JC: William Redman Carter Noble Savage Chapter 55 By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005 Everyone walked around the house quietly in an unnecessary attempt to avoid disturbing William. He was seated at his desk staring off into space. There was nothing significant demanding his attention. That meant there was nothing to take his mind off his problems. Happy Harry’s death had hit him hard. He had to do something to take his mind off his sadness. Spinning around in his chair to face Lucy’s desk, he said, “I’d like to go to Arizona and check out the house.” Lucy’s eyes were moist at the thought of the pain he was feeling. It hurt so much to see him in such pain. Softly, she said, “I’ve got finals coming up. You’ll have to go there alone.” Feeling even more depressed, William said, “I forgot about that. I guess I can wait ten days.” “No, I don’t think you can,” Lucy said thinking that having him get out of the house would be the best thing for him to do. She looked at him and said, “William, you need to get out of here. Go see the house. Spend a little time in the desert with Daddy Ed. Visit with your friend Dale.” The discussion was cut short with the ringing of William’s cell phone. Looking at the Caller ID, William wondered why someone from the Druid College was calling him. Opening the phone, William said, “Hello.” “William, this is Oliver.” “What can I do for you, Oliver?” William asked. “I need you to visit a high school tomorrow,” Oliver answered. The next morning found William walking down the halls of a high school in Columbus, Ohio. It was a five minutes before noon and a bell rang. Looking around, William wondered what the bell meant. His curiosity was satisfied less than five seconds later when students streamed out of the doors lining the hall. Amazed at the frantic activity around him, he listened as a young female student said, “I can’t believe that the Songster is here!” Another student said, “Oh, he’s so dreamy. I’d just die if he touched me!” Confused, William headed on to his destination. While walking, he overheard other kids talking about someone named Street King, who was also there at the school. He started to turn towards Rock to ask about Songster and Street King, when Rock said, “The Principal’s Office is over there.” William went into the office and was relieved at the relative quiet in the office. A stout woman sat behind a desk and looked up at William with a frown. Not recognizing him, she said, “Have a seat. He’ll see you when he’s done with his meeting.” “I’m …” “Young man, I don’t want to hear any backtalk from you. He’ll see you when he’s done with his meeting,” the woman said sharply while pointing at one of the chairs. She gave him a glare that was intended to send him scurrying to the chair. Rock held up a hand over his mouth to cover his grin. William said, “But,….” “Sit down!” William reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number while the woman behind the desk looked as if she was about to explode. Turning his back to her, he waited for Oliver to answer the phone. When Oliver answered, William said, “Would you call the school and let them know that I’m at the school, but that I can’t get in to see the Principal?” Without waiting for an answer, William closed the phone and took a seat. Once she was convinced that William was behaving in the proper manner, the woman turned to Rock and asked, “May I help you?” Rock was about to answer when the telephone on her desk rang. She held up a hand and said, “Hold on a moment.” It was hard to control his laughter while watching the sequence of expressions that crossed the woman’s face. Rock finally gave up and burst out laughing. He looked over at William and shrugged his shoulders. The woman hung up the telephone and looked at Rock. In a slightly nervous voice, she asked, “Are you Dr. Carter?” “No, he is,” Rock answered still chuckling. “Oh,” the woman said with an expression on her face as if she had just bitten into a lemon. Looking at William, she pointed to the door and said, “The Principal will see you now.” Rock followed William into the office trying to manage a business- like face. Inside the room, there were five other people and Rock immediately snapped into his bodyguard persona. There was a man in a business suit seated behind the desk. In front of the desk, a middle-aged man with long hair, beard, and blue jeans was seated in one of the chairs beside a very classy looking woman. A rather rough looking black man was seated in a chair beside the woman with a very large and intimidating black man standing behind him. William deduced that the man seated behind the desk was Principal Jenner. He nodded to the man and said, “Principal Jenner, I’m William Redman Carter. Sorry to be late, but I had some difficulties getting here.” Principal