JC: William Redman Carter
Noble Savage
Chapter 4
By
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005

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 she'd heard 
of a visitor. She asked, "Should I prepare a guestroom?"

"Her room is ready. I saw you dust it yesterday. In terms of getting 
ready for her visit, would you mind getting me a bath towel?"

Lisa stood there with a puzzled expression on her face. She didn't 
understand what his request had to do with getting ready for her 
visit. Rather than question him, she went to the linen closet and 
retrieved a bath towel. She gave it him and asked, "Anything 
else?"

"No, that should do for now," answered William as he set the towel 
down on his desk. He picked up his book and returned to reading. 

Ken stared at him for a minute and then went back to reading the 
instruction book that came with the Hugger. The Hugger had a 
built-in button for the garage door, but he didn't know how to 
program it. For the past three weeks, he had been using the remote 
to control the door. It was past time to correct that situation, but he 
didn't want to ask William to explain it to him. 

It was half an hour later when William turned to Ken and asked, 
"Ken, would you get the door?"

Not having heard the doorbell, Ken wanted to ask why he should 
get the door. The doorbell rang before he had a chance to frame the 
question. Shaking his head at another example of the strangeness 
of living in this house, he got out of the chair and headed towards 
the door. Before he reached it, William said, "Don't make her stand 
outside."

Ken opened the door and looked at the small oriental woman 
standing in front of him. She was wearing a loose blouse and pants 
with simple flat shoes. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail. For 
some reason, the image of a stick of dynamite exploding flashed 
through his mind. Stepping back, he said, "Come in."

Without turning to look at the door, William said, "Hello Momma 
Ling."

He stood and turned to face her as she charged to where he was 
standing. She wrapped her arms around him and asked, "How are 
you doing?"

Nearly suffocating within her embrace, William had to wait for her 
to relax her grip on him to answer, "I'm fine."

"Let me get a look at you."

"You're going to have to let me go to do that," said William 
attempting to step back without much success. His mother was 
much stronger than she looked.

Ling released her hold and looked him over. She was relieved to 
see that he had been eating well and hadn't lost any weight. She 
said, "You've grown a little."

"It's only been a month since you last saw me," said William with a 
grin.

"Doesn't matter. You've still grown a little," said Ling. 

Laughing at her stubborn instance, William said, "Allow me to 
introduce you to the staff."

Turning an eye on the couple standing near the kitchen, Ling, in a 
reserved voice, said, "Please do."

"Momma Ling, I'd like you to meet Ken and Lisa Armstrong. The 
little fellow hiding behind Lisa is Tim. He's a little shy. Everyone, 
I'd like you to meet Ling. She is one of my mothers."

When Tim peeked around his mother's leg, Ling said, "I didn't 
know you had a little child living here."

"Yes, you did," said William. He knew there was nothing about 
Ken and Lisa Armstrong that she didn't know. He would have been 
willing to bet she knew how much change was in Ken's pocket.

After shooting him a look that would have withered a lesser 
person, Ling said, "Okay, so I did know."

"How many private investigators did you hire?"

"Two," said Ling frowning.

"Two?"

"Okay, three," replied Ling. They went through this dance 
whenever she checked on the people around William. There were 
times when she wished he were more like Beth or John. They just 
accepted that she investigated the people around them and didn't 
ask any embarrassing questions. 

"Now you're going to tell me about Doug," said William with a 
smile.

"He's the Governor's son," said Ling. 

"I know. Anything else?"

"He seems to be a good kid. I couldn't find anything bad about 
him," said Ling. With his connections in the state, she'd had 
problems finding someone willing to investigate him. She was 
going to do a little looking around of her own just to satisfy her 
concerns.

"That doesn't mean you're going to stop looking."

"You're impossible," said Ling with more than a little irritation 
although there was a touch of affection to her voice. She hugged 
William despite her frustration.

Ken and Lisa had listened to the exchange in horror at what they 
were learning. The news that three private investigators had 
checked up on them was shocking. Ken was outraged, but held his 
tongue. In a very small voice, Lisa asked, "You investigated us?"

"Of course. We're talking about the safety of my son. Would you 
trust Tim to strangers without checking them out first?" asked 
Ling. She knew that the only people they trusted enough to watch 
Tim were their parents. Usually it was Lisa's parents who watched 
Tim.

Ken was about to reply that he wouldn't leave his son with 
strangers and then realized that was exactly what she meant. 
William wasn't like his son and Ling had no choice but to allow 
him to go to school. Given that he and his wife were strangers as 
far as Ling was concerned, he could understand her checking up on 
them. He said, "I guess not."

