DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If you are offended by 
sexually explicit material or are under the age of 18, stop reading 
now. This material cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes 
without the consent of the author.


John Carter
By
Lazlo Zalezak
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezak, 2003


Part 3: Robes of Acumen
Chapter 7

The mountains of North Carolina are much older than the Rocky 
Mountains. The lines of the mountains are gentler and more 
rounded. They are more peaceful than the Rocky Mountains, 
which tend to invoke greater awe. It was here that John chose to 
build the Druid College. Five thousand acres of land had been 
purchased and a road cut a third of the way into it. The building 
sites had been cleared of trees. The parking lot had already been 
poured.

  The architect, Melvin Harrison, took them to the first building site 
by the parking lot. He pointed to the area. "This will be the 
administration building. It will be four stories high. The first story 
will provide public services, such as admissions and testing. The 
business areas will be on the top three floors. Initially, only the 
second floor will be occupied. The top two floors will be available 
for expansion, as per your request."

John asked, "All floors will be completely finished, correct?"

"Yes. All walls and fixtures shall be included."

Ed looked at the site. "It's a rather large building area."

Melvin replied, "Yes it is. I felt that increasing the overall area of 
the building would help give a spacious calming feel to the 
building. The waiting areas, testing areas, and admissions areas are 
large and spacious. With the incorporation of carpet and plants 
throughout the building it will also be quiet."

The architect led them to the site just to the left of the 
administration building site. He paused, "This building will be the 
faculty quarters. Like the other building, it will be four stories. The 
building is huge because of the number of faculty members you 
wanted to support and the amount of space for each apartment you 
requested."

The architect led their party to the other side of the administration 
site. He pointed to the site, stating, "This building will be the 
maintenance facility. This will be a three-story building. The 
bottom level will be a garage for repair of college vehicles and a 
loading dock. The second level will be a set of repair rooms and 
machine shops. The third level will incorporate office spaces. 
There will be freight elevators at both ends."

John nodded, "There is space over there for an extension if 
necessary?"

Melvin answered, "Yes."

The architect took them to a building site behind the 
administration. He smiled, "This is the first year dorm. Three 
stories of rooms set up for four occupants. A large public area in 
the center of the first floor for recreation, a similar study area on 
the second floor, and a dining room on the third floor."

Melvin pointed to building sites off to the sides, "the other dorms 
are off to the other sides. They have individual private rooms. The 
dorm sites form a semi-circle around the library."

Melvin walked to the next site. "This is the library and will be built 
in the shape of a circle. It stands in the center of the great circle 
formed by all the other buildings. There will be second floor 
walkways from all of the other buildings to it."

He pointed to the sites on the other side. "Those will be the science 
buildings to the right and those to the left with be the liberal arts."

John nodded, "I like the layout. You've allowed for the expansion 
outwards from the circle. So when will it be done?"

Melvin looked a little nervous as he answered, "Well, if we start 
now, we can finish it all in four years. That will require a very 
large work crew."

Ed asked, "Can you finish five of the buildings in the next year?"

"Perhaps, it would be tight."

John stated, "I would like to see the administration building, 
faculty apartments, first year dorm, library, and a liberal art 
building completed first."

Melvin replied, "That's kind of spread out all over the place, but I 
don't see why not. We should be able to get five buildings a year 
done."

John looked at Ed for his impressions. Ed stated, "Depends on the 
crew. Shouldn't be too difficult to find a couple of good crews."

John nodded, "Okay, let's do it."

John walked off with Ed while the architect talked to the rest of his 
party. John stated, "We should be able to open in two years. I 
guess it will be time for us to start our faculty search."

Ed stated, "We'll need someone to do the ground work for us."

John nodded, "Maybe we can get another guy in the house."

Ed walked along beside John. He didn't say anything for several 
minutes. Finally, he blurted out, "I'd like to start trying to get 
another husband."

"Robert?"

"Yes."

John nodded, "Good choice. All the wives like him. Have you 
talked to them yet?"

"No, I wanted to talk to you first."

"Why?"

"Well, I don't know how well you like him."

John thought about it for a minute. He wasn't sure how much he 
liked Robert. They had very little interaction. He did respect him a 
lot. "I don't know. Is he interested?"

Ed nodded, "I don't know. I guess we should start dating him."   

John laughed, "So who is going to ask him out first?"

Ed walked along with John until they reached the rental car. Ed 
went over to the passenger side, "I guess it should be me."

John got into the car and started the engine as Ed got in the car. Ed 
fastened his seat belt as John pulled out of the parking lot. They 
had an hour drive to the nearest airport. As John turned right onto 
the highway, he stated, "Maybe we ought to invite him over to 
dinner with all of us."

"Not a bad idea. His sister is still waiting to have her night with 
you and she doesn't have a loved one to bring for the wives. Maybe 
we should suggest that he come over that night."

