The Haunted Outhouse, Part 6

Book Three That Was Never Meant To Be

Chapter 52

Buffy went to work after Dr. Franklin had finished processing her registration as both a UT graduate student and employee.  She decided to begin her research into Decadian history by contacting the scribes La-Pau mentioned, the ones she had fired.  After several phone calls to universities, newspapers and publishers, she found a promising contact - Herbert Watson, graduate student at the University Of Oklahoma.  "Hi, Herbert.  This is Buffy Campbell at the University of Texas.  I'm doing some research on The Order Of the Ten.  I understand that you're an expert in the field, and I'm hoping you can help me out.  Didn't you do some work for the current HHD?"

Watson said nothing for several seconds before replying, "Uh, could you give me some proof that you're at UT?"

Buffy said, "Sure.  I'll transfer you to my department head.  Better yet, I'll give you the number to the UT switchboard.  Call there, and you'll know who you're dealing with.  They'll transfer you to me.  OK?"  Watson agreed.  Minutes later, he was back on the phone, "Thanks.  I don't mind talking about HHD, in fact, I'd like to, but it's critically important that my comments remain completely anonymous.  Can you do that?"

Buffy said, "Absolutely.  Here's what I want from you, Herbert.  No direct quotes at all.  You know how this works, I need source documents, footnote material.  Quotations won't get it done, so statements that make you nervous wouldn't help anyway.  Here's what I have in mind.  I'll contract you to do research work, $100 per hour.  How does that sound?"

Watson said, "Great so far.  Outstanding.  I'll need to distance myself from the research work, though."

Buffy said, "I think we can come up with something.  Tell me, though, why are you so afraid of talking about HHD?"

Watson said, "She's very powerful.  I'll leave it at that.  I don't need trouble.  Make that more trouble."

Buffy said, "OK.  No problem.  How about this.  I'll have my dept. head pay OU to contract you.  You'll be getting checks from OU, not UT.  That means I'll be putting my name on your research.  Is that what you have in mind?"

Watson said, "That's exactly what I have in mind.  Here's what I can do.  I'll send you copies of original documents and citations for others.  I'll charge 100 hours to OU when you tell me how to do it.  Ten thousand.  Can you do that?"

Buffy said, "Yes.  Will you be available for follow-up questions and research?"

Watson said, "Probably.  What I already have on-hand will keep you busy.  I don't think you know very much about HHD."

Buffy said, "I'll get the OU arrangement done as soon as I can, probably today, OK?"

Watson said, "Great, thank you.  You will not be disappointed."

Two hours later, Dr. Franklin had arranged to get payment to Watson.  Buffy marveled at Franklin's bureaucratic skill.  She transferred $20,000 to the OU English dept., which then wrote a check for $10,000 to Watson as advance payment for a research project due in one year.  The OU department head had a ten grand motivation to cooperate, and make sure Watson was paid promptly.  He was, just an hour later.   

Buffy said, "Very well done!  It would have taken me six months to get a decision on an expenditure like that at A&M, and then I'd have been turned down.  I like the way you operate, Maria."  Franklin said, "Thanks.  Glad you do.  Lot's of academic types don't go for my approach.  That's cool with me, as long as I don't have to work with them.  Sure glad I guessed right with you."

Buffy's phone rang, "Herbert Watson.  You're fast.  I have the check in my hand.  Amazing.  Listen, here's how I want to get the material to you.  I don't want to mail or e-mail.  Too traceable.  I'll drive down.  Just tell me where to deliver it.  I don't want to be seen with you."

Buffy said, "Well, OK.  When you get to Austin, give me a call, and I'll send someone over, to wherever you are.  Listen, I'm fine with doing that any way that makes you comfortable, but is it necessary to be this careful?"

Watson said, "Yes, it is.  I learned the hard way.  I'll be in Austin around 5 p.m.  I'll call then."

By 6 p.m., Buffy was reading documents from the package Watson delivered.  Two hours later, she had finished reading all the material.  And she knew she had found a new friend for the UT archeology dept. - HHD.

