Chapter 22

“Not intended to be a dumb question, but how did Pahto do that? I didn’t think she was mentally linked with you like with me or my wives.”

“She’s not. However, she is linked with the telephone network, so she simply made a phone call to let me know I’d be with you today,” Sayel replied. “That’s actually not a bad question, since it’s not like we’re seeing new miracles every other day or so around you, after all.”

“I’ll try to cut it back to once a week if possible.”

“Save them for when Jasmine shows up, please.”

His sincerity really made me curious about meeting his wife and children.

I got a surprise at practice, mostly because with everything going on over the weekend, I’d forgotten what Coach Elway had told us Friday.

As soon as we were done with stretches on the practice field, we were ordered into the locker room to get into our full gear. That way, we could see how long it would actually take us on game day.

The locker room was a lot bigger than I was used to from Hutchinson. The lockers were each about three feet wide, with open fronts. That way the equipment managers could make sure we had all of our gear. At the very top was a hinged compartment that held our personal shoulder pads, with each compartment having our uniform number on it so we’d know which locker was ours. Under that was a shelf with a locking compartment on one side, for our personal stuff while we were playing, and a compartment for our helmet on the other side. Below that was the hanger area, where our uniform jerseys and pants were neatly hung up. The bottom of the hanging clothes area was a padded seat, with a drawer that opened up for our cleat storage. Depending upon the position you were playing and whether you needed other pads, they were either stored above with your shoulder pads or in the drawer with your cleats. And, of course, our jocks and cups were also kept in the drawer as well.

I was slightly amused that everything I’d wear had my name and number on it. Even my cup.

Some of the linemen needed to have ankles or wrists taped. Today was practice for the assistants as well, in making sure things went smoothly. While the coaches had a pretty good idea from years of experience, sometimes things would screw you up. Some of the guys needed last minute adjustments, either with their pads not fitting quite like they should, or in two cases, with helmets being completely wrong inside for the heads that needed to fit into them.

I noticed that Coach Elway was simply observing and not making any comments. Once I was totally dressed and ready, I walked over to him.

“Just curious, Coach. What am I missing?”

“Huh? Oh, hi, Cal. You’re not missing anything. This is actually going a lot better than I figured it would, for the first day.” He paused, then raised his voice. “Listen up! If you’re done, get out on the field. Lewis is going to lead you all through some motion drills to make sure that everything is in the right spot. Nothing like making a stretch and finding out your cup is about ready to pinch off one of your balls.”

I nodded. “Cardinal! Let’s go!”

About three-quarters of us headed out of the locker room, while everyone else kept working on their problems. Once we were on the field, I looked around, but didn’t see any of the coaches outside at all.

“Okay, like the Coach said, let’s do some stretches. Full gear, so put your helmets on, so I don’t have to look at your faces. Neck rotations, make sure those pads aren’t pinching. Coffin, Prukop! Your pads aren’t right. Pull your jerseys up, let me see.” I shook my head. “Has anyone ever shown you how to tie them tight? They can’t be loose like that or they won’t help you.”

We got them straightened out. “Okay, legs shoulder width apart. Now, stretch down as far as you can and try to touch your ankle. Good, just like that. The other way, now.”

I heard an ouch come from one of the receivers. “Cotten, just as a suggestion, since we’ve all seen you in the shower, shave that wild and wooly mess between your legs so that your hairs don’t get caught. That also might let your girlfriend decide she’ll do a bit more next time, instead of having to floss, all right?” Everyone laughed at that, while Spencer simply nodded.

“Okay, up straight, lean forward and touch your toes. Yes, I know some of you linemen can’t even see your toes, but they’re down there! Good, I don’t see any issues. My oldest son has some little plastic Army soldiers, you probably did, too. Down on one knee, other knee out front, get your arms up like you’re shooting a rifle. Morris, your pads are bunched up behind your thigh, go inside and get a smaller set.”

“Cal, this is what they issued me,” Carl replied.

“I don’t doubt that. But when you’re running flat out and your knees are kicking high, that’s going to interfere with your leg movements. You need them at least an inch shorter, inch and a half would be better. I’m going to look like I’m prancing but everyone, watch my legs and see what I mean.”