John drove for a bit. He stated, "Not good. I want to keep the two 
things separate."

Ed thought about it. "You're right. Let's just invite him over for 
dinner."

"Okay."

The rest of the drive was made in silence, as the men were lost in 
their own thoughts. Ed was wondering about the chances of getting 
Robert into the family. John was thinking about the college. He 
considered how to find the person to search for the faculty. Of 
course, much of the faculty would come from the Druids who had 
advanced degrees.

John returned the rental car at the airport. He and Ed walked over 
to the private jet terminal where they were greeted by the flight 
crew. Ed got on the jet to return home. He would set up a dinner 
for Robert to be held on the night that John returned home. John 
watched the jet take off and disappear into the clouds. He went 
inside the terminal to wait for a jet to arrive to take him to the 
capitol. He was told that he would be in the air in an hour. In the 
mean time, he watched the television in the waiting room while 
drinking a soft drink. It was a quiet news day.

The plane landed at the Baltimore-Washington International 
Airport. It was his first time in the nations capitol and he had no 
clue how difficult it was to maneuver through the traffic there. 
Deciding not to risk getting lost, John grabbed a cab to take him to 
FBI headquarters. The traffic in the downtown area of Washington 
was horrible and he was glad that he hadn't rented a car. The cab 
driver pulled up to FBI headquarters and let him out. 

John wasn't aware of why he had been summoned to Washington, 
but he wasn't concerned. He walked through the doors. There was 
a line of people at the security gate, but the line moved rather 
quickly. John stepped up to the security gate. He handed the guard 
his walking stick and then passed through. The guard wasn't going 
to give back his walking stick until John showed his FBI badge. 

At the elevator, John looked at the directory trying to locate Mike 
Holden's office. He didn't see it there. He went to the information 
booth and asked for directions to Mike's office. The woman looked 
at him, taking in his strange attire, and made a quick call. A 
security guard came to take John to Mike Holden's office. John had 
a feeling that he was being treated as a suspected villain rather an 
as an agent. He smiled as they headed up to Mike's office.

John entered the front office of Mike Holden. A woman was seated 
at the desk; her nameplate stated she was C. Berard. She was a nice 
looking woman, probably in her early sixties. Her gray hair 
suggested that she was a woman comfortable with her age. She 
looked up at John, "What can I do for you?"

He smiled as he recognized her voice. "Hello. I'm John Carter."

She smiled, "Oh, Dr. Carter. Mr. Holden has been waiting for you 
to arrive."

"Please call me John. I think you are the only person in the world 
that calls me Dr. Carter."

"Yes, sir," she laughed at his pained expression and then corrected 
herself, "yes, John."

"Before I see him, may I ask what the C stands for?"

"Claudia," she replied. Despite his strange attire, she liked this 
man. 

"It is so nice to finally meet you, Ms. Berard."

"Well, let me take you into his office." She stood up and walked 
over to a door. Knocking on it, she opened the door and 
announced, "Dr. Carter is here to see you."

John entered the office as Mike came out from behind the desk. 
Mike extended his hand. John accepted the hand returning the 
strong handshake. "John, please take a seat."

John sat down asking, "So what am I doing here?"

"Claudia, can you please ask Deputy Director Olim to come here?"

"Yes, sir." Claudia left the room shutting the door behind her.

Mike turned his attention to John. "I have a few minutes to prepare 
you for this meeting. I'm retiring in a month and Deputy Director 
Olim is taking over my position. I wanted a chance to introduce the 
two of you so that you can continue the work relationship that you 
have with the FBI."

John replied, "Congratulations. I hope that you come out to 
Arizona and visit us. We have a house with many spare rooms, as 
you well remember. My husband and wives would be happy to see 
you."

"I will, don't worry about that."

There was a knock on the door and Claudia entered, "Deputy 
Director Olim is here."

Mike made a waving motion and she ushered in a tall man. John 
rose and faced him, examining his features. He could read the 
displeasure on his face as the man examined him. John extended a 
hand, "Hello. I'm John Carter."

The incredulous look on the man's face suggested that he didn't 
quite believe him. He took the hand with a strong grasp and shook 
it. He asked, "Is that your normal attire and hairstyle, Special 
Agent Carter?"

"Yes."

Mike Holden pointed to a chair, "Samuel, have a seat."

John returned to his chair and sat down. Samuel was a little slower 
in complying with Mike's request. John smiled at the other man's 
discomfort. Samuel asked, "May I know why you've requested me 
here? I must assume that it has something to do with Special Agent 
Carter's presence here."

Mike looked at Samuel for a moment. He knew his replacement 
was a little more rigorous in enforcing dress codes among the 
agents that reported to him. "Samuel, I wanted to give you a little 
background on John before I retired. This young man is John 
Carter. I take it that his name does not invoke any recollections of 
who he might be?"