Buffy called Dr. Franklin, "Maria, we need to talk.  Got a few minutes?"

Franklin said, "Shoot."

Buffy asked, "What's your fundraising target?  For the whole project, I mean?"

Franklin said, "For the next five years, $100 million.  I'll settle for less, but that would get it done right."

Buffy said, "So, if you got, say $150 million next week, you'd be set, and the project could be done Roll Royce style and a whole lot faster?"

Franklin, "Well, sure, and the flying pigs would make great project mascots."

Buffy said, "I know how to get it.  Plan on traveling to South Texas on Monday, OK?"

Franklin said, "Damn.  I will.  I won't ask what the hell you're talking about; that number speaks for itself.  I do have one question, though."

Buffy said, "Go."

Franklin asked, "If this is how you start off, what can I expect your first full day in the department?"

Buffy said, "We'll go get some money, that's what." 

Chapter 53

When Buffy reached the line shack, it was past 10 p.m., and Jaguar was inside.  "Dadgum, darlin', what a great surprise!  I didn't think you'd be here until tomorrow!"

Jaguar said, "I figured I'd been long enough away from you, darlin', and just got it done.  The job's over.  Done deal."

Buffy said, "Great!  I love the way you think!  We've got a whole lot of celebrating to do!  See the bottle - there it is right by the bed.  It's gonna make the breedin' even better, darlin' man!"  She pulled Jaguar to the bed, and soon they were making love.

Hours later, Jaguar said, "Dadgum, it's past 2 in the mornin'!  You put in a long first day, darlin', but it sure didn't tire you out none!"

Buffy said, "I get a lot of energy when I'm with you, baby.  I want you here in our bed every dadgum night!

"As for the UT job, Jag, you have no idea.  I didn't plan on staying all night, but I started researching L.P., as a logical place to start looking at the history of The Order Of the Ten, and I found a lot of stuff.  L.P. is a woman of many, many secrets!"

Jaguar said, "What kind of secrets?"

Buffy said, "Oh, for starters, she controls corporations around the world.  You'd never know it unless you did a whole lot of looking, though.  She goes to extraordinary lengths to hide her ties to prison camp labor in China, sweatshops around the world, historical business connections with the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and plenty more stuff.  One huge, complex, ancient organization."

Jaguar said, "Dadgum!  That's great, Buf!  See, that's just what I was talkin' about - you'll do this right, get archeologin' stories told the right way instead of that sorry, half-ass way Jauzzi and his type do it.  Shoot!  You're somethin', Buf.  What a show the Decave stuff is gonna be now - with all the story 'bout L.P. there, the current HHD, along with all the old stuff.  I can't wait to see it!"

Buffy said, "Oh, you mean spill the beans on L.P.?  No, I'm not going to do that!  Heck, no.  What I am going to do is ask L.P. to donate some money to the UT project.  Get this, she controls several of the companies that are the largest donars to A&M.  Not a penny to UT!  I'll give her a reason to rethink that.  An offer she can't refuse."

Jaguar asked, "You mean you're gonna blackmail her or somethin'?"

Buffy said, "I guess you could say that, in a roundabout, diplomatic, academic bullshit kind of way, sure."

Jaguar replied, "No!  Buf, that's sorry!  Shoot!  You're a good archeologin' feller, not one a them money-grubbers!  You're gonna tell the truth about stuff out of the Decave and what not, and what ain't been put in a cave and buried forever too, especially that.  That other stuff is just flat sorry!"

Buffy caressed Jaguar and said, "Darlin', listen to me.  There are some things you don't know about the way the academic process works, the way it has to work.  I love the way you stand for nothing but straight digging, ditches that will last forever, perfectly squared corners and all your other high standards.  That's great for dirt, Jag, but in academia, it's never that black and white.  Dig deeply enough into any field, especially history, and you'll start finding the bullshit.  Different people have different views of what is and isn't bullshit, but it's there.  History is a story, not a science, no matter who wrote it.  The way you do it well is to get all the factual information you can, and then decide how you're going to tell your story.  In other words, all accounts of history and archeology contain some fact and some bullshit.  There's no other way to do it.

