Linda, an attractive young woman, was a special friend of Patrick. She had a well defined hour glass figure with long shapely legs. Her hazel eyes, flecked with gold, drew attention to her face. Her face with soft features was framed by naturally curly blond hair that gave the impression that she had just come from bed.
As far as most men were concerned, she would have been an ideal cheerleader type except for what many thought was one major flaw. She was the least endowed female on the entire campus. Her breasts barely qualified as an AA cup. She tended to cross her arms in front of her chest as if to hide them.
Despite some confidence problems with her body, she enjoyed sex more than most women on campus. Taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the circumstances at the school, Linda was exploring her sexuality. She was willing to try anything once and, if it was pleasant, she would add it to her repertoire of sexual activities. She didn't feel a great desire to take on any and all interested parties, but kept her favors to a lucky few. Patrick was her favorite of the lucky few.
Linda's appearance was great and her enjoyment of sex was an added bonus, but it was her personality that Patrick found to be most engaging. In short, she was intelligent, witty, and kind. She was from New York City and would tell stories about the famous city that Patrick found fascinating. She found his stories of the reservation to be equally intriguing.
The last thing Patrick wanted was to be around Lucy sporting an erection. It was tough enough being around Lucy while he was naked, but sporting an erection would have been absolutely mortifying. With Lucy visiting the college, Patrick found that he was spending a lot of time with Linda taking care of his overactive libido. In fact, he made sure that he visited Linda every time he was to meet with Lucy.
Unfortunately for Patrick's plans, Lucy arrived a little early for one their meetings and found Patrick and Linda seated at a table. Before saying a word, she examined the pair taking in the friendly glances they had been giving each other. Feeling a little playful, she said, "Hello Patrick. Who is your girlfriend?"
"Hello, Lucy. This is Linda," Patrick answered noticing the stress that Lucy had put on the word, 'girlfriend.' Hearing Lucy call Linda his girlfriend suggested images of his parents catching him naked with a woman. He knew how his parents would react if they found out that he was sitting around naked with an equally naked white woman.
"Hello, Linda," Lucy said with a cat that ate the canary smile. She entertained thoughts of singing a very juvenile song about Patrick and Linda sitting in a tree.
Trying not to express the sudden fit of tension he was feeling, Patrick turned to his friend and said, "Linda, this is Lucy Carter."
Linda was very aware that Carter was a famous name around the Druid College and that intimidated her. If Lucy was of that family, then she knew that it was a given that Lucy was rich and powerful. Linda looked at Lucy taking special notice of the clothes she was wearing. It was a weird mix of expensive and inexpensive. The blouse was definitely a designer label, but the jeans were from a chain store. She couldn't see the shoes, but she was willing to bet they were expensive. Lucy was cute, rich, and definitely educated.
Looking back to Patrick, Linda couldn't help but notice the sudden tension he was feeling. It seemed to her that he was unwilling to share with Lucy that they were very close friends and she couldn't help wondering why. She thought that he had shared his full sexual history with her, but his sudden nervousness around Lucy made her suspicious about the relationship between the pair. A small worm of jealousy rose within Linda at the thought that there might be a romantic history there that he had not chosen to share with her. With a slight chill to her voice, Linda asked, "How do you know each other?"
Sensing that the conversation was upsetting Linda, Lucy abandoned her plans to tease Patrick. It was a shame; she had a whole plan of describing the wonderful conversations she would have with his parents. Turning to Linda, she answered, "Patrick and my husband are friends. They go rock hunting and camping together on occasion."
"Oh," Linda said with a much friendlier tone to her voice once she realized that the relationship was different than what she had imagined. She still wondered about Patrick's sudden reticence to talk about her.
"William was my teacher in high school. I wouldn't even be here except that he helped me," Patrick explained. He hadn't wanted to boast about knowing someone so influential around the college.
"I assume that you are talking about William Redman Carter," Linda said putting all of the clues together. She hadn't realized that Patrick knew William Redman Carter and was actually pleased that he hadn't boasted about it.
"Yes," Patrick said.
Lucy leaned forward and gestured from one to the other with a finger. She asked, "So how long have you two been friends?"
