JC: Ed Biggers
Part 5: Stasis
Chapter 16
By
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2004

Nora stood beside the bed stretching after a good night's sleep. The 
gesture lifted her breasts in an extremely attractive manner. Her 
body was perfect in proportion, weight, and shape. Even without 
makeup, her face could have graced the cover of any fashion 
magazine. A small well-trimmed patch of hair graced her pubic 
mound, attracting the eye without diminishing the attraction of the 
region below. 

Her status as sex symbol and film star was understandable. 
Millions of women couldn't understand how she could turn her 
back on fame and fortune. Fans, reporters, and co-workers had 
besieged her with questions over her decision. The people that 
worked for her and whose livelihood depended on her working 
were angry at the sudden change in their fortune. 

She was homeless now. The house in Los Angeles had been sold 
and she hadn't yet bought a place in Pennsylvania. The showy 
possessions had been auctioned off or donated to charity. All that 
remained were the few items that meant the most to her. Among 
them were her acting awards, a few childhood momentos, and her 
rock hunting gear.

Hearing that Kelly had left with the children, she had stopped by to 
cheer Ed knowing how much he would miss his wife and children. 
Ed had arrived at home from the airport long after she had come to 
the house. 

Last night had been spent making long slow love. Over the course 
of several hours Ed had explored her body, touching her in ways 
and places that she didn't even know was possible. Her body 
reacted to just the memory. She was not surprised to discover that 
her cunt lips were swollen, parted, and wet when she reached 
between her legs. Standing beside the bed, she looked down on his 
body studying the individual scars. This long lean cowboy would 
never be given a role in a Hollywood movie; he didn't have the 
androgynous features that moviegoers wanted in their male stars.

Ed shifted in bed, wrapping himself tighter in the sheets, now that 
the warm body that had slept beside him was gone. Nora watched 
him with a smile realizing that it would be more difficult to wake 
him with a blowjob. She wondered if he would be able to get an 
erection after the workout the night before. Her body shivered 
from the memory of that most wonderful organ entering her, 
stretching her more than she thought possible.

Putting on a simple sundress, she left the room to get breakfast. 
She headed towards the kitchen, not sure if the chefs were awake 
or not. At the door, she paused to smell the aroma of a professional 
kitchen. The overriding scent was that of bread rising under the 
action of yeast. Traces of herbs and spices tickled her nose, giving 
hints of the flavors that would emerge from the room later in the 
day.

Marguerite and Shauna were seated around the kitchen table 
reading recipe books, smiling when they found one they thought 
Ed might enjoy. They looked up at Nora when she entered the 
kitchen with a very satisfied look on her face. Shauna said, "Looks 
like someone was well fucked last night."

Looking back down at the recipe book, Marguerite commented, "I 
don't know about that. She can still walk."

Going to the coffeepot, Nora poured herself a cup and joined the 
women at the table. Grinning, she said, "I'm glad I'll be sitting 
most of the day. Of course, I expect the car seat to be soaked by 
the time I stop tonight."

"You are leaving today?"

Nora added some cream and sugar to her coffee. Using a spoon 
sitting in front of Marguerite, she stirred it before taking a sip. She 
looked up at Marguerite, she said, "Is this what I think it is?"

"Probably." Marguerite smiled knowing that Nora probably drank 
it all of the time. Shauna doubted the former actress actually knew 
what kind of coffee it was.

Recalling the initial question about leaving, Nora said, "I'm leaving 
just after breakfast. I'm driving to Pennsylvania to look for a new 
house."

"Oh, I thought you were staying for a while."

Smiling, Nora said, "No. I'm in the process of moving. Kelly called 
me two days ago and told me that she was leaving yesterday. I 
decided to stop by here at the last minute. I figured that Ed was 
probably going to be pretty depressed and could use some cheering 
up."

Shauna giggled and said, "You and a dozen other women showed 
up yesterday to cheer up Ed. Needless to say, the females on staff 
were quite disappointed."

"Then I won't be needed around here. I'm glad to hear that," replied 
Nora happy in the knowledge that Ed would be taken care of by 
the women of his town and in his house. 

Ed stumbled into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee 
fully unaware that he had interrupted a discussion. In his typical 
morning behavior, he drained a cup of coffee standing at the 
coffeepot and refilled his cup before looking around. He spotted 
the three women and mumbled, "Plotting my demise?"

