Message-ID: <44774asstr$1066183805@assm.asstr-mirror.org> X-Original-Message-ID: <20031015005629.9142.qmail@web20502.mail.yahoo.com> From: Lazlo Zalezac <lzalezac@yahoo.com> X-ASSTR-Original-Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 17:56:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: {ASSM} John Carter II 16 (mf mmf ffm ff mm sci-fi) Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 22:10:05 -0400 Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail Approved: <assm@asstr-mirror.org> Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d X-Archived-At: <URL:http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2003/44774> X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> X-Story-Submission: <ckought69@hotmail.com> X-Moderator-ID: hecate, dennyw __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com <1st attachment, "Mesa16.txt" begin> DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If you are offended by sexually explicit material or are under the age of 18, stop reading now. This material cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes without the consent of the author. John Carter By Lazlo Zalezak Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezak, 2003 Part 2: Mantle Of Aries Chapter 16 The afternoon of the wedding was a hot day, but misters placed strategically on the property helped cool the air where people would gather. The invitations had specified casual dress appropriate for hot weather. Those individuals that chose to wear more formal clothes were told that a coat rack for suit coats was available and that simple t-shirts could be picked up to replace long sleeved shirts. Ed stood at the entrance greeting everyone who came to the wedding. John stood next to him with Beth and Kelly by their sides. When Ed did not like the feel of one of the guests he would turn to John and, with exaggerated formality, introduce the guest to John. This was the clue to the security guards to watch that individual closely throughout the afternoon. Rover and Shadow sat behind John. If they growled at someone, the individual was discretely taken to a remote area for drinks and food. After everyone arrived, those guests were quietly removed from the property. Buses carried guests from the hotels John had reserved. The arrival times of buses were staggered so that no one would have to stand in a long line to enter the property. The personal greetings at the entryway may have slowed entry to the gala event, but it also made everyone feel welcome. Guests were led in small groups to the booths where soda, tea, coffee and water were available. People were told that it was expected that everyone would always have a drink in their hand to prevent excessive water loss. Different bands were scattered about the property. There was a rock and roll group, a jazz band, a country and western group, a classical quartet, a swing band, and the two impersonators of Elvis and Frank Sinatra. People gravitated to the locations where a band played their favorite type of music. Portable toilets were set up discretely around the property. Separate wash basins were in areas that were more public so that those eating ribs and other messy foods could wash their hands. A children's' play area had been set up near the center of the festival. It was staffed with babysitters, playground supervisors, and a private nurse to take care of any bumps or bruises that might occur. There were swings, slides, toy houses, and water slides. Little houses were scattered throughout with lots of toys inside. Only a child could dream of heaven such as this play area represented. To one side of the property was a long line of tents, the site occupied by others that wore the medallion. The medallion holders mingled easily with others at the party, enthralling listeners with tales of their travels and adventures. They made unlikely introductions among other guests, introductions that turned into long lasting friendships or love bonds. Three hours had been set aside for the guests to arrive. At the end of that time, John and Ed closed the gate to the property. The four made their way to the house to quickly shower and change into their wedding clothes. During that time, security people gathered the far-flung guests and then lead them to an area in front of a small stage. The platform contained a small table with a number of objects hidden from view by a simple cloth covering. When most of the people had gathered in front of the stage, Mary Darling explained the wedding ritual they were about to observe. She described the symbolism of the various phases of the ceremony. She identified where the audience was to participate and what they were to do. Her description captured the imaginations of the people gathered there. She brought to life a time when nature ruled the destiny of men rather than stock market analysts. Finally, it was time for the ceremony to begin. A path through the crowd led from the house to the platform. Ed walked the path alone wearing a black robe. When he