Lisa frowned, but nodded her agreement. She didn't like the 
invasion of privacy, but understood a mother's desire to protect her 
child. In a small voice, she said, "You're right."

Tim took another opportunity to look around his mother's leg at 
Ling. Afraid of attracting the attention of the strange woman, he 
ducked back behind his mother's leg. Lisa said, "That's okay, Tim. 
She's not going to hurt you. She's William's mother."

William winked at Tim before turning back to look at Ling. He 
said, "You chose a very good day to visit. I'm checking out a dojo 
today."

"You knew I was coming," said Ling knowing there was nothing 
fortunate about the timing. William was always able to predict 
what she was going to do. 

"You didn't tell me you were coming," countered William with a 
smile.

Turning to Ken, Ling said, "He told you to get the door before I 
rang the bell. Didn't he?"

"Yes," said Ken struggling to follow the conversation. He was still 
trying to figure out what a dojo was.

Still looking at Ken, Ling said, "You and I are going to have a long 
talk about taking care of my son. My investigators said that you 
haven't had any training as a bodyguard. You don't even have a 
carry permit."

"Carry permit?"

"I'm going to have to train you. It looks to me like I'm going to 
have my work cut out for me," said Ling after looking over the 
man with a critical eye. He was out of shape, but he had a good 
foundation on which to build. It could have been worse. 

"I imagine you'd like a chance to relax with a swim after your trip," 
said William. "While your doing that, I'll have Ken bring your 
luggage to the guestroom."

"That's a good idea," said Ling even as she started to unbutton her 
blouse. Like most of the Carter Clan, she always headed to the 
nearest pool on arriving from a trip.

Ken and Lisa stared with open mouths as Ling calmly shed her 
clothes. She piled her clothes on William's chair after carefully 
folding each item. Ken couldn't believe the tight muscular body 
that was revealed as the clothes came off. Lisa couldn't believe 
how easily the woman undressed in front of strangers. It as if she 
were alone in the room. 

Once she was naked, Ling said, "Don't bother showing me the 
way. I know where the pond is."

Holding up the towel, William said, "Don't forget a towel."

"Thanks," said Ling taking the towel from his hand. For a fraction 
of a second, she wondered how come he had it ready before 
realizing that it was a stupid question.

"I'll be down there in a few minutes," said William. 

"Okay." Ling walked out the back door with a backward wave of 
her hand. 

Shocked at what she had observed, Lisa said, "Now I know why 
you asked for the towel."

"We all tend to hit a pool after a trip. It's a good way to relax and 
stretch the muscles after a flight."

"That's your mother?" asked Ken unable to believe what he had 
seen. He couldn't help thinking that mothers had changed a lot 
since he was a kid.

"Yes, that's one of my mothers. Don't let her small build fool you. 
She's the most dangerous woman in the country. You'll see for 
yourself when we go to the dojo."

"What is a dojo?" asked Ken giving into his curiosity and venting 
his frustration. 

"A martial arts school," answered William. He sighed at the 
thought of what Ken was going to experience over the upcoming 
month. It was his hope that Ken wouldn't quit out of frustration. He 
said, "My mother has decided to train you. She's going to teach 
you how to shoot, use a car as a deadly weapon, and some basic 
martial arts. I'm pretty sure that she's going to require Lisa to learn 
some basic martial arts as well."

"What has she got? A black belt?"

"She's so far beyond that, it is frightening. As far as I know, she's 
never been defeated in a fight. Only one person has managed to 
fight her to a tie and his skills were given to him by the God," said 
William. 

Ken and Lisa exchanged a glance. They didn't know what to say at 
the mention of the God, so they said nothing. William looked at 
Tim and asked, "Would you like to go for a swim?"

"Sure," said the boy. He started to remove his clothes, dropping 
them on the floor. It was just a couple of minutes later that William 
and Tim left the house carrying towels. 

Once the boys were gone, Ken turned to his wife only to find that 
she was staring out the back window. With a sigh, he said, "I don't 
think we're in Kansas anymore."

"That is one beautiful woman," said Lisa feeling inadequate. She 
looked over at her husband wondering what he thought of Ling. 
She could understand if he was sexually excited from seeing her. A 
man would have to be dead not to be excited by a woman who 
looked like that.

"I guess I better get her luggage and put it in one of the 
guestrooms."

The owner paled when he saw Ling enter his dojo wearing her 
brightly colored silk Gi. He competed at the national level and 
immediately recognized her. He had seen her fight on several 
occasions and knew that he was nowhere near her skill level. 
Making a gesture to the class, he barked, "Everyone return to your 
positions around the mat."