"Since school started," Patrick answered. She had been standing next to him before they had to undress and had struck up a conversation while waiting for the rest of the students to make their way into the hallway.
"Really. She's so cute that I bet you couldn't keep your eyes off of her," Lucy said.
"Uh, yes," Patrick answered.
"How long did it take you to strike up a conversation with her?" Lucy asked.
"About ten minutes," Patrick answered. For some reason this conversation made him feel like he was talking to his mother. He didn't think that was such a great thing.
Lucy laughed at the obvious discomfort that Patrick was exhibiting. She was reasonably sure that there was a bit more than friendship between Patrick and Linda. Turning to Linda, she said, "You and I are going to have to have a long talk. I'll be going home and his parents are going to want to know how he's doing. I suspect that you know that better than anyone."
Seeing the frantic look on Patrick's face, Linda said, "That sounds like fun."
Lucy said, "That's great. I'm going to have so much fun telling his mother about what a cute couple you make. She's going to want all the details."
"I'm doomed," Patrick groaned.
"What's the matter Patrick? You look positively green," Lucy asked with a smile.
"You're going to tell my parents that you saw me here running around without clothes on, aren't you?" Patrick asked.
"Me? I'd never do that. Now William, that's a different story. I'm sure that if there aren't enough juicy details that he'd just invent them," Lucy said. At the look of horror on Patrick's face, she burst into laughter. Patting him on the arm, she said, "I'm just kidding."
"You don't know my parents. They are very conservative," Patrick said.
"You forget that I attended your sister's wedding and met your parents there. I think they'll understand that your current state of dress is not by your choice," Lucy said.
Patrick shook his head and said, "My parents will never understand."
"They'll understand when you tell them that it was undress or leave school," Lucy said.
"That's true," Patrick said. He'd rather face the entire tribe naked than tell his father that he quit or failed out of college on the first day.
'September, October, and November  that's one quarter. December, January, and February  that's a second quarter. March, April, and May  would be a third quarter, ' Lucy thought trying to remember the school break schedule. Lucy turned to Linda and said, "I'd like to invite you and Patrick to visit us at our home during your end of May break. I'm sure that Patrick's family will enjoy meeting you."
"Why then?" Linda asked with a frown. They had a week long break starting at the end of February.
"William is in the glade at the moment and we don't know when he'll come out. When he does come out, we have to take care of Debbie and Georgia. He also has to begin his service. I don't know what we'll be doing at the end of February," Lucy answered. Her voice broke when she said the names of Oscar's widows.
"Who are they?" Linda asked noticing the sad expression that came over Lucy's face.
"They are Oscar's widows. William and Oscar were friends; he promised Oscar that we would take care of them," Lucy answered wondering if William was going to find someone to make that kind of promise to him.
Feeling like a heel, Linda said, "Oh. I didn't know."
"That's okay. There's no reason that you should have known," Lucy answered. Almost none of the news stories had mentioned Oscar's widows. It was almost as if they didn't exist. The idea that the women in his life were ignored so thoroughly irritated Lucy. Of course, she also understood that it was probably for the best.
"How are they doing?" Linda asked wondering if Patrick had known Oscar as a result of his friendship with William.
"They are in Bermuda resting in a hotel. They haven't recovered from the shock of his death. According to the bodyguards, they were in a room across from the square where Oscar was killed. They saw the whole thing," Lucy answered. The grief counselors had been waiting for the women to recover sufficiently to begin the process of healing. They didn't expect to have a chance for at least another day.
"Those poor women," Linda said trying to imagine watching someone she loved die and finding the idea heartbreaking.
For the next ten minutes, the two women chatted about topics that were of no interest to Patrick. At first, he tried to follow the conversation, but that was impossible. He looked from one woman to the other wondering how he had suddenly become cut out of the conversation. When they started discussing various clothes designers, his mind drifted to the tests that he was facing later that afternoon. He was suddenly pulled back into the conversation when Lucy said, "So you'll be coming for a visit during the end of May vacation."
Linda answered, "Sure. That sounds like fun."