reached the platform, Kelly walked the path alone wearing a white robe. She was followed by John who wore a gray robe. Finally, Beth made the journey alone in a white robe. They joined hands on the platform. Four individuals had joined to become one. Mary, using a sword, marked a circle around the platform. As the circle was closed, she shouted, "Be gone negative energies." She went around that circle using the sword to mark it a second time. As the second circle was closed, she shouted, "Protect us from negative energies." She went around that circle using the sword to mark it a third time. As the third circle was closed, she shouted, "Make us invisible to those that mean us harm." The area in which the participants in the ceremony stood was now warded against evil and, as such, it had become holy ground. Mary returned to the small table in the center of the platform and removed the cloth covering the items laid upon it. She set the sword on the table behind a large jar of wine. She picked up the wine and held to up to the sky. She called out, "Gods and Goddesses, bless this wine." Setting the jar of wine on the table, she turned to the four gathered in front of her. She asked, "Do you swear before the Gods and Goddesses that you enter into this union of your own free will?" All four of them answered, "Yes." Mary turned to the assembled guests, "Are you willing to swear by the deity that you hold most holy that all have answered yes to this question?" The crowd answered yes in a great roar. Mary nodded, "Then no person may question the decision to be in this marriage!" She asked, "Do you swear before the Gods and Goddesses that you enter into this union to love and be loved?" All four of them answered, "Yes." Mary turned to the assembled guests, "Are you willing to swear by the deity that you hold most holy that all have answered yes to this question?" The crowd answered yes in a greater roar than before. Mary smiled, "Then no person may question the motives behind this marriage!" She then took a silver goblet and poured a small amount of wine into it. She picked up a knife from the table. She held the knife and goblet up in the air for all to see. She stepped to Ed asking him to hold out his hand. Holding the goblet beneath his hand, she jabbed a fingertip with the knife. A few drops of blood ran out of the cut into the goblet below. She then went to Kelly and repeated the process with her. Kelly looked at the cut with disdain, there were better ways to get blood from someone. Mary repeated the process with John and then Beth. The goblet now contained a mixture of wine and the blood from all four of them. Mary returned to the table and poured the wine-blood mixture into the jar from the goblet. She mixed the contents of the wine jar by swirling it around. She then poured a little wine into the goblet from the wine jar. She held up the goblet for all to see. She stated to them, "By drinking the wine in this goblet, you will bind yourself to your mates for a period of one year." She passed the goblet to Ed. Ed took a sip of the wine and swallowed. He handed the goblet back to Mary. Mary went to Kelly and handed the goblet to her. Kelly took a sip of the wine and handed the goblet back to Mary. Kelly smiled at Ed as she swallowed the wine. She could feel a closeness to him that was new. He looked at her as the same feeling entered him. It was then John's turn. As he took his sip, he felt an amazing closeness to Ed and Kelly. They turned to look at him with a glow in their eyes. Mary took the goblet to Beth. Beth took a sip that emptied the goblet. Upon swallowing the wine, it was as if an electric jolt passed through all four. Mary placed the goblet upon the table and waited until the attention of the four returned to her. She stated, "Each year, on the anniversary of this date, you will fill this goblet with the wine from this jug. You renew your joining for another year by taking a sip of wine." She capped the jar of wine and handed it to Ed. Ed held it carefully and gently as if it was a newborn baby. She handed the goblet to Kelly. She stated, "If a person chooses not to renew their role in the joining, then they need not drink of the wine. The others can continue by drinking the wine." She turned to the people gathered, "They are now wed according to our tradition. The duration of their marriage is one year and can be renewed from year to year. Life long commitments stop being acts of love and sharing. Instead, they become duties performed under obligation. Marriage should be based on love and not obligation." She shouted in joy, "Say hello to the clan Carter!" The audience shouted hellos and congratulations. Mary returned to the table and picked up the sword. Traversing the circle three times in the opposite direction, she erased the boundary that had made this sacred ground. Together, the four went to the house to spend a few minutes together. In the house, Kelly turned to the others, "That was so intense!" Beth was glowing, "My goodness, I had dreamed of a normal marriage