"None. I do remember that a serial killer was picked up because of 
some information that originated from him."

Mike laughed, "Which serial killer? The amputation murderer, the 
serious bandit, or the temp agency killer? He caught them all."

Samuel looked at John as he remembered who John was. He asked, 
"You caught them all?"

John answered, "Well, I had a lot of help."

Mike continued, "Maybe you heard of the smuggling ring that he 
brought down a couple of years ago. Two of his more famous 
cases are the white slavery ring and operation Druid's revenge that 
brought down the mob."

Samuel stared at John. He sat back in the chair and asked, 
"Anything else in your resume?"

"Not really."

Mike burst out laughing, "Let's see, you've saved the lives of 
nearly five hundred people in Austin. There was the California 
quake where you saved just about that many in a single day. I'm 
sure there are more people that you've helped that I don't even 
know about."

John nodded, "really. I didn't know I had saved that many people. 
However, I thought he meant my resume with the FBI and not in 
general."

"Oh, yes. And some of them were very important people."

John corrected him, "Everyone is important, it is just a difference 
of what person he or she is important to."

Samuel asked, "Anything else?"

Mike nodded, "He's better know to the public as the man who 
invented the Fusion Battery."

"You are that John Carter?"

"Yes. I am. Of course, I was much younger then."

Mike changed the topic a little, "John is not a regular agent. He's a 
volunteer and is not on the payroll. When he learns about 
something that needs to be handled, he'll step in and do his thing. 
When he's done, he turns the case over to a senior agent."

Samuel replied, "That's highly unusual. What authority is that 
relationship based upon?"

"Mine and mine alone."

Samuel nodded as he said, "You are suggesting that I maintain that 
relationship."

Mike answered, "Yes, I am."

John interrupted the discussion. He stated, "there are some things 
that you might want to know before you agree to that."

"What?"

John reached into his robe and pulled out the medallions. He 
showed them to Mike and to Samuel. "As you can see, there are 
three medallions now. I now serve all the Gods and Goddesses. All 
of the Druids that possess one of these medallions now recognize 
me as the Grand Druid."

Mike's eyebrows rose when he saw the third medallion. He asked, 
"Three?"

Samuel snorted, "What's the medallions got to do with anything?"

John dropped the medallions so that they were flat against his 
chest. John answered, "The medallions were given to me by the 
Gods and Goddesses that I serve. I know that it sounds a little 
incredulous, but I suggest that you examine it for a second."

Samuel leaned forward and lifted the medallion. He turned it over 
reading the inscriptions on both sides. He shrugged, "So."

John stated, "Now try to remove it from around my neck."

Samuel gasped as the medallion slid out of his grasp. It was again 
flat against John's chest. When he tried to pick it up, he was 
unable. It was as though it was glued to the chest. "I can't get it."

"If you try to examine it without removing it, you can grasp it. The 
moment you attempt to remove it, it will fall out of your hand."

Samuel picked up the medallion to examine it. He was curious if 
some sort of mechanism made it act oddly. He didn't announce his 
intention to remove it, but the moment he thought about taking it 
off, the medallion slipped out of his fingers. He looked up stating, 
"that is wild."

"Even I can't remove it. It is solid gold, but doesn't register on 
metal detectors."

Samuel sat back and examined John for a minute trying to decide 
what he thought of the man. He asked, "So, you are the Grand 
Druid."

"Yes, I am."

Mike was curious why John had brought it up. He asked, "So why 
did you bring that up?"

"Ah," smiled John. He turned his chair to face both men a little 
more directly. He answered, "That makes me, in the minds of some 
people, the leader of a cult. Now, this could be problematic to the 
FBI. In particular, I have no doubt that requests shall arise in which 
I am to be investigated. This will be particularly true when I start 
the Druid College in North Carolina in two years."

Samuel sat back and shut his eyes. That would be a major problem, 
but one that could be worked out. Of course, much of that would 
depend on John agreeing to certain rules. 

John saw the thought process flash across Samuel's mind. He 
added, "Oh, it gets even worse. Many of the Druids, particularly 
those that serve the God, have very responsible positions in the 
government. In fact, my husband is as treasury agent. Other Druids 
are CIA agents, Air Marshals, and Postal Inspectors. We have two 
Forest Rangers and a number in other law enforcement agencies. 
Most are rather informal arrangements between them and the 
agency."

"Your husband?"

Mike answered, "Yes, he has a husband and two wives."

John corrected him, "We have three wives and are looking for a 
third husband."

"Oh, who is she?"

John stated, "I don't know if you remember Ling. She's left the 
staff and joined the family."

Samuel asked, "Mike, you knew about this group marriage thing?"

Mike smiled, "Yes, I was a guest at the wedding. So was the 
governor of Utah, the deputy director of the DOE, a Senator, 
several secret service agents, and two offices of the FBI."