Lucy had made the noon-time trip to the glade twice with Catherine and Oliver in the hopes that William would return. Those trips had required her to trudge through near blizzard conditions in which the snow fall was so thick that it was hard to see more than five feet. She had stood in the snow storm shivering from the frigid air that whipped at her clothes sucking away all warmth. Others had exited the glade, but there had been no sign of William.
This day though, the storm had broken and there was a bright blue sky. It was still cold, but the wind was still and the sun was warm. Her clothes that had been ineffective against the storm now felt too warm. She felt that the weather was a promising sign as she made her way along the path. Further adding to her hope that William would return from the glade that day was that other Druids who were visiting the College went out with her as well.
A crowd of Druids gathered around the path from the glade waiting for Oscar to arrive. Lucy looked from face to face trying to interpret the mood of the Druids. It was hard to tell what they expected to learn out there. Almost everyone looked nervous and unsure. Oliver paced, in part, out of nervousness and, in part, to keep warm. Lucy was sure that Catherine wore a dozen layers of clothes under her robe because she looked positively toasty.
Seeing her look around the crowd with a slight frown on her face, Ed Biggers believed that she was worried that so many people would overwhelm William when he came out of the glade. It never occurred to him that she was worried that William wouldn't return from the glade. He went over to her and said, "I did ask them to wait for him back at the school."
"What?" Lucy asked not following what he was trying to say.
Ed smiled at her confusion and realized that his concerns were unfounded. Her fears were the normal fears of anyone waiting for someone to return. He said, "I asked everyone to stay back at the college so that William would have a chance to get used to whatever gifts he's been given."
"Oh. I guess I don't know what to expect," Lucy said worried about her husband. She bit her lower lip and looked down the path that led from the glade.
"No one knows what to expect. Kelly was in shock for almost a full day when she came out. I don't think it was that hard on me or John. Beth sailed through without missing a beat," Ed said.
"What happens when you met them?" Lucy asked.
"As far as I know, we all have different experiences in the glade," Ed answered rubbing a hand over the medallion.
"What do you mean? Don't you know what others have experienced?" Lucy asked looking up at her father-in-law with surprise.
Ed fidgeted nervously and answered, "We don't talk about it."
"Why not?" Lucy asked. She had assumed that everyone there understood exactly what was happening to William.
Ed was quiet for a moment trying to figure out how to answer her question. Finally, he said, "It's too private. Do you share with people the details of your first sexual experience? You don't need to answer that. I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't do that. Now everyone assumes that their first sexual experience was a lot like everyone else's, but you don't really know that for a fact. Meeting with the Gods and Goddesses is a lot like that. It is even more private than your first sexual experience."
Frowning, Lucy asked, "Have you ever told anyone what you experienced when you met the Two-Sided One?"
Ed shook his head and answered, "No."
With that one word answer, Lucy realized that something had come between her and William; something so private that William would never share it with her. She stood by the glade feeling like something had been taken from her. She hoped that the William she knew hadn't been taken from her as well.
William had entered the glade at six in the morning on the Winter Solstice. It had been as if he stepped directly from winter into spring. His clothes were suddenly too warm for the temperature. The sun was overhead despite the fact that it wasn't even sunrise. There was a soft breeze that carried with it the scent of flowers rather than snow.
William found that he stood at the start of a path that led through the trees. It was identical to the path he had seen in his vision quests. Animals of all kinds lined the path. He walked the path as he had done in previous vision questions knowing that this time his way into the meadow would not be blocked. As he trod on the path, a mist formed behind him. The animals bowed their heads to him as he walked past them reaffirming that he would remain tied to the Great Spirit. He paused to return the honor to each animal.
When he reached the end of the path, the vines that had always blocked his way fell apart giving entrance to the meadow. The Two-Sided One, in a feminine aspect, was seated in the middle of the verdant meadow surrounded by rabbits and squirrels. The air was filled butterflies, dragonflies, and birds. Overhead, there was the sharp screech of a hawk.
Gesturing for William to come to her with fat fingers, the Two- Sided One said, "There is someone here who would talk to you."
It was then that William noticed someone seated beside the Two- Sided One, but the person was partially hidden behind the massive body of the Two-Sided One. Approaching them, he was pleasantly surprised by the identity of the other person. He said, "Oscar!"