ceremony with the white dress, the church, the rice, and all that stuff. I'll never regret having this one instead." "We got to wear white!" John laughed, "You wore white because you are not yet an initiate. I wore gray because I serve the Gods and the Goddesses. Ed wore black because he serves the Two-sided One. Those that serve the God wear Red while those that serve the Goddess wear Green. Initiates wear blue." Ed asked, "You aren't the first one to wear gray?" John stated, "Mary added gray to the colors to handle just this case." Kelly gushed, "I love all of you so much that I can hardly stand it." John smiled, "We shared our souls with each other today. That is the true wellspring of love." Ed laughed, "I feel as though I will never be alone again." Beth, with tears of joy in her eyes, stated, "We are truly one now." "Now we must change clothes and mingle with our guests. If I may make a suggestion, Ed. You may want to talk with the others who wear the medallion. You are the only servant of the Two-sided One present today. The other is a seer and has avoided me since the first time we met. I believe that he has a prophecy that I am not to hear until the time is right." They changed their clothes and headed outdoors to chat with guests. The four split to be able to handle more guests at the same time. John went to the area where the swing band was playing. He expected to meet Mrs. South and her boyfriend over in that area. Ed went to where the country and western music was playing. He thought that the majority of townspeople would be there. Kelly headed towards the rock and roll band to talk with some of the younger attendees. Beth went in the direction of the Jazz band. As John wandered over to the Swing Band, he looked at the faces of people. The majority of them were having a great time. Once the ceremony had ended, the food was served. People were seated around tables eating all kinds of food. John stood in the line with the Bar-B-Que to get a steak, baked sweet potato and corn on the cob. When it was his turn to get served, he was surprised by the sudden appearance of Rover rubbing his leg. He reached down and scratched the cat behind the ears. The server, not knowing John, asked, "What would you like, sir?" John answered with a smile, "I'll have a medium-rare steak and two raw steaks for my friend here." The man was about to argue, but then glanced down and saw Rover. He gulped, "Yes, sir. One medium-rare and two raw." He fetched two plates. On one, he put the medium-rare steak. On the other, he put the two raw steaks. John took them both and headed over to where the vegetables were being served. One of the townspeople saw him struggling as he tried to hold two plates and put food on one of them. The man came over and helped John out by dishing out the vegetables on his plate. John thanked him and headed over to one of the tables. He saw Mrs. South, Mr. Jensen, Beth's parents, and Sherry seated together. He changed course and joined them at their table. John set his plate down on the table. He then bent down and set the plate with two raw steaks on the ground. Rover went to the plate, picked up a steak and trotted off to eat it in private. John seated himself at the table, "Hello everyone. I'm so glad you could make it here." Mr. Jensen answered, "We wouldn't have missed it for the world. Vicki's been so excited that she didn't even think about sex this morning." Mrs. South laughed, "What do you mean? I woke you with a blowjob this morning." "And why were we on time? You didn't want a nooner coming down here!" John looked over at Beth's parents. Their faces showed a little shock at the discussion between the two. He greeted them, "Hello, Dr. and Mrs. Hayes. I hope you found the room comfortable." Mrs. Hayes responded, "Oh yes, it was quite comfortable. I can't believe it is for the staff. It is very spacious." Dr. Hayes added, "That house must have cost a fortune." John shrugged as he stated, "Your daughter deserves the best. I could do no less than that." Mrs. Hayes leaned forward, "I have never seen my daughter this happy. She loves you a lot. I have to know, do you love her too?" John answered, "Your daughter is one of the two most loved women in the world. She has two husbands that love and adore her. She has a wife that loves her very much." Dr. Hayes sat back with narrowed eyes, "Who is the other most loved woman?" John smiled. "Our wife, Kelly. Believe me when I say that Beth loves Kelly as much as she loves me and Ed." "I just don't quite understand that." Sherry answered, "Love is giving and not taking. Those four know how to give more than any other people I've ever met. None of the people here is solely a business partner. They are all friends. Think of it, a thousand friends, many of whom were willing to travel to be here. They love each other with a depth that is awe inspiring." Dr. Hayes examined Sherry. Unlike many men, he saw through her physical characteristics to the woman beneath. He could tell that she was an objective observer that was telling