William Redman Carter: Chapter 1

Posted: September 12, 2005 - 12:11:28 am

Oh woe to those of us who suffer the fate of Cassandra. Doomed to know the

future, yet there is no one who will believe our prophecies. Disbelief is not

the real curse under which we live. We are doomed to know of pending tragedies

with no way of avoiding them. That is impotence far greater than the inability

to have an erection.

All of us live under the curse of Cassandra. We watch as people run headlong

into tragedy while ignoring all warnings that would save them from their doom.

The woman who goes from abusive relationship to abusive relationship will ignore

our warnings in the deluded belief that this will be the one that is different.

What a sad state of affairs it is for we who are forced to watch disasters

develop.

Inside each person exists a fatal flaw that is the kernel of his or her doom. It

leaves them helpless to avoid disaster in the same way that a deer facing the

headlights of an oncoming truck is unable to move out of the way. The flaw

itself dictates the tragedy that will befall the person. Like Cassandra, we see

the flaw and know the tragedy.

What a boon it would be if we could avoid disaster by removing the fatal flaw

from within ourselves, but alas that is not possible. No one recognizes the

fatal flaw that exists within him or her. There is no magic mirror that reflects

our flaws back at us. Our eyes are blind to it. Our ears are deaf to all news

concerning it.

Even if we were to learn the flaw, we can not eliminate it. The alcoholic who

has been sober for forty years still dreams of an ice- cold glass of beer. The

victim of abuse still seeks the heart of gold within their abuser. Resistance is

not futile, but it takes eternal diligence to keep disaster at bay. A single

moment of weakness is all that is required for it to wreck havoc.

Oh woe to us whose fate is seen by Cassandra. We are doomed not to know the

future because we are unable to believe the prophecies uttered by others.

Disbelief is the curse under which we live. Others know of our pending tragedies

and we have no way of avoiding them. That is impotence far greater than the

inability to have an erection.

The young man shrugged off his robe and waded, naked, into the artificially

created pond. As a result of a summer storm the previous night, a branch had

fallen into the stream and had lodged at the dam that created the pond. Standing

in water that came to his waist, he wrestled one end of the branch to the bank.

Nearly five inches in diameter at the base and twenty feet long, the branch

could have been considered a small tree.

From the tree above, a raven made a sharp tock sound. The young man looked up at

the raven as it flew to towards the house and said, "Friendly visitor? That's

odd."

A thrush landed on the branch he was holding and tapped it twice with its beak.

The young man looked down at the thrush and said, "Two? It must be my lucky

day."

Without turning to face the path that led back to the house, he shouted, "Follow

the bird!"

Having come around the side of the house without seeing anyone, Marjory and

Jennifer Mitchell were surprised by the shout. Jennifer, a young woman of

fifteen, looked at her mother and asked, "Did you hear someone say we were to

follow a bird?"

"Yes."

From over their heads, a raven gave forth a quork sound causing them both to

look up at it. Once it had their attention, it repeated the call. The bird flew

twenty feet to another branch and gave the call a third time. Jennifer, eyes

wide in surprise, asked, "Do you think that's the bird we're supposed to

follow?"

"I guess," answered Marjory wondering what was going on. A shiver ran down her

spine as the situation reminded her of some scene out of horror movie. She

didn't like ravens.

As they followed the bird down a path from the house, Marjory considered what

she knew about her new neighbors. A month previously, the house had been bought.

The rumor was that the new owner paid cash for it, but rumors were notorious for

being wrong. A week after the purchase, a huge crowd of people had descended on

the house. They had arrived in Huggers, vans, taxies, and cars of all kinds and

prices. Because of the arrangement of the houses along the circle, she hadn't

been able to make out any of the visitors.

For two weeks, the sound of nearly constant construction had been the only sign

that anyone was there. Her attention had been drawn away from the house, since

that had been an exciting time in town. A couple of Druids had showed up and

then disappeared leaving the rumor mill churning. Then one day, the construction

stopped and she hadn't seen or heard much of anything after that.

For the past week, it was as though no one lived there although she knew better.

The arrival and departure of a limousine twice a day, once in the morning and

once in the evening, suggested that someone with lots of money had moved into

the house. It was all very mysterious and Marjory didn't like it.

