William shook his head in amazement while going through the stack of papers Barbara had handed him. She had all of their expenditures typed up for the accountant complete with receipts. The confirmations for chartered jets were in a neat little stack. The agenda for the meetings had been typed up with copies for everyone. Looking up at Barbara, he said, "You are amazing. I don't know how you keep up with everything."
Upon hearing more praise from William, Barbara squirmed in her chair. It seemed to her like every time she turned around he was praising her. It would be one thing if it was just words, but he meant them. He really did appreciate everything she did for him. Fighting to keep control of her voice, she said, "It is not that difficult."
"Maybe not for you, but I don't think anyone else could handle all of these details. You've got our reservations made, flights booked, and an itinerary laid out even while you're traveling around the country babysitting my Dad and me," William said looking her in the eye. He looked at her and thought she looked a little tired. He decided that she deserved a little break.
"I'm just doing my job," Barbara said. A week of preparing for the trip and then ten days on the road with William praising her the entire time was doing a number on her libido. He talked to her and not to her breasts. He complimented her on her ideas and not her looks.
She watched him go through the stack of papers. When he tossed a couple of them on the table she wished that he'd take a moment to throw her on the table and have his way with her. He said, "Excuse me for a minute."
"Sure," Barbara said thankful for the minor reprieve. She felt that if he had stayed one minute longer she was going to lose control.
William left the room and returned five minutes later. Sitting down at the table, he said, "I called down to the hotel spa and arranged for you to get a massage. They'll be ready for you in about thirty minutes."
"You didn't need to do that," Barbara said while thinking that if he wanted her to have a massage he could give her one.
"I'm sure that traveling with us has been very stressful. You need a chance to relax and get your mind off of your work," William said smiling over at her.
"Okay," Barbara said resigned to the inevitable.
She didn't seem all that excited about a massage. Wondering if she would like some help, William asked, "We keep running into women who want to be helpful. Are you sure that you don't want to give one or two of them a call?"
"You're hopeless," Barbara said shaking her head in amazement. Laughing, she left to change her clothes for the visit to the spa.
When Barbara left for her massage, William paced around the room for a few minutes wishing that Lucy was there. After a few rounds around the room, he decided to call Lucy to see how she was doing. He pulled out his cell phone and pushed the buttons that would connect him to her. As soon as Lucy answered the phone, he said, "I miss you."
"I miss you, too," Lucy said putting down the pad with the equations she had been examining. It always took a couple of seconds to pull out of that world of mathematics in which she occasionally swam. It took more than that to return to the world once she was interrupted.
"What are you doing?" William asked.
"I'm working," Lucy said glancing over at the pad. Another relationship among the parameters popped out at her. She circled them on the pad to remember it before turning her attention back to the call.
"What are you working on?" William asked. She had stayed behind to work on better understanding the equations that William had generated. They were amazingly complicated and she had found herself getting drawn into them for days at a time. He hadn't wanted to drag her away from her work.
"The sensitivity analysis," Lucy answered wiping her eyes. She hadn't had any sleep for two days.
"That sounds like fun," William said. He wasn't being sarcastic, he actually meant it.
She yawned and then said, "I always thought that society was relatively stable, but it is extremely sensitive to some factors. It is kind of frightening to think of how unstable it is with respect to a handful of parameters. I'm really surprised."
"I'm not surprised," William said.
"You're not?" Lucy asked.
Sitting down in a chair and getting comfortable for a long conversation, William said, "Just think about how many countries go along appearing very stable. Then one day there is some event that destabilizes the government and within a year it falls."
"I hadn't thought about that," Lucy said. She looked over the array of equations trying to become one with them. They were just too complicated to understand in their totality. It amazed her that William had been able to generate them.
"We have to find the stable areas," William said.
"I'm working on it," Lucy said.
"I wish I was there. I love watching you work."
Lucy laughed at the comment. Although she knew it was true, she never understood what he found so interesting about her when she was working. She twitched her nose and twirled her hair thinking about the math with half her mind. She said, "I miss you, particularly at night."
"Same here. It is so lonely at night without you by my side," William said.
"I hope that Barbara is taking good care of you," Lucy said.
