JC: William Redman Carter Part 2: Hermit Chapter 16 By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2006 “What?” Patrick shouted upon learning the nature of the elusive quarry that they were hunting. He was wearing a brand new hunting outfit that he had talked his father into buying for him. The camouflage coverall, the camouflage hat, the orange vest, and hiking boots that had been a source of immense pride had become a source of embarrassment. Unable to believe what he had heard, he said, “We’re going rock hunting!” William and Dale were having a hard time controlling their laughter. The look on the young man’s face had been priceless. Dale said, “That’s right.” “You said that you were going to teach me how to hunt,” Patrick said. “We are,” William said. “I’ll admit that we kind of mislead you as to what we were going to hunt.” “But, I look stupid,” Patrick said. Getting serious, Dale said, “We didn’t expect you to go out and buy clothes, but actually you’ll be pretty warm in that outfit. I wouldn’t worry about looking stupid.” “You’re just saying that,” Patrick said. He looked from Spirit of Desert Rock to Talks with Animals thinking that the two most important men in the tribe had made him look like a fool. His feelings were hurt. Dale gestured to the area around him and then patted the young man on the back. He said, “We are out here in the middle of William’s place and there are only the three of us. It is cool out here and your clothes are warm. You aren’t the first to come out here wearing a coverall to keep comfortable.” William said, “Don’t forget that you are out here to learn. We aren’t kidding about that.” Dale nodded his head and said, “That’s right. We are here to teach you something.” Feeling a little mollified, Patrick said, “Okay.” Dale looked at William for a second and asked, “Are we near the place marked on the map?” “Yes,” William answered. His brother had marked several places on a map where they could expect to find some nice mineral samples. This particular area was supposed to have some quartz that was collectable. “Get down on your knees,” Dale said to Patrick. He sank to his knees and watched the younger man get down on his knees. He leaned forward and placed the palms of his hands flat on the ground. In a soft voice, he said, “Touch the ground in front of you like I am doing.” “Okay,” Patrick said wondering what Dale was doing. This seemed to be a rather strange way to hunt rocks and he watched waiting for them to pull another joke on him. Kneeling beside Patrick, William said, “Spirit of Desert Rock is well named. Watch as he sends his spirit out into the rocks around us. Notice how his breathing has slowed and his eyes have closed. He’s communing with the land. Patrick, why don’t you try it?” Patrick had watched Dale touch the ground. His joining with the land was almost visible. He would have sworn that if he had tried to pull Dale’s hand from the ground that the ground would have come up as well. It was time to trust the two most powerful men in the tribe. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Once Patrick had closed his eyes, William said, “Feel the Earth beneath your hands. Reach down into the Earth and feel the power that resides within it. Let your mind go and follow that power to the source.” Patrick could feel the Earth beneath his hands. It wasn’t a great well of power, but he felt something. It was as if it was alive, but living in slow motion. A shiver went up his spine. There was a small shove on his back that broke his concentration. Looking up, he noticed that the sun had moved a considerable distance across the sky. Dale and William were smiling at him. Patting the young man on the back, Dale said, “Very good, Patrick. You were in touch with the Earth Mother for almost an hour.” “That was amazing,” Patrick said. He wondered how so much time had passed without him being aware of it. “I remember my first time to touch the Earth Mother,” Dale said with a soft smile on his face. Shaking his head to break out of his memories, he asked, “Did you happen to notice where any Quartz crystals are located?” “I didn’t think to look,” Patrick answered feeling like he had let them down. William laughed and said, “Don’t worry about it.” Patrick looked over at William and asked, “How was it your first time?” Shaking his head, William said, “That is an experience that is denied me. Not all can touch the Earth Mother like that. Dale is one of the few people who I know that can do it. I guess we can add you to that number now.” “Oh, I didn’t realize,” Patrick said wondering if he had hurt William’s feelings. “Don’t worry about it. I am too thankful for the gifts that I have been given to wish for more,” William said. He turned to Dale and asked, “So where are the rocks?” “They are by the little indent in the rock wall over there. Why don’t you show Patrick how to collect a sample while I watch?” Dale suggested. “Sure