Chapter 3
Across the flat featureless ground, baked hard under the direct glare of the sun, Oscar walked with a strong step as though the heat had no effect upon him. The hot ground produced convection currents that caused the air to shimmer in waves, distorting things in the distance. The effect made him appear as a squiggle suspended slightly above the ground, a comma dancing on the horizon.
On the outskirts of a small village in Iraq, a group of children played soccer on a small patch of land by the side of the road. The boys were running and laughing like children found everywhere in the world. While much of the town was dilapidated, the soccer ball was new. In a way, the ball tied the boys to kids everywhere. It was a universal language, made of kicks, head butts, sweeps, and gestures calling for the ball.
The game stopped when one of the boys spotted a figure walking down the road. The boys fled the field taking their ball with them. Strangers in the small town represented a danger. One of the boys, as he ran through town, screamed, "A stranger is coming. A stranger is coming."
Women ran into houses taking the younger children with them. The men came out of their houses carrying rifles. They gathered together and watched the progress of the stranger as he neared. The men were tense, not sure what to make of the lone figure. Their village was poor, but that didn't stop people from trying to take advantage of them. If it wasn't the Americans trying to change a lifestyle of a thousand years, then it was foreign terrorists trying to recruit them as human bombs.
The figure was soon close enough for them to make out details. He wore a gray robe with an earth colored cloak over it. The hood of the cloak was raised over his head, keeping the sun off his head and hiding his visage. In his hand, he held a shepherd's staff that swung forward and backward in time with his step. The sandals on his feet flashed into periodic view as he strode confidently into the town. A gold medallion hung around his neck.
He walked past the gathered men without pausing or looking, heading straight for the Mosque. They followed behind him, curious about the man that didn't greet them, watching his every action. He stepped up to the door of the Mosque. He raised the staff and slammed it, butt end first, into the door frame. The resounding bang was much louder than commonsense would have predicted. He repeated the action again and then a third time.
The Cleric Fayez Majid came to the door and stared at the man standing before him. He asked, "Who are you that knocks upon the door?"
"I am the Druid Oscar Meyers. I seek entry to this house of Allah," answered Oscar in a voice that thundered over the area.
The men behind him raised their guns to shoot him where he stood as soon as they heard the word Druid. The Cleric stepped back in shock and surprise. From deep within the Mosque a loud booming voice echoed, "Let the Druid enter."
Shocked expressions ran through the crowd since all knew the only one inside the Mosque was the Cleric. The Cleric turned and looked into the building with fear. His heart fluttered within his chest, unable to believe what his ears had heard. He stood to block Oscar's entry.
The deep voice echoed through the building, "Do not make the Druid wait."
Oscar stood in front of the man, watching with a steady stare as the Cleric debated what to do. The crowd had stepped back several steps eyeing the stranger with fear in their hearts. The voice coming from the Mosque terrified the men, none more so than the Cleric.
The Cleric stepped back and gestured for him to enter. Oscar nodded and said, "Thank you."
Slipping off his sandals, he strode through the door, entering the Mosque proper with confident steps. Unable to resist, the Cleric followed him and stared in shock at the room as it glowed with a soft golden light. The Cleric fell to his knees and prostrated himself on the ground. Oscar continued to stand as the deep booming voice reverberated through the room, "You are the Druid Oscar Meyers."
Oscar, his voice deep and resonant, replied, "I am he, sent here by my Gods and Goddesses."
The men entered the Mosque, wondering what was happening inside. Seeing the Cleric on his knees, they joined him on the floor. As the voice originated from the center of the room, the men shook in fear. "What is your mission?"
"To bring peace to this ravaged land."
The voice echoed through the room again. "Are you willing to die for peace?"
Oscar answered, "There is no higher cause."
The voice, strong enough to carry through the whole town, stated, "You shall do."
As the golden glow faded, Oscar turned to leave the room. The Cleric rose and faced him. He felt that he was in the presence of a particularly religious man that had been blessed by Allah. He asked, "What am I to do?"
Oscar smiled and, in the commanding voice that had been his gift from the Two-Sided One, said, "Spread the word of what occurred here. Pray for peace among all that serve the good, including those that serve other Gods."