Putting on a very sweet smile, Marguerite answered, "You're 
already dead. You're just too stubborn to lie down and let us bury 
you."

Shauna and Nora laughed as Ed yawned with a roar. He said, "I'll 
come up with something witty later."

Shauna smiled and said, "This I've got to hear."

"Good, at least you won't bury me until you get my reply," Ed 
muttered as he took another sip of his coffee. It was about that time 
that he noticed that the coffee tasted different from normal. 
Making a face, he said, "This coffee is horrible. What's the matter 
with it?"

Marguerite was about to make a joke until she saw the look on his 
face. He was serious in that he didn't like the coffee. She was 
disappointed that he didn't like the coffee that she had special 
ordered for him.  Resigning herself to his simple taste in coffee, 
she said, "I'll make another pot for you."

"Thanks."

Turning to Shauna, Nora asked, "Do you think he understands that 
it is Jamaican Blue Mountain?"

"You really did recognize the flavor?" Shauna had only tasted 
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee twice, once when they tried a test 
brew and this morning. It had been the best cup of coffee that she 
had ever tasted. 

"Oh yes. It is a staple among certain wealthy circles," replied Nora. 
She had no idea how many times she had been served a cup of 
coffee with the comment, 'This is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. 
It is the most expensive coffee in the world.' Such pretension had 
not bothered her at the time, but the memory of it was distasteful. 

"I guess it would be," replied Shauna. She looked over at Ed, 
noticing his impatience at the coffeepot as he waited for a fresh 
cup of coffee. Poor Marguerite returned to the table like she had 
lost her best friend. She reached out to her friend as she said, "He 
likes the coffee that comes in a can from the grocery store. We 
aren't going to be able to change that."

Sighing as she watched Ed sip his coffee with pleasure, Marguerite 
decided that he would never accept a Gourmet Coffee. They had 
tried a dozen different coffees on him over the past few years and 
he had rejected them all. 

This wasn't the first time that Marguerite had served him a foul 
tasting coffee. Ed turned to her and said, "It must have been a bad 
can. That happens occasionally."

"Yeah, I guess it was a bad can," replied Marguerite wondering 
what he would say if he knew that it cost $40 a pound. 
Connoisseurs of coffee worldwide would be shocked at his 
reaction to this coffee. Ed didn't like the coffee at any of the coffee 
shop chains, preferring the coffee available at convenience stores.

Her words rang sour, as though she were lying to him. Surprised, 
he asked, "Did you brew that horrible stuff on purpose?"

"Yes. It is a very expensive coffee," replied Marguerite. At the 
expression on his face, she added, "The most expensive coffee in 
the world, in fact."

Standing there, Ed tried to recall what he could about expensive 
coffees. He remembered something that he had heard on television 
and stared at Marguerite. Shocked that she would consider serving 
him that coffee, he asked, "Do you mean this is that monkey crap 
coffee?"

Nora burst out laughing as she realized what he was talking about. 
Shauna looked blank at Ed. When Marguerite finally figured out 
what he was talking about, she giggled at the thought of serving Ed 
that coffee. He'd never forgive her. Nora said, "Don't worry, this 
isn't the monkey crap coffee." 

Her words were true and Ed relaxed. Shauna asked, "What's this 
about monkey crap coffee?"

"Kopi Luwak is a coffee that is made from the beans that have 
passed through digestive system of a monkey," replied Nora. The 
animal that digested the beans wasn't a monkey, but a marsupial 
called a Luwak. It ate only the ripest and best coffee berries. 
Unable to process the bean, it passed through the digestive system 
and was left on the ground under the coffee trees. It had become 
one of the most sought after coffees in the world, bringing a high 
price because of production quantities of around 500 pounds a 
year.

Shauna couldn't believe what she was hearing. Eyebrow raised, she 
said, "You're putting me on."

Ed shook his head at the thought of drinking coffee from monkey 
shit. The idea really bothered him and his whole body shivered in 
revulsion. Marguerite noticed his reaction and, with a smile, 
replied, "It's true. Of course, the next time Ed complains about my 
cooking…"

Realizing that she was joking, Ed interrupted as he said, "I knew it. 
You are trying to kill me. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"And why should I be ashamed of myself?" asked Marguerite 
knowing that he wasn't going to say that she should be ashamed for 
wanting to kill him. Based on the smug look on his face, she knew 
that his answer was going to be a real zinger. She held her breath, 
unable to guess what he was going to say next.