Marjory was brought out of her musing by a sudden exclamation from her daughter.

"Oh my! He's naked!"

Marjory looked up and spotted the naked young man. Shocked at the sight of the

copper skinned youth, Marjory immediately thought about protecting her daughter

from the sight of a naked man. In a brusque voice, she said, "Jennifer, turn

around and don't look."

Even as Jennifer turned, her first glimpse of a naked young man was forever

etched into her memory. He looked like a Native American with a long black braid

that hung down his back. His body was perfect with a muscled v-shaped chest. Her

eyes had dwelled on his cock for a lot longer than was appropriate. Without

previous experience on which to compare, she decided that he was well hung. As

far as she was concerned, he was hot.

The young man, working on the opposite bank of the pond, pulled the large limb

out of the water and dragged it towards a brush pile. He continued working

without taking note of his two visitors. Once he was satisfied that branch was

properly out of the way, he turned back to face the pond. He waved to his

visitors across the small body of water before wading into it.

"Young man! Put some clothes on!"

The young man emerged from the pond and walked over to where he had dropped his

robe. There was no sign of embarrassment at having been caught naked by a pair

of women. He picked up the robe and put it on, although with his wet body the

robe tended to stick to him. He took out a small leather pouch on a string from

one of the pockets and slipped it around his neck. Once he was dressed, he

walked over to where the pair of women was waiting for him.

Marjory gasped at the sight of blue robe with white sleeves. She knew what the

robe signified, but couldn't believe anyone his age should be wearing it. He

appeared to be the same age as her daughter. There was no way someone fifteen

years old could have graduated from the Druid College.

The noise was enough to cause Jennifer to look over her shoulder. Surprised, she

said, "You're one of them."

"He's not old enough to be one of them!"

"I wasn't aware that my age prevented me from being one of them," answered the

young man with a smile. He didn't know how many times he'd heard graduates of

the Druid College referred to as 'them.' Shrugging, he said, "I guess I'll have

to call up the Grand Druid and tell him that I'm not supposed to be one of them

until I get older."

"You don't know the Grand Druid."

"You may believe what you wish," said the young man. After a moment's pause, he

asked, "So what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Looking at the young man as if she wanted to eat him alive, Jennifer said, "We

came to warn you about the bear."

"Bear?"

Marjory said, "Yes. A bear has been spotted in the neighborhood. The police are

looking for it."

"What will they do with this bear once they spot it?"

Jennifer answered, "Probably kill it."

Nodding, William turned to face the woods while grasping the small sack that

hung around his neck in his right hand. Using the Navaho word for bear, he

called out, "Shush."

What appeared to be a shadow at the base of a tree resolved itself into the

shape of a bear once the animal rose from the ground. It was a very large black

bear. Pronouncing each word individually, Marjory muttered, "Oh My God!"

"Shush, a-zeh-ha-ge-yah dineh-ih be-hay-jah yel khol-go e-e-ah." Still speaking

Navaho, the young man told the bear to escape to the northern lands a day away

knowing it would put the bear in the middle of the state park.

The bear rose on its back legs and roared out a challenge. Shaking his head, the

young man shouted, "Nay-nih-jih."

The bear fell back to four legs and, after looking around, shuffled deeper into

the woods. The young man released his hold on the small sack around his neck.

Turning back to the face the two women, he said, "Thank you. I have warned the

bear. He'll go back to the state park where he can't be hunted."

"You talked to a bear," said Jennifer in awe.

"You can't talk to a bear," said Marjory incredulous.

"You may believe what you wish," said the young man repeating what was a common

refrain for him. He'd call the local police and let them know that the bear was

leaving the area.

The young woman stared at him for half a minute before she asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm William Redman Carter," answered the young man with a nod in her direction.

She was attractive. At fifteen, her body was developing into the woman that she

would become. The baby fat was disappearing, but the gentle feminine curves had

not fully appeared. He asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Jennifer Mitchell. This is my mother, Marjory Mitchell," answered the young

woman with a gesture in the direction of her mother.

Marjory was still staring at the retreating shape of the bear unable to believe

what she had observed. Hearing herself being introduced to the young man, she

turned around and looked at him. She said, "I didn't catch your name."

