The Haunted Outhouse, Part 7
Book Three That Was Never Meant To Be
Chapter 58
Buffy was awakened just past 10 a.m. the next morning. "Hi, Buffy, this is Janey Lopez. I said I'd call. I hear at UT that you don't work there any more. That was pretty sudden, wasn't it?"
Buffy said, "Yes, it was a surprise to me."
Lopez said, "Oh well, it could be worse. Look at it this way, you're young, you have money. You should be enjoying yourself."
Buffy said, "I guess you're right. I haven't decided what I'm going to do now. Take it easy for a while, I guess.
Lopez said, "If I were you, I'd stay away from colleges, journals, other places that do research and publishing. Life's too short for working that hard."
Buffy replied, "I've been thinking that myself. Anyway, do you have a number for me for Pauline?"
Lopez said, "No. But I have your number. Pauline can get you anytime. Have a good day, Buffy." Lopez then hung up.
Buffy was shaking. Then she noticed that she had the motel phone in her hand, not her cell phone. She hadn't given the number, or even the Motel address, to anyone. And Lopez "had her number." It was time for a full panic.
What to do was another question. Maybe Herbert Watson could give her some tips about how to get out of being targeted, get Pauline's goons to understand that she wasn't a threat. Calling Watson was completely out of the question, though. Buffy decided to drive to Norman, Oklahoma, and visit Watson.
Buffy visited several offices at the University Of Oklahoma before finding someone who knew Watson. When she mentioned his name, the Anthropology department secretary said, "Oh, it's tomorrow at noon, at Greenwood." Buffy said, "What's that?" The secretary said, "His memorial service, hon." Buffy sat down in a chair across the desk. "I didn't know. He was so young." The secretary said, "Car wrecks don't care how old you are. Real sudden; at least he wasn't in pain long. Too bad. I liked ol' Herb."
In a daze, Buffy drove south toward Austin. How did this happen? One lousy phone call to a private number gets me targeted by the mafia or something, and maybe gets someone else killed? This is too weird. Surely I'm imagining this, at least the really paranoid stuff. Surely? The cell phone beeped, and Buffy jumped, hitting her head on the roof of the car. She pulled off the road into a convenience store parking lot and turned off the engine. Afraid to answer and afraid not to, she held the phone to her head and haltingly said, "Yes?" Bonnie said, "Howdy, gal! How's things goin'?"
Buffy said, "Oh, Bonnie, you have no idea how good it is to hear from you"
Bonnie said, "Same here, gal. You ain't soundin' real good. You been eatin' right?"
Buffy said, "I think I'm just tired, Bonnie."
Bonnie said, "Well, don't go overdoin' it. You sure sliced that log purty! I still got it out by the stump. Keep them pieces for tropies, gal! Second shot ever, and you split it plumb perfect. You done real good, gal.
"Looky here, Buffy, got a Belly Rule crankin' in here. After a bottle been broke, the mama that's been doin' the Mama Talkin' is supposed to call up them that's broke the bottle if they ain't gone to drainin' another one. Supposed to do it 'fore a week's passed if they still busted up. Well, it's been four days and I ain't seen you or Jaguar neither, so here I am askin', you want me to do Mama Talkin' to you and Jaguar, see if you all can be put back together?"
Buffy said, "Well, I like the Belly Rule, Bonnie. I don't think Jag would be interested, though. Do you?"
Bonnie said, "I don't think, gal, I just call. That's the beauty of Belly Ways and Belly Rules. Don't have to think and wonder, just follow the dadgum rules. You tell me call and see, and that's what I'll do. Simple as that."
Bonnie could tell that Buffy was sobbing as she said, "Dadgum, Bonnie, I'm sort of a mess. I'm in some trouble, sort of scared. I don't want to bring my troubles to you, or even Jag. I'm pretty screwed up."
Bonnie said, "Come to Bonnie, gal. I know how to handle trouble. I've seen me 'bout ever kind they are. Won't be nothin' new."
Buffy said, "Here's the deal, Bonnie. I pissed of someone who's rich and powerful. I'm being hunted. At least, I think I am. I keep telling myself I'm making this up, but I'm really wondering now. I'd love to come see you, but I'm serious, I think I might be putting you and the other folks in a bad place if I do."