"For involving a poor innocent monkey in your plot," replied Ed 
with a smirk.

Nora was unable to control herself any longer and burst out into 
laughter. Ed turned to look at Nora. Holding up a hand as she tried 
to get control of herself, one look at his face was enough to cause 
her to laugh even harder. The laugher was contagious as 
Marguerite and Shauna burst out laughing. It wasn't long before 
Nora was laughing so hard that tears were coming down her face. 

The three women were laughing, all control lost, as Ed watched 
with a smile. He took a sip of his coffee knowing that he had 
delivered an excellent exit line, but he didn't have any reason to 
exit. Nora struggled to stand while still laughing and cried, "I'm 
laughing so hard I'm going to wet my panties."

Barely able to talk, Shauna said, "I can imagine the monkey 
testifying at the trial. All I did was shit coffee."

In a voice as if he were introducing a new movie, Ed said, "First it 
was the Scopes Monkey Trial. Coming soon to a courthouse near 
you is the Biggers Monkey Trial."

At that, Nora lost it totally and ran from the room doubled over 
with laughter hoping to reach the bathroom before she lost control 
of her bladder. Marguerite and Shauna soon followed her out the 
door. Chuckling, Ed said aloud, "Cleared the room with that one."

It was five minutes before Nora returned, still wiping tears from 
her eyes. Grinning at Ed, she said, "It has been years since I've 
laughed that hard. Not since I started acting."

"It's a lot easier to laugh when you are happy," remarked Ed.

Nora came over to him and gave him a big hug. Since she had 
announced that she was quitting the movie business, her quality of 
life had undergone a radical change. She woke and planned her day 
rather than spending the day responding to a schedule planned by 
others. Events that once had been obligations, now became 
welcome breaks in her time. Rather than spending hours reading 
scripts, she was able to spend the time reading books on minerals. 
The greatest benefit had been in privacy, since a staff no longer 
surrounded her at all times of the day. She said, "I'm so much 
happier than I have been in years."

With a smile, Ed said, "We can't have that."

She laughed and asked, "So what are your plans?"

It was a good question and one that had hadn't given much thought. 
Jerry and Lynn were taking care of his businesses, he wasn't 
teaching this semester, and he had not arranged a major rock 
hunting expedition. Three months at home had recharged his 
energy and he was ready to do something, but he didn't know what. 
A smile crossed his face as an idea came to him. Looking down at 
her, he said, "I'm thinking about bumming a ride across the country 
with a retired actress."

The possibility of traveling across the country with Ed was a total 
surprise to Nora and she exclaimed, "That would be great."

"It will take me about ten minutes to pack up."

Nora jumped up and down excited to know that she wasn't going to 
face the long drive alone. As a woman, traveling alone was scary. 
As a former actress, she had been concerned that her public image 
would cause additional problems for her. It was comforting to 
know that a man would accompany her. She cried, "That's great. 
I'm so excited."

Ed looked out the door and realized that Marguerite and Shauna 
had not returned yet. An idea came to mind and he went over to the 
table. "Nora, stand at the door and keep Marguerite and Shauna out 
of the kitchen for a few minutes."

She looked at him blankly, taken about by the sudden change in 
subject. Seeing the smile on his face, she went to the door to watch 
for the chefs. It only took him a minute to clear off the table. He 
removed the single flower that was in the vase. Lying down on the 
table with his hands crossed on his chest, he held the flower so that 
it was standing straight up in the air. Nora looked over at him and 
smiled realizing that he was going to get Marguerite back for her 
comment that he was already dead.

Marguerite and Shauna approached the kitchen still giggling about 
the monkey comment. When they entered the kitchen, they stared 
at Ed in surprise. As Shauna giggled, Marguerite quipped, 
"Shauna, go get the shovel before he gets up again. He's already 
smelling and the sooner we get him in the ground, the better."

Ed couldn't hold it back any longer and started laughing. Nora said, 
"Too late. He's starting to rise."

Walking over to the table, Shauna bent over and examined his 
crotch. Shaking her head, she said, "Nope, no rise here."

