"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."
Ecclesiastes 3:1
By Atonia and Jo
Jo writing Maximus, Caroline, Bud, Marie, Lachlan, Hope, Cort, Daisy, Ben, Mae, Rusty, Emma
Atonia writing Terry, Dee, Alex, Linda, Jack, Tarwyn, John, Bethany, Dino, Max, Sophia
PART 21:
As he neared Cort’s house, Maximus called Caroline and asked her to drive over to Cort’s so they’d have their car to take Ben home and for Maximus himself to have a way home. Cort was asleep in the back seat. When they got to his house, he and Ben helped get Cort out of the back seat and, still very groggy, he walked between them up the steps and across the porch. Ben rang the bell.
Daisy opened it and her eyes widened at the sight of Cort sagging, halfway being held up by the other two. “What’s happened to him?” she cried.
“Lockjaw,” Ben said grimly.
“The wound in his hand, Daisy,” Maximus explained, “was developing into tetanus. Rusty took him to the hospital and Dr. Canfield has attended to him. He has somewhat of a fever and
needs to rest for a bit.” He handed her the packet of medicine and the instructions Canfield
had written down. They helped him up the stairs and onto the bed.
“You will manage, Daisy?” Maximus asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine. Thank you so much for getting him home to me.”
Caroline pulled up in the station wagon just as Maximus and Ben went out on the front porch. As they drove to Ben’s, they told her more about Cort and about the meeting, plus their impressions of Rusty.
“I know as Zack he helped you search for me in the mud, Caroline, but he truly is an entirely different man now. I must admit I am amazed at the change in him. He is very self-assured, most intense. He took command of the situation with Cort and just informed the rest of us what he was doing. There was no ‘by your leave’. He simply decided what should be done and then he did it.”
She smiled. “He will make you, darling. That’s explanation enough for me of who he is, what
he can do.”
When they pulled up in front of Ben’s, Ben hesitated. He knew Mae was in the house and he’d told Caroline a little about finding her as they’d driven over. A strong woman, she looked him
in the eye. “You know I’d like to meet her, Ben.”
Ben looked up at the door. “She’s a might shy about meetin’ folks yet.”
“I have very seldom actually bitten anyone, Ben.”
Maximus chuckled, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “He laughs because he knows I would chew the arm off anyone I thought meant him harm.”
“Benjamin, you say she knows about us. Is that not the case?”
“Yes, I done told her. We watched Yuma.”
“Then perhaps it might settle things even more in her mind should she meet me as well?”
“She said she seen Gladiator. Seems ‘bout everybody in the world done saw that there movie
of yours, Gen’rul.”
Caroline smiled. “As it should be.”
“You are prejudiced, my beloved.”
“And with great cause.”
“Oh, hell. C’mon in an’ let’s get this over with,” Ben chuckled. “She already been tossed out into deep water. Might as well watch the little gal swim a bit.”
“Good exercise,” Caroline said, getting out of the car.
Ben opened the door. “Mae, you here?”
“I’m here, Be…” Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh, my God! It’s you! You’re him! You’re really him!”
“Typical female response,” Caroline whispered to Maximus. “I should know.”
“Mae, this here’s my brother, Maximus. Gen’rul, this is Mae.” He grinned at her. “You can close that there mouth of yours now, darlin’, before you go an’ make me feel bad.”
“Oh, Ben! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean…”
“I know,” he smiled. “It’s all right. Seems I’m him and he’s me an' we’re all in this stampede together…or somethin’ like that.”
Caroline smiled at her. “Hello, Mae. I’m Caroline, Ben’s sister-in-law.”
Mae managed to drag her eyes off Maximus and look at the woman beside him. “Ben’s told me about his sisters-in-law. I’m…I’m right glad to meet you.”
“See there, Mae. I done told you it would be all right.”
Jack was driving home with Tarwyn beside him. “Max spoke to me as I was leaving…he wants you as his assistant. What say you to that?”