"She's doing a wonderful job. She's handling all of the travel details even though they change almost daily. I went over the receipts for the trip with her before she sent them back for Juanita. I tell you, that woman is a wonder," William said.
"I didn't mean that way," Lucy said chuckling. She was pretty convinced that Barbara was about to explode from frustration. The more William praised her, the hornier Barbara got. Lucy expected to get a call soon to hear about how Barbara had gone to bed with William refusing to take no for an answer.
"What way did you mean?" William asked. He rolled his eyes when he realized what Lucy was suggesting and, before she had a chance to answer, said, "I don't want to impose on her like that."
"Impose?" Lucy asked thinking that definitely wasn't the word that Barbara would use to describe it.
"Right," William said.
Lucy deep a deep sigh and said, "Promise me that you'll impose on her tonight."
"She's tense and needs to relax," William said.
"That's all the better reason for you invite her to your bed," Lucy explained.
He said, "I sent her down for a massage, but she didn't seem all that excited."
"Sleep with her," Lucy said rolling her eyes.
"Are you sure?" William asked. He never understood why Lucy was always pushing him to sleep with the staff. He felt that they had to be tired of his attentions.
"Yes, I'm sure," Lucy answered.
"I love you," William said.
Lucy said, "I love you. So does Barbara."
With reservations made by Marguerite, William, Ed, and Barbara arrived at the finest restaurant in Boston. They were comfortably riding in a stretch limousine. Barbara sat beside William touching him on the arm. William and Ed did not realize that Barbara had reserved the car. They thought it had been provided by the hotel in which they were staying. They would have been happy with a standard taxi.
Knowing what restaurant they would be dining at, Barbara was dressed to kill. She wore a black evening dress that was tailored to show her cleavage to best advantage. The low cut back of her gown showed a broad expanse of perfect skin. Her hair was up highlighting her neck and face. Her high heels were the perfect height for accentuating her shapely calves. A simple emerald necklace completed the outfit.
Absolute silence reigned when she walked into the restaurant. Every head, male and female, watched her walk through the room to the private dining area the Chef had set up for them. Nobody seemed to notice that Ed and William were dressed in blue jeans, work shirts, and cowboy boots. All eyes were on Barbara.
As was often the case when Ed or William ate in one of the better establishments, the Chef went all out. As Ed raved about the Lobster Bisque, William quietly ate his soup. While Ed enjoyed the Tuna Steak, William ate his main course without a comment. Ed looked across the table at William and said, "What's the matter? You don't like the food?"
"The food is good," William answered.
"So what's the matter?" Ed asked.
"Somehow, eating doesn't seem to give me the pleasure that it gives you," William answered. He looked at his father and asked, "Don't you ever get tired of eating this kind of food?"
"No, I don't," Ed answered. He leaned forward and said, "I like the fast food just as much as the other person. The problem I have with it is that it is mass produced. There's no art to it. It is soulless.
"Now, this meal is very different. The Chef went out and selected the finest ingredients by hand. He blended the ingredients together to bring out the flavors in the hope of achieving an esthetic balance for my pleasure. It is a work of art and every dish is slightly different. I not only appreciate the flavor and the presentation of the dish, I also appreciate the time and effort put into its creation. I appreciate the hard work that it took to cultivate the kind of talent necessary to make such a dish."
William nodded his head and said, "You do have a point, but I still like a good Burger Burner burger."
Ed laughed at the comment and said, "I tease Marguerite unmercifully about how she's trying to poison me, but you have to admit that she works harder at her art than anyone else that you know. I respect her for that kind of dedication even though only a handful of people ever get to see the result of that hard work."
"I know," William said.
Barbara had followed the conversation although the majority of her attention was on the food. It was one of the best meals that she had ever eaten. She almost missed when William stared off into space for a minute and then frowned. She had come to recognize that as a sign that something rather unpleasant was about to happen.
Without looking, William said, "Senator, I know why you are here. I'm sorry, but your time in office must come to an end. Nothing that you can say on that matter will change my mind."
"I heard that you came here to talk to my opponent in the upcoming campaign. I thought you might want to talk to me to see if we can't come to some kind of understanding," the Senator from Massachusetts said. He glanced over at Barbara and nearly lost his train of thought. He wished that he was a younger man who could thoroughly enjoy such an attractive woman.