"Now, getting to the current L.P. story.  I have no interest in telling the world what I think I know about her.  That wouldn't do any good; it wouldn't really change anything.  What I do want to do is persuade her to support the UT project that we both agree is worthwhile - presenting the Decave Collection as effectively as it can be done, and acquiring the best possible research and additional sets of artifacts to enhance that body of material.  So, I'll let her know that I'm not interested in telling her current story, especially if she'll help me and UT tell ancient stories we can do a better job of getting right, see?"

Jaguar said, "No, I don't.  Hell, Buf, you know what I'm hearing?  I'm hearing your daddy.  You can put all the pretty words you want on your bullshit, but it's still bullshit.  You sound just like he did on that balcony in Nashville, telling me the way to be is half-ass and money-grubbin'.  Buffy, what you're talkin' 'bout is sorry.  You better get a hold on that sorry side of yours, that crap you must have got from your daddy."

Buffy took a deep breath, fighting back tears.  After a few seconds she softly said, "OK, Jag, you want truth?  No bullshit truth?  Alright, try this on.  Your uncle D.B. hasn't paid his taxes for years, probably for as long as he's been in business.  Want to get that truth out to the rest of the world?  Want to see the Belly Place snapped up by the I.R.S.?  Uncle D.B. also doesn't follow health laws in the B6 kitchens and the packing plants.  Want to broadcast that?  You know how I know this, Jag?  Spent a couple of days just looking around here, talking and listening.  Not much time at all.  Want me to take a real good look, not just a half-ass, sorry glance?  Want me to really dig and see how much dirt I can find?  I'll never do it; I'd die first.  If you really believe in what you're saying enough to go around preaching the truth, all the truth, about your own family, you'll do it by yourself, and I'll be fighting you all the way." 

Her voice and anger rising, Buffy continued, "If that's what you want, Jag, you're the one that's sorry.  You want to live in a neat little world where there's no ambiguity, nothing half-ass, no bullshit?  No you don't, Jag, because you don't know enough about your world or any other to have any idea what the hell you're choosing.  Jag, being responsible to people and endeavors you value sometimes means coming up with bullshit, not telling everything you know, covering for folks you think need protecting.  If you don't see that, you're a naive fool.  As smart and focused as you are in a lot of ways, you've got a hell of a lot to learn if you don't see that."

Jaguar stared at Buffy for over a minute.  Then he grabbed the OM bottle and shattered it.  And he stormed out of the line shack, slamming the door behind himself.  

Chapter 54

Buffy sat in the line shack the next few hours, crying, thinking and packing.  At 7 a.m., when she thought Bonnie would be awake, she called, "Mornin', Bonnie.  It's me."

Bonnie said, "Dadgum, gal, I thought you and Jaguar drove off.  Heard the truck kickin' up gravel a mile or more is what I thought I heard.  Must have been Donnie Bob messin' 'round with that dadgum rollin' outhouse.  Well, you ready for some choppin'?"

Buffy said, "Bonnie...well, I'll just get it out - Jag broke the bottle.  He's through with me.  Deal's undone."

Bonnie said, "Good night, gal.  I flat can't keep up.  Dadgum I thought things was plumb wonderful."

Buffy said, "Bonnie, here's the long and short of it.  Jag doesn't think I'm good enough for him.  It's none of the standard 'bad' stuff.  I haven't been messing around with any other guy or using drugs or being a bitch.  I just don't have professional standards that are high enough.  And then, I think his standards are naive in some ways.  I guess we just don't see eye-to-eye on some things that he thinks are a lot more important than breedin' with me. 

"I've got to tell you, Bonnie, that as much as I've dreamed about finding a family where I fit in, and living the rest of my life with Jag, setting up Belly Schools, and all the rest, there's no way in hell that I'm going to sell out what I believe in to try to fit Jag's idea of what's right and wrong.  I just don't think he sees the big hole on this one.  He may see a lot of stuff I miss, but dadgum it, I think he's missing some very important values.  I love him, Bonnie, but I can't say I miss him right now.  I can live without him."