I did some reverse kicks. “See how I can bend my heel up and basically kick myself in the butt? If you can’t do that, then your pads are too long. Go ahead, this is something the coaches really can’t do, so kick yourself in the butt. Yes, Tom?”

“I can kick myself, but it’s really tight in the front when I do that.”

“Let me see. Yeah, your front pads are too thick. They’re the right size, but a quarter inch too thick. Go get them changed out. Everyone else okay? All right, switch knees. Good. Any issues, because I don’t see any. Great! Now for the fun! Everyone just fall down on your face, without stopping yourself! Let’s see how the gear does!”

The sound of more than thirty men flopping to the ground didn’t drown out a couple of grunts. “Up and do it again!” This time I remained standing.

“Really, Greg? You’re a tight end, not a fat stomach! Get your pads adjusted, you shouldn’t hit that hard just falling on your face. Especially since your helmet and guard won’t let you improve your looks. Weber, I know you’re a linebacker, but get that padding adjusted right so the other team can’t knock the wind out of you on a play.”

“I apologize, but I really don’t get what you mean, Cal.”

I walked over to him. “Pull your jersey up, Chris. Everyone, see how Chris has his pads? If I hit him here...” I lowered myself like I was putting a shoulder into his gut. “ ... he’s going to go down, at least with the wind knocked out of him, and maybe with a cracked rib or two.” I pulled his chest pad down just a little. “Now your xiphoid process is covered. This is also called the metasternum, if that’s what your anatomy class called it. It’s right at the bottom of your breastbone. It can break off and puncture your diaphragm if you get hit wrong. It’s also where your abdominal muscles anchor, so for those of you that like to show off your trim and girlish figures, you can’t have a six pack without it. Protect it like your life depends upon it... because it does!”

We were gradually joined by the rest of the players, and still no coaches showed up. Once I’d made sure everyone was adjusted, I said, “All right, we did stretches before we went in and put our gear on. Let’s do those again, make sure you’re nice and limber. Once those are done, if we still haven’t seen any coaches, I want John to supervise the running backs and receivers on doing some sprints. Fred, you work with the tight ends on their catching passes. David, you’re the kicker, and normally Doug would be your holder, since he’s the punter. I want you to work with Greg and train him how to be the holder as well. You’ll need Kurt with you, for the long snaps. Yes?”

“Not to argue with you, but, um, why?” David Sweeney asked.

“Simple. Greg’s a quarterback, so he can throw the ball. We line up for a field goal and instead of Doug taking the snap, Greg’s in there. The other team is expecting a kick, and Jeff is on the outside, letting his man through. You block the incoming lineman while Greg tosses to a completely uncovered Jeff, and we have six points instead of three. Keep in the back of your mind at all times what Coach Elway said. I’d rather be over by the stands and flirting with my wives. Which is going to impress the NFL Scouts more that will be at our games? If I’m out there all the time, or you’re winning without me on the field?”

He nodded then. “That makes an annoying amount of sense. I don’t think Doug or I ever expected to have to do much besides kickoffs and extra points, honestly.”

“I want you to also work on surprise on-side kicks, too. Nothing takes the steam more out of the other team than them expecting a deep kick and you dribbling the ball ten yards to an open center, and then recovering your own kick. That’s something you both can work on, to cover for each other.”

Doug Robison replied, “Got it, Cal. Come on, guys, let’s get out and work on it.”

“What about the rest of us?” Mark Hashimoto asked.

“Let’s see, there’s six offensive linemen left, four defensive linemen, six linebackers, and seven defensive backs. Coach said we were going to do some contact today, let’s hear some contact. We’re going to make this a little uneven. Tom, you’re a senior, now you’re the quarterback. Rest of the offensive line and all the linebackers, so you have eleven blockers. There’s now four defensive linemen and seven defensive backs coming at you. Line up like you’re in the shotgun, so everyone else, on the line. Listen for my signal, then let’s hear some pads being cracked! Remember, your opponent is on your team, so no injuries. I’ll be watching for holding, too. Let’s see if anyone can get through to put Mister Nye on his butt.”

We worked out like this for twenty more minutes, and still no coaches. I put my fingers in my mouth like Beth had showed me, and whistled everyone back in, to a group.