thing.” --- Patrick used the rock hammer to free the sample under the guidance of William. While he worked, Dale said, “There was a time when our people walked with bare feet upon the ground. We slept on the ground. We were at one with our surroundings. It helped tie us to the Earth Mother. “We could feel her and gather strength from her. That has been lost. Patrick, you and I are of the few who can even feel the Earth Mother any more. Our people aren’t the only ones who are suffering. Everybody lives in air conditioned houses. It has separated them from the physical world. They don’t even feel the passing of the seasons anymore. They can’t smell the air and sense the approach of a storm,” Dale said with a sigh. William looked over at Dale and said, “There are young braves to teach. The old ways won’t be lost. Patrick isn’t the only one who can touch Mother Earth and feel the beat of her heart. There will be others.” “I know,” Dale said. He watched Patrick wipe his forehead and hold up the small Quartz crystal that he had just liberated from the ground. Smiling, he said, “That’s a nice little sample.” “Thanks,” Patrick said feeling pride at having found the crystal. He examined it carefully and asked, “What do I do with it?” William handed him a box and said, “Put it in here.” Patrick took the box and put the crystal in it. Shaking his head at the thought of trying to explain to his father that he had gotten a trophy rock rather than a trophy deer, he said, “It isn’t a deer.” “No, it isn’t,” William said with a laugh. He looked at Patrick for a minute and asked, “Would you like to see a deer?” “Sure,” Patrick answered thinking that they were going to have to go somewhere and wait for some deer to walk past. William turned to face the land and shouted, “I am Talks with Animals. I promise to leave some cracked corn for any deer that chooses to talk with me.” Patrick turned to Dale and asked, “Why is he speaking that language?” “It is the language of the First People. It is the language that all animals know,” Dale answered. “Do you know it?” “Yes,” Dale said watching the area where William had called out. He had the ability to talk with animals, but it was nowhere as good as William’s talent. He wasn’t surprised to see a dozen deer come out of the brush along the creek. He whispered, “Be quiet while William talks with them.” Patrick watched in amazement while William talked to the deer. They talked about the state of food and water in the area. They talked about how the bucks were in fine form the previous rut. They talked about how all of the construction at the house had disturbed them, but that they were adjusting to the changes. Dale gave a running commentary about what was being said. When the deer left, William rejoined his companions. Dale said, “That was interesting.” “Yes, it was.” Patrick stared at the two men with him in awe. To believe that William could talk with animals was one thing, but to watch him do it was another. He asked, “What was so interesting?” “It seems that our construction disturbed the deer, but it also drove off a number of the predators in the area. They feel the herd is growing too large. All in all, they are happy with the changes around here,” William said. “The hunting will be good,” Dale said while nodding his head. “Hunting? How can you hunt them after talking with them?” Patrick asked appalled at the suggestion of hunting the deer. He felt that it would be like shooting a friend. “The herd has to be culled. They even mentioned that the herd was getting too large. If the natural predators aren’t doing the job, then it falls upon us to do it,” William answered turning to look at Patrick. “If the herd isn’t culled, it will grow beyond the ability of the land to support them and they will all suffer. Many will die a long slow painful death from starvation. It is nature’s way of ensuring balance,” Dale added. He looked over at Patrick and saw that the young man didn’t understand. He explained, “It is an example of the land’s limited capacity to support life in its most brutal manner. The deer will consume all of the supply of food while increasing their numbers until there is not enough food left for the herd. In their fight over what is left, many of the weaker animals will starve and die until the demand lessens and the food supply recovers.” Nodding his head, William said, “Each individual strives to be the one to survive, but the group as a whole knows when it needs to be culled. In the wild, it is the weak and infirm that fall victim to the predator. That is the job of the predator. When the predator is gone, then humans need to fill that role.” “Unfortunately, man as predator wants to take only the strongest and fittest individuals from the herd. We want the deer with the ten point rack. That is not necessarily the best thing for the herd. When I hunt, I take the oldest animal of the herd. That has the best impact on