As the men in the Mosque rose from the floor, Oscar left the Mosque; pausing at the door to slip his sandals back onto his feet. Without a backward glance, he stepped away from the Mosque. As one, the men followed him out the door and down the street, their guns forgotten at the entrance of the Mosque. Oscar did not stop, but continued to walk; leaving the small town within a few minutes.
The crowd stopped and watched as he slowly changed from man- shaped to a dancing squiggle and finally disappeared in the far distance. The Cleric, standing to the side, said, "Come, let us go to the Mosque. It is time for prayers."
Oscar reached the crossroads four miles from town and stopped to wait for the white Mercedes to arrive. He had to wait thirty minutes, but it finally pulled up beside him. He opened the passenger door and seated himself. Once his seat belt had been buckled, he looked at the driver. With a large grin on his face, he teased, "You look sexy dressed like that."
Surprised by his comment, Georgia laughed hysterically. She asked, "You find the burka sexy?"
He smiled and answered, "It shows off your lovely eyes in a most beguiling fashion."
Shaking her head at the compliment, she knew that she could be fully covered except for a small circle on her bottom and he'd tell her that she had a lovely little hole. She asked, "Where to now?"
Pointing down one of the roads, he answered, "We go to Baghdad. I'll have to drive when we get close to any town."
The second-class treatment of women in this part of the world really bothered her, but she was glad that he had brought her with him. She had watched the reaction of the people in town and realized that he had made a significant impact on those that saw and heard. Watching the passing scenery as she drove, she commented, "This is the cradle of civilization."
Knowing that she was not very comfortable with being here, he asked, "And?"
"It's a shame that the cradle never evolved," she answered. It seemed to her that the birthplace of civilization should have remained civilized. Instead, it had stagnated and decayed into a land where power counted more than morals.
Lost in thought, he watched the countryside as they drove towards Baghdad. There was a lot of life in this part of the country. They were following the Tigris River to Baghdad and this route was lush with green plant life. He knew that most people considered Iraq to be nothing more than a desert area, but that was much further south and to the east.
As they approached a small town, Oscar said, "Pull over here. We'll change so that I'm driving. I'd hate it if you were hurt because you were seen doing something that wasn't allowed."
Stopping the car in the middle of the road, she parked the car and got out. As she walked around the car, he got out of the passenger seat and held the door open for her. She climbed in and settled into her seat, her irritation rising at the stupidity that wouldn't allow a woman to drive. Both of them knew that women could drive here, but that it wasn't entirely socially acceptable. Oscar closed the door and went around to the driver's side of the car. Despite the fact that this was a major road, there wasn't a single other car on it. He got in and started driving towards the town ahead.
As they approached the town, a number of cars were pulled over on the side of the road. He looked down the road and saw the roadblock staffed by American Soldiers. Parking the car, he stepped out and approached the soldiers. They spotted him immediately and recognized him as a Druid, but didn't know how to react to his presence.
In the meantime, his fore-sight started screaming at Oscar to get away from the taxi. Oscar paused for a second and started backing away. He shouted, "Get away from the taxi! It's a bomb!"
He turned to put as much distance as he could between him and the taxi. Seeing his actions, the Iraqis scattered. The soldiers may not have known how to react to his presence, but they definitely knew how to react to his announcement of a car bomb. They immediately opened fire on the driver of the car. Seconds later, there was a loud explosion as the bomb went off. The force of the explosion threw people to the ground as metal cut through the air over their heads.
Unhurt, Oscar picked himself off the ground and walked back towards the soldiers. The Iraqis that had been stopped at the roadblock returned to stare at the mangled wreckage that remained of the taxi. The soldiers were getting very nervous wondering if this was going to spark an incident. In a voice that sent shivers down the spines of all those that heard it, Oscar shouted, "Thank the Gods and Goddesses for sparing the lives of innocents."
The Muslims gathered around the wreck of the tax heard, "Praise be to Allah for sparing the lives of his followers."
The Christians present heard, "Praise be to God for saving us from evil."
Oscar turned to the soldiers and asked, "Must I wait for my car to be inspected?"