“Everyone feeling a little loose now? Okay, let’s get the regular offensive line out here, regular defensive line. Defense, you’re going to have an advantage, because you better know our playbook by now. Plus, I’m quarterback, and I’m going to announce the play loud enough in our huddle for you to hear it. Put the ball out on the twenty and let’s get out there!”

The starting offense took the field, then huddled up around me. “Red, Right, 16 Power, on Two, on Two! Ready, break!” As we started to break, I held my hands up. “What did we do wrong, gentlemen?”

“We stayed in the huddle formation too long,” Henry Green said.

“Exactly. When do the receivers leave the formation?”

“The first time you say the snap-count.”

“Let’s do it again!” I ordered.

This time they broke properly, heading out early. We got into position, with me in position with my hands between Kurt’s legs. “Ready, Set, Hut, Hut!” On the second ‘Hut,’ Kurt snapped the ball back into my hands. I dropped back a little, allowing Brad to get in front as lead blocker for Brian. Tom pulled up from his spot next to Kurt to also provide lead blocking, while I handed off to Brian then blocked Tom’s man that would come through. This play was designed to punch a hole with the right side of our line, for a short yardage run. Since Jack Gilmete knew the play, he was right on Tom’s heels chasing after Brian, so he got to crack pads with me.

Then we finally heard the Coach blowing his whistle, after Brian made a six yard gain.

I helped Jack back to his feet.

“Thank you, Mister Lewis,” Coach Elway said. “Cardinal! What was the point of us staying in the locker room? Anyone but Mister Lewis and Mister Paye!”

Mark Hashimoto yelled out, “We’re a team! We know what we need to do, without you or the other coaches having to babysit us!”

“Very good, Mister Hashimoto. You are not in charge of the team, that’s our job as the coaches. But you’re able to function, regardless. Do not argue with your coaches if they instruct you to do something. But be ready at any time to do your job without them telling you what to do. A lot of teams cannot do that, because a lot of coaches won’t let them. But then again, a lot of coaches won’t let their quarterbacks make their own play calls from the huddle, either. Mister Buckley, Mister Ennis, when you’re on the field, you do not have that privilege. Not yet, anyway. Now then, let’s get on with practicing the plays in a more organized fashion, shall we?”

John slid over next to me. “Did I just hear him say that we’re going to be calling our own plays out there?”

“Sure sounded like it to me. I think the team has impressed the hell out of him.”

“Ladies, if you’re done with your sewing circle, one of you needs to get out and get under center, please!”

“Yes, Coach!” I ran for the sidelines, so John could get the repetitions.

“Regular play from scrimmage, Mister Paye. It’s first and ten, your choice.”

We spent the next two hours doing full contact scrimmage. We weren’t trying to score against the defense every play, it was simply to see how we as players were shaping up. One thing that I had expected, but was still surprised at, was the speed difference between high school and college. In high school, if a lineman missed, it was mostly no big deal because I had time to easily avoid the oncoming defender. This was a higher level of play, and I found myself really enjoying it.

At the end of two solid hours, Coach Elway blew his whistle.

“All right! Good practice. Tomorrow, dressing room at eight, and I want everyone on the field and ready to go by nine. We’ll do three solid hours of practice tomorrow, and that’s our schedule from now on out. In the afternoons, you can study game films from our opponents, work out on your own or with your teammates, and otherwise do whatever you need to do to get ready for our season opener. Gentlemen, I suspect that, with the level of dedication you’ve shown me in practice so far, we’re going to have one hell of a season! Dismissed! Lewis, on me!”

I ran over to him. “Yes, Coach?”

“I’m going to tell you something you’re not going to like. In college ball, there’s no mercy rule. Standings are based, in part, on how badly you defeat your opponents, and who they are.”

“I knew that. You’re right, I don’t really like it. But, at the same time, I learned a lesson from my wives recently. Sometimes, I give my opponents too many chances.” I looked around, to make sure no one else could overhear us. “I’ll grant you, those have been in true life and death situations, where literally someone could die. You know Sayel and Yagyu both, and I’m not going to say much else on that. At the same time, I’ll uphold the honor of the Cardinal. I’ll just ask one thing.”

He shrugged. “What’s that?”

“If we’re destroying the team we’re playing, put one of the other guys in. They need to get playing time and exposure.”

