JC: William Redman Carter Part 2: Hermit Chapter 2 By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2006 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 worried about you,” Lucy said taking his hand in hers. The expression on her face showed the lack of sleep that demonstrated her suffering of the past two days. He had been asleep for almost a full day. “We were all worried about you,” Eddie said from behind Lucy. The young man had not left William’s side since they had brought him up from the canyon. “Eddie, it’s nice of you to come,” William said unable to see his brother around Lucy. He wondered who else was there and was frustrated by the lack of knowledge that would have been his with his gift. He sighed thinking that he was going to have to get used to not knowing. “Are you okay? What happened? Why aren’t you a Druid?” Eddie asked. The questions came rushing out of his mouth, almost tumbling one after another. “Let him catch his breath,” Ed said putting a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. Carrying a plastic cup with a straw in it, Dale came over to the other side of the bed. Holding the cup out to William, he said, “Here, drink a little of this.” “What is it?” William asked with a frown on his face. He reached out to take the cup from Dale; realizing only once he had taken it that Dale was there. “Old Indian potion used to cure people who’ve been out in the desert too long,” Dale answered with a very serious expression on his face. William took a sip and then laughed out of surprise. Holding the cup up, he said, “That’s water.” “Best cure for people who’ve been out in the desert too long,” Dale replied with a grin. Shaking his head, William said, “I should have known. I’m glad you’re here.” Eddie stared at William unable to believe that Dale had been able to play a joke on his big brother. Dismayed, he looked up to his father. In a voice tight with emotion, he asked, “What’s wrong with William?” Having seen William during the times when his gift had left him, Lucy understood how William had been changed. Concerned, she asked, “Are you going to be okay?” “I think so,” William answered knowing what she was asking. It felt strange not being certain about what was going to happen next. He sighed and said, “At least it wasn’t a total surprise.” “What wasn’t a total surprise?” Eddie asked feeling a sense of panic rising. His older brother wasn’t acting normal and that worried him. “That I lost my foresight,” William answered. “What?” Eddie exclaimed feeling a sense of panic rising within him. It seemed to him that the Gods and Goddesses had hurt his brother. He looked over at his father and asked, “What happened to him?” “Calm down, Eddie. I have a feeling that William expected this to happen to him,” Ed said in a controlled voice. He knew that Eddie needed to learn a little more about the Gods and Goddesses. Leaning down, he said, “Eddie, let’s talk about this where we won’t disturb William. He needs to rest.” “I’m worried about you,” Lucy said to her husband even as Ed and Eddie left the room. Although William had gotten better about dealing with the world when his gift would disappear, he never approached his typical level of confidence. She wondered how he would survive having it gone for good. Dale took a seat in one of the chairs and examined William carefully. In a quiet voice that assured that all was well with the world, he said, “Don’t worry about him. There’s more than one power watching over William.” That thought hadn’t occurred to William and he found that the idea comforted him. Squeezing Lucy’s hand, William said, “He’s right.” Looking over at his friend, Dale said, “Seeing you in bed like this, I’m reminded of the day you removed the curse over our people. You were weak for almost a year afterwards.” “I was a mess after that little adventure,” William said in agreement. His hand went up to caress the medicine bag that hung around his neck. The detailed bead work on the leather of the pouch felt cool to the touch. He ran a finger along the sharp edge of the eagle feather; the barbs of the feather giving slightly under the pressure of his touch. The rattle sounded when his actions shifted the medicine bag. He had not realized that Lucy had placed it around his neck when he had been brought back to the house. Touching the medicine bag that hung around William’s neck, Lucy said, “I made this to replace the one you had lost.” William took her hand that was touching the medicine bag and held it gently in his. He said, “I remember when my mother taught you how to make it.” “Yes,” Lucy said with a smile. Remembering Linda’s words on the role of a wife, she said, “I am your squaw.” “Yes, you are,” William said taking comfort in her declaration. “Let me open the curtains. The view from this room is spectacular,” Lucy said. On receiving his nod of agreement, she moved away from the bed and opened the curtains. As she slid the curtains open, the impressive walls of the canyon were revealed. “I suppose I should get