William Redman Carter: Chapter 19

Posted: December 07, 2005 - 02:12:44 pm



"We're your bodyguards. I'm Natalie."

"And I'm Nicole," said Natalie's twin sister.

Lucy looked from one to the other. Despite the fact that Nicole had black hair

and Natalie had blond, their hair was cut in the exact same style. It was parted

along the top of their head and hung down to their shoulders without curls. They

both had simple bangs that came down to just above their eyebrows. Lucy asked,

"Which of you dyes your hair?"

Natalie removed her wig, exposing her short brown hair, and answered, "Neither

one of us dyes our hair. It's not healthy."

Lucy looked from one woman to the other wondering how she was ever going to tell

them apart if they both removed their wigs. While Natalie replaced her wig, Lucy

asked, "So you are my bodyguards? I was kind of expending two burly guys."

"Your boyfriend must be very trusting if he'll let you go in a bathroom with

some burly guy tagging along," answered Nicole with a grin at her sister.

"I didn't think of that," Lucy said turning bright red at the reminder of that.

William had told her she would have company when going to the bathroom, but she

had not believed him. She was still trying to deal with the idea that she had

lost her privacy and was now a public figure.

An hour after Rock had gone to bed for the day, he was awakened by Colt. The big

man grumbled about being woken when there wasn't an emergency. Colt just smiled

and gestured with his head towards the door. Rock entered the living room and

saw the twins. His partner had not mentioned the arrival of the twins, but their

presence explained the smile on the man's face. More than happy to see them,

Rock said, "Nikki and Nat, nice to see you again."

"Hi, Pebbles. Long time, no see," said Nicole with a twinkle in her eye. Her

eyes flicked down to his crotch in a very obvious manner.

"It's been a long three weeks. It'll be nice working with you again, Nikki,"

said Rock.

The exchange only confirmed what Ling already knew. It was half the reason she

had chosen the four of them. She cleared her throat and said, "Do you know what

you are supposed to do?"

Opening her jacket and pointing at her gun, Nicole answered, "Protect the young

woman from all and sundry that would harm her. We'll work twelve-hour shifts

with shift changes at eight. I'm the night shift."

"I'm the day shift," said Natalie twiddling her blond hair. There was a reason

they had chosen the colors of their wigs in the manner they had.

"Ling, do you mind if I sleep while you brief Natalie? Night shift starts in six

hours and I've got to get some rest," said Nicole.

Nodding, Ling said, "Go ahead."

Colt came out of the bedroom and said, "I've moved my gear into the other room."

"Come on, Nikki. Time for us to get some rest," said Rock with a yawn. The

entire group had traveled the entire morning and he hadn't gotten any sleep.

Having just finished setting up the second guest room for Natalie and Nicole,

Lisa looked confused at his announcement. She asked, "You're changing rooms?"

"Rock and I sleep together," answered Nicole moving to stand beside Rock. She

bumped him with her hip, a gesture that indicated her continued interest in him.

He slipped an arm around her and, together, they headed towards the bedroom.

Watching Nicole and Rock leave the room, Colt looked over at Natalie and asked,

"So are you ready for the grand tour of the property?"

Natalie answered, "Whenever you are."

Smiling at Ling, William said, "We'll leave it up to you to show them around."

Changing into her professional mode, Ling stood and said, "We'll do a walk

around the property. I'll show you where I want security features added."

After the trio had left the house, William asked, "What do you think of your

bodyguards?"

"They seem kind of average looking. I was kind of expecting some tough looking

people," answered Lucy.

"If Ling picked them, you know they're good," Ed said.

William's cell phone rang and he answered it while Ed and Lucy talked about the

twins. He was grinning at his father when he finally hung up the phone. "Doug is

coming over for a visit."

Noticing William's grin, Ed asked, "And?"

"I'm going to enjoy watching the two of you talk," William said.

"Why?"

"Doug is not quite sure that the Druids represent good," Lucy answered knowing

that William and Doug often spent hours discussing the matter. She enjoyed

listening to them argue. In a way, she was curious about what Ed and Doug would

say to each other.

"Really?"

"His thesis is that power corrupts and the Druids are too powerful not to become

corrupted," answered Lucy.

Lisa rolled her eyes having heard the discussion more times than she ever

wanted. As far as she was concerned, the Carters were good people and that

wasn't based on an intellectual argument. She knew them and that was all the

proof she required. Her mouth dropped when Ed said, "It's a valid concern."

"I can't wait for the two of you to meet," William said. "Let's go swimming

until he shows up."