"Hello, William," Oscar said with a smile. The effect of the smile was tempered a bit by the young man's appearance. There were cuts on his face from the rocks and bottles that had been thrown at him. There were carmine spots on his robe giving mute testimony as to where he had been shot. Despite the wounds through which his life force was leaking, Oscar was not in pain. That had been a gift of the Goddess.
The Two-Sided One said, "The two of you do not have much time. Oscar exists between this heartbeat and his last. Say what must be said while there is time."
Oscar was silent for a moment while he considered his words. Looking William in the eye, he said, "The only reason that I succeeded in my service is because you gave me so much. At the darkest times of my trip, I would think about all that you were doing for me and that helped me go on. Allowing me to use your gift saved Georgia and me many times over. I was able to avoid reporters, military, and radicals who would have made my life miserable, locked me away, or killed me outright. You protected Debbie so that I wouldn't have to worry about her. You made sure that I had anything I needed. In fact, you made sure that I had anything I wanted. I couldn't leave without thanking you."
"I wish that I could have done more," William said staring at the gunshot wound in Oscar's chest. The crimson blood slowly leaked out as if flowing in slow motion.
Throat tight with emotion, Oscar said, "Thank you for every thing, William. I know that Georgia and Debbie will be well cared for."
"I shall do all that is in my power to give them a good life," William said.
Oscar smiled and said, "I fear that you are going to find that is going to be a tough job; they are both pregnant with twins. It happened while we were in Petra."
William glanced at the Two-Sided One and asked, "Let me guess, hermaphrodites?"
"No. A boy and a girl each," the Two-Sided One answered. He sighed and said, "The world just doesn't respect Hermaphrodites like it should."
"Ah."
"Your time is growing short," the Two-Sided One said.
Oscar looked away for a second and then back at William. He could feel his life force slipping away and knew his time had come. In an emotion laden voice, he said, "Tell my wives that I loved them."
William was about to reply when Oscar reached out and touched him. It felt as if he had been hit with a bolt of lightning. He flew across the meadow and landed on his back. His ears were ringing and his vision doubled. Shaking his head to clear it, he saw that Oscar was gone. He looked around to verify that Oscar was really gone.
Looking over at the Two-Sided One, he asked, "Is he dead?"
"Yes. He lived long enough to return your gift to you," the Two- Sided One answered with a sad little smile. Looking at the tears on William's cheeks, he added, "Do not cry for him. There are two worlds side by side separated by a very thin barrier. One world is for the living and one is for the dead. I am sorry that you are separated from your friend, but such separations are temporary for one day you shall cross that thin barrier too."
"Can you tell me of that other world?" William asked.
"That is not for the living to know. Without that final mystery, all actions of men would become meaningless," the Two-Sided One answered. He looked at William and said, "Fear it not."
"Thank you," William said.
The next thing William could remember of his visit to the glade was waking to find that he was naked and nursing upon one of the monstrous breasts of the Two-Sided One. He felt small as if he was an infant sucking on its mother's breasts. The fat woman was stroking the back of his head and murmuring soft words of encouragement. William backed off the massive nipple and asked, "What happened?"
The Two-Sided One said, "You have done well, little one. You passed all of the tests."
"I don't remember any tests," William said.
"You will remember them when you need the lessons taught within them," the Two-Sided One answered pulling William's head back to her breast. She said, "Drink up, my special boy. There is much for you to do. When you have had your fill, you shall rest."
On waking, William's hand went to his neck and found a gold medallion hanging from a golden chain. He didn't remember when it had been placed around his neck. William rose from the ground and staggered to the edge of the glade feeling very confused by his experience. He stopped to remember what he could of his visit with the Two-Sided One, but the majority of his time spent there was a complete blank.
William was about to leave the glade when the feeling that he was forgetting to do something very important settled over him. He stopped to look ahead at the future. Instead of a single future, thousands of possible futures spread out before him. He could see the present branching into major trunks of potential future realities.
Some futures had a beautiful façade, but at their core was an ugliness that he instinctively knew had to be avoided. The standard of living looked impressive but there was a terrible price that the people would have to pay for it. People were slaves to wages to afford the façade they presented to the world without living the life the façade promised. There was an undercurrent of misery that leeched away the human spirit.