Jenner studied William with a raised eyebrow. The young man looked like he was the same age as the students roaming the halls. It was hard to believe that he had his doctorate. Of course, the fact that the Grand Druid had called and arranged his visit should have clued him to expect the unexpected. Gesturing to the others, he said, “You’re not late. Please have a seat. I assume that you recognize everyone here.” Looking over the people in the room, William said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know any of them.” The admission took the Principal by surprise. Sitting up, he said, “That gentleman, over there, is Darnel Jenkins. The lady is Tonya. The other gentleman is Street King.” William looked from one to the other and settled on Street King. The gold chains and gemstone encrusted medallion hanging off one of the thick chains didn’t seem to fit the man’s name. Curious, he asked, “Are you one of Harry’s people?” The black man stared at William and asked, “Harry’s people?” “Yes, Happy Harry,” William said thinking it would be nice to find out how things were going on the street since Harry’s death. “Is he a record producer or something?” “No, Harry was a Druid,” William answered looking over his shoulder at Rock only to find that his bodyguard had turned away and his shoulders were shaking. He wondered why Rock was laughing. “I’m not one of his people,” Street King said. He had never encountered a Druid before, but was very familiar with their reputation. The big black man standing behind Street King asked, “Who is your friend?” “That’s Rock,” William answered. “What’s he find so funny?” Rock turned and looked around the room barely able to keep his amusement under control. Shaking his head, he said, “I’m sorry, but William has no idea who any of you are or what you do. Street King, when he was asking you if you were one of Harry’s people, he was really asking if you were homeless.” “Say what!” “Your name is a street name,” Rock said. Shrugging his shoulders, William said, “My street name is Half Feather.” “What kind of musician are you?” Darnel asked wondering how any musician could be so ignorant of three of the most widely known names in the music industry. “I’m not a musician,” William answered looking around that the others. They were all staring at him as if he were from another planet. He swore that he was going to give Oliver a piece of his mind when he saw him next. He asked, “Are you musicians?” “I’m The Songster. Rock and Roll forever, dude.” “I’m a singer,” Tonya said with a slight Irish brogue to her voice. Seeing the blank expression on William’s face, she added, “New Age.” “I’m a rapper,” Street King said feeling insulted that he had to identify himself. “Oh. I’m not very familiar with those music styles. I prefer classical music,” William said. “If you’re not a musician, what are you doing here?” Tonya asked looking over at William. “Oliver Brown asked me to come here and report on what I see,” William answered wondering what being a musician had to do with this meeting. Irritated at being asked if he was homeless, Street King asked, “Who in the hell is Oliver Brown?” “The Grand Druid,” William answered realizing that he lived a completely different world from them. He wondered what he was doing there. “You really don’t know why you are here?” Tonya asked wondering how it was that this kid came to be there. She had traveled all the way from Ireland for this single afternoon experience. “Not really,” William said. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “I guess Oliver wanted me to meet you three.” “We’re here to hear Greg Banner sing. This is one of six performances that he’s giving this month,” Darnel said. He had rearranged his schedule just for this chance. He couldn’t imagine that Greg only sang at High Schools. “What’s so special about him?” Principal Jenner said, “He’s a very talented musician. He only sings at high schools. The strange thing is that after one of his concerts, all of the behavioral problems in the school disappear. It’s like he weaves a magic spell over everyone through his singing. We’ve had a lot of problems with racial incidents here on campus and I asked that he play here this afternoon. These three very well known stars came here to listen to him.” A chill went through William and he took the one remaining chair in the office. Staring at the floor, he considered the description of the man’s talent. After a moment, he asked, “He weaves a magic spell through his music?” “That’s how other Principals have described his performances.” Shaking his head in wonder, William said, “It couldn’t be true.” Greg had visited a school in the neighborhood where the Street King had grown up. As a result of that single performance, crime had dropped in the area. All of the kids were talking about