“Oh. I thought you were going to ask me something difficult. That’s not a problem. Just keep in mind that I will not allow you to play both ways. Once you’re at this level, well...” He shook his head. “Sorry, but you’re going to be our star quarterback for the next couple years. You know it, I know it, the rest of the team knows it, and while our opponents think they’ve got a way to handle you, we both know they don’t. I’ve already had two of them who shall remain nameless at this point think that you’re going to be a flash in the pan. You were great in high school, but your youth and inexperience are going to prove that I’m an idiot.”

I laughed. “I think I’ll just about quote one of the cartoons I’ve watched with William. ‘They don’t know me very well, do they?’ I’m not going to grab any of them and give them a smooch like the rabbit does, though. Reality is going to be a bitch, isn’t it?”

“That’s the plan. Also ... watch the films with the other quarterbacks. I’m damned sure you’re going to pick things out we miss. Once you’re done with that, your afternoons are free. Go hit the showers, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

There were bins for our uniforms inside. While we’d been practicing, the assistants had placed towels and soap for us in our lockers. I put my helmet up, tossed my jersey into the bin, then unlaced my pads and put them in their compartment.

One of the assistants hollered at me, “Hey, let me spray those down first.”

He came over with a rag and some antibacterial spray. “While this is a locker room, there’s no reason for your gear to smell like old sweat before the season even starts.”

“Thank you. One more difference between college and high school. A lot of times we’d take our gear home and wash it ourselves.”

“Yeah, now that we’re in actual full practice gear, we’ll keep things cleaned up for you. That’s just part of our job.”

“Again, thanks. This may be a dumb question, but are you guys students here or staff?”

“Keith is staff, so are the trainers. The seven of us that handle your gear and the laundry are students, but we get paid for doing that, and we get to travel with the team to all the games. Depending upon how things go, there are other perks, too, like your castoffs.”

I frowned. “Castoffs? Huh?”

John Paye was next to me and laughed. “Billy, not even the Dollies will go near Cal. I almost pity the poor co-ed that thinks she’s going to score with our quarterback.”

Billy looked confused for a second, then understood. “Damn, I don’t think I made the connection. You’re the ‘King’ from Sports Illustrated.”

“Not just from there, Billy. He really is royalty,” John said.

I shook my head with a little grin on it. “It’s all good. I’ve only directly killed three men and wiped out an entire mafia family while I’ve been in California for messing with me and mine. And, of course, when the media decided to invade my privacy. My guards do have orders to shoot to kill. And have done so.”

“Oh. I forgot that was you,” Billy said. “Um...”

“Looking is admiring beauty. No issues with that. Touching or making disparaging comments ... well, I really do have full diplomatic immunity as the sovereign of my nation, so it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve killed someone.”

Billy nervously chuckled, then saw from the rest of the team’s faces that I was serious. “I’ll pass the word,” he said.

John laughed a little. “You know, I almost pity the guys we’re playing.”

Greg Baty had come back from getting his shower and was starting to get dressed and heard John’s comment. “I don’t. Cal’s here to get an education, and playing football is secondary for him. The thing is, we’re his team, and his teammates. That means more to us than damn near everything here.”

I turned to my locker, so they couldn’t see my face while I continued undressing. He didn’t know how much that comment affected me.

Once I was done with my shower, I talked with John, Fred, and Greg Ennis about meeting to watch films. We’d all take a long lunch, then meet at two.

It was nice going home for lunch, and getting to play with the kids in the afternoon. Mike, Chuck, and my three youngest wives were present, too.

“Now that you’re done showing you’re a good Dad, Dora has a proposal for you,” Mike said.

“Wait, I thought I was the one who was supposed to do that?”

“See what happened? You and Dave were both off duty, so he got stuck with Jeremy! He’s turned him into a smart-ass!” Mike complained.

“He already was one, Mike,” Chuck replied. “You didn’t spend the time with him that I have.”

“Granted. Dora, you have the floor.”

“Cal, we’ve already agreed that it’s a good thing for the Angels to return. We also appreciate that you’re finally over your micromanaging, especially regarding our schedules. What we’re proposing is that we make our schedules such that one of us is always ‘on duty’ and in orbit around the Earth. We’ll also continue that during the fall quarter and the rest of our schooling. Other than family events, because we’re not going to miss the births of any of the kids, or your football games, of course.”

