JC: William Redman Carter Hermit Chapter 1 By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005 A drop of water falls from the sky in the midst of a rainstorm. Where it lands depends upon influences so subtle that they are practically immeasurable. The dust particle around which the drop forms, the movement of a leaf due to a previous drop striking it, and the lifting of a deer’s head can affect whether a drop lands on earth, leaf, or deer. The drop knows nothing of these influences. The drop falls according to the forces applied to it. Alone, the drop may not be of much import, but in concert with other drops the consequences can have earth shattering effects. A drought relieved, a crop saved, a crop ruined, or a devastating flood. Yet, the drop knows nothing of these things. One drop lands on saturated ground and triggers a mudslide that pulls up trees, destroys houses, and kills all in its path. Was it that specific drop that caused the mudslide? No, larger forces were at work and the drop was merely the trigger. Any other drop hitting that same location would have produced the same result. All of the previous drops of rain had produced the conditions necessary for the mudslide to occur. The journey a person takes through life is a lot like the path of a raindrop. Where a person is born, what society was formed by those who came before, and the actions of nature; all affect a person’s journey. The impact of a single life can be part of something much bigger than the individual. Unlike the raindrop that knows nothing of the consequence of where it fell, a person may guess at the consequences of their life. Did a tired black women realize that she was about to trigger a social revolution because she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man? At the time of her death, the consequences of her actions were obvious. The political landscape of the world had changed. One can argue that the specific person who triggers a social revolution is not important. The social landscape had already been saturated by the actions of thousands before and the momentum was continued by those who followed. The black woman wasn’t the only actor in the drama that set off a social revolution. The man who wanted her seat, the driver of the bus, the policeman who arrested her, and the reporter who turned it into a national story were just as important. In hindsight, the events of the past seem inevitable. If it hadn’t been one person, it would have been another. If it hadn’t been one event, then it would have been another. The difficulty in making that leap of inevitability is that it wasn’t a different person or a different event. It was the specific person and the actual event that occurred. There is something magical about that in the minds of observers. Is it fate, or random chance, that drives the life of a person to being in the right place and time? It isn’t clear which the correct answer is, but it may be a better question to ask if it was inevitable that such an event occur. There is a sense of inevitability to the broad brush strokes of history, but it springs from events that are often overlooked by historians. More often than not, the real people responsible for a significant social event never come before the review of historians. They lived decades before the event and miles from where it took place. Even they do not know that their daily life was saturating the ground of society providing for a mudslide of change. Feeling restless, William took a seat where he could look out the window onto the canyon. The rugged features of the view could entertain his mind for hours. The varying hues of reds, browns, grays, and whites of the canyon wall were impressive. The magnificent view was usually sufficient to relax him, however today it wasn’t having that effect. William shifted nervously; he was thinking that he might find it to walk off his energy outdoors. He didn’t understand why he was feeling so uncomfortable. He was filled with a restless energy that demanded to be released. It was as if he had drunk twenty cups of coffee. Standing up, he sought out Lucy knowing that she would be in the library overseeing the shelving of their books. Although they had been in the new house for three weeks, there was still a lot of work remaining to be done before it would be comfortable. Lucy was taking her role as mistress of the house very seriously. William walked through the open atrium. Lining the path were the waterfalls that Beth had designed. Beside each waterfall were exotic plants from South America that had been collected by his brother, John. Normally, William would walk through the atrium taking his time, but today his restlessness drove him without regard to his surroundings. On reaching the library, he stuck his head in and shouted, “Lucy?” Looking around a stack of books, she answered, “What?” “I’m going outside for a bit. I just can’t stay inside any more,” William answered. “Have fun,” Lucy answered absent-mindedly while turning back to the bookshelf. She was trying to organize their science fiction collection by author’s name. There were nearly thirty boxes of books remaining, she wondered if she was going to finish shelving them that day. William went to the elevator and rode up to the surface level of the house. Driven by an urge to be alone, he left the house and got into his Hugger. Driving without a destination in mind, he ended up at the river’s bank near the mouth of the canyon. He got out and looked around as the need to move fled. Looking up the canyon he could see the house. Not once during the house’s lifetime had he stopped to wonder what it would look like from below. Despite the fact that the exterior was made of glass, the building as a whole blended into the rough landscape. Rather than flat planes of glass, the exterior reflected the opposite side of the canyon. It was phenomenal and took his breath away. He took two steps up the canyon and fell to the ground. The world around him was no longer the desert. Hard dry ground had transitioned to soft green grass. Looking up from the grass, William looked at the Two-Sided One. Unaware that the urge that had been driving him had come from the Two-Sided One, William asked, “What happened?” “I have brought you to me, little