Bonnie said, "Darlin', I don't know what's goin' on with you all, but you listen to me.  I told you that you've got a place here, and I wadn't just talkin'.  Did you think I was?  What I told you is if you act like decent folks, you're welcome on the Belly Place as long as you want to be here.  Well, darlin', you been nothin' but good folks to me.  It don't matter what Jaguar thinks.  He's got a place here too, 'course, but he can't go actin' up neither.  Hell, the bottle was there for him to break or you either; them's the rules.  Hate to hear that, but it just don't matter 'bout you bein' here and fittin' in here.

"I'll tell you somethin' else, Buffy.  You ain't gettin' out a what you done said you was gonna do 'bout learnin' Belly Ways.  Looks like things has changed with you and Jaguar, but that ain't changed nothin' between you and me.  I'm countin' on you to keep at what you've been talkin' 'bout, all them big ideas.  You hear me?"

Through tears, Buffy said, "I hear you Bonnie.  I don't think I've got it in me, but I hear.  I'll tell you one thing, though.  Right now I really feel like chopping some wood, and not just the stump this time.  I'll be over in a minute.  Get the axe ready." 

+++

Walking over to Bonnie's house, Buffy heard D.B., "Hidy, Miz Buffy!  You better come eat, dadgum it!"  Buffy walked over and said, "Thanks, Mr. Belly, but I'm fine.  I guess I better break the news, though.  Jag broke the bottle.  The deals's off."

D.B. said, "Oh, shoot, that don't mean nothin'.  Bertha Mae's done been through a case a them OM bottles on me, dadgum it.  Hurt my feelins first time is what it done, but shoot, anymore, I like it!  You gonna too!  See, rules is that whoever broke that bottle has got to pay a fine ta git another bottle dranked.  Like, last time Bertha Mae broke the dadgum bottle, when she said, well, I reckon I'll drank another 'un, I told her what she'd have ta do was make a dadgum pecan pie ever dadgum day for a year.  See, you can make 'em pay ever day for a year!  It's the dadgum rule!  I done been through ever dadgum kind a pie I know 'bout.  Got to thank and thank what kind a pie I want to eat for a dadgum year ever time another dadgum bottle gits broked.  Shoot, don't never go breakin' the bottle!  Make ol' Jagwar break it, and you get to collect the dadgum fine!  Dadgum dandy rule is what that there is, dadgum it."

Buffy laughed, saying, "I see what you mean!  I'd guess that Jag won't be asking to drain another bottle, though.  And you know what?  I don't care.  I love all of you Bellys, but I'm not real big on Jag right now.  That's just how it is, Mr. Belly."

D.B. said, "Wail shoot, you ought ta have a scrap is what you ought ta do!  See, that there's a whole mess a fun when you aggervated!  Just smack the hell out of him!  Dadgum, I'd like ta see that!  'Couse, ol' Jagwar can scrap purty good too, least I reckon he can, but shoot, git that razor swanged out there, and that'll back him off some!  But shoot, you ain't got no razor!  Ain't got breedin' gifts yet!  Wail, shoot, come on, I'll get you one right now!  You gonna like this!"

Buffy said, "No thank you, Mr. Belly!  I think I'll pass on the razor for now.  Not a bad thought, though, now that you mention it.  What I am going to do is go chop some wood, and I'm going to split the dadgum log this time!  My first one!"

D.B. said, "Dadgum right!  Shoot, you know what?  Axe is good too!  Real good!  Shoot, you ought ta see Bonnie chasin' 'round with that axe.  I ain't gonna mess with her, I can tell you that.  Axe is a dadgum good scrappin' tool is what it is.  You git yore axe swangin' down, and they won't be nobody beat you in a scrappin'.  Makes me tard is what it does!  That thang gits real heavy for me is what it does.  Don't forget yore fudin'!  Dadgum it, swangin' that axe'll git the storvin' sickness up like nothin' else I had knowed 'bout.  Don't let it git you!"