Bonnie said, "Nothin' new for me, Buf. I reckon Jaguar thinks he comes from a family of lily-white saints, but fact is, Bellys been on both sides a the law for a long time. The far side at first, at least in Texas. Grandma Maria taught us to start sendin' Bellys to become police, sheriff, judge and what not. I reckon you'd be surprised how may law folks we got around. Shoot, even lawyers, and dadgum slick ones. Come out here, gal! I ain't gonna tell you again!"
Chapter 59
Buffy drove straight to Bonnie's house, not stopping for anything. Her gas gauge read empty as she pulled into the drive. Bonnie met her at the door. "Come on in, gal. Got some company. This here's Bobby Don Hernandez, he's the mayor of Mathis, where you all was diggin'. He's been police chief too, detective, been in prison a spell here and in Mexico. Bobby Don knows him some law is what he knows." Bobby Don said, "Hidy. Why don't you tell me 'bout this mess yore in."
Buffy told Bobby Don about some of Pauline Goddard's business connections, getting fired from UT and the death of Herbert Watson. Bobby Don then said, "This ain't the first time I heard tell of such as this. Got family all over South Texas been lookin' into this and that mess that points back to the Goddards. I don't thank Pauline's the one you got to worry 'bout, though. She's got a mess a brother and sister that's real mean, and that husband a hers is a salty one. What you know 'bout the bidness mess?"
Buffy briefly described the information she had received from Watson, and the additions she had discovered. Bobby Don said, "You'll want to give me that, and come down talk to my brother Johnny Juan. Got it with you?"
Buffy said, "Oh yes, I've been taking everything with me the last few days, clothes and all. Runnin' kind of scared. I have it right here in this case. I scanned copies of everything online too. It's all over the place. Help yourself. But, to tell you the truth, what I really want is to just get out of the crosshairs with these people, if that's where I am. I really wasn't looking for trouble, and I don't want any more."
Bobby Don said, "That ain't no way to beat trouble. Never seen it work yet is what I ain't never seen. Shoot them crosshairs out is what'll work, not tryin' to outrun 'em, see?"
Buffy said, "You just tell me what to do, then. My ideas haven't been working at all lately."
Bobby Don said, "First off, ride down south with me. I'm leavin' directly. You'll be right safe, and we'll start doin' chasin' our own selves, see?"
Bonnie said, "Just hold up a minute, Bobby Don. Me and Buffy's gonna do some talkn' in the kitchen."
Buffy said, "Thank you, Bonnie! You're a real life saver."
Bonnie said, "Ain't nothin' to it, gal, nothin' at all. Looky here, you ain't told me what to do with Jaguar. You want me to talk to him and see if he want to talk 'bout gettin' back with you maybe?"
Buffy said, "Heck, I don't know. If I ask you what you think you'll just say you don't know, won't you? Well, what the heck, sure, see if Jag has any interest at all. I guess it won't make me feel any worse if he doesn't. Nothing to lose. Sure, Bonnie. Thanks."
+++
After Buffy and Bobby Don had headed out for Mathis, Bonnie called Jaguar's College Station number. "Hi, Mama. How are you doin'?"
Bonnie said, "Oh right fine. Ain't heard from you. You OK?"
Jaguar said, "Alright I guess. Been better."
Bonnie said, "I reckon I know why you've been feelin' a little porely, least I think I do. Reason I'm callin' is Belly Rule. You know it - a Mama Talkin' offer after the bottle's been broke. You want to talk 'bout talkin' to Buffy?"
Jaguar said, "I reckon. What did she say?"
Bonnie said, "Same as you, son, same as you.
"Listen here, I ain't gonna talk for Buffy, but here's somethin' you oughta know. She's in legal trouble, Jaguar. I reckon it's with that rich lady you was talkin' about. Buffy pissed her off, without tryin' I reckon. She's with Bobby Don now, on the way to Mathis. Bobby Don knows 'bout this rich lady, and says her and her people has been trouble of some kind. They're gonna talk to Johnny Juan tomorrow. Buffy knows some stuff I reckon. She's gonna do what she can to set the lady and her people straight's the way it looks to me. I don't know just what, but I can tell you she's good and scared. I reckon she's got reasons."