I leaned back with Harry in my arms. The little tyke had fallen asleep after I’d fed and burped him, so I continued to rock him while I thought things through. It didn’t take me that long.

“Set up rotating schedules for my games, unless you’re dead set on all three of you going to all of my games. I don’t know if it’d be suspicious if the Angels didn’t do their thing while I’m playing football or not. I presume you’ve taken into account that you’ll need the thirteen shivalingam ... and since we have extras now, I would want each of you to have a couple ... in the fall. Eve, won’t you have a bit of a full time commitment in the middle of September, with basketball?”

Eve stood up, stuck her hand into her short’s pocket and pulled out a dollar bill that she then handed to Mike.

“I may frame this,” he said, putting it into his wallet. “I told you he’d notice your fall sports schedule. Football has eleven games, twelve with the bowl. Basketball has twenty-eight games, then depending upon how you’re seeded, five or six more, with the final game at the end of March. The NCAA won’t be able to give you any grief about your eligibility, because you’ll only be a second year student, same as Cal.”

“It’s ... yeah, I know. It’s funny, you know? I’m at one of the best science schools in the world, and I’m taking fuzzy stuff. But I think I’m like Mom, too. She was a good athlete and then dropped it to become a wife and mother. Now, she’s a wife and mother again, only now she is an athlete. I might have been as great of a high school basketball player as Cal was at football, but ... I don’t know, does it really make sense for me, though?”

“Of course, it makes sense,” I said. “Eve, as much as Hannah wanted, or even the way your Indian sister-wives think, I’m not a god. Neither was Shiva. There are legitimate explanations for basically every bit of the powers that the four of us possess. It’s how and what we do with those powers that helps determine things, when you get down to it. We don’t have to use our abilities if we don’t want to. Here’s something I bet the three of you haven’t considered. How smart are you?”

Dora frowned. “We are not as intelligent as you, mi amor. But ... Oh, I get it. We are each well beyond where you were when you arrived here. What we’re actually doing, as far as researching things, could be more important in the long term than what we’re doing, even if it is saving lives, as the Angels. The work Liz and I did this past week on finding a cure for diabetes required me to be in the lab. We do what we can, but we don’t let being the Angels consume us like it could.”

Beth got the look in her eyes that let me know she was talking telepathically. Then she sighed. “Thank you, Helen. She is your conscience, Cal, you were right. I want to do so much, and I can do so much, but ... we have to balance our own lives, and not let it consume us. You know, we’ve adjusted our own internal biology just like you did for our sister-wives, so we wouldn’t get hormonal. That’d be a bad thing, for someone to piss one of us off while we were having PMS. We were trying to bite off too big of a chunk in saving the world.”

Mike nodded. “Thank you for seeing that. It’s not like I could have done anything about it, if you’d gone along with it. But your personal lives would’ve suffered, and that’s something I’d prefer not to see happen. The three of you have something that Cal doesn’t have, and that’s a history together before him. You’ve been friends and basically sisters since you were little girls. Be the Angels, but be mysterious about it. I’m not saying that you don’t patrol. Quite the contrary, go forth and have fun! But do it so you’re having fun. Rescue the cat stuck in the tree, or if little Timmy falls into the well, get him out before Lassie does. You’re still bothered by that plane crash in Russia. I get it. Dora was in the right place at the right time, so were you. But keep in mind one thing.”

“We can’t save everyone,” she answered with a sigh. “Okay. Cal, is it okay if we come up with a revised schedule and such?”

“Of course it is, Beth. Three dozen people died in a head-on train collision in France on Saturday. I’ve seen the reports, in case you didn’t. It was human error, with less than two seconds reaction time. I feel bad that those people died, but realistically, there was nothing to be done. Yes, you have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror, same as I do. Do you really know why I’m happy I managed to get rid of Caelistis?”

“Um, no. I know why you did it, but not why you’re happy about it?”

