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From: Lazlo Zalezac <lzalezac@yahoo.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} John Carter III 10 (mf mmf ffm ff mm sci-fi)
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 16:10:07 -0500
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<1st attachment, "Crossroad10.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 3: Robes of Acumen
Chapter 10
The funeral had been a very private affair. It had been held in a
small chapel in the Arizona town they called home. The body had
been laid to rest in a small corner of the local graveyard. Beth's
mother and the Carter Clan were the only ones in attendance. The
rest of the town respected their wishes and did not attend.
The public memorial service would be held when her father left the
hospital. The entire town would be invited as well as her
colleagues from the hospital. In the mean time, Ling, Ed, and Mrs.
Hayes had returned to California to take care of Dr. Hayes. Beth
had returned to work, but her heart wasn't in it. John took care of
the family business and continued to pursue the establishment of
the Druid College.
He was sitting at the desk in the office upstairs from his bedroom.
The desk was neat with little stacks of papers in neatly arranged
bins. He pulled down one stack of papers from one bin and went
through the papers one at a time. They listed the candidates for
faculty search. He had reduced the number of candidates down to
three. It was about time to interview them and measure their
interest.
He was about to pick up the telephone when the intercom rang. He
answered the intercom. Cathy stated, "John, Maria was just on the
phone and was asking about rescheduling her visit."
John asked, "What visit?"
Cathy replied, "Your stud duties to the women that have deep and
endearing crushes on you."
John laughed and said, "Oh, that visit. Check with Kelly and see if
she is up to it."
"Okay, I'll do that," replied Cathy and then she disconnected.
John made his telephone calls, contacting the candidates. All of
them were surprised at having been contacted. One refused
outright. The other two were intrigued by the idea. One was from
the Virginia Military Institute and the other was from MIT. He was
going to meet with them in a month.
He replaced the papers in their appropriate slot. He went to the
next slot and examined the papers within it. These dealt with the
revenues from his fusion cell. He examined the papers dealing with
handing the money over to the Fusion Foundation. He was about to
sign the form that would turn over all of the money and sat back
wondering if he was doing the right thing. He picked up the
telephone and contacted Jim. When Jim answered, John stated,
"Jim, I would like to change the terms on the fusion cell moneys.
Let's make it 65% to the Fusion Foundation, 10% to the Native
American College, and 25% to the Druid College."
Jim thought about it. He said, "That will dilute your influence over
the Druid College."
John replied, "No. I'm the Grand Druid. That is sufficient
influence."
Jim replied, "Okay, I'll put the paperwork together and get it to you
tomorrow."
John answered, "Thanks. By the way, is there any chance of you
and Sherry coming over for a weekend?"
Jim answered, "We're waiting for Ed to get back. Sherry has
decided that it is time for her and Ed to have a little horizontal
negotiations."
John laughed and asked "Is that your description or hers?"
Jim laughed while he answered, "She said that it was time for her
to jump his bones."
John said, "That sounds more like Sherry."
Jim got serious for a second. "I don't think she trusts that the
changes are permanent yet. She won't believe it until she sees him
working to make sure that she is totally satisfied."
John replied, "That's okay. I don't think Ed has forgiven himself
yet. This might be the opportunity for long-term peace to be
established."
Jim seriously suggested, "I hope so."
After exchanging appropriate good-byes, they hung up. John
replaced the stack of papers into the appropriate bin. He went to
the next bin and pulled out the stack of papers within it. These
dealt with his quarterly tax filing. He looked at the bottom and saw
how much he had to pay. He checked the form carefully, but
realized that he didn't know enough to critique the information on
the form. He picked up the telephone and called the local tax
office. He made arrangements for an IRS agent to come over and
double check the return as though it were an audit. The stack of
papers went back into the bin.
He sat back knowing that his paperwork morning had ended. He
hated this, but until he could hand some of this work to an
appropriate person, he was stuck with it. They were still short of
staff and had been for a year. Marguerite was still the chef, Cathy
was running the office, Sarah was providing maid service, Greg
was providing security, and Bob was still the handyman. They still
needed an assistant for Cathy as the amount of work was
overwhelming.
John was surprised at how much he missed having Ed and Ling
around the house. Kelly and he had slept together almost every
night, but he missed Ling's touch and his evening conversations
with Ed. Kelly was often tired at night and missed Ling more than
he. Every one missed Beth; she had been such an integral part of
the household.
Tonight was Wednesday and the tribal elders would be meeting.