Lucy was out of her seat and stripping before William had even finished his

suggestion. It wasn't long before William was naked as well. They went out the

back and headed towards the pond with lots of grabbing at each other. Ed

chuckled and said, "Lisa, you might want to send this Doug fellow down to the

pond when he gets here."

Laughing at the exuberance of the young couple, Lisa said, "No problem."

Getting up, Ed went to the back door and undressed. Lisa examined the handful of

scars on his back. She asked, "What's it like getting hurt so much?"

"It hurts," he answered with a grin.

Lisa blushed at his answer and said, "I don't mean it like that. I mean, what's

it like knowing you are putting yourself in danger?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ed answered, "Usually, I don't think about it at the

time - I just act."

"Are we in danger?" asked Lisa getting to the real point of her concerns. She'd

been concerned when Rock and Colt had shown up. With the addition of Natalie and

Nicole, her fears had quadrupled.

"A little, but Ling is making sure that danger will be kept at a distance,"

answered Ed turning to look at the young mother. Stepping closer to her, he

said, "You are right to be concerned. I'll make sure that your husband knows

that his first priority should be to protect his family."

"What's going to happen?"

"I have no idea. You'll have to ask William if you want to know about the

future. He's better at that than I am," Ed answered with a light laugh.

His words didn't comfort her despite knowing that he was probably right. She

said, "I'm worried for Tim."

Ed put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. In a comforting voice, he

said, "Don't worry. William will make sure that all turns out for the best. He's

good at that."

She felt the strength in the man even as her hands ran over the scars on his

back. She believed him and she believed in William. That comforted her more than

four bodyguards. Pulling back, she said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now I better get down to the pond before people start to wonder

about what I'm up to in here," Ed said with a wink at Ken.

Lisa realized at that moment that she'd been hugging a naked man. Blushing, she

said, "Off with you before my husband returns."

"Too late," Ed said as he slipped out the back door waving to Ken.

The couple watched out the back window as Ed made his way to the pond. Ken had

entered the room right before Ed had told Lisa that he was to take care of his

family first. It had touched him more than he could imagine. How many parents

would say that? He didn't know. Putting his arms around Lisa, he said, "He's an

amazing man."

"Yes," answered Lisa. She looked over at her husband and said, "I'm horny."

"Where's Tim?"

"Swimming."

"Let's go."

"Where?"

Smiling at his wife, Ken said, "Upstairs. Where else?"

Ed was engaged in a dog paddle race with William when Doug arrived. Considering

the small size of the pond, it was the only kind of race that could be held

there. Doug laughed when Ed said, "You swim like a Chihuahua."

Trying not to swallow any water, William retorted, "And you swim like a Wiener

Dog."

The comment caused Ed to lose it. Laughing, he had to stand before he drowned.

The mental image of a Wiener Dog swimming was just too much for him. Still

paddling, William shouted, "I win by default."

Seeing Doug, Lucy waved to him and said, "Come on in. The water is great."

Having visited in the past, Doug knew how things worked around the William

household. He stripped and entered the water. It didn't bother him that there

were a few people present whom he didn't recognize. If they were here with

William, he was sure that anything that happened there would stay there.

Assuring privacy was a major concern for him. His father was running for re-

election, so this was a year for Doug to keep a low profile. The last thing his

father needed was a news story about his son cavorting around naked with minors

present.

Lucy swam over to him and said, "Glad you could come."

"Who is the guy trading insults with William?"

"His father, Ed Biggers," Lucy answered.

"Oh," Doug said getting worried. "Maybe I ought to go."

Grinning, Lucy asked, "Are you going to deprive William and I of the chance to

watch you debate good and evil with Ed?"

"Preferably," Doug said turning and making his way to the edge of the pond. He'd

told William on many occasions that he wasn't sure that he wanted to have that

discussion with a Druid.

Lucy laughed at Doug's discomfort and said, "He won't bite."

"You don't know what they are capable of doing," Doug said. He thought about his

father's race and the damage that could be done to his father's political

career.

Doug nearly jumped out of the pond when Ed, standing right behind him, asked,

"And just what do you think we're capable of doing?"

Wondering if he was going to kill his father's chances of re- election, Doug

answered, "Anything you want to do."

"I'd say that you're pretty close to correct," Ed said. He turned back to

William and winked before he added, "while being about as wrong as you can be."

Doug stared open mouthed at Ed. He stuttered for a moment and then asked, "In

just what way am I wrong?"

"Let's go up to the patio and get some sun while talking about it," Ed suggested

while exiting the pond.

"Oh boy," William said. He'd been looking forward to this conversation for a

long time.

"Oh God," groaned Doug as he got out of the pond.