Jaguar said, "I did wrong, Mama. I don't mean breakin' the bottle; well, I guess that too. Main thing I done wrong on was gettin' all preachy with Buffy, wadn't it? Fact is, if she's sorry, I ain't seen enough of her to know. Called it too dadgum quick. Swung the dadgum pick 'fore I checked for rock. Done wrong."
Bonnie said, "Can't argue with that, son. Looked pretty quick to me. Ain't the worst thing in the world, I reckon. Anyway, here's how this goes next, in case you don't 'member. I'll get together with you and Buffy, and we'll sit and talk some. Whatever come out a that is up to you all, see?"
Jaguar said, "Any time, Mama. Reckon when Buffy's gonna be back up here?"
Bonnie said, "I don't think it's gonna be real soon. Looks to me like she's gonna be workin' with Johnny Juan for a right long time's how it looks to me. You want to drive down there?"
Jaguar said, "Sure, if you do. Shoot, I ain't got no work here. Fact is, now that Buf's gone, there ain't nobody in the Aggie archeology office that's doin' anything. No diggin'. They're payin' me, but they ain't workin' me. Sorry dadgum outfit."
Bonnie said, "OK, son. Head down there tomorrow mornin'?"
Jaguar said, "I'll be there early."
Chapter 60
Bobby Don drove directly to the Mathis jail. After locking Buffy's files in a safe, he said, "We'll put you up here tonight. Ain't bad as jails go, and we won't have to send nobody out to guard you in town, see? We'll put you in a motel when they's a need. Most of the time, it'll be here, though."
Buffy said, "Fine with me. Come to think of it, jail in College Station was dadgum good. Of course, I had B6 food there all through the day."
Bobby Don said, "That's all we eat here. Reckon you'll be right at home. Anyway, here's what we'll do tomorrow. We got a feller that looks into messes like this for us. You don't know him I reckon. He's from Dime Box, but he ain't a Belly. Buford Ledbetter's his name. Does any dadgum thang you can thank of for money, and if he been paid, he ain't scared a nothin'. Ain't quite right in his head I don't reckon, but shoot, he's sure good at astin' a mess a questions. You tell Buford what you know 'bout this mess and learn him on what you got in them papers. We'll turn him loose on them folks.
"Now, listen here, we ain't lookin' to run these folks out of there parts. Shoot, they nice for bidness. They too complicated for us anyways; got a mess a them Yankee lawyers. We just want 'em to stop messin' with folks is all we want, see? So don't git no ideas that we gonna go shootin' our mouths off on 'em, we just want 'em to stop makin' messes that's aggervatin' for our law folks. Takes too dadgum much of our time on that mess, see?"
Buffy said, "That sounds good to me. I just want to be left alone. Tell me what to do tomorrow, and I'll do my best."
+++
After Bonnie and Jaguar had checked into motel rooms in Mathis, Bonnie called Jaguar's room, "Turns out that Buffy's in a room here, at least for a while. Bobby Don's takin' her back to jail later on, so we ain't got all day. Let's talk. Come to my room."
Bonnie seated Buffy and Jaguar in chairs in the room, and sat on the bed. "Alright, here's how this works. I ain't here to talk ya'll into anything or out of anything. You all understand somethin', though. Breakin' the bottle ain't no big thing. Shoot, that's what it's there for, for breakin' and sayin' you're pissed off so the deal partner'll know. It's just a dadgum bottle, though. Reason the OM Ways works so good is they don't cost hardly nothin' and you can keep breedin' deals straight with 'em most of the time if you mind the rules, see.