it as she saw it. Mrs. South stated, "I think you need to spend a little time with John alone. He rented a room from me for several years and I got to know him well. He is the most unusual man that I've met in my whole life. Believe me when I say that. I've met many men in my time. John sees the essential nature of the people around him." At that moment, Harry, the EMS man from Austin, arrived at the table. He shouted, "Hey Hero! That was such a lovely ceremony. I must say you've picked quite a nice family." John smiled and shook his head. He stated, "Harry, if you want to give me a wedding present, you'll start calling me John!" "Sorry Hero. Calling you John would just seem disrespectful." John said with a laugh, "Okay. I'd like you to meet Mrs. South and Mr. Jensen. They both live in Austin. She was my landlord. The other couple there is Dr. and Mrs. Hayes. They are Beth's parents. The lovely lady there is Sherry. Everyone, this is Harry." John was bumped from behind. He looked back and he saw that Shadow was behind him. Shadow picked up the second raw steak and trotted off with it. John looked around and saw that Rover was back to walking the edge of the property. Apparently, the cats were taking turns eating. He then noticed that the bear and the wolf were also walking the property line. Looking again at Shadow reminded John of the food on his plate and he dug in as Harry started telling tales about John. John, for his part, concentrated on eating. Occasionally, he would look up and tell everyone that Harry was exaggerating again. Mrs. South undermined his efforts and would chime in with other details about this adventure or that adventure. He looked over at Dr. Hayes, when Harry told the story about his being burnt and Mrs. South added more details about his activities in the burn unit. Dr. Hayes was looking at John in a different way than before. It took a minute for John to remember that he was a doctor and knew what a burn ward was like. Dr. Hayes asked, "John, is it true that you read to the children in the burn ward every weekend when you were in Austin?" "Yes, for the most part. Look, they're children. It doesn't matter what they look like. They are children and like things that other children like. If I read them a story or play Hunt The Bug Eyed Monsters with them, they get to feel like children again. They laugh, giggle, and smile like every other child. A wonderful man, who is here I believe, took over for me. He reads to them every morning. He's special because he does it for them." Dr. Hayes stated, "I'm impressed. If nothing else convinces me you are a good man, that does." John shook his head, "Don't be impressed. I was in the right place at the right. Thousands of other people would have done the same." John looked down at his plate and realized that he had eaten everything on it. He looked up. "I guess I had better mingle some more. We've got close to a thousand guests here and I would like to say a few words with everyone." Everyone stated his or her good byes. Beth's parents said they would see him tonight after everything was over. They were staying in the house for the week so that everyone could meet everyone else. John walked away waving to them as he left. Harry continued to talk about John. John ran into many people from town as he walked around. The majority of them wished him well in his marriage. A few were having problems understanding how four people could love each other. He answered their questions to the best of his ability. He told them that they didn't have to accept the marriage, but he hoped they would continue to respect the individuals within it. He suggested that every person coped with the hardships of life the best that they could. The four of them found this would allow them to cope. One guest, followed closely by a security person, saw John and headed straight for him. He stated, "You're so rich that you think you can get away with anything. You're wrong. What you're doing with this marriage is sick! When you die, you are going straight to hell." John got a very serious look on his face. He replied, "I have died twice." The man reeled back, "Huh?" "Yes, I have died twice. The first time was ten years ago and the last time was a year ago. If you are interested, I will tell a little secret that I learned when I died." "I'm interested." "The difference between going to heaven and hell is knowing how to love. If you know how to love and love the people around you, then you will get into heaven. Anything less than that will lead you straight to hell. You do not have to take that on faith, it is fact." John paused, "I tell you this because there are people that want to love you and you are blind to it. You shall see them when you learn to give of yourself. When you can do that, heaven is all yours." John walked away leaving the man staring at his back. John knew the man and was aware of how lonely his life had been. He greeted the world with hostility as a way to protect himself from being hurt. John did not know what event in the