While everyone made themselves comfortable in the chairs around the patio table,

William opened the patio bar. After setting cans of soft drinks out for people

to grab, William filled a couple of bowls with pretzels and chips. Lucy carried

the bowls over to the table.

Once the couple had finished playing host and hostess, they sat down. Opening

his soft drink, William asked, "So in what way was Doug wrong?"

"I don't think he understands the source of our power," Ed said.

"I think I understand it very well. Your powers are granted to you by your Gods

and Goddesses," answered Doug.

"That's right. We are constrained by our Gods and Goddesses to act in the best

interests of humanity."

"The early Catholic Church claimed its power was given by their God, yet it

wrecked havoc throughout the dark ages. In fact, it was responsible for the dark

ages," stated Doug. He was willing to argue that point all day long.

Smiling Ed asked, "So you are concerned that the Druids will one day plunge

humanity into a new dark age?"

"Uh, not exactly," Doug answered. He said, "The early church was against

science. I think the Druids may lead us to a tyranny of science."

"Interesting," Ed said as he thought about the implications of the statement. He

wondered what a tyranny of science would mean if it were imposed by a group

working for the Gods and Goddesses.

"Too much light is just as bad as too much dark."

Looking directly at Doug, he said, "You may well be right. Our contributions to

the world have been technological. John Carter gave us fusion technology. Many

of the Druids emerging from the college are science and engineering oriented."

"So you admit it?"

"Admit what... the possibility that the future could be dominated by men and

women of science?"

"A tyranny of science."

Ed shrugged his shoulders as if not knowing how to respond and looked at

William. He asked, "So what does the future hold for us?"

"I'm not prepared to answer that question at the moment."

Lucy looked at William as she considered his answer. He didn't say that he

didn't know what the future held. He said that he wasn't prepared to answer the

question. A glance over at Ed convinced her that he had noticed the point as

well. Doug laughed and said, "Not prepared? I'd say that it was impossible to

answer that question."

William smiled at the suggestion and said, "I'd say that it was highly

improbable."

Ed turned to look at Doug and asked, "Have you considered that we promote a very

uninhibited lifestyle? Have you considered that we consider the safety of all

people to be very important? I'd say that it suggests a compassionate element to

our actions."

"You are very powerful. Power corrupts. Sure, you may promote a very uninhibited

lifestyle for yourselves. That doesn't mean that you are going to do that for

others. For all I know, you could declare that many of our freedoms harm those

who are weak," said Doug.

"You are very concerned that we have too much power and that it will corrupt

us," said Ed nodding his head. He could understand that argument, particularly

since he had that discussion with John Carter. He asked, "Who will lead the

Druids to that end?"

"The Grand Druid," answered Doug.

"You are making the assumption that he actually leads us."

"He's the Grand Druid."

William and Ed laughed at that. At the confused expression on Doug's face, Ed

explained, "Every Druid serves the Gods and Goddesses. We've met the God or

Goddess that we serve. There's no way that a single servant could lead us to

perform an act counter to that desired by the one whom we serve. We know our

place in the grand scheme of things and, believe me, it isn't at the top."

"Huh?"

Ed leaned forward holding out his medallion. He said, "This was placed around my

neck by the Two-Sided One. No one can remove it except one of the Gods or

Goddesses. As long as I wear it, I serve the Two-Sided One. I do not serve the

Grand Druid or any other human power."

"Really?"

Having seen her mother touch the medallion, Lucy had burned with curiosity. She

leaned forward and grabbed at the medallion with the intention of removing it.

It slipped out of her hand. She chased it around Ed's chest, never able to get a

good grip on it. Surprised, she said, "It's slippery."

"It can be very solid at times. Try to grab it without wanting to remove it."

Lucy grabbed the medallion and held it up to examine it. The explicit

representations of genitalia embarrassed her. She dropped it and said,

"Strange."

"I can't remove it," said Ed. He picked up the medallion and looked at it with a

smile that suggested that he was privy to some private joke. "I wouldn't want to

remove it, even if I could."

"So you're saying that every Druid acts independent of the Grand Druid," said

Doug.

"Yes."

Lucy asked, "Doug, what would make you confident that the Druids don't represent

a threat?"

"I guess some sort of checks and balances scheme would make me feel better.

There isn't any kind of opposing power to keep you in check," Doug answered.

A hard look came to Ed's eyes as he said, "There is an opposing power and it is

far stronger than we are. Its' name is evil."

Feeling that he was finally getting a sense of the fanatic behind the calm Druid

mask, Doug asked, "And just what is the nature of that evil?"