"Jesus!"

John was quiet for a moment and then stated, "I would understand 
if you didn't want to continue the existing relationship. However, I 
would like to have some sort of authorization to participate in 
specific investigations as a consultant. I will also make an offer 
that I hope you can't refuse. I will personally authorize you with 
the power to make searches of the Druid properties at any time you 
desire while I am an agent of the FBI. You will not need a search 
warrant to gain access to any records, location, or individual."

"Are you telling me that you are waving your rights?"

John corrected him, "Not my personal rights, but the rights of the 
Druid Organization."

Samuel was suspicious as he asked, "Why would you do that?"

John stated, "If the Druid Organization operates in a glass house, 
then there will be no questions of illegality. People may not like 
the basic principles on which it operates, but those principles are 
legal. I would rather have an FBI agent looking over my shoulder 
every minute than having an angry public throwing stones at me."

Samuel stated, "Okay, tell me about this Druid thing? Aren't 
Druids a bunch of kooks that worship Stonehenge?"

John looked sad, "There are a lot of people that call themselves 
Druids, but few have actually encountered the Gods or Goddesses. 
So, yes, there are bunches of kooks out there that call themselves 
Druids. The original sites where human and divine being could 
meet were destroyed by the church about eight hundred years ago. 
The people of the area tried to keep the traditions, but without the 
intervention of the Gods and Goddesses, the traditions became 
stale. Today, there are about three hundred true Druids around the 
world."

John continued, "Druids are not priests or shaman. They are 
advisors to people in power. All of our Druids have advanced 
degrees. Almost ninety percent have doctorates in the sciences. We 
do not take sides in political arguments. However, we work to 
protect the weak from the strong and will place ourselves in danger 
if necessary."

John looked over at Samuel to see his reaction. Samuel stated, "I 
can't see continuing with the your current status of Special Agent. 
Perhaps as consultant, but even that will not be acceptable in the 
long run."

John pulled his badge from his pocket. He held it out for Samuel to 
take. He had turned in Rover's badge to Ann when Rover had left 
him. "So be it."

Mike interrupted, "Gentlemen, please."

John turned to Mike. "The first principle is that if it harm none, 
then do it. The only time I can harm anyone is if they are strong 
and it is to protect the weak from them. If Deputy Director Olim 
believes that my continuation in the current relationship will harm 
his career or the reputation of FBI, then for me to continue would 
be wrong. It is that simple."

Mike stated, "I don't want it to end with any hurt feelings."

John laughed, "My feelings are not hurt. I am pleased that he has 
chosen to tell me his concerns. I have chosen my actions fully 
aware of those concerns. I can render assistance to the weak and 
advice to leaders in other ways. The Fusion Foundation still 
provides me with the ability to contribute to society. With my 
wealth, I can make a telephone call and reach the president."

Samuel looked at John with a puzzled expression. He stated, "Why 
would you even want to work with the FBI?"

"Because there is no other way to bring down a white slavery ring 
or the mob without the support of the FBI." John leaned forward 
with a very serious expression. The intensity of his look shook 
Samuel. John added, "Such evil must be eradicated. No one can 
stand by and watch children be sold into sexual slavery. No one 
can stand by while criminal organizations prey upon the 
weaknesses of common people."

The intensity and motives behind his desire lead Samuel to 
reconsider his decision. Samuel stated, "Keep the badge for now. I 
will talk with Mike."

John returned his badge to his pocket. He looked at Mike and at 
Samuel before deciding that the interview was finished. He stood, 
"Gentlemen, I believe that the Washington Office of the 
Emergency Relief Agency is holding a small party tonight in my 
honor. I'm not sure who is attending, but I would like to extend an 
invitation to both of you."

Mike smiled, "We have both been invited already. I wouldn't call it 
a small party by any stretch of the imagination. However, there is 
one more thing that I have to do before you leave."

John asked, "What?"

Mike opened a small box and removed a medal from it. He held it 
up, "John, I am proud to present to you the FBI Medal of Valor in 
recognition for your sacrifice in the destruction of the white 
slavery ring."

John looked at it in awe. "I don't deserve that kind of recognition."

Mike stated, "You were dead for four minutes. You do deserve this 
medal."

Samuel hadn't realized that John had achieved that honor. He 
asked, "Isn't this supposed to be done in public?"

Mike answered, "He doesn't like public recognition. He doesn't 
even like private recognition."

John took the medal and stared at it. He stated, "I'm proud to 
accept this medal. Thank you."

Mike laughed, "Now get out here. You've got a party to get ready 
for."

John left the office. After the door shut behind him, Mike turned to 
Samuel and stated, "I wonder how he's going to react tonight when 
he receives the Congressional Medal of Valor from the President?"

Samuel looked at Mike, "You don't mean he's getting that too?"

"Yes."