penny. She'd had several experiences with 
terrorists, including rescuing civilians held by terrorists, destroying laboratories intent on 
producing weapons of mass destruction, and performing other acts to keep the world safe.

"It's a perverted sexual desire," answered Ed with a sigh. 

"Huh?" asked Oscar surprised by the description.

"Every time I've dealt with an evil person, they describe the pleasure they got out of it in 
sexual terms. Serial killers, serial rapists, terrorists, and petty dictators all talk about the 
nearly orgasmic rush they got out of their actions. I've come to the conclusion that they 
can't experience sexual pleasure the way that other people can. Their sexual release 
comes from the destruction of another human being," explained Ed as he stared at the 
floor of the plane. 

"That's sick," said Penny.

"No, that's evil," replied Ed. He sighed as he added, "And it is contagious. One evil 
person can produce hundreds of evil people."