Chapter 16

Hands laced behind his head, Ed sat beneath a tree with his long legs stretched upon the ground with his back supported by the trunk. Sitting with his back to a tree like this was a relatively new experience for him, and he was enjoying it. Maybe it was just the chance to enjoy watching nature go by that he enjoyed.

It was four days after mid-summer’s day and he was waiting for a student to emerge from the Carter Glade. A noise behind him attracted his attention, but he was too lazy to turn in order to find out who was making the noise. He guessed that it would be Oliver since the Grand Druid would be out here for the same reason he was there.

“Did she show up yet?” asked Oliver on seeing Ed Biggers leaning against the tree. The tall lanky cowboy actually looked comfortable with his back to the tree.

“Not yet,” answered Ed not bothering to turn and look at Oliver. He unlaced his fingers and pointed to a nearby tree as he said, “Pull up a tree and have a seat.”

Oliver walked over to the tree and sat down. The rough surface of the tree pressed into his back, making it an uncomfortable seat. Once he was settled in place, he said, “Only five out of ninety five students were called to go into the glade. Four have come out. Three servants of the Goddess, one servant of the God, and the last one to emerge will serve the Two-Sided One.”

“I expected more students to be called,” commented Ed. He had known that John had expected about five percent of the students to actually get called, but it seemed like such a small percentage that he had never accepted it.

“John didn’t,” said Oliver with certainty. John had discussed his expectations with Oliver one afternoon while going over the philosophy behind how he had established the school. It had been a very enlightening discussion.

“John was John. I’m just an old cowboy nearing the end of a cattle drive,” replied Ed with a grin. The return of the last student from the glade had come to symbolize the end of his intense involvement at the college.

“I’d never say that you were nearing the end of a cattle drive,” said Oliver looking over at the Druid sitting under the tree. In his black robe, silver hair, gray eyes, and tanned skin, Ed didn’t look at all like a cowboy.

“I’d have never thought that Kristie Prevatt would end up serving the Two-Sided One,” remarked Ed changing the subject.

“Isn’t she the one who lied to her parents about not getting into the school?”

Thinking back to that day when he had been confronted by her parents, Ed had to laugh. She had lied to her parents so that she could go to a college where her boyfriend had been accepted. It reminded him of his lie to the family about going rocking hunting when he really intended to see the Gods and Goddesses. Shaking his head, he commented, “I guess I should have predicted that she would end up serving the Two-Sided One. After all, my service started with a lie.”

Oliver looked over at Ed with a smile and shook his head. The story had been related to him once about how Ed had lied to John Carter about the fact that he was going to challenge the Gods and Goddesses. The result had been his acceptance into the service of the Two-Sided One. He commented, “I would say that your old life ended with a lie and your service began with the truth.”

“John sure was angry,” said Ed with a sigh. He smiled to himself remembering how everyone had told him to go home when he had come out of the woods.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Oliver asked while shifting to get more comfortable. His new position was much more comfortable.

“Yes. I miss him a lot,” said Ed looking away from the Grand Druid as he answered. He missed John as a friend and husband. The fact was, he had lost the one person with whom he could confide his dreams and concerns. It was a major loss.

A noise from the glade caught his attention. Looking over in the direction from which the noise had originated, he noticed Kristie stumble out of the woods looking dazed and confused. She was wearing her blue robes and a gold medallion. He stood up and went over to her. As he walked, he called to her, “Over here, Kristie.”

Looking around, she turned to face him. It took her a minute for her to recognize who it was that was approaching. In a dreamy voice, she said, “You’re so substantial.”

“What do you mean?”

“You look like you’re made out of granite. There’s a sense of strength about you,” she answered.

Ed looked at the gold medallion on her chest. The confused genitalia imprinted on the surface identified beyond a doubt that she was a servant of the Two-Sided One. Until that moment, it had been a guess which of the Gods and Goddesses she was to serve, a guess based on the robes prepared by Catherine as directed by the God she served.

She turned her head to watch Oliver approaching her. Again she was struck with a sense of solidity and strength. She was surprised that the ground didn’t shake as the pair of men walked. With a smile, she said, “You, too.”

“Okay,” replied Oliver knowing that she probably didn’t understand her gift yet. It had taken him a while to discover the true nature of his gift from the Two-Sided One. With a smile, he said, “Let us take you to Catherine so that you can get your robe.”