He called the security center looking for Greg, but he wasn't there.
He tried the garage, but there was no answer from there. He finally
contacted the office connecting with Cathy. She answered,
"Hello?"
"Hi Cathy, this is John."
"What can I do for you?"
"I'm trying to locate Greg. I need him to pick up two cartoons of
cigarettes for my trip to the reservation tonight."
Cathy replied, "He's meeting with the Police Chief about some
security details. I'll call him on his cell phone and give him the
message."
John asked, "He has a cell phone?"
Cathy laughed as she answered, "Everyone has a cell phone except
you."
"Oh."
She asked, "Do you want one?"
"I don't know. Do I need one?"
There was a hesitation for second. "I would like to answer yes to
that question."
"Then I guess I'll get one."
He disconnected wondering how he had missed noticing that
everyone had a cell-phone. He felt that he was missing major
changes in the world around him. He wondered if it was time that
he went into a major urban area and worked there for a while. He
was still teaching one class a semester in Phoenix, but he didn't
spend much time in the town. He picked up the telephone and
called the head of the physics department. He told them he
wouldn't be teaching a course next semester, but would return the
semester after that. They weren't happy about it, but there wasn't
too much they could do.
John approached the simple building well after dark. He could hear
the discussions taking place within the building. He was stopped at
the main door by a man guarding it. He was not friendly. John
greeted the man, "Hello. I am here to meet with the tribal elders."
The man replied, "The tribal elders do not deal with white men."
John smiled, "Would you mind asking them if I may talk to them?"
"Look Mr. Indian-wanna-be, we don't want to be bothered by you
or your kind."
John smiled, "That is an admirable sentiment. I am sure that
William Redman will agree with you."
The use of William's name surprised the man. William never dealt
with white men. The man replied, "William doesn't talk to white
men."
John looked at the man carefully in the light. He realized that he
knew the man. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of
cigarettes. He offered the pack to the man. He stated, "It has been a
long time since I've seen you Awa Tsireh. The last time you were
watching a flock of sheep."
The man took the pack and removed a cigarette. This man knowing
his true name shocked him. He lit the cigarette and handed the
pack back to John. He asked, "Who are you?"
"John Carter."
The day he had met the white man with the cat in the desert came
rushing back to him. He remembered sending the man to meet
William Redman. He stated, "wait here, John Carter."
The man went inside for a minute. He returned quickly. He asked,
"What is your business here?"
John replied, "I have come seeking the benefits of their wisdom."
He nodded. "They will see you last."
"Thank you," replied John. He looked at the man for a moment.
"You don't like whites coming here."
"That's right."
"Why?" asked John.
The man stared at him. He wondered if an honest answer would
upset John. He stated, "They come here to steal from us."
"That is a good reason not to trust whites. However, keeping
whites away won't protect you and may hurt you in the long run."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, you try to keep the whites away like that and the ones that
want to help will not come here. The ones that want to steal will
just find another way in." replied John.
"So what do you suggest?" He was actually curious as to what
John was going to say.
"Your tribe needs lawyers that will protect the tribe."
Awa Tsireh burst out laughing. He shook his head, "You white
men. Who do you think we need protection from?"
"I didn't say you should hire lawyers. I said your tribe needs
lawyers."
The man looked at John with a very critical eye. He challenged,
"Who?"
John smiled, "Oh, I would suggest warriors that enjoy a good
battle. I would recommend men and women such as you. If you are
to fight the white man, then you must learn to use their weapons
against them. You would be good at it."
Awa Tsireh looked thoughtful. The issue always came down to
money. He stated, "How will I pay for a law school degree?"
John looked at him. "I would talk to William Redman about it.
You might be surprised at what he has to say. There is money for
that."
The door opened as a number of people left the meeting hall. The
last one out stated, "You may go in now."
John went into the cinder-block building. It was a general-purpose
building. The room the elders were in doubled as a basketball
court. The elders sat at a table across the front of the room. John
stepped forward and set two cartoons of cigarettes on the table. He
went back to the middle of the room and stood facing them. They
watched him for several minutes, but John just waited. Finally, one
of the men asked, "Why have you come, John Carter?"
John looked at each person for a second and then answered, "I
have come for your advice."
There was a moment of silence. Finally, William Redman asked,
"What kind of advice could our friend John Carter want from us?"
John looked at William Redman, "A young woman has offered
herself to me on behalf of your tribe."
John paused. William replied, "That is true."
"Many in the tribe disagree with this action on her part."