“His assistant…oh, well…it depends. What do you think of it, Jack?”
“I think you need something to occupy your time. I have no way of knowing what the job requires of you. I said he may speak with you about it.”
Tarwyn glanced over at him. “You gave Max permission to speak to me? Whoa, sailor, this is a few years beyond your time.”
“Max is a gentleman, Tarwyn, and he asked me first as your…um…husband to be. I saw
nothing wrong with that.”
“I’m sorry, guess I need to dust off my ladyship. I’d like to talk with him.”
“He’s going to call you and set up an appointment and go over the job with you.”
“Jack, I didn’t mean to jump into your…I mean…I know you’re a gentleman and I’m just a common little southern girl without many frills.”
“Tarwyn, you have more than enough frills for me so stop this nonsense.”
“Oh…Jack, stop…stop the car! Look, I’ve never noticed that before.”
Jack pulled off the road not far from their farm. “Ah, a church of some sort.”
“A little chapel, I think. Let’s go have a look.”
Jack pulled into the churchyard. The recent hurricane had knocked down some trees along the roadside clearing a view of the church.
“It’s precious. I wonder what it is, I mean what kind of a church it is. I’ve never noticed anyone coming out here before.”
“Christian.” Jack looked in through a side window. “Small but adequate.”
“Oh, Jack, do you think we could get married here?”
“Well, we will have to find out whom it belongs to and then we’ll see. It would be convenient.”
“The wedding is just a little over a month away. Oh…that reminds me.” She pulled out her phone and walked around the front of the church, standing back and imagining walking in
with Captain Aubrey on her arm. “Dee, did you happen to find that box we talked about?”
“I have it here, Tarwyn. They were holding it at the post office.”
“Have, um, you looked inside?”
“No, do you want me to?”
“Yes, please do. I have to know if it’s a complete…um, outfit.” Jack was coming around the side of the church.
“Who are you talking to?”
“Dee,” Tarwyn smiled. Jack walked back to the car and she still dawdled in front of the church, checking this and that.
“Tarwyn, it’s complete, boots, hat, and weapons, shirt coat, all of it.”
“Oh, oh, that’s great! Wow, what a relief. Thanks so much. I’ll pick it up soon.”
“No problem. See ya.”
Daisy had helped Cort into his pajamas. “Oh, darling…tetanus, of all things.”
“Seems I didn’t have those shots everyone else got when they came out. No one ever said anythin’ about them to me an’ it sure wasn’t anythin’ I’d think of on my own.”
“I know you need to rest, but is it all right if I lie beside you a while and just hold you? I kind
of need to hold you.”
“Time comes it’s not all right by me for you to be holdin’ me, just take me out an’ shoot me.”
She got under the covers with him, curving her arm over his chest. “You know how precious you are to me, my love?”
“Mmmm hmmm,” he said. “’Spect it’s kinda like how precious you are to me.” He closed his eyes.
“You sleep. I’m right here.”
“Mmmmmm.”
“What in the world…oh, Jack’s outfit.” Terry peeked in the box on the table.
“His wedding outfit.” Dee burst out laughing when Terry put Jack’s hat on. “No, no, darling!”
“What do you mean, no? Three years time and I’d be wearing this.”
“And about 30 pounds. It’s just not…you.”
Terry put the hat back in the box and pulled out the cutlass. “It’s dull.”
“You think they really used sharp weapons?”
“No, but I have an idea if Jack gets his hands on this, he’ll sharpen it. I would.”
“I need to get it over to Tarwyn. We’ve been invited to dinner at the farm. When would you like to go?”
“Um, I don’t know. You plan it.”
“Tomorrow night, then. Saturday. I’ll give her a call.”
Bud went home and flopped on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Marie came out of the bedroom, finding him like that. “Meeting didn’t go well?”
“Went fine. I guess it went fine. I’m the new Director of Security for fuckin’ HAWCO.”