At that point, they all broke out in laughter. It took time, but 
Marguerite and Shauna recovered and chased Ed out of the kitchen 
saying, "Get out of here or we'll never get your breakfast cooked."

Wearing his blue jeans and work shirt, Ed slipped into the 
passenger seat of the BMW as Nora turned on the power to the 
motor. Settling back into the leather seats, he was excited about the 
road trip. Nora had explained that she planned to spend the night in 
each state as she made her way across the country. There was no 
need for her to hurry, as the Spring semester wouldn't start for 
another month and a half. While Ed didn't have any special 
obligations on his time, he warned her that he might be called 
away by the Gods and Goddesses to perform some service.

The car pulled out of the driveway and down the street. Ed looked 
around at the houses and street. The houses, although old, looked 
in good shape. The yards were filled with sand and cactus. The 
buildings in town continued to reflect the style of the times in 
which they were built. There were no signs of decay and people 
waved as they drove past. Ed asked, "Isn't this a great town?"

Nora looked over at Ed with amazement at the pleasure that just 
looking at the town gave him. Having visited some of the greatest 
cities in the world, she looked around and didn't see what he saw. 
She asked, "What do you see when you look at this town?"

Surprised by the question, Ed answered, "It's more what I don't see. 
There's no trash, no signs of decay, and no gaudy displays. Did you 
know that this is one of the wealthiest towns in the state?"

"Really?" asked Nora looking around at the buildings. 
Automobiles, mostly pickup trucks, ranged from new to twenty 
years old. The houses were typical small town houses, neat but not 
ostentatious. People were wearing off the rack clothes without 
jewels. There was no sign of wealth anywhere. 

"Yes, really," answered Ed. 

"You can't tell by looking at it," remarked Nora.

"Right. That's what's so wonderful about this town. Despite the fact 
that the average household earns six digits incomes, the people 
haven't become competitive or showy. They've kept their 
identities."

"So what are they doing with all of that money?" asked Nora 
amazed at the average income in the town. After looking at the 
houses, she would be amazed if any of them could sell for more 
than thirty thousand dollars. It was impossible to tell that these 
people were that rich. 

"They spend it on each other," answered Ed as he watched Shirley 
open the bar. People walked past and chatted with her as she 
unlocked the door. 

"What do you mean, they spend it on each other?"

"They do things together. For example, the Martinez family just 
returned from Hawaii. This summer, a number of families are 
going on a cruise to Alaska as a group. They aren't going first 
class, but they aren't afraid to spend a little money to have a good 
time." The idea that their money hadn't enslaved the people pleased 
Ed as much as the fact that the people had become nicer to each 
other. This, to him, was proof that the town was filled with healthy 
people. When they had large gatherings, the people still cooked 
their own foods. The women in the kitchen made the side dishes as 
a group with lots of laughter while the men in the yards cooked the 
meats with comments about the manly art of barbecue. 

"It sounds like they have fun," remarked Nora. 

"Yes, but it is not all fun. They also are saving money for their 
retirements and putting kids through college. They have several 
investment clubs that meet every month." Ed talked about the town 
with great pride. 

Nora drove out of the town thinking about what Ed had said. She 
thought about how many movie stars that made fortunes had 
become poor when their careers ended. In her own case, she had 
spent millions entertaining others and living the movie star 
lifestyle as an obligation. Selling the house, the cars, and the 
furnishings had not brought in as much money as she had spent 
purchasing them. It gave her a nice nest egg that could last her the 
rest of her life if she were careful.

They took turns driving, each spending an hour behind the wheel 
before trading off. The time was spent discussing interesting 
geological features of the landscape they passed. The land around 
them was glorious with rugged terrain that changed with each hour 
of travel. As humans, it was hard not to be impressed with the 
sight. Their geology backgrounds only intensified the 
impressiveness of the terrain. To see the mountain induced awe, 
knowing the forces involved in its creation intensified the impact.

They stopped at one of the scenic overlooks to take a break from 
driving. In front of them was a forest of Saguaro Cacti, with a 
mountain in the background. No telephone poles or electric lines 
marred the landscape. The air, gently blowing across the desert, 
was fresh without the odor of human occupation marring it. Ed 
chilled by the winter air, stood with head bowed, as he took a 
moment to appreciate the full glory and splendor that was the Gods 
and the Goddesses made visible to all that wanted to see. Words 
deserted him as the sight overwhelmed him. 