Without waiting to see how well his command had been obeyed, 
he walked over to Ling. He stopped and bowed politely upon 
reaching her. In a very respectful voice, he said, "Welcome, Grand 
Master Ling."

A small mummer rose from the students at his announcement. 
They'd never heard their sensei refer to anyone as a Master, much 
less Grand Master. The few who weren't in place quickly remedied 
that condition. All eyes were fixed on Ling.

Ling returned the bow and said, "Thank you, Master Reynolds."

"To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

"I ask that you allow my son to practice here and for you to train 
the man with him," said Ling as she pointed first to William and 
then to Ken. 

"I would be most honored to grant you your request," answered 
Jim Reynolds. He glanced at William and took in his brightly 
colored silk Gi. He wore the insignia that identified his rank as 
Master Shi Fu. The kid outranked him.

"Is there anything that I can do for you in return?"

"I notice that you are dressed in your Gi. Would you mind giving a 
demonstration of your remarkable skill for the class?" It was a 
reasonable request and one Ling would not be able to refuse.

"I would be honored," answered Ling with a smile. 

William went to the edge of the mat and bowed once in the 
direction of Master Reynolds as a sign of respect to the owner of 
the dojo. He sat down and gestured to Ken to join him. Feeling lost 
in the unfamiliar environment, Ken followed William and copied 
the bow before seating himself. He leaned over and asked, "What 
are we doing?"

"We are going to watch my mother. Be quiet."

Master Reynolds went to the head of the mat and said, "Class. We 
are most fortunate to have a visit by Grand Master Ling Carter. 
She has agreed to give a demonstration of her skill. Please watch 
and learn. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most of you. 
There are only a handful of Grand Masters in the world and she is 
judged to be one of the most skilled."

While Master Reynolds sat down, Ling bowed to the mat and 
walked to the center of it. Facing the class, she said, "I shall 
perform the same routine twice. The first time I shall perform it in 
slow motion. The second time, I shall perform it as it should be 
performed."

The room turned absolutely quiet as Ling began her routine. Ken 
watched, wide-eyed, as she threw punches and kicks at an 
imaginary opponent. It was hard to believe that she was moving in 
slow motion, but the routine lasted close to five minutes. He had 
never seen anything so graceful or deadly in his entire life. When 
she finished, everyone clapped.

Ling smiled and then took her starting position. Suddenly, it was as 
if a tornado had been let loose in the room. She was nothing more 
than a blur. Ken couldn't follow her movements. Less than thirty 
seconds later, she came to halt in exactly the same position in 
which she had ended the routine the first time through it. This time, 
her performance was greeted with stunned silence.

Ling turned and bowed to Master Reynolds. He rose and returned 
the bow. Obviously impressed, he said, "Thank you so much for 
that demonstration."

"It was my pleasure," replied Ling. Looking over at William, she 
smiled and, breaking protocol, asked, "Would you mind if my son 
and I sparred for a three point match as a further demonstration?"

Surprised at the offer, Master Reynolds said, "I would be most 
honored."

Despite the fact that he had expected Ling to do that, William 
frowned and stood. He bowed to the mat and then stepped onto it. 
With more than a little irritation in his voice, he said, "Allow me a 
moment to stretch, Grand Master Ling."

"Of course, Master William Carter," answered Ling sweetly.

The students looked surprised to hear Ling address her son as a 
Master. Master Reynolds watched William prepare for his sparring 
match. He wondered just how good the young man was. After a 
few minutes of stretching, William said, "I'm ready."

Master Reynolds stepped onto the mat and said, "To your 
positions."

Ling and William faced each other across the mat. They bowed to 
Master Reynolds and then to each other. Master Reynolds said, 
"Fight."

For a few seconds the pair faced each other. There was a sudden 
flurry of movement that most students were unable to follow. After 
a few seconds, Master Reynolds shouted, "Stop. Point to Ling."

While he waited for the fighters to return to their positions, he 
stared at William. He couldn't believe the kid had managed to stop 
a dozen attacks from Ling. He had almost missed observing the 
point that he had called. Once they were in place, Master Reynolds 
said, "Fight."

There was a flurry of movement. This time, it had been initiated by 
Ling, and lasted for almost fifteen seconds before a point was 
scored. Master Reynolds shouted, "Stop. Point to William."

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Master Reynolds realized 
William was much better than his ranked suggested. William was 
already covered in a thin film of sweat, although neither one of the 
fighters was breathing hard. Once they were in place, Master 
Reynolds said, "Fight."

The pair slowly circled each other seeking an opportunity to score 
on the other. William initiated a kick that was blocked. They 
turned into a blur of movement that ended with William flying 
halfway across the mat and landing on his back. Master Reynolds 
shouted, "Stop. Point to Ling."