“Is that what’s got you in a funk?”
“Part of it. Main thing is Cort. Damn it!”
“Cort did something to upset you?”
“He sure as fuck did. He got tetanus.”
“What? Tetanus? Didn’t he have his shots like the rest of you?”
“Turns out good ol’ Sid saw to it he didn’t. Then when he was pulling me out from my stupidity, he sliced his hand on something bad.”
“Oh, Bud! Wasn’t he at the meeting, then?”
“He was there, looking kinda puny. Rusty noticed and hauled him off to Canfield. I mean that literally. He tossed Cort’s keys across the table and practically dragged Cort out of there like he was his fuckin’ father.”
“He is, you know, in a way.”
“Is what?”
“Cort’s father. And Lachlan’s and Alex’s, too. He fathered them into being. You can’t blame him for feeling protective about them. They are him.”
“I’m not him.”
“Not like they are, no, but he’s in you, really deeply in you. You’ve got to understand that, Bud. There’d be no you without him.”
“Cripes!”
“Don’t you like him?”
“It’s not that. I don’t know him yet, not really. He’s different. Everyone’s saying he’s intense and he is that…and more. I’m just not used to him, I guess.”
“How’d it go, Baby?” Bethany fussed over John a little when he got back.
“Went pretty good. I guess…Bethany, how do you, um, be an Environmental Director?”
“Ah…why?”
“’Cause that’s what I am now. I’m the Executive Environmental Director. Not sure I even know how to spell that.”
“Hmm, well, I suggest you wheel yourself over to the computer and figure it out. So, you’re an officer in the company.”
“Yeah, we all voted for the officers. Bud got security and Alex got communications. Rusty is the VP. You know what, Cort had a cut on his hand from pulling Bud’s ass outta that house. I guess he’s got tetanus. Rusty took him to the hospital. You just never know…”
“Tetanus? He hasn’t been inoculated?”
“Nope.”
“You have, haven’t you?”
“Honey, I’ve had every shot known to man and then some.”
It took three sessions of lovemaking for Rusty’s tension to be fully gone. Emma leaned on an elbow, looking down at him. “Hello, there. My name’s Emma.”
“I thought we’d already met.”
“I kind of feel like we’ve just started over.”
He rested a forearm across his eyes. “I shouldn’t come here when I’m like I was.”
“Yes, Rusty, you should.”
He moved his arm. “You didn’t mind?”
“Mind? Good Lord, Rusty…mind??”
“Yeah, you didn’t mind?”
“What I mind is not understanding what had you so disturbed. Who is this Cort that his
sickness affects you so? Can you explain that?”
“He’s…me.”
“What?”
“I can’t, Emma. You’ll kick me out of here so fast.”
“I’m not in the mood to kick you out of anywhere. Talk.”
He licked his lips. “I’m not sure, Emma. It’s massively too soon.”
“Too soon to trust me?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that you’ll think I’ve escaped from the loony bin. I’m not ready for you to think that.”
“What if I promise not to think that?”
“You won’t be able to help yourself. No sane person would.”
“How do you know I’m all that sane?”
He looked at her and grinned a little. “You might not be. After all, you’re in bed with me.”
“That was actually the sanest thing I’ve done in some while. I don’t scare off easily, Rusty. I don’t.”
“You want me to try and scare you off?”
“I dare you.”
“I’m Russell Crowe.”
She cocked a brow. “You’re not Rusty Crowne?”
“Legally I’m Ira Crowne, called Rusty because I can’t use the Russell.”
“You’ve got my attention.”
“You didn’t ask why I can’t be called Russell.”
“I figured that would be coming up next somehow.”
He sighed and looked up at the lace canopy over her bed. “I am Russell.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’m Russell as he was in the mid-90’s. That’s why I look younger than he does today.”
“You’re a time traveler?”
“I’m…something. I don’t even know how to describe what I am. I’m not sure I understand it myself.”