A very subdued Ed returned to the car, lost in thought as he 
wondered how the entire world could be returned to such a 
glorious natural state. Nora pulled away from the scenic overview 
and asked, "So, what are you thinking about with such intensity?"

"I was wondering how we could heal many of the wounds that 
have been inflicted upon the earth over the last twenty centuries," 
answered Ed. It was a fact that the rate at which the natural 
resources were being removed from the earth had reduced. Oil, 
natural gas, and coal production had dropped as a result of the 
Fusion Battery. The harvesting of trees for use as telephone poles 
had halted. With low cost energy, it was economically viable to 
recycle metals, plastics, and other forms of waste.

Concentrating on driving, Nora said, "Things are getting better. 
There are no telephone or electric poles alongside the road. Air 
quality is much better. Acid rain is a thing of the past."

"Perhaps," replied Ed. Although his eyes looked out the window, 
his sight was focused inwards as his mind worked furiously as he 
considered the environment.

It was late afternoon when they stopped in New Mexico at a small 
town outside of Albuquerque. Ed studied the map and said, "We 
are about thirty minutes away from a Navaho Reservation. Would 
you like to see if they would allow us to look for a rock or two?"

Nora answered, "Actually, I would like to walk around town and 
see the local sights."

"I just realized that I forgot to pack my gear," remarked Ed as he 
wondered how that had happened.

Nora pulled into a small motel and parked in front of the office 
under the vacancy sign. The single story motel had been built in 
the early sixties in the typical featureless architecture of the time. 
There were doors spaced along the front with large windows. 
Curtains blocked the view into the room. Air conditioners stuck 
out below the windows, taking space away from the walkway that 
lead to all the rooms. 

Although the place was small and old, it looked well maintained. 
The doors were freshly painted. The bricks looked like they had 
been cleaned with a power washer. Even though the bushes were in 
their winter state, they looked like they had been well trimmed at 
the end of the growing season. Who ever was maintaining this 
place, took care of it.

Ed and Nora entered the lobby, finding a counter almost 
immediately inside the door. It was clear from the signs of 
construction behind the counter, that the owners were going to 
remove counter and add more of a lobby for the place. He nodded 
appreciatively as he looked at the work being done. 

A Native American woman came from another room and stood 
behind the counter. She was a beautiful woman that reminded him 
of Linda and Sarah. She stood with a great sense of pride that was 
reflected in her perfect posture. With a nod of her head and a 
smile, she greeted them, "Welcome."

Ed's eyes slipped over her figure, but returned immediately to her 
face. Smiling at the attractive woman, Ed said, "Hello."

Nora stared at the woman, her eyes slowly traveling the length of 
her body, and said, "You are as beautiful as his wife."

The woman stared at Nora, confused by the attention the woman 
was giving her body and puzzled at the statement about Ed's wife. 
It was not the kind of statement that married people made when 
having an affair and checking into a motel. Rather than clarify her 
confusion, she asked, "Would you like a room?"

"Sure," replied Ed knowing that they wanted at least one room. He 
turned to Nora and asked, "Do you want to share a room?"

"Sure."

The woman behind the counter didn't say a word, but started to go 
through the process of checking them into the room. She asked, 
"What name?"

"Ed Biggers and Nora Turner," answered Ed. 

The announcement of the names caught the woman's attention. 
First, she stared at Nora realizing that this woman was indeed the 
actress. She slowly turned to look at Ed, taking in his features. He 
wasn't wearing the black robe, so it was easy to mistake him for 
just another cowboy. After a moment, she asked, "Are you the Ed 
Biggers of the Carter Clan?"

"Yes, John Carter is my husband," answered Ed.

Her heart started beating harder from the excitement of meeting Ed 
Biggers. It was hard to believe that she was in the same room with 
a member of the Carter Clan. While John Carter was famous, Ed 
Biggers and Linda Carter were just as well known within the tribes 
of the Southwest. She smiled and said, "I graduated from the 
Native American College."

"Oh, that's great. So you knew William Redman?"