that singer and interest in his music had dropped significantly. Curious, he had come here to this high school to hear the man for himself in the hope of finding out what had happened. He said, “Look kid, I have no idea who you are or why you’re wasting our time. Tell me why I shouldn’t have my man throw you out of here.” “I am William Redman Carter. My father was John Carter; the first Grand Druid of modern times and founder of the Druid College. My Great Grandfather was William Redman; medicine man and founder of the Native American College. I am a medicine man and will one day serve the Two-Sided One,” William answered. Looking over at Tonya, William said, “I think that something very special has happened and the Grand Druid has sent me here to investigate.” “Hah!” “You may think this is about music, but you are wrong. I may be the only one in this room who truly understands what Greg Banner represents,” William said. The gymnasium was a riot of sound as students filled into the room and caught sight of The Songster and Street King. Few knew Tonya, although the few who did were amazed at her presence in the gym. William sat on the bleacher watching the reactions to the students. The reactions were divided along racial lines. Turning to Street King, he said, “They seem to know who you are.” “Damn straight,” he answered heading out to greet some of the students. The Songster headed over to the other side of the gym. The students divided into two groups surrounding the famous musicians. Tonya turned to William and said, “I fear that you and I are the wall flowers at this party. This is not exactly my fan base. Most of my audience is a lot older than these kids.” She had hardly finished speaking when a young woman walked over to Tonya and said, “My Dad just loves your music. He listens to it all of the time when he’s driving. He says that it relaxes him.” “It is always good to know that I have fans here in America,” Tonya said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small autographed picture. Handing it to the young woman, she said, “Perhaps he would appreciate this.” “He’ll love it. Thank you very much,” the young woman said. “You’re quite welcome,” Tonya answered. The young woman bid her farewell and returned to the rest of the kids who were gathered around The Songster. Turning to William she said, “I guess I wasn’t as much of a wallflower as I thought I would be.” Four teenagers approached William. By their long black hair and facial features, he recognized them as Native Americans even from across the room. The oldest of the four was a young woman. She stopped about five paces from William and said, “You are Talks with Animals, aren’t you?” “Yes, I am,” William answered studying their features carefully. After a few seconds, he said, “You are Shawnee.” “Yes, we are,” the young woman answered pleased that he recognized her tribe. “I wish that I had the time to visit Bellfontaine. One of these days, my wife and I will make it here for a visit. I have long wanted to visit the caverns there.” “Bellfontaine is only thirty minutes from here,” she said. Her hands were sweating out of nervousness. She had never talked with such an important person in her life. The young woman looked down at the floor for a moment and then said, “My grandfather is the Chief. I know that he would welcome you as an honored guest.” “I know your Grandfather. I met him at the Shawnee Tribal meeting in Indiana last year. He is a wise and able leader. I wish that I could accept your invitation, but I am here on Druid business,” William said with regret. Crestfallen, the young woman said, “Oh, I’m sorry to have bothered you.” “You have been no bother. Please send my regards to your Grandfather and my regret that I could not accept your invitation. Let him know that I think his Granddaughter is a proud representative of the Shawnee,” William said watching her carefully. She stood a little taller as a result of his compliment. “I shall tell him,” she said with a smile. The four of them backed away. Tonya stared at William amazed at the respectful tone that his young visitor had taken with him. She asked, “Are you of their tribe?” “No, I’m not,” William answered looking over at her. “Oh, I just thought by how much you knew about her tribe that you were a member,” she said. “I know the heads of all five hundred tribes,” William said. The Songster came over and took his seat. Leaning over towards them, he said, “He’s about to start.” A young man stepped out of the locker room and looked around. He cradled a Mandolin in his arms. For a minute he stood in place saying and doing nothing. Then, in a loud voice, he said, “May the Gods and Goddesses bless me with the gift of song. May the music I bring forth give you pleasure.” Most of the students were still talking about having