the herd,” Dale said. He gestured in the direction of the herd and said, “It is our custom to thank the deer for its life when we hunt.” “I guess,” Patrick said. “Can’t we feed the deer instead of killing them?” Shaking his head, Dale said, “All that does is allow more deer to live long enough to produce even more deer and increase the pressure on the environment. You again reach the point where the herd must be culled. How many deer are you going to feed? A dozen? Two dozen? A hundred? ” “I guess you’re right,” Patrick answered. Dale winked at William and said, “See, Patrick, you did get a little hunting lesson after all.” Chuckling, Patrick said, “I can even say that I saw a dozen deer.” William looked around and said, “It is starting to get a little late, let’s set up camp.” --- “There’s something nice about sitting around a campfire at night,” William said. “It is primitive,” Dale said holding his hands over the flames to warm them. The day had been chilly, but with nightfall the temperature had gotten cold. “Why don’t women like to camp?” Patrick asked. When he had mentioned to his sister that he was going to learn how to hunt with William and Dale, she had not sounded very interested in the camping part of the adventure. “I wouldn’t go that far. A lot of women don’t like to camp, but it isn’t a general truth about women. My sister-in-law is at home in some of the wildest places in the world. I think she could live the rest of her life in a tent,” William answered. He grabbed the bag of giant marshmallows and pulled out one. He thrust it on the end of his stick and then held it over the coals. Patrick took the bag of marshmallows and prepared one for himself. He asked, “So why don’t most women like to camp?” “If you think about it, camping is a lot more work than being around the house. It took us a long time to make dinner and clean up the mess. Why would someone who is used to modern appliances want to deal with starting a fire, cooking over a fire, and then cleaning up without a dishwasher? We’re going to be sleeping on the hard ground tonight. Why should someone want to do that when they could be sleeping in a nice soft bed?” William said. Frowning, Patrick said, “So what are we doing out here when your house is fifteen minutes away?” “I enjoy camping in the backyard,” William said winking at Dale. “Don’t let it burn,” Dale cautioned pointing at the marshmallow. “Don’t worry. I don’t think I’ve ever burned a marshmallow,” William answered just in time to watch it burst into flames. He groaned at having his words proven wrong so quickly after uttering them. He lifted the flaming mess out of the fire and blew on it while Dale and Patrick laughed. Still chuckling, Dale said, “If you discount all of that black stuff on your marshmallow, you still haven’t burned one.” “Marshmallow al Carbon,” Patrick declared provoking another round of laughter. Shaking his head, William ate the burned marshmallow off his roasting stick and replaced it with a fresh marshmallow. He pointed over to the fire and said, “At least it didn’t fall off the stick.” Patrick looked at the end of his stick finding that his marshmallow was gone. There was a molten burning mass in the fire. Laughing, he said, “I meant to do that. I didn’t want you to feel too embarrassed.” William laughed and shook his head. He stuck his marshmallow over the coals and watched it with a little more care. It was hard to see how well it was cooking in the dark, but he rotated it over the fire slowly to prevent it from burning. He said, “It has been a long time since I’ve roasted marshmallows over an open fire. I think the last time was when I was six or seven.” “Really?” Patrick asked looking at William surprised. “Well, I had a rather unusual childhood,” William said with a shrug of his shoulders. “You can say that again,” Dale said. He wondered at times how William had managed to turn out as normal as he had. Giving into the temptation of eating roasted marshmallows, he grabbed the bag and started to fix one for himself. It had been years since he had done that. As he worked, he said, “There aren’t many kids who go to college when they are six.” “What can I say?” William asked, not expecting an answer. He pulled his marshmallow out of the fire and in front of his face so that he could inspect it. It was a nice golden brown. The outside had swelled and the inside had melted. With a little care, he removed the marshmallow and ate it. It tasted good. Patrick tried to remember what he had been doing when he was six. All he could remember was watching Saturday morning cartoons dressed in pajamas. He asked, “How does someone even get a chance to go to college when they are six?” For the next hour of the evening, the three of them discussed their individual childhoods. The discussion flowed easily from one to the other. The marshmallows were replaced with a pot of hot chocolate. The pot of hot chocolate disappeared. The