William picked himself up from the mat and shook his head as if to 
clear it. He moved to his position and nodded to Ling. She now 
had a thin film of sweat. Once they were both in place, Master 
Reynolds said, "Fight."

The fight started almost immediately. The pair turned into a blur as 
each sought an advantage over the other. It ended with William on 
the mat with Ling kneeling over him with her fist an inch from his 
face in a frozen tableau. Master Reynolds shouted, "Point and 
match to Ling."

Ling stood up and held out a hand for William. He took it and 
levered himself off the floor. Returning to their places, they bowed 
to each other and then to Master Reynolds. The room was 
absolutely silent. The match had stunned the students. 

Ken stared at William unable to believe that the boy was so deadly. 
He'd never seen anything like it. Even in the movies it was possible 
to see what people were doing. He'd always thought the slow 
motion scenes were just special effects gimmicks. When those two 
fought, they were just a blur. When William had said that his 
mother was the most dangerous woman in the country, he hadn't 
really believed him. There were no doubts in his mind after that 
demonstration.

Master Reynolds was the first to recover. Bowing to Ling, he said, 
"A most impressive display of skill. Your son is very talented."

Ling, frowning at William, said, "Thank you."

Surprised by her reaction, Master Reynolds looked over at 
William. The young man looked contrite, but he could recall 
nothing that should have produced that reaction. The two of them 
left the mat while Master Reynolds called the class back to their 
previous activities.

Once away from the mat, William said, "I can't help it. It's as 
natural to me as speed is to Betsy."

Ling sighed and said, "I know, but you can't rely on being able to 
anticipate someone's moves like that."

William acknowledged her criticism with a curt nod and then 
returned to his seat next to Ken. Ken, oblivious to the interaction 
between mother and son, asked, "What are we supposed to do? 
They're all standing in a line."

"Watch and learn," answered William with his eyes on the 
students. 

Ken watched the class practice in silence. It didn't take a rocket 
scientist to recognize the difference in skill levels between the 
people practicing and Ling. Their movements were stiff and 
awkward while hers flowed. He didn't find their awkwardness 
humorous since he was fully aware that they were even more 
skilled than he was. 

When the class ended, Ling and William worked with Jim 
Reynolds to get Ken a simple white Gi. Ken was shocked when 
Ling told him to strip and try on the Gi. Rather than argue with her, 
he removed his clothes. Before he was able to get the Gi on, Ling 
told him to stand in place so that she could examine him. She 
walked around him checking out his body while making comments 
about his general degree of fitness. Ken, dressed only in his 
underwear, had never been so embarrassed in his entire life. 

After a mortifying minute, Ling said that he could put on the Gi. 
Even that had been humiliating since she had to show him the 
proper way to wear it. William had been too busy talking with 
Master Reynolds to give Ken moral support. It was with a great 
deal of relief that Ken dressed in his regular clothes.

On the drive home, Ling steered the car through the streets with 
her normal aggressiveness. They had gotten about halfway to the 
house when she asked, "How are your ribs?"

"Probably cracked a couple of them," answered William. 

"Do you want me to tape them?" asked Ling.

"No, that's okay. They're cracked, but not broken."

After a moment of silence, Ling said, "You haven't been 
practicing, William. I'm going to insist that we practice Tai Chi 
every morning while I am here."

"Yes, Momma Ling," said William looking forward to the 
exercises.

"I'll insist that Ken, Lisa, and Tim join us."

Ken looked over at Ling trying to keep the look of panic from his 
face. He'd never heard of Tai Chi, but it sounded torturous. He was 
beginning to wonder if the huge salary they were receiving was 
worth it. 

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll have them get something 
appropriate to wear while practicing, perhaps gym shorts and a 
sports bra for Lisa," William said.

"What's wrong with having them do it nude?" asked Ling as she 
navigated along the twists and turns of the road out of town. Ken 
looked horrified at the suggestion of standing in front of her naked. 
There was no way that Lisa would accept that.

"They are not comfortable with being nude. You are not to force 
them into doing things that make them uneasy," William said.

"That's stupid," Ling said.

"It is the second rule. You won't force that. I won't allow you to 
use intimidation to force people to do things against their will," 
replied William. There was a sudden iron to his voice that let Ling 
know that she was not to press the issue.

"So be it," said Ling knowing that arguing would be as successful 
as asking a wall to get up and walk around. When William made 
up his mind about something, he could be immovable as a 
mountain. He was so much like John and Ed in that way.

The discussion reassured Ken that William would protect his 
family from Ling.  He sat back in his seat and looked out the 
window of the car. The next month loomed large in his thoughts.