up,” William said thinking about all of the things that needed to be done around the house. “Not until you’ve recovered a little of your strength. You’ve lost a lot of weight,” Lucy said moving back to the bed and fluffing the pillow on which he was resting. Once she was sure that he was comfortable, she kissed his forehead. “Thank you,” William said. “Lisa will be here soon with some soup. I want you to eat it all and get strong. We’ve got a lot of work to do around the house and you’ll need all of your strength. I’ve still got twenty boxes of science fiction books to unpack in the library,” Lucy said. She knew that she’d have the books shelved before he got out of bed. “Here I am, lying in bed weak as a kitten and you’re already planning on putting me to work,” William joked. Glancing over at Dale, Lucy realized that he wanted to talk to William alone, but was too polite to say that to her. She smiled at him and said, “I’ll go get some books for William to read while he’s recovering. Why don’t you two talk together for a bit? I’ll be right back.” William said, “You can do that later.” Seeing the expression on Lucy’s face, Dale said, “She wants to give you and me a chance to talk alone. Let her go, William.” “Oh,” William said with a frown. He wondered how he had missed that. In a voice filled with uncertainty, he said, “Okay.” Lucy slipped out of the room amazed that William had not picked up on her real reasons for leaving. Closing the door, she hugged herself while tears started to fall on her cheeks. Something essential had been taken from William and she wondered if he would ever adapt. Looking over at William, Dale said, “Your time as a medicine man is not over, but it will end soon. You know that, don’t you?” “Yes,” William said. It was the first time he had ever heard it put into words. It was the first time that he had even admitted it to himself. “You will be starting your service to your Gods and Goddesses soon. You know that, don’t you?” “Yes,” William said with much more confidence. Of course, soon was a relative word in this context. “Filled with two great powers held in balance, the only way to shift to one is for the other to weaken. I think your Gods and Goddesses have allowed their power in you to weaken so that you can adjust more easily,” Dale said. Shaking his head, William said, “No. Oscar Meyers needed my gift in his service. They asked me to give it to him so that he could perform his service.” “You have a little anger about that?” Dale asked knowing that such a loss could easily result in resentment. “I suppose,” William answered. He wondered how he could live with a sluggish mind and in such a dull appearing world. Shaking his head, he said, “I can’t really blame them; they asked for my permission. I gave it, knowing that I would be less than that what I was, because the reason was noble.” Dale laughed and shook his head. He asked, “You think there was only one reason?” “Yes.” Surprised by William’s answer, Dale asked, “Don’t you think that there can be more than one reason for any action? Do you place such limits on the wisdom of your Gods and Goddesses? Aren’t you afraid of insulting them as a result of such a narrow vision?” Chastised, William studied the sheet covering his body. After thinking about it for a moment, he said, “You may be right.” “I am right and you know it,” Dale said. “Okay,” William admitted feeling oddly comforted. There was a trace of doubt that remained in his voice. He asked, “What could be another reason?” “Have you given any thought about the character of our people after the great curse was lifted?” Dale asked instead of answering the question directly. “I know that our people have made great strides in recovering from it over the past few years,” William said. Dale laughed and shook his head at the superficial answers that William was giving. It was so unlike the young man that he had known in the past. He said, “You haven’t really thought about it.” “I guess so,” William answered. “After years of living in a gray world, our people discovered color. Did you know that our people are experiencing the greatest economic growth of any segment of society? We have men who used to earn less than ten thousand dollars a year who have become millionaires through hard work,” Dale said. “I know that,” William said. He had been watching the changing economics of Native Americans quite closely over the past few years. “Why do you think that is the case?” Dale asked. “I hadn’t really thought about it,” William answered knowing that the answer wasn’t because the curse had been lifted. That act alone should only have made his people equally competitive with others. He shrugged and added, “They started so far behind that even minimal gains would look impressive. “I think that it wasn’t until the day the curse was lifted that our people realized what they could do. Even more important, they realized that they could do it. Having that experience freed them to see their true abilities rather than their limitations. Those