“Try. Explain it to yourself and I’ll listen.”
He actually rather liked the idea of that. Closing his eyes, he began, “They found me on the rocks by a stream two hours out of the city. I was naked and it was cold, the water was cold,
but I don’t remember that. A helicopter came and picked me up, took me to County Hospital.
I was in a coma for a while. I’m not sure how long that was, but when they found me I had a beard, longer hair, and so they presumed I was Zack because I looked like Zack.”
She wanted to know who Zack was, who it was that found him, but she kept silent as she
thought it was best for him that way.
“I let them call me Zack because I didn’t know what else to do. I was so empty, so completely empty and having a name seemed like a good thing, filled a little of it, but didn’t help all that much. I hurt so bad, too, all over, head to toe. I felt like I’d been beaten by a whole neighborhood of thugs then left to be torn apart by dogs.”
He shuddered at the memory and she rested a palm lightly on his bare chest. He covered it,
eyes still closed, with one of his, needing in the freshness of the memory some sense of anchoring contact.
“They came to the hospital to visit, all of them, all kind, all concerned and all of them looked
like me, only with differences…hair…girth…accent. They said I was one of them, thought I
was the one named Zack, said Sid had done this to me and they hated him. He’d done horrible things to them, too, all of them. Only Cort didn’t seem to hate him so much even though he’d hurt Cort probably the most. He’s like that. I made him like that. I didn’t know then that I had.”
She was desperately trying to follow what he was saying but not terribly much of it made sense. Question upon question was piling up in her head. Later, she told herself, later. At least he’d mentioned Cort again. She was curious about this Cort person because he obviously meant a great deal to Rusty. Cort? The only other person she’d ever heard with that name was the preacher in The Quick and the Dead.
Rusty let out a long sigh as though it were a great effort to say what he was saying. And it was. “They said Sid had taken me, Zack, taken me into that blue shit of his and done things, experimented on me, then dropped me onto the rocks. Dr. Canfield, though, thought that might not be entirely right, thought there was more to it than that. I didn’t know who was right, who wasn’t. I was nothing but some body filled with pain. That was all. Nothing but pain.” A tear seeped through his lashes and she put a hand over her mouth at the sight.
“Then somehow as I got stronger it began to change and Zack wasn’t enough anymore. It had never really seemed right, not really, and then it became very wrong. Canfield said I was healed enough to leave and Cort took me home with him and he and his wife Daisy were real good to me. Then the hurricane. Oh, God, the damn hurricane and I was trying to help Cort with the horses and keep the barn from blowing away. I was so tired I could hardly stand. Then the
mud washed Maximus away and his wife Caroline came. She couldn’t find him so she came to
us for help. We rode horses over to their land and then we walked and we walked and we got
so damn covered with mud, but we found him and he was alive. Thank God he was still alive. We worked for hours to get him out and I could barely see anymore and thought I would fall over right where I was, but Cort got me home again, took care of me again.
“I wanted to come back to town. I’m not sure why but I did and so he brought me back. Then
I needed papers and Terry, he gets the papers, was going to make them in Zack’s name only I wasn’t Zack and it didn’t seem right for the papers to be like that. I trimmed my beard, got a haircut, and when I looked at myself, I didn’t look like Zack anymore and that was right, that was right. So Terry drove me out to Max’s to use the secure computer for my papers and I told them I wasn’t Zack, that I was Russell only I couldn’t be Russell since 48 year old Russell is still out there and has dibs. I thought of Arcy for R. C. but went with Ira. Added an ‘n’ to Crowe
for Crowne. Terry knew who I was and he started calling me Rusty and that was right, like trimming the beard was right. It was like knowing certain things were right only not knowing why they were right, only that they were right.”