one,” the Two-sided One answered. The male figure blurred before turning into an attractive man and woman joined at the hands. The male aspect was caressing the breasts of the female aspect with his free hand. Excited at being called by the Two-Sided One, there was only one explanation that made sense to William. He sat up and said, “So my service is about to begin.” The female aspect answered, “Oh, my poor little one…” “… it is still not your time, …” the male aspect said. “… although you might consider our request …” “… to be the beginning of your service to us …” “… but your true service …” “… will not begin until Oscar has …” “… finished his service,” the female aspect of the Two-Sided One said. “Then why have you called me?” William asked looking from one aspect to the other. He loved the Two-Sided One in all forms, but this was the easiest on the eyes. Both the male and female aspect exemplified the perfect person. The female aspect sighed and shook her head. The male aspect said, “Oscar needs your vision.” “He needs my vision?” William asked wondering what that meant. “Your vision will allow him to fulfill his service to us,” the female aspect answered. “You want me to give my vision to Oscar?” William asked stunned at the request. Oscar had been borrowing his foresight on many occasions and this was the first time that he had been asked. “Yes.” “Why?” William asked. “There can be only one,” the female aspect answered in a soft voice. “Only one what?” William asked. “Only one prophet,” the male aspect answered looking at William with infinite sadness in his eyes. “There can be only one prophet,” the female aspect said in a sad voice. “Do you mean that Oscar can’t bring peace to the Middle East without me giving up my foresight?” William asked finding it difficult to breathe. He was being asked to give up something that was integral to his being. “Yes.” Swallowing, William asked, “Why?” “Two prophets cancel each other out. There can be only one,” the Two-Sided One answered with a sigh. There was a shimmer and the two figures formed backed into a single overweight man. William was silent while considering what the Two-Sided One had asked of him. Oscar had been borrowing his gift and he had gotten used to living without it, on occasions. He wondered if he could give it up for good, but his mind kept shying away from that thought. It kept returning to a more significant thought and one that dictated his answer. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Take it from me.” “Why are you giving up your gift?” “It is a price that I’m willing to pay to help bring about peace on earth,” William answered. He sighed and said, “I’m willing to give my life. Giving anything less than that is a cheap price to pay. The loss of my foresight is nothing compared to the pain that I would be preventing.” “This will hurt, little one,” the Two-Sided One said looking with fondness upon William. It was a little after noon when Lucy went to the dining room and waited for William. She was worried, but couldn’t put into words what was bothering her. After waiting fifteen minutes, she went to the kitchen and asked, “Have you seen William?” Lisa turned from the stove and answered, “No.” Lucy sighed and said, “This house is so big that it’ll take an hour to find him.” Ken entered the kitchen in time to overhear the last part of her statement. He asked, “Find who?” “William,” Lucy answered. “I saw him outside. He was getting into his Hugger,” Ken said just before sneaking a kiss on his wife’s neck. Lisa swatted at him light-heartedly and said, “Call him on his cell phone.” It was good advice. Lucy pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number. She listened to it ring until the answering service picked up. Closing the cell phone, she looked over at Ken and, with a concerned expression on her face, said, “Ken, I’m worried. He didn’t answer.” Picking up on Lucy’s nervous behavior, Ken said, “Let me call Derrick and have him send out the ranch hands to search for him.” “Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” Lucy said. She went over to the kitchen table and took a seat where she could look at the canyon. The mouth of the canyon wasn’t visible from where she was seated. The sight of the hard rock walls of the canyon still had the ability to take her breath away. Thirty minutes later, Ken returned to the kitchen and sat down across from Lucy at the table. In a calm voice, he said, “We found his Hugger at the base of the canyon, but the men haven’t been able to locate him yet. They are bringing some horses to help in the search for him.” “Did he have an accident?” Lucy asked finding it difficult to breathe. She had no idea what she would do if something bad happened to William. “No. It appears that he parked the Hugger and then walked off,” Ken answered. One of the Native Americans had said that William’s tracks ended about three steps into the canyon. Lucy was silent for a minute while she thought about it. She looked at the cell phone and picked it up. After dialing a number, she waited for an answer. When Ed answered, she said, “Ed. William has disappeared.” There was a long moment of silence before Ed replied, “Today is Midsummer’s Day.” “So?” “If I had to guess, he’s with the Gods and Goddesses,” Ed answered. “Oh,” Lucy replied speechless at the news. It took her almost a full minute before she asked, “Should I be worried?” Ed knew that a special relationship existed between William and the Gods and Goddesses. He answered, “No. I don’t know when he’ll return. It could be tomorrow or in five days; all you can do is just be patient.” “Thanks, Ed,” Lucy said. “I’ll be there in a couple of hours. It won’t help anything, but you won’t be alone,” Ed said. Terrified at the thought of facing the next few days alone, Lucy said, “Thanks, I would really appreciate that.” “See you in a little while,” Ed said before hanging up. It was four hours before Ed showed up at the house, with Eddie in tow. William’s younger brother looked around the house, in obvious awe, at the miracle performed by his sister. After exchanging a quick hug with Lucy, Eddie said, “So my brother is finally becoming a Druid!” “Hold on, Eddie. You never know what is going to happen when dealing with the Gods and