"That is true, also."
John nodded and thought about it. He stated, "I want to avoid
problems between your tribe and my clan."
William asked, "Why do you think there will be problems?"
John waited a minute before answering, "Discontent on the part of
the tribe does not bode well for relations with the Carter clan."
The elders talked amongst themselves for a moment. John watched
as they discussed the matter. He was patient. Finally, William
stated, "You have made a good observation."
John nodded. "I have made another observation. The young
woman desires this more than the tribe."
This time, the talk among the elders was much more animated.
John could tell that he had hit upon a truth that was already
recognized among the elders. "So what are you suggesting John
Carter?"
"The woman offered herself to me on behalf of the tribe. The tribe
did not offer her to me. The tribe is still free to offer me anything
that will maintain peaceful relations."
William grinned as he asked, "Such as?"
John thought about it for a long time and then said, "Perhaps a
handcrafted gift worked upon by those members of the tribe that
wish to extend a thanks."
An old woman stated, "You can buy anything you want."
John laughed. "I can buy things. I can not buy the goodwill that
goes into its making. That is priceless."
The woman cackled, "Oh, William. You are so right about this
John Carter."
William smiled, "So what about the young woman?"
"That is where I need your advice."
The old men around the table laughed. One of them stated, "You
are not the first brave that needs advice when dealing with a
woman."
The old woman made a gesture and everyone quieted down. She
asked, "Do you have an idea?"
John stated, "I would like to ask her for a date in public, where it is
clear that the request is coming from me and that she has a choice
to accept or not."
"We need to discuss this among ourselves." The elders talked
among themselves for quite a while. John waited patiently as the
discussion progressed. The minutes stretched into half an hour.
John understood that he had brought them a difficult problem.
Finally, the elders all nodded and turned to face John. William
stated, "Four weeks from tonight, you will come here. We shall
present a gift such as you suggested. There shall be a celebration
after the gift has been given. During that celebration, you will
publicly ask me for permission to date the young lady. I shall give
my permission. Sarah can give you background on how to ask."
John stated, "It is a wise choice."
William stated, "It is a wise man that goes to others for advice and
listens to it. You have allowed us to resolve a general tension in the
tribe while allowing a young lady that is afraid of following her
heart to do as her heart directs."
John smiled, "Thank you for your time. I appreciate the effort you
have put into this problem of mine. May I also inform you of one
other minor matter?"
William sat back, somewhat irritated. He didn't like it when a
person stated that they needed one thing and then asked for two.
"What?"
John smiled, "This afternoon, I signed papers giving 10% of the
royalties for my latest invention to the Native American College."
William asked, "May I know the nature of the invention?"
John nodded, "Yes. It is a AAA battery based on the fusion well. It
shall make lots of money."
The old woman sat back suspicious of his motivation, "What do
you want from this?"
"Nothing. The money belongs to the college. I mention it now so
that you may consider ways to use the money." John turned to
leave.
William called out, "John Carter, you do all these things for our
people and ask nothing in return. Why?"
John answered, "I do it for all those who know the ways of the
Earth Spirit. I serve the Gods and Goddesses. Our goals are the
same, but our methods differ. It is time for us to grow stronger so
that the earth can be healed. If we don't get strong enough, then all
our people shall die out."
The council of elders was quite for a long time. Finally, one of
them stated, "The tribal traditions have almost died out. They are
only now coming back."
John nodded. "This is the first time in eight hundred years that
there has been a Grand Druid. We have tripled in strength over the
past fifteen years."
John stared into the distance as though here were looking at
something far away. "The last time I went to Los Angeles, the sky
was clear and blue. The air smelled almost as good as it smells
here. There was a time when I couldn't breath there because the air
was so bad."
"Cars now run on fusion rather than petroleum. They have stopped
strip mining worldwide because they no longer need coal. Acid
rain has stopped falling. The forests are returning. Rivers are
running cleaner. The seasons are returning to normal."
"Life is better now for people all over the world. Even the most
remote location now has access to safe and clean power.
Refrigeration has made food safer. Telephone poles and power
lines are disappearing. Goods are cheaper as the energy required to
produce them costs nearly nothing."
John continued to stare off into space. "There is much that is good
happening now. We must teach them to nurture the earth so that it
can recover. We need the swamps, the rivers, the forests, the great
plains, and the deserts."
John stood silent, leaning upon his walking stick. He saw all the
problems that remained to be fixed. There was still so much to do.
The minutes passed as he continued to look into the distance.