The man in charge looked at Oscar, taking in the robe and medallion around his neck. He knew this man was to be treated as though he was a Colonel or above. In a voice of respect, he said, "It is dangerous here for you."
With a wry smile, Oscar glanced over at the remains of the taxi and said, "It is dangerous here for everyone."
Catching the not quite subtle hint, the soldier said, "Go on."
As Oscar returned to his car, the Muslims stared at him wondering what they were to do. According to what most of them believed, he was a pagan and was to be killed on sight. For a few others, he was a Magi and was to be respected. That mixture of respect, fear, and hate was typical of the reaction in that world to a Druid.
Oscar drove past the crowd and through the checkpoint. The man in charge nodded as he drove past. The crowd just watched with a pensiveness that would last for days. The one thing that bound local and American was the general uncertainty about dealing with the Druid. All seemed happy to see him leave.
Inside the car, Georgia said, "That was interesting. They didn't know whether to thank you or kill you."
"It's going to get worse with time. Wait until people start waiting for me to show up," replied Oscar with a grin.
She shook her head at the idea. That was going to be when it really got dangerous for him. He guided the car into the town. Slowing down, he started looking around at the buildings until he noticed one that had a glowing door. After driving past it, he stopped the car and got out. From the car, she watched him stride down the street with a purpose that intimidated all those that saw him.
Oscar strode up to the door of the church and halted. Lifting his staff, he struck the door creating a noise that carried through the whole neighborhood. People came out of their houses, wondering what had created the noise and then stayed to watch what followed. The priest opened the door of the church, fear obvious on his face. The recent upsurge in fundamentalism within the country had made being a Christian much more dangerous than ever before.
Oscar looked the priest in the eye and, voice reverberating, said, "I am the Druid Oscar Meyers. May I enter this house of Jehovah?"
The priest stared at Oscar unsure how to answer that question. From within the church, a thunderous voice echoed, "Bid the Druid to enter."
With stomach knotting at the unexpected voice behind him, the priest meekly gestured for Oscar to enter. Striding into the church, Oscar paused as he took in the simple altar at the front of the room. It was not as ornate as he expected, but perhaps reflected the second class positions held by non-Muslims in this part of the world. The air suddenly took the scent of roses, almost overpowering in its intensity. Amid a bright light hovering above the altar, a voice loud enough to carry outside the church rang forth, "You are the Druid Oscar Meyers."
"I am he, sent here by my Gods and Goddesses," was the reply in a voice nearly as loud.
"What is your mission?"
"I am here to bring peace to this land," Oscar replied.
The light brightened and a ray of light came out to play over Oscar as he stood there. The voice asked, "Are you willing to die for this mission?"
"There is no greater calling than to die for peace."
"You shall do. Go to the house of Yahweh and present yourself."
As the scent in the room faded, Oscar turned to find the priest on his knees with hands held in prayer. The dark haired man that had greeted him at the door was gone forever, replaced by a white haired man who had been touched by his God. Oscar reached down and pulled the man up from his knees. Looking at the man, Oscar said, "Let all who wish to know be told of what you saw and heard."
When Oscar left the church, worshippers were outside kneeling in prayer, certain that something significant was occurring within the church, but unaware of all that went on within the building. They gasped when the priest came to the door and beckoned them into the church. The sudden change in the priest's appearance spoke volumes about what had gone on inside.
Oscar returned to the car and drove past the church as more people gathered around the building. The news that their God had appeared in this simple house of worship had spread through the neighborhood like wild fire. Even Muslims in the area heard the news and wondered what it signified. Already, rumors had circulated that a man had entered a Mosque in a town north of there and Allah had spoken to him directly.
In the Bataween section of Baghdad, a crumbling buff-colored building was tucked away in an alleyway hidden from sight. The last Rabbi had disappeared long ago, but this was the last synagogue in Iraq. Several hundred thousand worshippers prior to 1948 had dwindled down to less than a hundred. That it remained amongst such hostility was a miracle of sorts.
Oscar strode to the door with a purpose. Of the remaining Jews in Iraq, only three saw him approach the building. Fearing for the worst, they followed him believing that they were about to witness the final chapter to the last remaining symbol of a community that stretched back two thousand eight hundred years.