Goddesses,” Ed said trying to keep expectations from escalating out of control. Worried, Lucy asked, “You don’t think he’ll be hurt?” “No. He’ll be fine,” Ed answered. Looking around from the top level of the house, he asked, “So are you going to show us around the place?” “Sure,” Lucy answered. She led them to the elevator and took them down to the next level where the offices were located. Although the house was big and they were in the process of hiring more people, the house wasn’t empty. The entire staff, with the exception of Donna, had already moved into their apartments. Donna had left to live with Doug. Impressed by what he was seeing, Eddie asked, “When are you going to have a house warming party?” “We were thinking about having it at the end of summer. It’s going to take a while for us to finish moving in completely,” Lucy answered. The unexpected visit of Ed and Eddie had required some fast action on the part of Ken. None of the guest rooms had been furnished. He had gone out and purchased two beds, beating Ed and Eddie to the house by ten minutes. He was still setting up the beds. “There sure is a lot of room here. I think this is bigger than our house,” Eddie commented. “This is just the second level,” Lucy said. The real tour began once the elevator arrived to take them to the lowest level. This was where the family really lived. Lucy appreciated the distraction. Derrick had spent the night at the mouth of the canyon and woke feeling sore. It had been a long while since he had spent the night sleeping on the ground. He wondered when he had gotten used to the soft life and swore that he’d start camping out more often. He moved around the camp beginning a pot of coffee. The temperature was hot and it looked like the day was going to be a scorcher. Once the coffee started, he stood and looked up at the house built into the canyon wall. Shaking his head, he said, “That sure is some magnificent building.” There wasn’t an answer and he didn’t expect one. Since starting to work for William, Derrick hadn’t been alone very much. He was kept busy watching over the work being done on the ranch, and on the twenty men who worked there. The entire place had been fenced in, wells had been sunk, and outbuildings constructed. While the coffee was perking, he walked around the area hoping to find some sign of William. Frowning, he couldn’t help his doubts about if Ed was right about William being safe. He knew that any man could get lost in the desert and disappear for good. He reached for his walkie-talkie and, after pressing the button, said, “After the men get done eating breakfast, send them down here.” “Right, boss,” came the answer. Eighty percent of the people working on the ranch were Native Americans and they had no doubts that William could handle himself. It amused many of them that Derrick was so worried about William. It also improved their opinion of him in a funny way. His concern and high regard for William suggested a better character than they attributed to the average White Man. Derrick returned to his campfire and poured a cup of coffee. Looking up at the sun, he sighed and said, “Five more hours to noon.” He nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice from behind said, “That’s about right. Of course, a more accurate way to judge that is by looking at your watch.” Spinning around, Derrick looked at the stranger who had entered his camp. He didn’t recognize the man and asked, “Who are you?” “I’m Dale.” “You’re trespassing,” Derrick said. Security was not going to be happy to learn that someone had snuck onto the property. Dale shook his head and said, “No friend of Talks with Animals is a trespasser.” “How do you know William?” “We are old friends,” Dale answered stepping forward. He glanced down at the coffee pot and asked, “Have you got a spare cup?” While Derrick prepared a cup of coffee for Dale, he asked, “What are you doing here?” “The Great Spirit told me that William was going to need a friend or two when he returns to this world,” Dale answered squatting down beside Derrick. Powerful forces were at work in the world and William was going to be the first one wounded. Dale wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was going to be there for his friend. “I’m here.” “That’s true,” Dale answered accepting the cup of coffee from Derrick. He blew across the cup’s mouth cooling the coffee it contained. Still squatting, he said, “So you are the man who helped Ling and Claire protect the White Buffalo.” “How did you know that?” Derrick answered. “Kotyit told me all about you,” Dale answered with a smile. On hearing that Dale knew Kotyit, Derrick relaxed. For the next few hours the two men talked until the sounds of two horses disturbed them. Turning, the pair of men watched the approach of Ed and Eddie on horseback. The two riders had their attention on the landscape around them rather than on the pair of men who watched them. On reaching the camp, Ed dismounted and said, “Hello. Why is it that I’m not surprised to see you, Dale?” “Hello, Ed. Hello, Eddie,” Dale answered looking over at William’s younger brother with fondness. He wished that Eddie had the same protectiveness towards the tribe that he was beginning to demonstrate towards his hometown. “Hi, Spirit of Desert Rock. How are things among our people?” Eddie answered. “Things go well. Employment is up, money is flowing, and the people are growing stronger,” Dale answered. “We will have to go rock hunting one of these days,” Eddie said with a quick glance over at his father. The discussion was interrupted by a groan from the other side of the campfire. Everyone turned to look at the sad figure of William lying on the ground. Ed knew immediately that William had not begun his service to the Gods and Goddesses. Going over to his son, he knelt down and said, “You’ll be okay. We’re here for you.” William lifted his head and looked up at his father with tears in his eyes. In a very sad voice, he said, “I gave him what I could, but it won’t be enough to save him.” “Save who?” Ed asked. “Oscar.” Eddie looked down at his older brother and, dismayed by the lack of a medallion around his neck, said, “He’s not a Druid.” Dale put a hand on Eddie’s shoulder and said, “You’re right. He’s more than that.”