"I am William Redman Carter."

"Do you go by Billy?" asked Marjory.

"Do you go by Maggie?" asked William examining the older woman. She was in her

late thirties and it showed. Her body advertised that she had given birth to

children with the kind of weight gain that many mothers never lost.

Cringing at the name, Marjory answered, "No."

"She hates that name," said Jennifer aiming a grin at her mother. If her father

really wanted to make her mother angry, he'd call her Maggie.

"I feel the same way about Billy," said William.

"It has taken me years to get my mother to stop calling me Jenny."

William stared off into the distance for a minute as he considered what to do

next. The mother was curious about her new neighbor and wouldn't leave until she

had discovered all that there was to know. He sighed at the lack of choices

available to him and said, "Would you like to come in the house for a drink?"

Daughter looked to mother with a hopeful expression that turned to delight when

the mother smiled and answered, "That would be lovely."

They followed the young man back up the trail to the house. As they went, he

gave a running commentary of the changes he had made to the property. "We dammed

the stream to form the pool so that I would have a place to swim. I thought it

would be better than installing a swimming pool. It is not very deep, but it is

cool. The gravel path was put in to allow me to walk back to the house without

getting muddy. Cindy designed and built it for me."

Pleased at getting a name, Marjory asked, "Who is Cindy?"

"She's a friend of the family," answered William.

"Oh, what does she do?"

"She's a Ranger."

"Park ranger?"

"No. She's one of The Rangers," William answered putting an emphasis on the last

two words. Judging by the reaction, Marjory understood exactly what he meant. It

was also clear that she didn't believe him.

"The patio was enlarged to hold a table, barbecue grill, hammock, and the bar.

Unfortunately, the tables and chairs have not arrived yet. They'll be here in

September. The bar has a sink and a refrigerator. It also has a small gas

grill," said William as they reached the patio. He debated telling them who did

the work on it, but felt she deserved the credit for her work. He added,

"Catherine designed and built it."

"Catherine?"

"Yes. She's a Druid maker and Oliver's wife."

"Oliver?" asked Marjory continuing the third degree.

"The Grand Druid." Seeing the look of disbelief on her face, he added, "You may

believe what you wish."

"You'll notice that the sliding glass door that was here has been replaced by

French Doors. We also replaced that wall with glass windows to provide a nice

view from the dining and living room. Beth, my sister, is an architect and

redesigned the interior of the house."

"Your sister is an architect?"

"Yes. She's the best architect in the world."

Smiling at the obvious pride in his voice, Jennifer said, "You sound a little

proud of your sister."

"It isn't just pride. She really is the best architect in the world. I'm sure

that you've heard of some of the buildings she's designed, the Fusion Foundation

Headquarters in Phoenix, Mohawk Casino in upstate New York, and the new city

hall in St. Louis."

Marjory frowned as she listened to him. She knew about those buildings. They had

all become featured landmarks. There was something about the architect, but she

couldn't remember what it was. It took her a minute to recall that the architect

was a Druid who served the God.

William opened the door and ushered his guests into the house. The room was

large and airy. The walls were covered with photographs and Native American

artwork. A long leather covered couch faced the glass windows. A large coffee

table filled the area between the couch and the glass wall. It was simple, but

elegant in a southwestern sense.

"Your parents have good taste," Marjory said after looking around the room. The

natural materials of the furniture and the muted colors gave the room a very

warm feeling. It was very comfortable.

"I picked out the furnishings," said William.

"It was nice of your parents to allow you to decorate their house," Jennifer

said giving her mother a significant look. It was as if she expected her mother

to give her a chance to redecorate their house.

"It is my house," said William. He pointed to the couch and said, "Please have a

seat. What can I get you to drink?"

"A soft drink will be fine," said Marjory wondering if this kid was really the

owner of the house.

"Diet if you have one," said Jennifer thinking that she had to watch her weight.

"What kind of soft drink would you like? I believe that I have every kind ever

sold in the refrigerator." Marguerite had stocked the kitchen. Used to

entertaining the friends of Betsy and Eddie, she had bought the kinds of

beverages that kids would enjoy.