Other futures were shallow and without any strength behind them. It was a kind of future in which problems were ignored, people were lost, and yet society went on as if nothing had happened. It was the kind of world in which bad things always happened to other people and, hence, planning for bad things could be ignored. It was an everlasting carnival in which the rapes and murders that occurred at the edges of the party were ignored.
Some futures were ugly through and through. It was a life in which people sacrificed for the greater good of the whole with no one actually getting the good. These were worlds ruled by tyrants with names like Science, Religion, Socialism, and Secularism. These good intentions warped people and societies from achieving anything resembling good.
William realized that it was up to him to select which future would hold for all of humanity. The first decision point was already upon him. It was a weighty responsibility and he took his time examining all of the possible futures. He walked out of the glade and to where Catherine stood holding a handful of black robes. Showing her his medallion, he said, "May I have my black robe, please?"
Catherine handed him a black robe and said, "This is all I have for you."
Ignoring her, William donned his robe and turned to face the Druids waiting for him. He looked from one person to the next thinking about the consequences of his actions. It was time to act and hence start humanity towards a specific future. In a loud voice, he said, "The conditions that required us to wear robes have come to an end. From this day forth, we will wear robes only when it is necessary to achieve a service. So it has been said, so shall it be."
He stopped speaking and then removed his robe. Having waited his entire life to wear the black robe, it hurt to remove it. He carefully folded the robe to store it away. He accepted the rest of the robes from Catherine before turning to Lucy. He held out a hand and, in a soft voice, said, "Let us take a walk."
Smiling, Lucy took his hand and let him lead her away from the Carter Glade. As they walked, she thought about what Ed had said. Curious, she asked, "How was it?"
"I don't know," William answered feeling uncomfortable about discussing his time in the glade. It was intensely personal.
Confused, she asked, "What do you mean, you don't know?"
"I don't remember most of my time there," William answered.
"Oh," Lucy said not knowing what to make of his answer. She asked, "Can you see the future?"
"Yes. My gift has returned and it is many times stronger than it was before," William answered. He wondered if it was really that much stronger or that he was more aware of it.
Lucy wondered what other changes had occurred in William. The time without his ability to see the future had been hard for him. There were times when he was timid rather than confident. It wasn't without its benefits. He had grown as a person by having to face the uncertainties that plagued most people. She squeezed his hand seeking reassurance.
"I love you," William said.
Lucy smiled and said, "I love you."
Moving quietly, they walked along towards the side door of the Administration Building. About the time that they reached it, William said, "In case you're wondering, I'm back. Maybe I'm not as cocky as I was before, but I've got my confidence again. I think I will be a little more understanding of people's inability to see what is in their best interest."
"I'm glad to hear that," Lucy said wondering just how much of her William had actually returned to her.
William smiled and asked, "Would you like to celebrate?"
That was a loaded question and could mean anything. Of course, none of the possibilities were that unpleasant. She answered, "Sure. What would you like to do?"
"There's a Burger Burner in town that sells soft ice cream. What do you say to us going there and grabbing a bite to eat before coming back here and celebrating in a more private manner?" William answered.
Feeling as if a great weight had been removed from her, Lucy laughed and hugged William. She answered, "Now I know that my William is back. I'd love to visit a Burger Burner."
"That's great," William said opening the door for her.
The Druids at the Carter Glade had watched William and Lucy walk off. His pronouncement wasn't what any of them had expected. As a group they turned to Oliver and waited to hear what he had to say. Only a handful of them had started to remove their robes, but stopped when everyone else did not follow suit.
Oliver watched William's retreating back with a frown. He had expected a prophetic statement and not a command. He turned and looked at Ed Biggers. Curious about the nature of William's service, he asked, "Did he say the truth?"
"Yes," Ed answered unsure how he felt about giving up the black robe as daily wear. The father had commanded them to wear them and now the son had commanded them not to wear them.
Oliver turned to the Druids and said, "You all heard him. From this day forth, we will wear robes only when it is necessary to achieve a service."
Lazlo Zalzac