"Evil is all around us. I talk about those who kill, abuse children, steal, and

harm others without restraint. Evil hides from the light of day waiting for the

chance to emerge and wreck havoc."

"Just how far are you willing to go in order to rid the world of evil?"

"I'm willing to give my life to protect a weak person who is being attacked by

evil. Look at my scars if you don't accept that," answered Ed.

There wasn't much to say in answer to that. Doug asked, "So are you willing to

remove the strong before they take advantage of the weak?"

Ed laughed and said, "Believe it or not, all of us have our strengths and

weaknesses. It's just a matter of when a person uses their strengths to harm a

person who is weak at the moment. Attempting to get rid of evil by eliminating

those who are strong is foolish. It targets everyone and no one."

The discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Ling with the two bodyguards.

Colt and Natalie looked at the group gathered around the table. Smiling, Natalie

looked at Ed's cock with a very direct and assessing gaze. Teasing Colt, she

said, "I think I'm going to like this assignment."

Colt frowned as he followed where her eyes were focused and realized that she

was looking at the largest cock he had ever seen. He looked over at her hoping

that she wasn't going to get any ideas that he should measure up to that

monster. Feeling a little insecure, he said, "Come on. We've got work to do."

Undressing, Ling joined them at the table. Colt stared at the most perfect body

on a woman that he had ever seen. Natalie noticed what he was looking at and

said, "Down boy."

Realizing that he had been thinking thoughts that weren't appropriate, Colt

said, "Let's get to work."

Ling watched them leave with a little concern for her decision to hire them. She

said, "I hope they'll work out. They are the best I could find."

Ed turned to Doug and said, "I ask you once again, how would you assure that

Druids do not become an evil force in the world?"

"I don't know," Doug answered.

Sitting back in his chair, Ed asked, "Do you think the founding fathers intended

for us to have a right to freedom from religion?"

"I haven't thought about it. They explicitly described freedom of religion along

with separation of Church and State. Based on that, I would have to guess they

did mean freedom from religion. At least that is the point of view that has been

in the news a lot lately."

Lucy sensing that the discussion was about to get very interesting leaned

forward to look at Ed and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"I was just going to comment that the majority of the founders were Freemasons."

It was well known that Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and others were Masons.

Doug knew that his father was a Mason. He said, "I knew that."

"Do you know what is required to become a Mason?" asked Ed raising an eyebrow as

he asked the question.

"You have to proclaim a belief in a higher power and to have two other Masons

testify on your behalf that you are a moral man," Doug answered.

"Why do you think that a candidate has to proclaim a belief in a higher power?"

Lucy answered, "Because they understood that without a belief in a higher power

that there is nothing to keep a person honest. Without having to face judgement

by a higher power, a person can do anything they want without fear of

supernatural retribution. To avoid any kind of retribution, all they have to do

is avoid being caught."

"Exactly," said Ed. Looking at Doug, Ed said, "Think about that for a minute.

Without a higher power, there is nothing to define good or evil."

"How about societal rules?"

"You're a historian. Tell me if there has ever been a society with laws totally

disconnected from a religion."

Doug thought about it for a moment and answered, "I really don't know the answer

to that question."

"Neither do I, although I suspect that there hasn't ever been one. I'd say that

the founders of this nation were very enlightened individuals. They believed

that all religions were of equal value and thus accepted that all men should be

allowed to follow the religion of their choice. They denied the ability of the

state to impose any specific religion."

"What is your point?" asked Doug.

"I don't believe that they ever meant a freedom from religion."

"Why?"

"A higher power establishes what is good or evil. Societies made of like-minded

individuals who believe in a higher power utilize the definitions of good and

evil to create laws. The laws, in and of themselves, do not assure that men will

follow them. It requires men who are motivated to follow them," Ed said. Raising

a finger in the air, Ed said, "A person who believes in a higher power has a

very powerful reason to pursue good over evil. They have a reason to follow the

laws of men."

"I'll buy that."

"On that basis, I'll suggest that the founding fathers never meant for there to

be a freedom from religion."

"I'll have to think about that," said Doug wondering if there was anything in

the writings of the founding fathers to support that conclusion. Confused, he

asked, "What has that to do with what we were talking about?"

"Where does this put individuals who know beyond a shadow of a doubt that a

higher power exists? I'm talking about a person who has already faced the higher

power and knows they will face them again."

"I suppose there aren't many things that can tempt them to commit evil acts."

"I'm talking about Druids," Ed said. Leaning forward to make his point, he said,

"What mechanism, process, or procedure created by man can force a Druid to avoid

evil that is nearly as effective as the knowledge that he or she will face their

God or Goddess?"