Kristie walked between Ed and Oliver on unsteady legs thinking about what she had just been through and what faced her when she returned to class. When they were halfway to the school, she stopped and touched the arms of her escorts. Tense, she said, “I don’t want to see my classmates, yet.”

“Of course,” said Oliver in a voice intended to reassure the young woman. Each of the students coming out of the glade had said the same thing. He had not predicted that they would react that way, but he understood their actions only too well. It was hard to discuss what it was like to meet the Gods and Goddesses. To be barraged with questions right afterwards had to be a daunting prospect.

The trip to the back door of the administration building took about half an hour since she occasionally stopped to look around at her surroundings. As they reached the door, Ed said, “Come talk to me once you have a recovered a bit.”

“Okay,” replied Kristie, thankful they understood her need for some time alone. She looked at the two men, amazed at how they appeared to her. After a full minute, she added, “You’re so solid.”

Laughing at her continual return to the topic of his solidity, Ed said, “Get some rest and we’ll talk later.”

He watched her approach Catherine and accept a stack of black robes before going into the administration building. It was good to have another servant of the Two-Sided One. Even with her, there were only four of them, five if he included Oliver. He was the longest surviving servant and had been gifted with truth sense. Annette had the ability of far-sight. Jeff was a mathematical wizard and could decode complex ciphers just by looking at them. Oliver could see the purity of heart and the jest of life in the people around him. Kristie claimed he possessed solidity, but it was a question of what she meant by that.

Entering the apartment, the first person he encountered was Linda. She was standing by one of the bookcases in the living room with her back to him. He looked over her body appreciating the view. She wore blue jeans that were just tight enough and a white stretch top. Her long black hair split the line of her shirt in two and ended at the top of her jeans. The sight was too sexy to ignore.

Walking up to her, he slid his arms around her so that her breasts were resting on his forearm. He nosed her hair enjoying the scent of her shampoo. When she hummed her pleasure at being the recipient of his attention, he kissed her neck. She pressed her body against his in time to feel his cock erect. She giggled and asked, “Are you happy to see me or is that a baseball bat in the pocket of your robe?”

Ed laughed at the variation on an old joke and said, “I’m happy to see you.”

She rubbed her ass against him, enjoying the feeling of his erection. In an excited voice, she asked, “Would you like me to take care of that?”

“No,” answered Ed startling her. He ran his hands over the front of her body and added, “I’d like to take care of it with you.”

Linda was puzzled until she realized Ed wanted to make love to her rather than accept a blow job or spend hours in one of her special chairs. She said, “Sounds kinky to me.”

Laughing, Ed nuzzled the back of her neck. Breathing in her scent, he said, “You smell like cactus and the desert. How come I’ve never noticed that before?”

“That’s the aloe vera in my body lotion,” answered Linda with a giggle. Only Ed would find the scent of aloe vera sexy.

Taking her hand, Ed led her to his bedroom. Once there, they undressed each other taking delight as increasing expanses of skin were revealed. They made slow passionate love over the next hour. After both of them had come, they lay side by side enjoying each other’s company.

Feeling relaxed, Linda decided it was time to broach a subject that had been on her mind ever since she learned that William would be leaving. Placing a hand on the center of Ed’s chest, she said, “I’d like to have another baby.”

“Are you sure?” asked Ed concerned about her health. Her pregnancy with William had been a very rough time for both of them. She had been confined to bed for most of the pregnancy. Ed had spent almost every day by her bedside. He didn’t want her to risk her life in an attempt to have another child.

“Yes, I’m sure,” she answered with calm assurance that all would be well.

“You had difficulties carrying William.”

“I asked the Medicine Man about that and he claims there will be no further problems,” replied Linda. The Medicine Man claimed that it was the two powerful and very different spirits warring inside the child that had made the pregnancy so rough. Carrying a child with a strong spirit was tough, but carrying one with two strong spirits was life threatening.

Leaning over to suckle on one of her breasts, Ed accepted the pronouncement of the medicine man as fact. Relieved, he said, “I’ve never been able to deny you anything.”

A little thrill ran through her body at the knowledge that he had agreed to father a child with her. Linda lay back and enjoyed the sensations of his mouth on her nipples. She cooed, “That feels so good.”