"Our positions are not reconcilable. You want to stay in office and I want you to leave office. You shall run for re-election and your opponent shall run to replace you. The voters will decide," William said.
"Now young man, I know you're wealthy and think that your money will help Edgar Lomb defeat me, but he doesn't stand a chance. You're young and naïve to the realities of politics. Your money will be better spent with me where I can help you in the future," the Senator said.
William slowly turned around to look at the Senator. Fire flashed from his eyes as he said, "I am not as naïve as you might think. I am not offering Edgar Lomb money. I am giving him something far more valuable."
"What?"
"My advice."
The Senator snorted and said, "Then I don't have anything to worry about."
Pursing his lips, William rubbed the palms of his hands together thoughtfully. After fifteen seconds had passed, he said, "I'll give you two pieces of advice. First, drop out of the race. Second, never fuck with a Druid."
"You're a Druid?" the Senator asked with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"Yes," William answered. He looked over at his father for a second before turning to look at the Senator. In a dismissive voice, he said, "Leave us. We would like to finish our meal without any more unpleasantness."
"This isn't over," the Senator promised as he backed out of the private dining room.
Once the Senator was gone, William said, "That man sickens me. He's ripped off the American Taxpayer for over four decades. He talks about helping the poor while putting into place programs that keep the poor from ever succeeding. He says he hates big business, but accepts their money and supports them in every vote. For four decades he's destroyed people's lives while playing his political games. He's a detestable hypocrite."
Barbara smiled and said, "Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel about him."
Ed chuckled at her comment and said, "William isn't very good about expressing his feelings."
"You know what he's doing right now?" William asked.
"What?"
William answered, "He's trying to find some way to stop me. It isn't going to be very pleasant."
"I take it that you mean it will quickly escalate to violence," Ed said.
Barbara stared at her plate and said, "I'm beginning to lose my appetite."
William shrugged his shoulders and said, "Don't worry. I've got it all under control. Enjoy your food."
Barbara took a bite of her dish and found that the flavor helped drive off the bad feelings that had descended on the room. She smiled and said, "This is heavenly."
"Save some room for desert," Ed said. He didn't know what the Chef would prepare, but he was sure it would be good.
Chef Negrino entered the room pushing a small cart. He stopped at the table and said, "I have come to prepare desert for you."
"Ah," Ed said anticipating Cherries Jubilee or Banana Flambé.
"What?" William asked.
Chef Negrino handed William a small box as he said, "I will make desert crepes. For Dr. Biggers and Ms. Gray, I will prepare a nice cherry filling. One of my former classmates at the culinary institute suggested that you would appreciate the fillings in that box, Dr. Carter."
Curious, William opened the box and glanced inside. He did a double take and then exclaimed, "Purple Jelly! Strawberry Jam! Peach Jam! This is great."
"I see that he was right," Chef Negrino said with a grin. He hadn't believed his friend when he had told him that William would be ecstatic over the store bought jellies and jams.
Ed shook his head and asked, "May I ask who your classmate is?"
"William's Chef, Peter," Chef Negrino answered.
Ignoring the side conversation, William was busy examining the three jars of jams and jelly. They were even the low end products that he liked so much. William looked over at Ed and said, "I'll definitely recommend this place to Lucy."
At the shocked expression on Ed's face, Barbara broke out into laughter. He had just finished a meal fit for a king and he was going to recommend the place because they had given him store bought jellies and jams. She smiled at Ed and said, "He must have been something else when he was a child."
"Yes, he's still something else. I'm not sure what," Ed said.
Ed and Barbara entered the limousine for the ride back to the hotel. It was only after they were both seated that they realized William wasn't with them. Ed asked, "Where's William?"
The driver leaned into the door and answered, "The young man called down to say that he would return in a minute. He mentioned something about having to deal with a minor unpleasantness."
Across the street, a man dressed in black clothes waited at the mouth of a dark alleyway for the subject to exit the restaurant. He was very good at his job and had never failed to deliver within his deadlines. His orders were to kill the kid before midnight.