"I met him on several occasions. Such a great man, it was a major 
loss for all of us when he died." Mentioning the death reminded 
her that his son was with William Redman on the day that he died. 
The comment about her looking like Ed's wife also made sense, as 
Ed was married to a Native American woman.

"Yes, our entire family was very saddened by his passing."

"I love your wife's books," she said.

Laughing at the sudden change in topic, Ed said, "I do too. She 
hated the movie, feeling like they made the Coyote look like a 
foolish puppy."

The woman waved a hand discounting the movie and said, "It was 
made by white men. What do they know about the Coyote?"

Nora laughed and said, "It was made by Hollywood. What do they 
know about anything?"

The woman's laughter sounded sweet and honest. Pulling a key off 
the rack, she handed it to Ed and said, "Here's your room key. Why 
don't you two settle into your room? I'll bring the registration form 
by later."

"That would be great," replied Ed. 

The room was at the end of the building. It was farthest from the 
road and only had a single room next to it. Clearly, it was the best 
room of the motel. When Ed and Nora entered the room, they were 
surprised at the nice décor with a very strong Native American 
flavor. Prints of paintings by Paul Pena decorated the walls, 
reflecting the lives of those on the reservations. Ed went to one of 
the prints and admired it. He said, "I love this picture."

Nora smiled at the comment. She had been in their house and knew 
that he had the original hanging on the wall in the living room. 
After a minute, she realized that he wasn't going to tell her that 
they had the original. He probably didn't think that getting an 
original was any different from getting a print of it. She said, "You 
have the original at home."

"I know, but that is only because we could afford it and it was 
available. If it had been too expensive or unavailable, I would have 
bought the print. Being a copy doesn't change that it is a good 
picture."

Amazed at his attitude, Nora laughed at his statement. She had 
noticed that they had a few prints hung up in the living room. It 
was only now that she realized the art was on the wall because they 
liked the picture rather than who painted it or how much others 
liked it. It gave further insight into the attitudes of the Carter Clan 
towards their possessions. 

They had hardly settled in when there was a knock on their door. 
Ed opened it and found the woman from the reception desk. She 
said, "I've got your forms filled out. If either one of you would care 
to sign?"

"No problem." Ed signed the form and handed it back to her 
saying, "I'm sorry to say this, but I didn't catch your name earlier."

"I am Shideezhi Nascha. It means little sister of the owl," replied 
Shideezhi. She smiled and said, "Most people call me Susan."

Ed replied, "It is very nice to meet you Shideezhi Nascha. I am 
honored that you have told me your tribal name. In public, I will 
call you Susan if you prefer."

Susan blushed and replied, "That would be fine. I would like to 
invite you to dinner at our home tonight."

Ed turned to Nora and said, "Susan has invited us over for dinner. 
Is that okay with you?"

Nora, looking over at the beautiful woman, answered, "Yes, that 
would be lovely."

Faltering, Susan asked, "Would it bother you if I told our Chief 
that you are here?"

"That would be fine with me," replied Ed with a warm smile. "You 
may tell anyone you wish that we are here."

After Susan left, Ed turned to Nora and said, "I need to make a 
quick trip to the store to purchase tobacco."

"Go ahead. I'll wait here and maybe go visit with her for a bit," 
smiled Nora. 

"Wait until I get back," replied Ed, "You'll want to take a pack of 
cigarettes with you."

Nora and Ed had a wonderful evening visiting with Shideezhi 
Nascha and her husband. After dinner, the Chief and the Medicine 
Man of her tribe stopped by for a short visit. As Ed had done, they 
brought cigarettes with them. Instead of giving them to the hosts, 
they gave them to Ed. It was late in the evening when the Medicine 
Man asked, "How is your son, William Redman Carter?"

Surprised by the question, Ed answered, "He is fine. He returned to 
the Druid College two days ago."

"That is good to hear," replied the Medicine Man. He was quiet for 
a moment and then suggested, "It might be good for him to come 
to the Native American College for a while. He has two heritages."

Ed nodded as he listened to the Medicine Man. When the elderly 
man finished his suggestion, Ed replied, "I will pass along your 
suggestion to him."

Susan asked, "You won't tell him to go there?"

"He is his own person and will do it at a time of his choice," 
replied Ed.

The Chief and Medicine Man nodded at the wisdom expressed by 
Ed.