who have not suffered like our people do not see what they can accomplish. Their growth is slow while ours has been explosive because we are not blinded by the obvious,” Dale said. William decided that he was going to have to think about that for a while before answering. Growing up surrounded by successful and driven people, he sometimes didn’t understand the things that held people back. He asked, “Why do you mention this?” “I believe that until you begin your service to your Druid Gods and Goddesses, you will be weak and have to learn how to live like normal men. I think that this experience may give you greater insights into your abilities when they return. I’m pretty sure that you’ll need those insights in order to provide your service,” Dale answered recognizing that it was ironic for a medicine man to be comforting William about his Gods and Goddesses. Seeing William nod his head, he added, “Like our people, you need to learn to what you can do by having your abilities presented to you afresh. When your powers return, you will be unstoppable.” “Interesting. I didn’t think about it like that,” William said. Having accomplished his purpose, Dale rose from his chair and said, “I’ll see you around.” “Not if I see you first,” William replied with a smile. Dale laughed and said, “I’m an Injun, don’t you know that means I can sneak up on you and you’ll never see me?” “Get out of here,” William said grinning. Dale slipped out of the room, leaving William alone to his thoughts. He looked out the window of his bedroom at the glorious view. He sighed and said, “A view like that makes it hard to get out of bed.” Lisa entered the room carrying a tray with food. The small white tray had little supports designed for supporting the tray over the body. Seeing the tray, William couldn’t help but wonder when they had acquired it. He didn’t realize that it was occasionally used by Lisa when she decided to have breakfast in bed with Ken. There was a bowl of soup atop a white napkin. The napkin was slightly stained; the result of a minor spill while carrying the tray. In addition to the soup was a small plate with a roll on it. She set the tray down on the bed and said, “Here’s some soup.” “Thanks,” William said feeling his hunger rise. He picked up the spoon and tasted the soup. It had cooled during the trip from the kitchen, but it tasted good. He nodded and said, “This is delicious.” “Thanks,” Lisa said watching William eat the soup. Her days as cook for the family were coming to an end. Marguerite had called and said that the new chef would be arriving soon. The prospect filled her with mixed feelings. On one hand, she enjoyed taking care of the family. On the other hand, the job had suddenly become much more than she could handle. William ate his soup; enjoying the rich flavor of beef and vegetables. Sighing, he said, “This is very good.” “Thanks,” Lisa said realizing that this was the first time that William had complimented her twice for the same thing. “How are you, Ken, and Tim settling in?” William asked. “It has been a little difficult. I’m not used to so many changes at once. We moved away from the town in which I was raised, there’s a new house, I have new responsibilities, and there are lots of new people to get to know. At times… well, it is a little overwhelming,” Lisa admitted. Over the past few weeks, she had hired four housemaids from the nearby reservation. There was one per floor of the house and another to take care of the laundry. Taking care of this huge house was a major responsibility. “The new chef arrives soon,” William said. “Yes. I’m going to miss cooking for you, but preparing three meals a day for twenty people every day is a bit much for me,” Lisa admitted. Living in the house were the four bodyguards, her family, the office staff, the housekeeping staff, and two maintenance men. Derrick and the other ranch hands usually ate in the bunkhouse with meals prepared by someone else. “I know. Marguerite said that he would be bringing two assistants,” William said. His home was a very different prospect from his parent’s home. His parents had ten people living in the house. He was expecting to have thirty people living in his and another fifty working the ranch. “I know. I’ve got their rooms ready for them,” Lisa said with a sigh at the thought of three more people moving into the house. There were too many people to get used to in such a short period of time. “Don’t worry, things will calm down. We’re hiring a librarian, a replacement for Donna, a secretary, and a research assistant,” William said. He wondered how his parents had managed to have so few people working for them. Of course, they had an entire accounting firm in their employ and Ed had a dozen people working for his companies. His parents were just a little better at keeping the people who worked for them at arms length. “Another secretary?” Lisa asked. She knew about the others, but not that he was going to hire a secretary. “Yes. I’m separating out my research activities from my