He sighed again and combed both hands up through his hair, leaving them there. “Then Terry was driving me back from the Winery to town and he was talking about his home in New South Wales, Thorneton, his home, and I asked him if it had a smooth green hill behind the house, no trees. It did and then as we talked I could see the whole fuckin’ place so clear and I knew I’d been there so I told him about the big park and about the stream and while I was telling him it all just blasted through and I had him stop the car because I was about to explode with it. It
was just all there, all of it, and I could barely contain it it was so much all at once. So now they all know for sure I’m not Zack and they all call me Rusty and that’s right, that’s the way it should be.”
He lowered his arms and looked at her searchingly. “It’s the way it should be, Emma, because I’m me.”
“You said, I remember, that you didn’t pattern yourself after Russell Crowe.”
“I said that because I don’t, because I am Russell Crowe.”
“You just mentioned Maximus. Is, um, that the General?”
“Yes. I haven’t made him yet but I’m in him. Cort, Alex, and Lachlan, they’re here and I did make them. That’s why I’m so upset over Cort being sick. He’s me. I’m him.”
“I’m trying to understand this, Rusty, but now you’re talking about movie characters and I
just don’t have anything that helps me understand about them.”
“I told you this would sound loony.”
“Help me, then.”
So he began a long explanation about Sid getting out of his movie and then taking others out of theirs. He tried to tell her about the blue, about how Sid seemed to have evolved into something that lived there now, about all the powers Sid had and the bad uses he’d put them to.
“I know this sounds incredulous. What…what if you could meet one or two? How late is it? It doesn’t matter. Have you seen For the Moment?”
She nodded. “I’ve seen pretty much all of Russell’s films.”
“Good. Well, Lachlan Curry’s staying at the hotel I was. Get dressed, Emma. We’re going to take you to see your first genuine retrieved movie character.”
“Are you satisfied now?” Alex kicked the front door shut and ran his hands up Linda’s body.
“Umm, I think I might be about to be satisfied…but that’s not what you’re talking about, is it?”
“You got me in HAWCO.”
“I didn’t do it, your brothers did. You can’t blame me for it.”
“Oh, but I do. How do I know you and Terry weren’t in cahoots?”
“Cahoots?” Linda laughed. “No, lover…didn’t do it.”
“Not sure I believe that.” He traced her lips with a finger. “Anyway, it’s done and I didn’t back out when I had the chance.”
“Don’t be sorry. I know you and it’s something that will come easy to you. Won’t take up that much of your time.”
“I get to hire people to write press releases, go on TV?”
“If you want to. Or you can do it yourself.”
“Nah, nah, not me on TV. Not a good idea for my mug to be plastered around.”
“I love your mug.” She kissed him. “I love all of you.”
“Me too you.” He held her a moment. “I think it’s going to rain.”
“Rain? Wha…?”
“I feel it in my back.”
“You want a massage?”
“Oh, ye-ah!” he grinned.
Rusty knocked loudly on Lachlan’s door. Sleepy, in his pajama bottoms, he opened it.
“Rusty?” he said in some surprise.
Rusty rather pushed through into the living area of the suite. “Lachlan, this is Emma. Emma, this is Lachlan Curry, pilot extraordinaire.” Rusty went around the room turning on all the lamps. “Say something, Lachlan.”
“What the bloody hell are you doing here this time of night, Rusty?”
“Aussie, see,” Rusty said, looking back at Emma. “Who am I, Lachlan?”
“You? You’re Rusty.”
“And who is Rusty really?”
Lachlan yawned. “Russell Crowe. You know you’re Russell. What’s going on?”
Rusty merely stood there, staring at Emma.
Emma sat down hard on the nearest chair. “You’re actually Lachlan…from For the Moment?”
Lachlan ran his hands over his chest. “Yeah. Seems like,” he grinned.
“And…he,” she pointed at Rusty, “he made you?”
“Did a damn fine job of it, too. Did I ever thank you for that, Rusty? I’m the splendid being I
am because of you.”
“Modest, too,” Rusty said, shaking his head.