Buffy said, "I sure won't, don't you worry!"   

Chapter 55

Buffy suited up in steel-toe shoes and goggles in the woods next to Bonnie's house, and raised an axe, with Bonnie standing off to the side.  She was swinging at a log this time, not the tree stump she had practiced on.  Lowering the axe, the log kicked off the stump and flew several feet away.  Without a word, Buffy set the log back on the stump and began to raise the axe.  Just then, she heard Jaguar's pick-up pulling into the gravel drive to the house.  Buffy felt a rush of adrenaline and brought the axe down with new intensity.  The log split evenly across the stump.  Buffy put the axe down and took off the goggles and shoes.  She said, "Thanks for everything, Bonnie.  I'm out of here."  Bonnie hugged Buffy, saying "You stay in touch, gal, or I'll be comin' after you."

Bonnie went inside, to find Jaguar sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a Bud.  "Mornin', son."  Jaguar said, "Mornin', Mama.  I got some news.  I broke the bottle on Buffy.  She's sorry, Mama."

Bonnie said, "She seems alright to me.  You want to tell me what's sorry 'bout her?"

Jaguar said, "She's one of those money-grubbin' corner cutters.  She's like her daddy is what she is."

Bonnie said, "That right?  She's got money.  She wants more?"

Jaguar said, "She's got this scheme to get a bunch of money for UT."

Bonnie said, "Ain't that her job?"

Jaguar replied, "Not like she's doin' it.  Coverin' up for rich folks so they'll give money to UT, instead of tellin' the truth about 'em."

Bonnie said, "I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, Jaguar, but I ain't seein' anything sorry 'bout what I've heard so far."

Jaguar said, "Well, how about if she's tryin' to excuse her sorry ways by lyin' about Bellys?"

Bonnie said, "Oh?  What did she say?"

Jaguar said, "She says uncle D. don't pay his taxes, breaks laws at the B6.  Bunch of made-up, sorry crap, just like everything I've heard about her daddy for years and years.  Tryin' to make out like I need to cover for uncle D. like she's coverin' for these rich folks."

Bonnie said, "What else did she say?  What did she lie about?"

Jaguar said, "What I said!  Uncle D. not payin' taxes, can you believe that crap?  Sorry damn liar."

Bonnie said, "Hell, son, Donnie Bob don't make it no secret that he ain't gonna pay no more tax than what he wants to.  He ain't real particular 'bout how he runs the B6 kitchen either.  Reckon he does alright, seein' how we ain't killed nobody yet far's I know, but Donnie Bob sure ain't gonna worry 'bout any dadgum government rules.  Good night, you know that."

Jaguar said, "Bellys follow the law, Mama.  We don't go around schemin' and tryin' to beat folks out of somethin'.  I sure as hell don't, and I aint' gonna have anything to do with those that do."

Bonnie said, "Well, do whatever you want, son.  The bottle was there to be broke by either one of you.  Now it's broke, and it's done.  Deal's over.  I think Buffy's good folks far's I know, but that ain't got nothin' to do with you. 

"You listen here, though.  Bellys are good folks, but we ain't perfect.  If you think you are, you'd be the first Belly kin that was.  You just may find out though, that you ain't."

Jaguar said, "I'll tell you one thing.  If uncle D. really ain't payin' his taxes, he dadgum well ought to be!  I don't believe it, but if that sorry Eyskin woman told a truth while she was tryin' her best to lie, it still don't matter.  She ain't good enough for me, I can tell you that."

Bonnie said, "Well, son, I reckon you ought to know that we're a family of horse thieves.  I thought you knew.  That's how we got started in Texas.  Didn't do it when we didn't need to, but it was done.  I ain't ashamed of my folks on account of it, but I ain't gonna go broadcastin' it neither.  If you get any ideas like that, if that's what you're thinkin', you think some more, see?"