business activities. I need a secretary able to deal with the research side of my life,” William said. There was going to be some rearranging of the office area as well, but it would be minimal since it had been anticipated. “Oh,” Lisa said wondering how many people he would end up having work for him. The discussion was interrupted with the return of Lucy. She moved into the room and dropped a book on the night table by the side of the bed. At his look, she said, “Foundation by Asimov.” “Ah, great. I was thinking that I wanted to read it again,” William said looking down at the tray on his lap. There was only a spoonful of soup left in the bowl. Lucy giggled and asked, “When are you never reading one of your favorite three?” “Never,” William answered with a smile. It was true. There was always a copy of Foundation, Second Foundation, and Dune open somewhere within reach. He finished the last of the soup feeling much better having eaten something. Lisa picked up the tray now that William was finished and left the room. Once she was gone, Lucy asked, “What are you going to do now?” “I’m going to continue my research. I fear that I won’t have too many insights over the next few months, so I think I’ll write a textbook on home economics for high school students,” William answered. It was an idea that he had been considering since his visit in Texas while working on his dissertation. “What? You mean cooking?” Lucy asked. “No, I mean the economics of establishing and maintaining a home. I thought I would start with a chapter on working for a living. I’d explain about the difference between pre-tax and post- tax income. I would give concrete examples that teenagers could relate to and then build on that to cover their entire career. The next chapter would be on establishing credit. I think I’ll explain how to get it, how to utilize it wisely, and what it means in terms of purchasing a home. The rest would deal with taxes, insurance, investments, preparing for retirement, and basic contracts,” William said. “Wow,” Lucy said thinking about it. She wished that she had a course like that at some point in her educational career. As it was, she had a Master’s Degree in Mathematics and had never been taught any of those details. She asked, “I can see where a high school course like that would be beneficial, but why would you do that?” “I figure so much of our education system is intended to prepare people to be good little workers. There isn’t anything in place to prepare people for actually living their lives,” William answered. It was obvious to him that many young couples had to learn the lessons of economics through the brutal process of bad experience. “You’re right,” Lucy said. She also realized that it would be exactly the kind of project that would allow William to ignore his current situation. William sighed at the idea that he didn’t know how successful his effort would be and said, “At least I’ll be busy for the next year or two.” “Yes, but you are not starting on it today. You need to rest and recover,” Lucy said knowing that William wouldn’t be able to lie in bed for long. “Yes, Momma Lucy,” William said with a smile. Lucy put a look of horror on her face and said, “You said that just like I was Momma Ling!” William laughed and it wasn’t long before Lucy was laughing as well. He said, “You’re scarier than Momma Ling.” “That’s right buster. She only threatened you with a spanking. I’m going to give you one,” she replied with a laugh. She had never actually done that, but often said that she had. The one time she had said that in front of Eddie he had nearly choked on his food. William rolled over onto his side and presented her with his bottom. Although it was covered with the sheet, he said, “Have at it.” She swatted him on the rear and, laughing, said, “Don’t point that at me!” The pair laughed with the ease of a couple who were comfortable with each other. Lucy climbed onto the bed and snuggled against William. Hearing him laugh was a good sign. It meant that he would recover from his loss and emerge stronger than before. Lucy smiled when his arm encircled her. They had been there for twenty minutes when there was a knock on the door. Straightening up, Lucy called out, “Come in.” Eddie came into the room followed by Ed. The young man looked at William and asked, “Are you okay?” “Yes, I’m fine,” William answered with a smile. The fact that Eddie worried about him made him feel good. Eddie was always the first to look out for his big brother and consider how events might affect him. “Good. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to begin your service to the Two-Sided One,” Eddie said. “You might say that I’ve begun it. Giving my gift to Oscar Meyers is a service of sorts,” William said. “Oscar Meyers should be thanking you,” Eddie said. For the first time since waking up, William considered what was going on with Oscar. He looked to his father and asked, “What has happened to Oscar?” “He is still in the Glade,” Ed answered in a solemn voice.