guys early life had hurt him so much, but the man had shut himself off from all happiness. John continued to walk around. He was near the classical quartet when he noticed Mary, the young girl that he had saved from a fire, sitting alone. He could see that she was lonely and used her scars to prevent people from getting too close. He approached her and sat down next to her. "Wonderful music isn't it?" "Oh, yes. I guess it is odd for a girl my age to enjoy classical music, but I do," replied Mary. She had spent the past few years learning to play the piano. Since her teacher was classically trained, she had forced the same kind of music upon Mary. Rather than resenting it, Mary had come to appreciate it. John was wondering how to introduce Mary to people that would see the inner person when Rover joined them. He introduced Mary to Rover. Mary was amazed to be able to pet such a big cat. They chatted a little while before John suggested, "Rover seems to like you a lot. Why don't you go with him and introduce yourself to some of his friends?" Mary looked at John as if he were crazy. "He's going to take me around to people?" John smiled at Mary. "He has very discerning taste in people. If he takes you to a person, then you know they have a good soul." "Really?" "Yes, really. Just remember that not all scars are on the outside. Some have been wounded as deeply as you. If you get past their pain, you will find a heart bursting with the desire to love. Just as a person that gets past your scars finds a heart that desires to love and be loved." "I will go with Rover." Mary, tired of being alone, followed Rover away from where she had been seated. John watched the pair walk away. Rover was leading her to the swing area. He guessed that Rover was taking her to met Sherry. There were times when Rover really amazed him and this was one of those times. John wandered around the grounds chatting with people that he knew while introducing himself to those he didn't know. Most of the people that he didn't know were childhood friends of Kelly or Beth, colleagues of Ed, and relatives of the other three. He met Kelly's parents for the first time. They were hippies in the '60s and lived in a commune when Kelly was eight. Her desire for a group marriage was fueled by the time spent living in the commune. As a child, it had been a very happy time having adults and kids around that were always willing to play. His conversation with Kelly's parents was cut short by a loud roar from the side of the property. He recognized it as the roar of an enraged grizzly and he knew that meant Smoky had found someone entering the property without invitation. He ran over to where the bear stood over a man prostrate on the ground. The bear would occasionally growl at the man, who shook in fear. John walked up to the scene and examined the man. There was a gun on the ground next to him. John knelt down, "Should I let the bear kill you?" The guy was too scared to answer. He shook and cried at the sight of the bear standing over him. One of the security guards arrived. John shook his head, "I should let the bear kill you, but I'll let you live." The security guard looked down and put handcuffs on the man. He led the man away to a holding area that had been set up for that purpose. As the guard left, John became aware of the growling of a large cat. He headed off in that direction. He came around the side of the house in time to see one of the guards handcuffing another individual. Rover sat nearby watching the man being subdued. John looked around the area to see where Shadow and Moony were. He quickly found Moony trotting along the back of the property. That meant Shadow must have been in the front. He ran around to the front of the house and saw a black shape lying on the ground. He ran to the shape and knelt down beside it. A tranquilizer dart was sticking in the shoulder of the big cat. John pulled the dart out and checked the cat. He swore, as that meant one other man had breached their security. He called for security guards and three of them came running. Ed was with them. John looked at Ed, "He's not dead. Let's get him in the house." Ed looked around, "Where did the guy go that did this?" "I don't know," replied John. He pointed to one of the security guards, "get the word out that we have an intruder." The three men then struggled to carry Shadow to the house. Carrying a 180-pound drugged cat is not as easy as it sounds. At the door, John stopped and signaled that they should set the cat down. John and Ed approached the front door and noticed that it was slightly open. They charged in and fell to the floor as their feet flew out from under them. The floor was covered in blood and it was that which had caused them to fall. Tiger was sitting next to them calmly cleaning his paws. The intruder was dead on the floor. John looked at Tiger, "You did a good job, Tiger." Ed told the security guard to get the police chief as quickly as possible. Within a minute, three of the local policemen had arrived. They were