Jaguar said, "I don't want to hear any more, Mama!  I've heard enough.  There's no need to keep goin' on about that bidness.  All I know is that I don't go tryin' to bend rules and cut corners.  That's all I can do, and I ain't gonna have nothin' to do with those that do.  I'm goin' to College Station, Mama.  I'll get my stuff out of the line shack.  There ain't no reason for me to be here now."   

Chapter 56

Buffy drove from the Belly Place to College Station to pick up some things from her apartment.  Then, she drove to Austin and checked into a motel near UT.  She reflected on how completely her life had changed in just three weeks.  She'd fallen in love, gotten engaged, gone to jail, quit her job, become a millionaire, got another job, and gotten married and then divorced.  She'd become a member of a family for the first time in her life, some great folks, and then found herself out of it.  So, she thought, things hadn't really changed so much after all.  She'd been basically rootless before, and here she was again, pretty well alone in the world. 

Then she thought about what Jag had said about her similarities to her father.  He was being a stupid jerk, of course, but did he have a point anyway?  Jag probably knew more about Mosath than she did.  All she knew was that while growing up, she'd frequently hear that her dad was coming up with one bizarre idea or another, and it looked like almost all of them weren't thought out very well.  That sounded familiar!  Can you inherit something like that?  She missed having Jag around to rein in her big ideas and try to keep her focused on one at a time.  That felt really good.  Why had he gone nuts about the latest one?  Heck, the main reason she jumped on the idea of getting big money out of La-Pau for UT was to accelerate the development of the Order Of the Ten program, so she could get that hole dug, a good one, leave UT and get on with having Jag's babies and teaching them Belly Ways, and maybe get it all done in a year or so.  Didn't he see any of that?  Darn, that seemed like a long time ago.

Jag wasn't an option any longer, so she'd have to try to keep herself in line.  The one part of her life that was still in place was the new job of one whole day.  The five million was still there.  That's nice!  Then it occurred to her that she'd never checked to see if the money had actually been deposited to her account.  She set up her PC and logged into her bank's Web site to see.  Sure enough!  Dadgum, that's a big number!  Well, at least money wasn't going to be a worry.  So, why was she still plowing through with the UT project, the thing that blew her life apart?  It still seemed like a good idea, dadgum it.  Maybe she had the Mosath disease after all.  Well, "all you can do is what you can do, so that's what you do, dadgum it," or something like that.  What was that great D.B. saying anyway?  She always became very confused trying to reconstruct those.

So, to get her mind off of Jag and everything else, Buffy spent the rest of the weekend immersing herself in the material she'd received on HHD.  She went to two UT research libraries to double-check the material Watson had sent, and look for additional information.  By Sunday night, she felt like she knew HHD, and it wasn't necessarily a great feeling.  She thought she was beginning to understand what Watson meant when he said, "She's very powerful."  It was a little disturbing to realize that the woman described by hundreds of documents bore little resemblance to the quirky, lighthearted L.P. she'd met days ago.         

+++

On Monday morning, Buffy was primed to introduce Dr. Franklin to HHD.  When Franklin arrived, around 10 a.m., she walked to Buffy's office and said, "Tell me about $150 million!  I've been thinking about that all weekend."

Buffy said, "Two words:  Pauline Goddard."

Franklin said, "I know her, at least, I've pitched her once a year for seven years.  No sale, but I'll call again next year.  What about her?"

Buffy said, "She isn't who you think she is, or what.  She's the living monarch of The Order Of the Ten, honest-to-goodness.  She's also one of the most powerful people on earth, and possibly the wealthiest.  I'm talking about double Bill Gates, maybe more.  She's the most important living connection to The Order Of Ten, but I'm certain she doesn't want to publicize any of that.  I'm sure she has an interest in our program, though, so I figure she's a natural to fund it heavily.  She can easily afford to make a huge donation; $150 million is low, to tell you the truth.  Plus, if we happen to be experts on contemporary Order Of Ten history, and assure her that we want to showcase only ancient history, surely she will be interested in supporting us."