Oscar hit the door with his staff, creating a booming noise that echoed through the alley. The door slowly swung open, unattended by human hand. The three witnesses stared in disbelief as a voice echoed from within the empty building, "Enter Druid Oscar Meyers, I have been expecting you."
Oscar entered the dark building and, looking around with a critical eye, saw the years of neglect reflected within building. A dancing fire appeared in midair. His voice, deep and rumbling with enough volume to carry into the street, Oscar said, "One day this building shall live again."
"You are willing to die in order to see that happen?" echoed the voice carrying into the street.
"I am willing to die in service to my Gods and Goddesses," answered Oscar.
"I accept you." The voice echoed throughout the room and through the open door. The three Jews and a crowd of Muslims gathered outside wondered what that meant.
Oscar replied, "Thank you."
"Go forth, visit Mosque, Church, and Synagogue. We shall greet you at each so that you can spread the news that there is to be peace among our religions. When the time is right, our emissaries shall meet with you."
Oscar bowed his head and replied, "Thank you Yahweh. I shall do as you have requested."
The interview was over and Oscar left the building. A huge crowd had gathered outside, staring at him with awe, fear, reverence, and loathing when he exited. The mixture of emotions was not unexpected as word of the events within a Jewish house of worship spread like wildfire throughout the Muslim neighborhood.
Returning to the car, Oscar entered feeling extremely exhausted. All three of the Gods had accepted him as spokesman. It was up to him to spread the word of peace in a land that had only known war and strife.
Georgia looked at the faces of the people gathered around the Synagogue. Most of the faces reflected awe at what they had seen and those didn't bother her. It was the few that looked in their direction with loathing that sent chills up and down her spine. She said, "I'm scared."
"We will spend the night at the American Base," Oscar said in an attempt to diffuse the tension in the car.
The trip to the American Base did not take long, but it was very quiet in the car as each of them considered the situation. Pulling up to the American Base at the airport, Oscar got out of the car and asked to be taken to the base commander. An hour later, he and Georgia were led to a private room where they could spend the night in relative safety.
The room had simple twin beds, but it was private. Georgia entered, looked around, and stripped out of her clothes. Turning to Oscar, she commanded, "Come here and fuck me. I want it as rough as you can give it to me."
The request was unusual by its very nature. For the past few years, George had not emerged. Now that aspect of her character returned with a vengeance. George liked to take control, but now she wanted him to be rough with her. Oscar pulled off his robe and went to kiss her. She grabbed him and threw him against the wall as she shouted, "I said I wanted it rough!"
He grabbed her and pulled her to him. She fought back with savage fury, snarling when he backed off. Off balance, they fell and wrestled on the floor. Half of the time she was pushing him away and half of the time she was pulling him closer. Oscar was not finding this a pleasant coupling and had a difficult time achieving an erection. After she scratched him, anger rose within him and with that anger his cock erected. Frustrated, he rolled her on her back and held her down even as she fought back with a fury.
Georgia, although giving into the George side of her nature, wanted him to overcome the aggressive side and vanquish it forever. When he finally got a hold on her that she couldn't escape, he slipped his cock into her cunt. She continued to fight him, but with her arms twisted under her body, all she could do was thrash about. Fighting him, she wrapped her legs around his hips and squeezed with all of her considerable strength.
With legs squeezing him around his hips, Oscar was held tight. He twisted her arm until her legs relaxed and then thrust into her with savage strokes. All consideration for her pleasure fled as he focused on achieving his pleasure. Biting his shoulder, she tried to distract him. When he went to bite her breast, her arm got loose. Within seconds she was beating him with her fist.
With nothing to lose, he grabbed her shoulders and started to fuck her savagely. She pushed and shoved him away. Unable to control her, he flipped her onto her back and slipped his cock between her legs. Rather than entering her cunt, his cock slipped into her asshole. With that, she let loose a primal scream and started slapping the floor with her hand.
Lost in the moment, Oscar ravaged her asshole not caring which hole his cock was exploring. The savage fucking of her ass began to eat away from the anger that had driven her to this act. Oscar could feel the come boiling in his balls as his orgasm began to build. As he thrust into her with a final angry push, the come exploded from him, filling her ass with his fluids. As he came, it was as though all of the energy and anger within her evaporated.