"Cokes would be fine," Marjory said.

When William left the room, Marjory raced over to the wall to examine the

pictures. Eyes wide, she saw that everything the boy had said was true. There

were pictures of him with Druids, Rangers, and Tribal Elders. There was a

picture of a middle aged black man receiving some sort of award. Little facts

organized themselves and she suddenly realized the identity of her neighbor.

William returned with a tray of soft drinks. Noticing the picture Marjory was

examining, he said, "That was taken when Daddy Leroy won the Nobel Prize for his

work on Chronic Wasting Disease."

"You're the son of John Carter," she said suddenly very impressed by William.

"Yes," said William with a sigh. That impressed reaction to his heritage was

something he had to face on a regular basis. It usually took months before

someone looked beyond his bloodline to see the young man who stood before them.

"Cool," Jennifer said as she reached for her soft drink. It would be something

to boast about to the other kids when she returned to school. She wondered if he

would be in any of her classes. She asked, "Where are your parents?"

"At home in Arizona."

Curious about a boy her age living away from his parents, Jennifer asked, "Who

else lives here?"

"I live alone," answered William. Although he didn't like the slightly hungry

look in her eye that arose when he answered her question, he was pleased that

she didn't dwell on the fame of his family.

"Very cool," Jennifer said to the news. Images of sneaking over flashed through

her mind. He was a hunk and well worth visiting. The girls at school would be

jealous of her for landing a famous boyfriend who lived alone. With a sly grin

she said, "I think I'll be spending a lot of time over here."

In a sharp rebuke, Marjory said, "No, you will not be spending a lot of time

over here, young lady!"

"Mother!"

"I will not have you hanging out with a boy unsupervised," Marjory said. She

shook her finger at her daughter while she added, "If you want to visit with

him, he can come over to our house."

"Mother! You're so unfair," cried Jennifer mortified at her mother's behavior.

She hated it when her mother treated her like a little girl in front of kids her

own age. She rolled her eyes and, looking to William for support, said, "I

should be able to go where ever I want."

Looking at Jennifer, he said, "I have to agree with her."

Understanding that William was supporting her daughter, Marjory looked at him

with daggers shooting from her eyes. All she needed was a horny teenage boy

getting her little girl pregnant. Considering that he had been walking around

naked in the backyard, the odds that he would have much sexual restraint seemed

very improbable to her.

Thankful for his support, a triumphant Jennifer pronounced, "See, he agrees with

me."

"Not at all. I agree with your mother," William said with a negligent shrug of

his shoulders. It wasn't tough to side with the mother on that issue. He didn't

see much of a future between Jennifer and him. They had almost nothing in

common. He was working on his doctorate and she was in the ninth grade. The last

thing he wanted was the young woman hanging around the house interfering with

his studies.

"What?" both women said at the same time. The mother's voice conveyed surprise

while the daughter's voice conveyed outrage. The dissonance in their voices was

almost grating on the nerves.

Still looking at Jennifer, he explained, "She's trying to protect you from me. I

support her in that sentiment."

"But..."

"There are no buts about it. She's right in her desire to protect you from me.

I'm far more worldly than you and could easily take advantage of your naivete,"

William said giving voice to the differences between the two of them.

Pouting, Jennifer flounced back into the seat with her arms crossed. Dreams of

showing him off to her friends as her boyfriend were evaporating. Frowning, she

decided that he was a self- involved jerk and not worth her time. Still, he was

good looking. She only hoped that Alexandra wouldn't sink her teeth into him.

Curious about what could cause a minor celebrity to move into this back wood

neighborhood, Marjory asked, "So what prompted you to move here?"

"I'm working on my doctorate at the university," William answered. He watched

Jennifer out of the corner of his eye interested in her reaction. He had delayed

coming here until a particular young professor had been granted tenure.

Jennifer turned to stare at him as if he were a Martian. It was clear to her

that he wouldn't be in any of her classes at school. There was no way that

Alexandra could sink her teeth into him if he wasn't in any classes with her.

She brightened at the thought that she could still boast about having a

celebrity living next door even if he was a jerk.

"What subject area?"

"Economics," William answered knowing that most people considered that an even

William Redman Carter Chapter 1