A vice-like grip on the pressure point of his elbow paralyzed him. Out of the corner of his eye he made out the identity of individual who was causing him so much pain. The young man leaned over so that his mouth was right next to his ear. In a very soft voice, he said, "You might want to tell your boss that the individual you were supposed to kill tonight is a Druid. The man who ordered the hit knew that before talking to your boss."
The man swallowed at the realization of what he had attempted to do. This was the kind of job that could end up with everyone he knew in serious trouble. Nodding his head, he said, "I'll tell my boss that."
"Good," William said releasing the man's elbow.
The man rubbed his elbow and watched William walk across the street to the limousine. Furious, he reached into his coat and pulled out a cell phone. After dialing a number, he said, "The hit was on a Druid. The man who ordered it knew that."
As William entered the limousine, the man closed his cell phone and left while still rubbing his elbow. He had a new contract.
William settled into his seat and said, "Let's get to the hotel."
"You are hiding something," Ed said with a frown.
"Yes, I am," William answered. Remembering the instructions from Lucy that he had been given earlier that day, he turned to Barbara and said, "Would you care to join me in bed tonight?"
"I would enjoy that very much," Barbara answered pleased that her effort to dress up had enticed William at long last.
Ed sat in the limousine and glared at William. In a rather icy voice, he said, "A certain Senator was seriously injured in a car crash last night. I find that rather suspicious."
"Yes," William said in agreement.
"You wouldn't happen to have something to do with that?" Ed asked.
"I told the person who was hired to kill me that I was a Druid and that the person who hired him knew it," William answered. The way in which he relayed the information was the same as if he was telling about replacing a light bulb.
Ed sat back in his seat and stared at William. Although there were times to use truth like a weapon, using it to cause a death was just as bad as using violent means. In a voice laden with disgust, he asked, "Did Ling corrupt you too?"
Looking over at his father, William gave a small sad smile knowing that his father knew better than that. Shaking his head at the accusation, he answered, "There were a lot of things that could have happened as a result of what the Senator did last night. I chose the best for everyone. As it is, a lot of bad men are going to be caught."
"He ended up in the hospital," Ed said thinking there were better ways to handle a situation like that. William should have had the man arrested and let the police handle the matter.
"That's true. He did end up in a hospital," William said. He looked his father in the eye and said, "If I hadn't squeezed the pressure point in the assassin's elbow, the Senator would have died."
Ed looked at William and said, "You could have handled it better."
Shaking his head, William knew better than that. He replied, "The more you know, the fewer choices you have available to you. In a way, I wonder how the Gods and Goddesses can even function."
"If it harms no one, do it," Ed said hearing William's words pounding in his ears with the full weight of truth within them.
"You and I both know that protecting the weak from the strong has precedence over that rule. When strength goes against strength, there will be harm," William replied.
"So how do you feel about what happened to the Senator?"
William said, "I feel bad. I can't even say it was his choice since I was a participant in deciding what happened. All I can say is that a lot of strong men who make their living preying upon others will no longer be in a position to cause harm."
"I suppose," Ed said.
"There is one person who will have to pay the price."
Ed asked, "Who?"
"Me. I will have to work twice as hard to make things right," William said looking out the window of the limousine. He watched Barbara leave the hotel. She tipped the bell captain and William wondered what the man had done for her. He had already tipped the man for all of his help.
Barbara got into the limousine with a smile plastered on her face. Noticing that she was in a particularly good mood, Ed said, "You look happy."
"I'm very happy," Barbara answered. The previous night had been wonderful and long overdue. She had woken up that morning feeling fully satisfied and relaxed. She turned and gave William a kiss on the cheek. Practically purring, she said, "Thank you, William."
"You're welcome," he said wondering what he had done to deserve her thanks. He shrugged his shoulders thinking that it was good that there were still mysteries in life. He looked up at the sky through the window of the car thanking the Two-Sided One that his knowledge wasn't absolute.
Settling into her seat beside William, she said, "I guess we are off to Tennessee now."
"Yes, I'm looking forward to going there," William said.
Ed shook his head and looked out the window. He wondered how it must
be to see the future with the kind of clarity that William claimed. He
had heard a great truth and decided that he was going to have a long
talk with William. He muttered, "The more you know, the fewer choices
you have available to you."