“It feels good to me, too,” said Ed as he watched her body react to his actions. It amazed him that after so many years, his wives still found him desirable. He looked forward to returning with them to Arizona for good.

“You’re too happy,” commented Linda as she held the back of his head to keep his lips where they were. She was quiet for a moment while she considered what it meant when Ed was that happy and then said, “You’re going back to Arizona.”

Ed gave her nipple a little love bite. When she relaxed her grip on the back of his neck, he answered, “In a couple of days. I won’t be back until graduation.”

Linda turned onto her side so that she was could face him. He moved so that they were looking at each other. She asked, “Who’s going with you?”

“Captain Jones,” answered Ed. The soldier still had not accepted the unusual lifestyle led by Ed and Leroy. More time with the man was needed to address that issue.

Despite the soldier’s real disgust at the fact that Ed made love to his husband, it hadn’t been difficult to convince the Captain to join him on the trip back to Arizona. The soldier had a very willing woman waiting for his return. A very mature looking Mona had greeted Nathan at the end of the week long desert trip and that the greeting had gotten very personal once the couple had been left alone.

“So you’re leaving three horny wives here all alone?” asked Linda with a pout. Leroy was back at his laboratory studying Chronic Wasting Disease.

Raising an eyebrow, Ed teased, “I’m sure there are a few students around here who would be very willing to step up to the task if you get too desperate.”

“We’re going to miss you,” said Linda. It was always hard when Ed left, but none of the wives were willing to give up a minute with the children.

“You’ll be off the birth control pill by the time I see you,” commented Ed.

Linda smiled at the explicit acceptance that he would be happy to father a child with her. She said, “Don’t forget that Leroy’s award ceremony is in August.”

“I know. It’s a week before graduation. Despite how much I dislike that town of professional liars, I’ll be in Washington to attend,” replied Ed with a sour taste in his mouth. He felt it was about time that Leroy started getting national recognition for his research, but wished the ceremony could have been held somewhere else.

After an hour of small talk, Linda left to check up on the kids leaving Ed alone in bed. For a long time he thought about becoming a father again. Pleased at the idea, he showered and then dressed while planning what he would do for the next couple of days.

Kristie approached Ed while he was enjoying a banana split in the sixth year dining room. Although he wouldn’t say it, he was hiding his mid-afternoon snack from his family. Sitting down without waiting for an invitation, she said, “You’re so solid, like you’re made of steel. The students seem solid enough, but a few of the staff appear almost ethereal. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“You haven’t figured out your gift?”

Her hand flew to her chest and covered the medallion. Recalling from memory the words on the medallion, she said, “Sense of Rightness. Strength of Will.”

“Ah. What do you think it means?” he asked just before shoveling a spoonful of chocolate ice cream into his mouth. This was a proper banana split with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream complete with chocolate syrup, diced pineapple, and strawberries topped with whipped cream and cherries cradled between a split banana. It was totally decadent and he was savoring every bite.

“I think I see the will power of people as solidity, but I don’t understand the part about rightness. Everyone one I’ve seen appears to be same.”

“Do you think that is because everyone here has learned to live by the two rules?” asked Ed. He carefully maneuvered his spoon to capture some of the vanilla ice cream and chunks of pineapple. It was a good combination of flavors and brought a smile to his face.

“I didn’t think about that,” she said. Sitting back in her chair, she thought about it and wondered if that were true. If so, she needed to get away from the school where she might be able to get some experience with a more representative sampling of people.

“We’re going to a water park tomorrow. You can join us,” said Ed looking up at her to see her reaction.

“What about school?” asked Kristie surprised to hear him suggest that she ignore her studies.

“What about it? You’ve become a Druid,” Ed answered with a knowing smile.

“I’ve still got to pass this semester.”

“And what classes do you have this semester?”

“My practicum,” answered the young woman. She had chosen social work as her field of study, motivated by her past as a member of a dysfunctional family. Looking at Ed, she realized that every sixth year student would have the same answer. A practicum required that students experience their field. Embarrassed, she said, “Oh. I see.”

“Yes. The Two-Sided One has given you a gift that makes it impossible to fail this quarter. For the rest of your time here at the college you will be developing that gift by using it,” said Ed.