“He’s not me. He killed more than ten million Chinese civilians to teach the world a lesson. You, all of you, saved me that night. It wasn’t that it was actually difficult to kill all those people. It was easy. All I had to do was ignore what I’d become if I did that. I’m not particularly thrilled that it sounds like I’m saying the ends justify the means, far from it. I’m simply saying that you need to have the balance to keep what we can do and what we should do in mind.”

Her face changed just then, her mouth opening wide. “Oh, my!”

Eve chuckled a little. “Hannah’s right, Liz. Sorry, you can’t hear her, but Hannah just reminded Beth that just because Cal has voluntarily and specifically made the decision to not become a god with his powers doesn’t mean that the three of us have made that choice. It’s an easy seduction. All you have to do is apply the Three Laws of Robotics, and have the power to do so. We studied those in philosophy class.”

I nodded, then looked at Beth with a grim expression. “You see how seductive it is? Unlimited power, and thus, unlimited responsibility. But also, unlimited abilities, and eventually, unlimited corruption.”

Beth glanced at Eve. “You’d have stopped me, wouldn’t you? Wow. I ... I feel like I need to sit down for some counseling and therapy like I did when Mom died.”

Dora sadly smiled. “The three of us have had as big a change in our lives as our amor has had. We’ve spent so much of our time and effort in making sure he is able and capable that we’ve ignored what we can do. We’ve just accepted our gifts and abilities without realizing ... well, Eve did, but she’s our philosopher and our rock ... we’re not the young women that were outcasts in the lunchroom like we were this time last year. We’re all as capable of doing miracles as Cal is, as others in history did.”

The house phone rang just then. Chuck answered it, then handed it to me.

“Hello?”

“Tell my granddaughter that now she is truly a woman of our people. You are Guardian of the Earth, and I feel so grateful to you for what you have done and will do for all of us. We love you.” She hung up.

I rapidly shook my head, which disturbed Harry so that he started to wake up.

“What was that all about?”

“Dora, your grandmother says you are now truly a woman of your people, and she is grateful for what I have done and will do, and loves us.” Everyone, including Mike, just looked at me with shock.

“Come on, little man, let’s get you changed and then I’m going to watch some football films and figure out how the other teams play. That’ll be a lot better and easier than figuring out how Sophia Tejeda ‘knows’ stuff!”

Watching the films with the other quarterbacks was fun, reminding me of when we would watch our own game films on Monday and critique ourselves. We spent two hours going over every play on offense and defense that San Jose State had run last year, and came away unimpressed.

John cracked open a fresh can of Coke, then looked at me. “If you don’t say it, then I will. You can flirt the whole game.”

“They weren’t that bad of a team,” I replied in their defense.

“No, they weren’t. But that’s due to Frasco actually having an arm, with Bowman and McDonald, and Smith being able to catch the ball, and Robinson able to run,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s their problem. If they were coming back, we’d have trouble. They’re not.”

“Exactly, Cal,” Fred stated. “This year, they’re going to be lucky to win three games. They just don’t have the returning talent, and more importantly, it showed when their second string quarterback played.”

“Does that mean we ought to start Greg, so they have a chance?” I asked.

He tossed a pillow from his chair at me. “That’s not only no, but hell, no! We don’t want to actually give any of our opposition a chance. If they earn it, sure, but come on, starting me?”

“Okay, just thought I’d check. Making sure your mind hasn’t rotted away or anything.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, I appreciate that,” he answered in a mocking tone. Then his face turned serious. “Guys, I do have an actual and serious question for the three of you. What the hell did Coach mean this morning, with his ‘not yet, anyway’ remark?”

John looked at me. “You’re the one with the Doctorates already. You may as well start learning how to be a professor and instructor here.”

I snorted. “I’ve already heard that they may want me to do some teaching in a year or so. Greg, it’s pretty simple. The way things normally work, the coach calls in the play from the sidelines. If he’s a good or even halfway decent quarterback like we just saw with Frasco, then when the defense lines up like they’re expecting the call, he can call an audible at the line and change the play. One of the reasons for the coach to call the play is so he can send in substitutes as guys get tired or banged up. That’s also why we have boards and hand signals, and what’s going to drive our opponents crazy. We’re still going to use boards and hand signals from the sidelines, it’s just that John and I get to ignore those. We’re going for fast plays, and fast scores. That’s why everyone being in shape this early makes a huge difference to how things will go.