Finally, he came back to the room and looked at the council of
elders. He smiled. "Sorry, I got lost for a minute."
William stated, "It is late and time for you to go home. Your
family is waiting for you."
John nodded. "Once again, I thank you for your help. May your
paths be long and pleasant."
John left as the council watched him leave. When he had left the
room, William turned to his wife and stated, "He's an interesting
one."
"You are right about him."
One of the others laughed, "Linda will make a good wife for him."
William asked, "Should we tell her what was decided tonight?"
"No. We must decide on a gift and then isolate her from the rest of
the tribe," stated one of the old women. "She will try to find some
way to force things to her way."
William's wife stated, "Do not worry about her. It is time she
learned the old ways. I will take her to the cave in the hills."
Awa Tsireh entered the room. He stated, "grandfathers and
grandmothers, I have talked to John Carter. He knows I do not trust
the whites."
William looked up at him with curiosity. He asked, "What did he
say to that?"
Awa Tsireh replied, "That I need to learn to fight the white man
more effectively. He suggested I become a lawyer."
"He did?"
"Yes, he did."
The old woman asked, "What about money?"
"When I asked about money, he told me to talk to William
Redman."
William laughed. He now understood why John had told him about
the money. He was hoping that William would find a way to use it
to help people pursuing degrees not offered by the college. He was
a tricky one, that John Carter. He stated, "The money will be
arranged."
John drove home happy that things had worked out so well. He had
cemented a bond that had almost been broken. Tomorrow would
be another long day. He was to teach tomorrow for three hours. He
would also stop by the FBI office and see Ann. She had invited
them for dinner a long time ago. His family had gone to her house
while he was away for the funeral of Mrs. South. She had extended
a second invitation, but the death of Beth and the long-term stay in
LA of Ed and Ling had delayed it past the point of embarrassment.
He pulled up to the house and parked in the garage. He went to
enter through the garage entrance, but several bats flew around the
door. He almost forced the issue, but decided they were warning
him somehow. He started for the front door, but the bats moved to
intercept him. He turned and went to the back door that was rarely
used. The bats did not interfere this time.
The house was dark and quiet when he entered. He hit the light
switch, but nothing happened. His senses went into overdrive as
his medallion seemed to burn on his chest. There was no way the
entire house should be dark. There were five different fusion
batteries powering it. He drew his cloak around him tighter and
held his walking stick in a position that was ready to use.
He slowly crept into the house listening for any sound that would
suggest a threat. There was complete silence. The harder he tried to
listen, the louder the sound of his heartbeat rang in his ears. He
took three deep breaths attempting to calm down and get control of
his nerves. He moved further into the room. He could hear
breathing coming from the dining room. He moved towards the
door to dining room and could see the people tied to the chair. He
examined the layout of the room. If he went to the dining room, he
would be silhouetted for a moment. It was a perfect ambush spot.
He concentrated on the upstairs. He could hear minor noises
coming from there. He relaxed knowing where at least one assassin
stood. He slowly moved to the stairs on the other side of the room.
He climbed the stairs, standing as close to the wall as possible to
prevent the stairs for squeaking. When he made it to the top of the
stairs, he stopped and listened. He almost swore aloud when he
heard breathing from the guestroom at the top of the stairs. He
listened carefully trying to figure out how many people were in the
room. There were at least four men in the room. In his minds eye,
he could almost see them.
He had to figure out what to do. He decided that it would be best to
wait. He had tremendous patience and could outwait them. He
stood there frozen on the stairs for ten minutes. He could hear the
people shifting around in the room. At last one of the men walked
away from the door and sat on the bed. He waited some more.
Finally, one of them whispered, "I don't think he's in here."
The one at the end of the hall whispered back, "Shut up."
John smiled. He didn't recognize the voices, but the one at the end
of the hall was definitely a Hispanic man. He could hear the ones
in the guestroom whisper to each other. They were getting tired of
waiting. Two more of them moved to the bed and sat down. There
was only one at the door now. John held up his walking stick and
with one quick thrust, rammed it into the guys neck, crushing the
larynx. He went down like a log. One of the men in the room went
to the door to investigate. He knelt down only to get the walking
stick across the back of his neck.
John moved down the stairs. The group in the room realized that
something was wrong and went to investigate. Now there was no
attempt to be quiet. One of them shouted, "He killed them!"