Franklin said, "Whoa.  Maybe you're right about Goddard being loaded and I missed it.  I thought she was just a fairly wealthy South Texas ranch trust fund type.  If I missed on her, she wouldn't be the first; rich folks are hard to keep track of 'cause they usually don't want to be tracked.  But Buf, you just don't screw around with rich folks.  You kiss their asses is what you do, and hope they decide to write a check after a few kisses.  If you have in mind to drive down south and lean on this gal who just may be rich as hell, drop it.  I like your drive, but this is the wrong direction, believe me."

Buffy responded, "Here's something I haven't mentioned.  Believe it or not, Pauline married me last week, in her capacity as La-Pau, a Decadian spiritual position.."

Franklin said, "Darn, Jag?  Congratulations!  I had no idea!"

Buffy said, "Thanks.  I'm divorced already, but I won't get into that.  Things have been moving fast!  The point is, I know Goddard a little, and frankly, there's no way it makes sense to ignore her while we're putting together the Decave Collection.  I have to talk with her."

Franklin said, "Sure, go for it.  But please, don't piss her off.  Don't even mention a donation.  If she's as rich as you say, and she's really some kind of Queen of Ten, her ego will take care of that.  No hard sell.  OK?"

Buffy said, "OK.  I do want to go down and interview her right away, though, by myself if you don't want to go on a fundraising visit."

Franklin said, "That's great.  Go down there and tell her how important she is, and how important our project is going to be to her.  Then, next Spring, I'll give her my annual fund pitch, and maybe she'll pull out the big checkbook.  Good plan.  Do it.  One thing.  Did I hear you say you're divorced now, and you got married last week?"

Buffy said, "You heard right.  I guess 'marriage' is a little misleading.  La-Pau - Pauline Goddard - presided over a ceremony that I thought was meaningful and very neat, but it didn't have any legal standing.  So, at least I didn't need a lawyer.  Believe it or not, the divorce took just a few seconds."

Franklin said, "Oh.  You'll have to tell me how to do that sometime.  It would have saved me a lot of time."

Chapter 57

Buffy drove to Corpus Christi that night, and checked into a motel.  The next morning, she starting calling phone numbers she'd seen listed as possible contacts for Pauline Goddard.  No one answered the first six numbers she called, so she looked through her stack of Goddard notes and found another one associated with Dime, Inc., a small Corpus Christi firm Watson said was a U.S. front for a Chinese company Goddard's group controlled.  Tired of getting no responses to her calls, Buffy called this number as soon as she found it.  Someone answered, "Boardroom."  Buffy said, "Buffy Campbell for Mrs. Goddard, please."

In a few seconds, Pauline Goddard answered, "Buffy, is that you?"

Buffy said, "Yes!  Thank you for answering.  Is this a bad time to talk?"

Goddard said, "Oh, I have a few minutes.  Great to hear from you!"

Buffy said, "Thanks!  Listen, just recently, very recently, I got a job at the University Of Texas, in Austin, working on the Decave Collection!  Can you believe it?  So, I'd really like to talk to you about it if I can.  I drove down to Corpus, hoping to get some time with you."

Goddard said, "That's great!  Sure, I'd love to get together with you.  Tell me where you are, and I'll be over, say, 3 p.m.?  Does that work for you?"

Buffy said, "Absolutely.  I'm at the downtown Holiday Inn, room 410.  Thank you, L.P.!"

Goddard said, "No problem, Buffy.  See you this afternoon."

+++

Just after 3 p.m., Buffy heard a knock on her motel door and opened it.  It wasn't L.P., but an attractive Hispanic woman who appeared to be in her late 30s.  "Hi, I'm Janey Lopez.  Something came up with Mrs. Goddard, so she sent me over to check in with you.  Sorry it's just me!"

Buffy said, "Well, come on in, Janey.  Thanks for coming.  Gee, I'm not sure what we can talk about.  I was hoping to talk with Pauline about a project she knows something about, but you wouldn't have any reason to know about it."

Lopez said, "The Order Of the Ten?"

Buffy said, "Why, yes!  You know about it?"

Lopez said, "A little.  Mrs. Goddard talks about it all the time.  I do know about the Decave find.  Congratulations!  And you get to organize everything?  That's great."