"Most folks go through a mess a bottles one time or another, and they ain't hardly any that's broke the one and didn't go back for more bottles. Point is, they just 'bout as cheap by the six-pack as they are for just one. Don't make much sense to most folks not to try out a mess a bottles instead of just bustin' the one and sayin' the hell with it, see? So, you all get it out of your mind that you done somethin' real special. Shoot, Jaguar, you broke a dadgum bottle. Means a little more than thowin' one in a beer joint, but not a whole mess more. And Buffy, you get it out of your mind that you done been through hell all on account of the busted bottle. That ain't nothin', see? They wasn't even no scrap. Purty mild bustin' is what it was. Ain't nothin' wrong with that I reckon, but it just ain't no real big deal, see?
"Anyways, let's get to talkin'. You done the breakin', Jaguar, so you go first."
Jaguar said, "I done wrong in the talkin'; reckon the breakin' was OK from what I know about it. Talked too fast is what I done. Just like diggin' into two inches of topsoil and thinkin' you got an easy dig, then you find the two foot of limestone. Read it too quick and you got a sorry hole. I read too dadgum fast. Didn't do enough diggin'."
Buffy said, "Thanks for sayin' that, Jag. Here's what I want to talk about. What Jag said just before he broke the bottle is that I'm just like my daddy, and sorry. I guess he's saying now that he doesn't really know if I'm sorry. Appreciate that! Here's what I've been thinking, though. I think I may be like my dad. I don't know much about him, but from everything I've heard, it sounds like he comes up with a lot of strange ideas, but usually screws up in the implementation. Well, I've been doing a lot of that myself, so, I'm wondering.
"Here lately, just about everything I've touched has turned to trouble. I wasn't looking for it, but there it came. I'm living in a jail right now, and I consider that a major improvement over where I was just before that. I guess that says it all. I don't think I have sorry intentions, but shoot, if the results are sorry, the motivation doesn't really matter all that much.
"So, here's what I'm trying to figure out - what are the symbols of my soul? You see what I mean? What's the essence of me? From what I've heard about my dad, I'd guess that his symbols are dollar signs and big titles - money and power. I don't even know what my symbols are, though, and I reckon I need to get straight on that. What's in my soul, in other words, that provides my core motivation? Get a clear view of that, and maybe I can make better sense of the actions and work them into a better pattern. First off, though, I want to understand the symbols, see?"
Bonnie said, "Dadgum, gal, that ain't your normal Mama Talkin' Bottle talkin'. I don't know 'bout this symbol bidness. Shoot, Jaguar, you're the one that said, she's sorry. What kind a symbols you seein' in there?"
Jaguar said, "Whoa, I done said I read 'em wrong, whatever they are. I ain't a symbol feller either best I can tell. Now, I'll get me a readin' on soul business, I sure do, just like I'll get me a readin' on what's under the first four inches of dirt. Well, sometimes I get 'em right and sometimes I'll get 'em wrong. It's shootin' your mouth off before you know what's down there inside is what'll screw everything up. 'Course, soul symbols, or what not, ain't like diggin' stuff out the ground cause you can't sink a spade in there and see. I reckon you're gonna have to read 'em yourself, Buffy. What do you see in there?"
Buffy said, "Heck, I was hoping you all would read them! All I've been able to do is look at the screw-ups, and then try to find hints about the soul symbols. Take this latest screw-up. If I hadn't taken the job at UT, I wouldn't have spent last night in jail, gladly, and Jag wouldn't have broken the bottle. Why did I do it? Mainly to please Jag, to tell you the truth. That's not all of it, of course. I've been interested in archeology for several years, and one more project, especially a very exciting one, was dadgum attractive. Still, I was looking forward to living on the Belly Place and mastering Belly Ways a lot more than going back to academia. Jag told me I just had to do the UT job because only I could do it right, and that triggered something, one of those soul pressure points, whatever it is.
"So, once I'm in at UT, why did I get the idea to try to get money out of Pauline Goddard? What I was looking at was getting the project funded really well so that it could be in great shape sooner rather than later, so I could get out of Austin as soon as possible, and back to the Belly Place. Well, my idea was completely screwed up. Trying to push rich folks around is not a real good idea, whatever your motivation, and I couldn't even implement that idea, whether it was a good one or not. Just by sticking my nose where some rich folks didn't want it, I created a huge mess for myself. Hell, I may have even gotten someone killed..." Sobbing, Buffy continued, "That sounds sorry to me."
