Chapter 7

John parked his car in front of the Sheriff’s office. He had no idea why he had returned. There was only a singled-minded urge to come to this place. He got out of the Jeep followed by Rover. From experience, he was sure that he would be the subject of curiosity, but people walked by without taking much notice of him. He looked around the town and felt that something was subtly different.

He entered the Sheriff’s office with Rover following behind him. Rover sat down in a corner to watch. He called out, “Hey, I heard there was a jail cell with my name on it and I’ve come to claim it.”

The Sheriff came out the back room shouting, “John Carter!”

“Hi, Sheriff. How are things?”

“Funny you should ask that. I’ve been on the phone all morning looking for you and then you just walk into my office.” He moved over to his desk and sat down. He gestured to a chair for John. He never noticed Rover seated in the corner of the room.

John sat down in the chair and faced the Sheriff. He was extremely surprised to learn that the Sheriff had been looking for him. He knew it couldn’t have been to testify in court. The guy who had tried to kill Amy, the Sheriff’s daughter, had been killed in jail. With a worried expression on his face, John asked, “Looking for me?”

The Sheriff glanced down and licked his lips in a manner that suggested he had some unpleasant news to deliver. He said, “I don’t know of a good way to say this, so I’ll just come right out and say it. Old Jed died late last night.”

John didn’t understand why the news upset him as much as it did. He had very little interaction with Jed, but it was always very intense. The walking stick in his hand seemed to feel warmer than before and the cloth of his cloak felt softer somehow.

He said, “That’s a shame. I liked Jed although we hardly exchanged more than three hundred words. He was a master craftsman. He gave me this walking stick and my cloak.”

“Yes, he was. He was also a very curious figure in this town. He was always gone, traveling to exotic locations all over the world. You never knew when he was going to be here or gone. He had special customers that were all just a little strange.”

John laughed at the suggestion of special customers and asked, “You mean like me?”

The Sheriff was actually quite fond of John and, if pressed, wouldn’t be able to tell you why. John had saved his daughter from being killed and had changed her life from being a wild girl to a highly driven young lady. Even if John hadn’t done those things, he would still have liked him.

“You’re one of a kind, John. They broke the mold when they made you, thank God. Anyway, I was looking for you to ask you to come here. There are some important legal things that must be resolved.”

John was puzzled and his features showed it. He asked, “What kind of legal things?”

“His lawyer came by this morning and asked me to locate you. He said he had some important papers to give to you. Now that you are here, let me call him.” The Sheriff followed his words with the deed by dialing the lawyer. The conversation over the telephone lasted less than a minute and consisted of greetings followed by the information that John was in the Sheriff’s office.

The lawyer must have had his office right next to the Sheriff’s, because almost as soon as the telephone was hung up, the lawyer opened the door. He was in his fifties and sported a gray handlebar mustache. He wore a simple hat, a checkered shirt, boots, and blue jeans held up by suspenders. He entered the room and stepped towards the corner where Rover was watching him.

John warned him, “Watch out for my cat.”

The lawyer looked down and spotted Rover looking up at him. He jumped and screeched, “Jesus!”

John waved a hand in an attempt to calm the lawyer down as he said, “Don’t worry. He won’t attack you.”

When the lawyer stepped out of the way, the Sheriff saw Rover for the first time. He shook his head. He said, “I’ve got to ask. Do you have a permit for that thing?”

John frowned and said, “Well, not really. He followed me out of the woods and won’t let me out of his sight except to hunt.”

The Sheriff shook his head and said, “I won’t do anything about it. You had better stay away from the Game Warden.”

John laughed at the suggestion about the Game Warden. He said, “Don’t worry, the Game Warden won’t do anything. I know that for a fact.”

The lawyer had watched the exchange and frowned. He didn’t like people who thought they were above the law. He was beginning to worry if he had been wise in taking on Jed’s legal needs. He cleared his throat and said, “I take it you are John Carter.”

John liked the lawyer almost immediately. He answered, “At your service. And you are?”

The lawyer replied, “I’m Sam Perry. I was the lawyer for Mr. Jed Hart.”

John extended his hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Perry.”

Sam reluctantly shook the hand that had been extended to him. He was surprised at the politeness that this kid exhibited. However, that didn’t counter the distaste he felt about a guy who thought he was above the law.

He said, “I need to see two forms of identification.”

John nodded. He pulled out his driver’s license and handed it to the lawyer. He then reached into another pocket and pulled out his FBI credentials. He opened both his and Rover’s, and showed them both to the lawyer. The lawyer looked up and revised his opinion of John immediately. Of course, no Game Warden would take away a cat that had FBI identification.

He said, “I apologize. I was not aware that Rover was a federal employee.”

John laughed and said, “He insisted on it when I was getting the ID. I’m glad he did. It really helped when he caught a bank robber in Salt Lake City.”

The Sheriff glanced over at the identification and sat back in shock. He had not known that John was an FBI agent. It was very surprising considering John’s appearance. It wasn’t that he was prejudiced, but he had never met a law enforcement official that looked like John. He asked, “When did you become an FBI agent?”

“About a year ago, I guess.”

John thought back and realized that he couldn’t remember dates. It was odd, but time wasn’t very important to him.

The lawyer finished copying down the information from the two forms of identification. He double-checked his work and then spoke.

“Mr. Carter. Jed left his store to you. He insisted that you take over its operation, immediately. He left several envelopes for you. All of them are for others except for one. The others are in your care until delivered.”

As the lawyer handed him a small box, John replied, “I beg your pardon?”

“I said that Jed left the store to you.”

Looking puzzled, John said, “I wonder why he would do that.”