Emma began laughing almost uncontrollably. “Oh, my God!” she chortled. “Oh, my goodness gracious God!” She looked up at Rusty. “You’re not a loony tune after all, are you?”
Rusty squatted in front of her, taking her hands in his. “It’s all right? Really all right?”
“I’m not sure what in heaven’s name is right about it but, damn it all, Rusty, I think it’s great!”
Rusty turned his head to see Lachlan. “She thinks it’s great.”
“Hell, Rusty, I think it’s great, too.”
Hope came out the bedroom door, tying her robe. “Lachlan, what’s going…? Oh!”
“Hope!” Rusty smiled, standing up and pointing to Lachlan. “What’s his name?”
“You know his name’s Lachlan.”
“And where’s he from?”
“Australia.”
“No, no, not that. Where’s he FROM?”
“Um, you mean For the Moment?”
“And how did he get here?”
“Sid took him out. Where are you going with all this?”
“Hope, this is Emma. Hope and Lachlan are going to be married soon. You don’t mind marrying a character from a movie, do you, Hope?”
“There’s nobody else in the world I’d marry but him. Hi, Emma. How’d you get dragged into all this?”
“In a bar. I met Rusty in the hotel bar. One thing led to another.” She smiled at Rusty. “And another and then another.”
“She’s the female lead in the play I’m going to do.”
“He’s been a little wound up tonight,” Emma said. “He didn’t like Cort being sick.”
“I understand that,” Lachlan said.
“Thought you would,” Rusty nodded. “Well, we’d better get going, let you two go back to sleep. I’d say sorry to have bothered you, but I’m not because I absolutely had to bother somebody.”
“Um, anytime, Rusty,” Lachlan said, unsuccessfully stifling a huge yawn.
Rusty hustled Emma out the door. “Tomorrow,” he looked at his watch, “well, later today now, would you like to meet Bud? He’s here in town. And Jack. He lives just out of town. I’m not sure I should bother John because he’s still in a wheelchair. There’s Terry. You could meet Terry.”
“How many of you are there, Rusty?”
“Lots. I have to stop and count.”
“Who found you by the stream?”
“Cort, Maximus, and Ben Wade.”
“Do you have any idea how fascinating all this is? It’s straight out of science fiction.”
“Do you like science fiction?”
“Beam me up, Scotty.”
Now that he had a minute, Dino examined the condo Dee leased for him. He’d come in the day before, passed by the kitchen and found a bed, not bothering to even put sheets on it. He made up his bed with the new sheets lying on the floor. In the kitchen he found a few things. Bless her, she’d put beer in the fridge. He loved that woman.
“Not bad, not bad at all.” He walked out on the patio with his beer. Somebody was having a party. He stepped out into the grass and looked around the brick partition.
“Hi, I’m your new neighbor.”
The woman, wrapped in a thin sweater, was standing out there smoking a cigarette. “Well, hi…but I’m not your neighbor.”
“Too bad.”
“Yeah, too bad.”
“Is it a nice party?”
“It’s not really a party. Is the music too loud?”
“No, didn’t hear it until I stepped out here. I’m Dino O’Brien.”
“Carly Stevens, nice to meet you.”
“Friends of yours over here?”
“Um, don’t know them really. I know that sounds crazy but my girlfriend and I ran into this
guy at the bar and I think she hit it off with him. I’m here because she was afraid to come out here by herself.”
“Third wheel, huh?” Dino took a sip of his beer. “I’m a unicycle.”
“A what?”
“You know, one wheel.”
“Oh, I see.”
“It’s, ah, awfully cold out here. Um, I don’t mind if you smoke in my place.”
“Oh, no, I…thanks but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t know you.”
“Hell, I don’t know you either. For all I know you could be some serial rapist or something, some psycho.”
She giggled. “One way to find out. You got another one of those cans?”
“Right this way, Miss Stevens.” Dino smiled and opened his sliding door.
ON TO PART 22
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