met the musicians and ignored the young man. The young man started playing the Mandolin and singing. Much to William’s surprise, the sound of the small instrument carried across the large room despite the noise of the students. While singing, the young man slowly moved around the gym. When he would pass a group of students, they would quiet and watch him. By the time he made a single circuit, not a single student was talking. The man’s powerful voice covered at least three octaves. He had perfect pitch and hit each note with precision. The tone of his voice was soft and warm. It drew the listener into the song. The lyrics told about how the world would be if the strong protected the weak and if people only acted in manners that harmed none. Every teenager in the room was entranced by the music and listened without moving a muscle. William looked over at the three musicians. They were sitting on the edge of their seats staring at the young man. Looking over his shoulder, he was surprised to see that Rock was staring at the musician with unblinking eyes. Sitting back in his chair, William realized that he was the only one in the gym who had not been drawn into the spell. In a soft voice, he said, “He is the real thing. That man is a Bard.” “That’s right, William. He is a Bard. There will be others soon,” a masculine sounding female voice told him. “He’s singing a song of the rules for living a proper life,” William said amazed that he was hearing a true Bard sing. A Bard had not walked the Earth since the death of the Grand Druid back in the days when Druids fell. “Yes, my little one. He’s doing as Bards should do; he’s teaching through art. Other Bards shall teach through words while some shall do it through movies.” Studying the young man, William sought a Medallion but did not find one. His eyes were drawn to a thick gold bracelet around the man’s wrist. There was a sense of power emanating from the bracelet. Curious, William asked, “Which of you does he serve?” “He serves all of us. He praises the Goddess when he sings of life with its mysteries of birth and death. He praises the God when he sings of the wind, the water, the earth, and the sun. He praises me when he sings of that spark that makes man different from animals. None of us, and all of us, claim a Bard,” the Two-Sided One said in a male voice that had a feminine tone to it. William watched the Bard and asked, “When will I begin my service to you?” “When it is your time,” the Two-Sided One answered. How he knew that the Two-Sided One was no longer there, William would never be able to explain to another person. All he knew was that upon receiving his answer, the presence was gone. He looked around the room and watched the reaction of others to the Bard. Sitting back in his chair, he decided to just enjoy the music. The concert lasted for almost two hours. When he finished, the students took a minute to recover and then broke into applause. After the students had filed out of the gym, Greg Banner walked over to where the three musicians were seated. He bowed and said, “I hope that you enjoyed my performance.” Street King, with awe in his voice, said, “I’ve never heard anything like it. I heard it, but I can’t describe it. I barely recall what I heard. I only remember how I felt.” “Amazing,” Tonya said. Shaking her head in disbelief, she said, “I’ve never heard anyone with such range.” Used to having at a minimum two electric guitars with a bass guitar and a drum providing hard driving beats, Darnel Jenkins said, “A Mandolin. I can’t believe that you performed for two hours with only a Mandolin to support your music. It’s been ages since I’ve played an acoustic guitar.” Greg turned to William and said, “I felt a presence while I was performing.” “The Two-Sided One was here,” William said. Looking at William’s clothes, Greg was confused by his reply. He said, “I don’t understand. You are not a Druid.” “That’s true. I’m not yet a Druid, but I will serve the Two-Sided One in the future.” “How do you know that?” Greg asked. “The Two-Sided One has told me that,” William answered. “Am I supposed to believe you?” Greg asked. He had felt the presence of a power in the room centered on this young man, but he didn’t understand why it would visit someone who wasn’t a Druid. Smiling, William reached out and touched the gold bracelet. In a soft voice, he said, “Yes, you are supposed to believe me. One can’t lie when touching a gift from the Gods and Goddesses.” Staring at William’s hand, Greg knew he spoke the truth. He asked, “Why are you here?” “The Grand Druid sent me,” William answered. Looking at Greg in the eye, he said, “I think it is time for you to visit the Druid College.” “I think you may be right.” “Until then, how about you and I go to a burger burner and have a bite to eat?” William asked.