Bonnie said, "I don't know about this symbol bidness, but it don't sound sorry to me, gal. Folks that go 'round killin' is sorry, see, unless they got a real good reason. Folks that stick they nose in a hornet's nest is somethin' else, but it ain't sorry. This ain't real hard to get a readin' on, see?"
Jaguar said, "Hell no, Buffy, shove your backhoe through a gas line and burn up four cars like I done last June, and that don't make you sorry does it? Hope not. Well, shoot, I reckon you just ran your dadgum backhoe the wrong dadgum place. Don't sound sorry to me. Dadgum, don't get me started on this symbol bidness. Sounds purty hard to read is what it does."
Bonnie said, "Hell, my readin' is that you ain't sorry and that you ain't made much trouble either, gal. I've seen a hell of a lot more trouble than this, and I've sure seem me some sorry. Looks to me like you're just new to this trouble bidness and lookin' too dadgum hard for sorry. You're young, that's all. Don't make every little ol' thang a big to-do! Stop this mopin' 'round thinkin' you're in the middle a somethin' that ain't happened before. People been dyin' for years! Shoot, I've seen a good hunderd folks die my own self from scrappin' ta gettin' kicked by a cow ta fallin' off the barn. You ain't seen nothin', gal!
"You too, Jaguar. Reckon I must a screwed up my own self raisin' you, if you think you seen somethin' sorry in Buffy from what you've seen so far. Hell, on her best sorry day, she ain't even been a contender on the sorry Bellys has seen and done. I'll take that one on me for not teachin' you Belly Ways better. But, shoot, I ain't gonna go lookin' for more than what there is. I done purty good, as a matter of fact. If anybody's got any complaints, screw 'em, and that's you too, son. You raise your own childern 'fore you come bellyachin' to me 'bout anything, see? Then I'll tell them grandkids how to make trouble for their parents.
"Anyway, that's enough talkin'. You all take your vote now. I'll pour an OM quart here. You all grab a glass and drink it, or leave it alone. I ain't got all night, so do what you're gonna do right quick. Jaguar goes first, since you broke the bottle. You ought to know this, but I can see you ain't learned OM ways worth a crap, so I'll tell you anyway. You take the OM glass if you're goin' to, and if Buffy does too, you owe here a fine. Every day for a year, you got to pay the fine, see?"
Jaguar hesitated for a few seconds, and then drank a glass of OM. Buffy then drank the other glass. This time, Jaguar won on style points, but not with a top performance. Bonnie rated him 9.4, and Buffy 9.2. "Sorry dadgum drankin' is what it was. Still, it counts, I reckon."
Bonnie then said, "OK, gal, what you gonna put on Jag for his fine?"
Buffy said, "Gosh, I don't know, I can't think of anything at all. Well, here's something. How about making a banana cream pie every day? If neither of us want it, there's always uncle D.B."
Jaguar said, "I reckon that's fair, but I don't know how to make a pie of any kind."
Bonnie said, "That's your problem. Learn. You can find a hundred Belly who know how to do it; I ain't one. Start learnin' from your kin, son.
"OK, now here's the deal. You all have two hours to be alone if you want it, then Buffy's goin' back to jail. Go to one a your own rooms. I'm done. And don't forget the bottle, dadgum it! You all know what to do, just do it!"
+++
Buffy led Jaguar to her room, and sat him on the bed. She said, "Let's not do any of that 'I'm sorry' crap. The OM Ways are just perfect. You drank the OM, and I did too. That says it all. Done deal. Good dadgum symbol."
Jaguar said, "Oh, OK, but I'll tell you what, I am sorry you weren't on the Belly Place the last few days. Missed you, Buf. Sorry you're not an Aggie anymore too. Archeology department's gone to hell now that you're not in the office. Ain't much fun to work there anymore. Hell, I can't even find quarter beer anymore. Everybody's gone up to thirty-five cents all of a sudden, everybody. Not even three beers for a dollar. Can you believe it?"
Buffy laughed, "Dadgum, Jag, that's terrible! And I thought I had problems!"