Mr. Perry answered the unspoken question. “I suppose the answer is in the box.”

John opened the box. Inside were a number of envelopes and some keys. He looked through the envelopes and pulled out the one that was addressed to him. He opened it and pulled out a handwritten letter. He started to read with misty eyes.

Dear John,

If you are reading this letter, then I’m dead. I have chosen you to take care of my store until my replacement is chosen by the Gods and Goddesses. I have chosen you because you serve both a God and a Goddess. All but one of the medallion holders will recognize you as a peer. That is more important than you may realize.

You will not be required to do much regarding the store. The staff is used to working without the owner’s presence. You will need to be here for Midsummer’s and Midwinter’s day so that you can guide my replacement to the store. Once that person arrives, you can hand the keys and ownership of the store over to them. You will want to meet them close to that special place, but do not enter it unless you are called as before. Once you have found them, you will not have to do anything further.

I would like Mary Darling to perform the funeral rites. You should have an envelope addressed to her. If Mary does not show up within three days of my death, then allow the funeral director at Shady Lawn to handle the arrangements. I have left explicit directions with the funeral director on how to handle my body.

The field behind the store is store property, and is perfect for erecting tents. If there are guests, then use it. Please use any moneys from the store to arrange for food and drink. There is an envelope for the manager of the store that provides instructions on catering the funeral.

I expect a number of medallion holders will show up for the funeral. Several of them are important and you should talk with them. I have left envelopes for them. You will need to talk to Mary Darling, she’s a very important servant of the Goddess. Take at least an hour to talk to Jerry Smith. He’s a very important servant of the God.

The third individual that you should talk to is Harry. I do not know his last name. He serves the Two-sided One and is the only one that won’t recognize you as a peer. I must warn you that he is gifted with the power of prophecy. You may not want to hear what he says, but that choice is not yours to make.

Finally, one last individual may contact you. He is Grey Wolf. I don’t think that is his real name, but it’s the only one that he answers to now. He is a most difficult person to deal with, but will have much to teach you. You will recognize him by his companion wolf.

Please let everyone know that it has been my pleasure to serve with them. Each one of you is special in some way. There are many mysteries left, but I’m sure that soon many of them shall be resolved.

May your trail be long and happy,

Jed Hart, Druid

John looked up at the lawyer and the Sheriff and said, “There is much that I need to do and I think time is getting short. I will need your services again, Mr. Perry, but I’m not sure when. My custody of the store is only temporary. I am to give it to one who shall come at a later time.”

Sam nodded and said, “I understand. Jed was like that too. He knew things, but couldn’t tell you details. Call on me when you need me.”

John said, “Thank you. I’ll leave now.”

The Sheriff and Sam sat there watching John get up and leave. The cat stood up and followed him out. They could tell that the little pause at the door by John and the slight surge forward by the cat were habitual.

Sam turned to the Sheriff stating, “The Plutonian Circus is coming to town. Do you think there will be any trouble?”

The Sheriff laughed and said, “Trouble? No, I don’t think so. This town is going to be more peaceful and calm than it has ever been. Every one of them will be like him, serious, intense, deliberate, and kind.”

Sam shook his head and said, “You don’t know the towns people.”

“You don’t know the Plutonian Circus.”

John arrived at the store. As he entered, a young couple with a child stepped out of the store. The kid wanted to pet Rover, but the mother pulled him away before he could extend his hand. John laughed at Rover’s reaction, which was to hit the woman in the ass with his tail.

The store was open for business and the staffers inside were hard at work. He had never seen anyone in here except for Jed and was quite surprised by how many employees were in the store. He looked around and didn’t spot any customers. A young man came up to him and asked, “May I help you sir?”

John answered, “I am John Carter.”

“Ah, you are the new owner,” replied the young man. He turned to face the rest of the store and whistled by putting his thumb and middle finger in his mouth. The sound was loud and carried throughout the store. Everyone stopped what he or she were working on and headed to the front of the store.

John watched as ten people formed a semi-circle in front of him. There was a subtle tension in the air as people glanced at each other and then at him. Several of them recognized the walking stick and cloak that John wore as items that Jed had created. John cleared his throat.

“Hello, everyone. I’m John Carter and I am the new owner of the store. To set your minds at ease, there will be no changes in personnel. Every one will retain their job. Like Jed, I travel extensively. That means I won’t be here for the day to day operations.”

The effect of his words was immediate. Every one gathered there relaxed as they heard that their jobs were not on the line. He reached into his box and pulled out the letter that was addressed to the current manager. He looked around hoping that one of the badges would identify the individual who was the manager. His hopes were dashed when he saw each name tag only gave a first name. “Who is the manager?”

A middle aged woman stepped forward. “I’m Maggie Baron.”

John handed her the envelope. He said, “He left this for you. Please read it and follow the instructions.”

He clapped his hands and said, “Every one, please go back to what you were doing. I’ll be here for a few days and will have a chance to meet and talk with each of you individually. Please, don’t worry about your jobs. The store is only mine temporarily.”

He stopped at the counter and set his box on it. He turned and was about to exit the store when he said, “Oh, some of you may want to call your families and let them know that your jobs are safe.”

John left the building to examine the land behind the store. Rover followed him. As he was leaving via the store’s front door, he heard one of the employees say, “He’s exactly like Jed. He gives a short speech that goes straight to the point, and then he leaves.”

John walked around to the back of the store. There was a huge field behind it. The grass was tall and lush green. He looked around and spotted a riding mower parked in an open garage behind the store. Smiling, he went over to it and started it. He needed to do something to take his mind off the events of the day. Rover sat down fifty feet from the mower, his ears bothered by the noise.