Coming down, he rolled off her and lay on the floor breathing heavily. His face was scratched, there was blood flowing from his shoulder, and his back was on fire from the shredding given him in her struggles. His jaw hurt, but he didn't remember her hitting him there. Rolling over to look at her, he was about to apologize when she said, "Thank you. I needed it like that."
The admission made his apology seem out of place and he looked at her. There were carpet burns on her back, knees, stomach, and breasts. She didn't appear to have any bruises although the same could not be said of him. Confused, he said, "You're welcome. I hope I didn't hurt you."
As the come dripped out of her ass, she said, "I've never had anal sex before. You took me by surprise."
"I took you in the ass?"
She laughed at the shocked expression on his face and replied, "Yes, you did. I guess you didn't realize it."
The news surprised him, but he didn't react. The fact was that he hadn't understood what had happened. She moved over and nuzzled him with her cheek. She smiled at him and said, "Let's get cleaned up and eat something."
The next morning, Oscar woke to the feel of her mouth around his cock. This was his favorite way to wake. He looked down to see her looking up at him with a smile in her eyes. Seeing that he was now awake, Georgia stopped sucking his cock and moved to lower her cunt onto it.
Breakfast in the mess hall was a quiet affair as both of them were lost in the thoughts of the task facing Oscar. He watched as Georgia ate her cereal, trying to memorize every detail of her face. It was with a sigh that he finished his toast, washing it down with the last of his coffee.
Georgia, much of her anger gone, was finally accepting the situation in a calm manner. A number of military personnel had heard stories of the sounds that had come out of their room the previous night, but it was clear from their behavior this morning that nothing brutal had occurred. There wasn't the kind of flinching that followed a beating of one by another.
After the food had been consumed, they both refilled their coffee cups to relax before heading out on the next leg of the trip. Oscar, leaning across the table, said, "I love you very much."
With a sigh, Georgia answered, "I know you do. I love you too. It is just so hard to allow you to walk around like this so unprotected."
"My Gods and Goddesses shall watch over me."
Sitting back in her chair, she frowned as she said, "They will watch you die."
Oscar shrugged and looked at Georgia knowing that there wasn't any way to reply to that comment. Taking a deep breath, he said, "They only asked if I was willing to die for peace, not that I had to die."
"It's the same thing."
A Colonel stopped by the table and asked, "Are you the Druid Oscar Meyers?"
"Yes, I am."
"There's another Druid here to see you. She'll be here in a few minutes," replied the man.
"Another Druid? I wonder who it could be," replied Oscar not expecting any other Druid to show up. His foresight gave him the answer and he smiled at Georgia.
"The Intel is going crazy. It appears that you've really stirred up a hornet's nest with your stunts in the Mosque, Temple, and Church. Groups all over the Middle East are preparing for war of the worst kind. We are talking Apocalypse, here."
Oscar looked at the Colonel for a minute. It was clear that the man was very concerned about what was going to happen in the next few days, weeks, and months. Taking a sip of his coffee, he wondered how he could reassure the man that things would work out for the best. He replied, "I know it looks bad, but it isn't. The result of my actions will be peace."
The dream of every military man was peace, but in his position he knew how elusive that could be. Scoffing at the suggestion, the Colonel said, "Lots of people have made that claim. What makes you different?"
"I have my Gods and Goddesses supporting me. I also have the support of Allah, Jehovah, and Yahweh."
The man shook his head and left the table convinced that the Druid had lost his mind. Oscar watched him leave the mess hall and was still watching the door when Jennifer passed through it on her way to him. Leaning back in his chair, he didn't say a word to Georgia that her sister was there.
Jennifer came up behind her sister and covered her eyes with her hands, startling her younger sister. Before she had a chance to react physically, Oscar said, "Guess who."
Georgia sat there puzzled and said, "I have no idea."
As Jennifer giggled, her sister realized who was covering her eyes. She shouted, "Jed, stop that!"
Oscar laughed as the sisters were reunited after a year's
separation. Jennifer sat down at the table next to her sister and said,
"It's good to see you. Sorry I missed the wedding, but things have been
a little crazy lately."