fire burned down and the young men went off to their tents to sleep through the night. --- Morning found the three young men standing side by side facing east to watch the sun rise. It was a subdued sunrise, the gray of the horizon slowly turning yellow while the sky above turned blue. A small sliver of the sun peaked over the horizon and the day had officially begun. The air was cold, but not cold enough to see their breaths. Turning away from the sight, William’s stomach announced his hunger with a low growl. Patting it, he said, “I’m hungry.” Dale laughed and said, “Thinking with your stomach this morning?” “You bet,” William answered. Patrick went over to the fire pit and started building a fire. It would take some time for the fire to burn down to coals. While he worked on the fire, Dale prepared a pot for coffee. William dug through the supplies for the bacon and eggs. As the fire began to catch, Patrick asked, “Why don’t you have a Fusion Cell hotplate?” Shrugging his shoulders, William answered, “It is not the same.” “You can say that again,” Dale said in agreement. He set the coffee pot next to the fire and sat back waiting for the fire to produce enough coals to start perking the coffee. “I don’t understand. Your father invented the Fusion Cell, but you don’t seem to use it all that much,” Patrick said. Smiling at the observation, William said, “My father was a minimalist when it came to camping. My other father, Ed, does things the old fashioned way. I guess I was raised to have a kind of old fashioned minimalist approach to camping.” “I’m not talking about camping. I mean … well, it seems to me that you just don’t use technology all that much. When I watch television shows about the lifestyles of the rich and famous, I see their houses have all kinds of gadgets. The doors open automatically, they have robotic vacuum cleaners, and the whole house is computer controlled.” Dale looked over at William interested in how he was going to answer the observation. William shrugged his shoulders and said, “I guess that I don’t see much of a need to cover more than the basics of living. Our house is very modern, but it isn’t a smart house. I don’t see the need to have doors that open themselves or lights that come on automatically.” “It is a big house,” Dale commented. “The house is a home and an office. We have most of the staff living there on the second floor. And the offices are there. The topmost floor is for entertaining, but we really haven’t done that much entertaining since we got here. Your visit with Rose is really the first time that anyone who wasn’t family came to visit us,” William said. “So you live in a huge house designed for entertaining and yet you live like a hermit,” Dale said. “I haven’t been myself,” William commented. Despite the fact that he had gone without his gift for almost a year, he still hadn’t gotten used to living without it. The marshmallow incident the previous night had been one little symptom of that. Patrick looked at William wondering what he was talking about. Dale nodded his head knowingly, but didn’t pursue the topic of discussion. William said, “I’m trying to quit living like a hermit.” “It was a good idea to come out here to hunt rocks,” Dale said with a nod of his head. “I enjoyed it,” Patrick said. He hoped that he would get an invitation to come out here again with the two men. “I wonder how much money the women spent yesterday,” William said. His wife had gone shopping with Rose while they had been rock hunting. “At least Rose isn’t spending my money,” Dale said with a grin. “Knowing Lucy, she paid for everything. You better watch out. I’m pretty sure that she bought some outfits for Rose intended to get you on your knees begging her to be your wife,” William said. “And the downside to that is?” Dale asked. He was seriously considering marrying Rose. “There isn’t one that I can see,” William answered with a grin. In a matter of fact tone of voice, Patrick said, “Girlie cooties.” William and Dale laughed at the comment. It had been years since Dale had heard that term. He asked, “Girlie cooties?” William asked, “What happens when you get girlie cooties?” Patrick grinned while he answered, “They sap your will so that girls can get you to do anything they want.” “He might have a point,” Dale said with a chuckle. “Last year, I caught a bad case of girlie cooties from Mary. That girl had me sitting through horrible movies, buying her flowers, and exhibiting all kinds of strange behaviors. One day I found that I was carrying out the trash at her house because she had asked me to do it. It was horrible,” Patrick said shaking his head. William laughed and asked, “So you are over it?” “Yes.” “And you are looking to catch another case of girlie cooties from a different girl,” Dale said in a teasing voice. “That’s right. That’s the real horror of girlie cooties. You get addicted to them,” Patrick said with a wink.