followed by Ann, from the FBI. Everyone stood around the body. There wasn't any doubt as to the cause of death, Tiger had ripped the guys throat out. The fact that they found two guns on the man suggested that he didn't have the best intentions. John and Ed carried Shadow into the house. Tiger went and sat next to the big cat watching it carefully. They double-checked the cat to make sure that it was all right. They couldn't do much, except let it sleep. Robert White Feather entered the room and looked at the body. He walked around the room carefully looking at all of the details. He knelt down next to the body and examined it for a minute. He looked up, "He picked the lock and entered. The cat was above and pounced down on him. Once the man was down, the cat bit through his neck. Very clean kill." Robert stood up. The police chief turned to John, "I see no reason to press charges against the cat. We'll take a few pictures and then get the body out of here. I'll let you know when you can clean up the blood." John looked at Ed and the police chief, "We captured two others alive as they crossed into the property. We have them in the holding area. I suggest that the three of us go over there and question them." The questioning went on for about an hour. Ed knew when the men were lying and when they were telling the truth. The truth boiled down to the fact that three men had been hired by a Hispanic man to kill John. The arrangements had been made by an intermediary. The only surprising fact was that all three men were Russian. John and Ed returned to the house and quickly cleaned up the blood. They changed their clothes and returned to the front of the house to examine it one more time. Robert was standing there. He turned to John, "Grandfather would like to meet you some time." John turned to Robert with a raised eyebrow, "Is he in a hurry?" "No." John stated, "We will meet." Robert shrugged, "Should I tell him when you'll come?" John replied, "I'll be there when I get there." Robert looked at John and nodded. He walked off thinking to himself that John was not like any other white man he had encountered. Most would tell him they would be there a week from Thursday at two in the afternoon. John replied like a fellow member of his tribe. It was odd. John and Ed returned to the party after checking on Shadow and locking the front door. It was getting dark and the lights were turned on. John wandered around the party, and was pleased when he spotted Mary. She was sitting with Sidney and the man that had harassed him earlier. He was happy to see her smiling and laughing with the two men. Her scars appeared to have been forgotten for the moment. John joined them after grabbing an iced tea and a plate of tacos. The man at the table extended a hand, "I'm Edward. I have to apologize about what I said to you earlier." John shook his head, "No need to apologize for stating what you think. I was not offended." Mary asked, "Edward, did you argue with John?" "Yes, I did." Mary stated, "He must cheat because he never looses an argument." Sidney argued, "He might never lose because he only argues when he knows the right answer." Mary answered with a laugh, "Well, he sure had me pegged the first time I met him after getting burned. In fact, he was right today. I've been here for a couple of hours talking and Sidney never noticed my scars." "I'm blind," answered Sidney. "Really?" asked Edward. He added, "I guess that explains Missy." Sidney laughed and shook his head. "I wondered if you thought Missy was the blind one and I was doing the leading." John interjected, "It sounds to me like you are getting along fine." Mary put a hand on John's arm and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I'm doing great. They've both asked me out. We're going on a double date - those two and me. Thank you John." John patted her hand. He whispered back in a joking manner, "You're quite welcome Mary. Find another girl and you'll have a family just like me." Mary sat back with a speculative look in her eye. John noticed the direction in which her thoughts ran and leaned towards her, "You see that man over there with the strange hat? He's a finder. You might talk to him and see if he can find what you need." <1st attachment end> ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ Notice: This post has been modified from its original format. The post was sent as an email attachment and has been converted by ASSTR ASSM moderation software. ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ -- Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | alt.sex.stories.moderated ------ send stories to: <ckought69@hotmail.com>| | FAQ: <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/faq.html> Moderators: <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |ASSM Archive at <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org> Hosted by <http://www.asstr-mirror.org> | |Discuss this story and others in alt.sex.stories.d; look for subject {ASSD}| +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+