The one at the other end of the hall came down to where the
excitement was. John moved quickly to the other stairs and
climbed up. He positioned himself in the corner and waited for the
excitement to die down. Two of them were out of commission, he
had four to go. The Hispanic man directed two of them to go
downstairs. He sent the other to the top of the stairs and then
returned to his spot overlooking the door to the dining room. John
brought his walking stick down across the back of his neck. The
assassin dropped to the ground, out cold.
John held still waiting to see what the man at the other end of the
hall did. He didn't hear anything and slowly made his way to the
far end of the hall. Listening for breathing, he swung his walking
stick where he figured the back of the guys neck would be. He
connected with the back of the skull instead. There was a sickening
sound as the skull crushed from the force of the blow. He pulled
the men into the guestroom. Only one of them was breathing. He
searched through the room looking for something he could use to
tie up the man. He came across a lamp and tore the cord from it.
He used that to tie the man's hands behind his back. He stuffed part
of a sheet into the mouth and tied the sheet in place with the other
end of the cord. It was the best that he could do in the dark.
John went back into the hall and listened carefully. He could hear
the two men downstairs moving around. John went back to where
he had knocked the Hispanic man out. He felt around on the floor
until he found a shotgun. It was a pump shotgun with a pistol grip.
He realized this guy was taking no chances on missing him.
John sat down trying to decide what to do next. He realized that he
still had a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. The idea that came to
mind seemed too ridiculous to work, but he decided to try it
anyway. He prepared the shotgun so that he could fire it quickly.
He threw the cigarette pack across the room towards a vase near
the front door. When they fired, John opened fire where he thought
the men were standing based on the muzzle flash. He kept firing
until he was out of rounds in the shotgun.
John quickly moved out of the way and listened to the sounds
below. He could hear the two men groaning. He waited a minute to
see if he heard any other sounds. Holding one hand over his eye,
he hit the light switch at the top of the stairs. The room lit up.
There were two men on the floor lying in separate pools of blood.
John looked around and found a pistol on the floor. He turned off
the light and uncovered his other eye.
He moved down the hall and picked up the pistol that was on the
floor. He gently set the shotgun down on the floor. He moved to
the staircase and climbed down. Again, he stayed close to the wall
to prevent any squeaks. He paused at the bottom of the stairs. He
was just a few feet from the door to the dining room. He quickly
dived through the door into the dining room. There were no shots
fired.
He whispered, "Don't move until I untie everyone. Then we'll run
into the kitchen as a group."
He moved behind one of the chairs and untied the ropes holding
the woman there. He couldn't tell who it was, but guessed that it
was either Cathy or Sarah. He reached up and undid the gag. The
texture of the hair let him know that it was Sarah. She stated, "It
was five. I don't know where Greg is."
John relaxed. He moved to the next chair and undid the ropes. This
had to be Cathy. When he removed the gag, Cathy asked, "Did you
get them all?"
"I believe so." He moved behind Bob and untied him. John
removed the gag. Bob didn't say anything or react in any way. John
was suddenly concerned. He wondered if Bob was okay.
Kelly was next. He went to untie her, but the knots were extremely
tight. He worked feverishly to remove the knots. Finally, they
came loose. Kelly groaned as the blood rushed back into hands that
had been tied too tightly. She bit her lip as pins and needles
pricked her hands.
He moved over to Marguerite and untied her. He removed her gag.
She whispered, "Bob hasn't moved since he was tied up."
John went over to Bob. He whispered, "Everyone into the kitchen."
The whole group stumbled into the kitchen. John half-carried and
half-dragged Bob into the kitchen. When everyone was in the
room, he shut the door. He turned on the lights and waited for his
eyes to adjust. Cathy grabbed the cell-phone and called the police.
Kelly carefully examined Bob, a look of concern on her face. John
asked, "What happened?"
Marguerite answered, "I don't know. I was waiting for Greg. When
I answered the knock on the door, these guys jumped me. They
carried me down to the dining room and tied me up."
Sarah frowned. "I was waiting for Greg. I was jumped when I
answered the door."
John looked over at Cathy. She frowned and shook her fist. John
understood that she had been waiting for Greg also. John realized
that the sixth man had been Greg. John stated, "I got six. The sixth
one must have been Greg."
Cathy stated, "The police are in the house now. They know we are
locked in the kitchen."
John stated, "Tell them that there are two wounded in the living
room and four in the upstairs guest room."
There was a knock on the kitchen door. Robert White Feather
called out, "It's Robert White Feather."
John relaxed and opened the door, "Come on in."
<1st attachment end>
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