Chapter 35

"Congratulations, Dr. Carter," Oliver Brown said with a grin. He was seated in a large chair in one of the emptier rooms of the mansion sipping on an iced tea. He was wearing a pair of silvered sunglasses. Despite years of living with his gift, it still hurt him to be around too many people.

William took a seat across from the Grand Druid and said, "Thank you. What are you doing in here?"

"I'm hiding from the President of the University. He wants me to send some of our graduating students here," Oliver answered with a shake of his head. He had talked to Kotyit and found that the man had a similar experience with the President. It was hard to blame him. Every University administrator wanted to attract the best and brightest students they could.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" William asked.

"No need. He was just doing his job as he saw it," Oliver said with a tired wave of his hand. The thought of attracting good students made him think of some students who had recently applied to the Druid College. He said, "I heard that you ran off to Texas to work on your Dissertation."

"Yes. I went to my father's hometown," William replied.

Oliver sat up a little and said, "That's real interesting. So I guess we have you to thank for two students who applied to the Druid College."

"Two? I figured one," William said.

"Which one? Mark Thomson or Wanda Torrence?"

"Mark," William answered, "I've never met Wanda."

"It appears that her friend suggested that she apply," Oliver said. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small notepad. He looked it over for a moment and realized he couldn't make out the last name. Giving up, he said, "Yes, a fellow by the name of Joe."

"Ah, I know Joe," William said with a nod of his head. "So what about them?"

"Nothing. I just thought it was a little odd that two people applied all of a sudden from your father's hometown," Oliver answered. "It is an interesting co-incidence that you happened to have just visited there not that long ago."

"A young woman there was given a wonderful opportunity by the Rangers, too."

"That is interesting. Is it something in the water?"

"It is nothing that exotic. I was there and talked to people. Some of them discovered talents that they didn't know they had," William said in a matter of fact voice that was neither boastful nor modest, but more like the tone one would use to say that they had rinsed out a glass.

"So how do you feel now that you've finished your education?"

Laughing at the question, William answered, "The only education that I finished was the formal one. I'll be learning new things for the rest of my life."

"Good answer. I'll have to remember it and use it in a graduation speech," Oliver said with a smile.

"That's odd. If I recall correctly, that's where I heard it."

"Have you had a chance to talk with your grandfather yet?"

"We chatted a little this morning. I expect we'll spend some time out on the patio this evening," William answered. He was pleased when the Reverend Jones was able to slip away from school to attend his graduation. The thought of his grandfather teaching at the Druid College reminded him of another topic. William was quiet for a moment and then asked, "How is Oscar Meyers?"

Puzzled, Oliver sat up and studied William for a moment. Curious, he said, "You seem to take a lot of interest in Oscar. Why?"

"I don't know. It seems to me that our futures are entwined somehow, but the connections are very nebulous. I don't understand it," William answered. Every time the subject of Oscar Meyers came up there was some sort of uneasy feeling that came over him.

"Are you going to be involved in bringing peace to the world?" The idea that William and Oscar were somehow linked was intriguing. He wanted to see the two of them together and see what his gift would show him.

"I don't think so. I know that we are both going to serve the Two- Sided One, but we are both waiting for that to happen. It just seems weird to me that we are both waiting around for our service to begin," William said.

The Grand Druid studied William for a moment and then asked, "Did you know that the average age at which a Druid begins their service is thirty two?"

"No."

"You aren't even eighteen. Don't rush into your service."

Their discussion was interrupted by a shout from the entrance to the mansion, "The weird man in a green dress has arrived. Let the party begin!" The announcement was followed by lots of laughter from the other room.

"Happy Harry is here," William said with a grin.

"Someone is going to have to teach that man the meaning of the word shy."

Laughing at the idea of trying to teach Harry how to be shy, William said, "I once told him that I had seen the center of the universe. I asked him if he knew what I found there. He answered, 'Of course. You found me looking back at you.' I don't know if he was joking."

"Sounds like Harry," Oliver said with a smile.

"Let me go out there and protect all of the women from his charms," William said with a wink.

"You just keep attempting the impossible. I expect that one of these days you just might succeed," Oliver said. He laughed at the look on the young man's face.

William stepped into the room where Harry was standing with his arm around the wife of the President of the University. The normally conservative woman was giggling like a school girl. William had to wonder what he was saying to the woman. He was heading over to the pair when he heard a familiar voice in his mind. "He's not going to live forever. You need to start preparing for the day when he returns to us."