Buffy said, "I'm pretty excited!  I'm sure Pauline knows more about the artifacts than I do, though, so I'm looking to her to guide me along.  I just got started on the job last Friday, and Pauline was the first person I wanted to talk to."

Lopez said, "Unfortunately, Buffy, I don't think Mrs. Goddard will be able to see you anytime soon.  Today would have been perfect, but she'll be traveling tomorrow, and since her afternoon got complicated, I'm afraid she won't be available for several weeks.  I'm so sorry this didn't work out."

Buffy said, "Gosh, me too.  Well, heck, thanks for coming over.  I guess I'll try Pauline later on.  Next month, maybe?"

Lopez said, "Maybe.  Listen Buffy, here's something I'm a little curious about.  How did you get the number you called?  It's a number we keep private for boardroom calls only.  How'd you track it down?"

Buffy hid her sudden nervousness and winged it, "You better get it changed!  I found it in a business listing somewhere, while I was researching The Order Of the Ten, and Pauline, of course.  Looks like it's loose on the information superhighway now, at least on one of the feeder roads.  I run into that all the time, digging up research tidbits that were supposed to be controlled, but slipped out somehow."

With a suddenly stern gaze, Lopez said, "We will definitely change it.  Mrs. Goddard had a scare a few months ago when a former boyfriend stalked her.  We get pretty nervous when anything out of the ordinary happens.  This got our attention.  We take Mrs. Goddard's security very seriously, you know?"

Buffy did her best to stay in casual character as she said, "Sure do.  Sorry to hear about the creepy stuff.  Listen, do you have a better number I can call later on?"

Lopez said, "No I don't.  Why don't you give me yours, and your department head's as well.  Your home number too.  I'll get back to you tomorrow."

Buffy wrote her cell phone number and the UT numbers of herself and Dr. Franklin's on a piece of motel stationary and handed it to Lopez, who said, "Thank you.  You'll hear from me soon."

Buffy said, "Thanks, Janey.  Looking forward to it."

When Lopez was gone, Buffy collapsed in a chair.  She knew she'd blown it.  The number she had called was listed on a Dime, Inc. internal memo Watson had sent.  If Goddard is as powerful as Watson thinks and Buffy was beginning to think she is, this could be trouble.  That was a monstrous screw-up.  No need to get freaked out, though.  Pauline sounded great on the phone, and she'd sounded convincing to Lopez.  Hadn't she?  Heck, it would take years of research of figure out that she'd by lying about the public listing of the number.  Forget it.  No big deal.  Anyway, no Pauline.  Might as well get back to Austin.

Just south of Austin, Buffy's cell phone beeped. "Buf, this is Maria.  You coming back tonight?"  Buffy said, "I'm 30 miles south of Austin right now."  Franklin said, "Stop by the office, OK?  Need to talk."

Buffy walked into Franklin's office.  "Some trip, Buf.  I don't know what you said to Goddard; looks like you blew off my advice.  You said $150 million last Friday?  Guess what, you low-balled.  Got a transfer from her for $250 million an hour ago."

Buffy said, "My gosh!  Darn, that's great!"

Franklin wasn't joining Buffy in her excitement.  She said, "Here's the catch.  I have to fire you.  You're something, Buffy.  You just delivered the largest donation in the history of this department, one of the largest in the history of the university, and you did it by breaking the Franklin Rule, apparently - don't piss off rich folks.  Looks like you didn't break it altogether, though.  You're fired, Buf - from grad. school and the department.  I have no choice."

Buffy was speechless.  Finally, she said, "Wow.  I didn't even see Pauline Goddard.  Talked to her on the phone.  Just chit-chat, no money talk, no touchy personal stuff.  Nothing.  I called the wrong phone, Maria.  Really wrong phone.  Damn, I screwed up.  Oh well, no problem.  I'd fire me too!  I'm glad the project's going to be funded.  Congratulations."

Franklin said, "Thanks.  You did great.  I don't know how or why on any of this, but you delivered.  Good luck, Buf."