Jaguar smiled, "I see what you mean. Guess things could always be worse, huh?"
Buffy said, "Yeah, and your mama's right, I guess, reckon they could be worse for me too. Hope they go the other way, though."
Jaguar said, "Well, darlin', would some breedin' help out?"
Buffy pulled Jaguar back on the bed, saying, "Sure would."
Chapter 61
Buford Ledbetter had finished his briefing by Buffy on Pauline Goddard, her family and their business dealings and recent history. Johnny Juan Hernandez, the county District Attorney, then gave him his assignment, "Same ol' deal, Buford. Ast these folks a mess a questions, git 'em kinda aggervated and see if they'll mess you up some or at least make a real nice verbal threat. Then we'll go chew 'em out some and tell 'em ta leave folks alone, see? I tell you what's aggervatin' me 'bout this bunch. Last dadgum year, they been six folks wound up dead after they'd been nosin' round. If it had just been one or two, shoot, we could live with it. But dadgum, git all this many folks windin' up daid all of a sudden, the Washington folks start yappin' and talkin' 'bout cuttin' back on money they sendin'. That there's serious is what it is, Buford, see?"
Buford said, "Oh, these criminal types are all the same. If they really meant their trash talking half the time, I'd have me a Pulitzer by now."
Johnny Juan said, "Shoot, you got a Corvette. Leave them foreign cars alone, Buford. Ain't Amurican."
Buford said, "Right. I'm just saying it's gets old to hear the same old crap time after time. Hell, my mama talks mean a hell of a lot better than the average convicted felon, and that's when she's in a great mood, Johnny Juan. I'm sayin' that these folks just ain't workin' at. You'd think they'd have more professional pride."
Johnny Juan said, "Well shoot, Buford, it ain't really fair to be comparin' nobody to Beulah Faye. Dadgum, she's just got the gift is what she's got. You know what too - ol' Billy Bob can sure do him some talkin'! Shoot, I'd sure like to get him down here out talkin' at folks that's trouble. He's put some fear in 'em!"
Buford said, "I'll put my talkin' up against Billy Bob's any day! I have an uncle complex about him anyway, so just leave him out of this. I tell who would be best of all, though, is Donnie Bob. I swear, I get a headache every time I listen to him for over five minutes. I think he must be operatin' out of a different world is what I think."
Johnny Juan said, "Oh shoot, D.B. goes to eatin' too dadgum much. Then he'll lose his place and start wanderin' all over, talkin' 'bout this and that crazy stuff. Make him think you want to scrap, even when you're just funnin', and he'll wind up killin' folks 'fore you know it, just playin' 'round. You want a headache, just try doin' the paperwork after a D.B. scrap, I'll tell you that. And then, folks he don't flat kill'll wind up thankin' they goin' funny in the haid or what not and flat out move out a town. Seen it happen many a time. Don't want that. D.B.'s too strong a medicine for what we doin'."
+++
Buford returned to his motel room in Mathis and went to work. He called all the numbers Buffy had tried first, and he too reached only voice mailboxes. Then, he called the Dice, Inc. boardroom number. Someone answered, "Boardroom." Buford said, "This is Buford Ledbetter. I'm working on an article for either The National Enquirer or Time Magazine, depending on who I can sell it to. I have some questions for anyone in there named Decca or Goddard. I'm in a hurry."
Pauline Goddard said, "Can I help you?"
Buford said, "It would help if you told me who the hell you are."
Pauline said, "This is Pauline Goddard."
Buford said, "OK, Pauline, I'm doing fact-checking on an article I'm writing on some Decca family businesses. For starters, is it true that your contract with the Chinese Army for prison camp labor is for seven years this time instead of the standard ten? If it is, why the hell are you all departing from ten? Isn't that asking for trouble?"
Goddard said, "I really don't know what you're talking about."
Buford said, "Then you must be stupid. If I know about this, why the hell wouldn't you? Come up with a better answer or I'm running with seven years, OK? You have a chance to help me get this right. If you're OK with publishing bad information, that's not my problem."
Buford heard nothing on the phone for over a minute. Then a voice said, "What do you want."
Buford said, "Your name."
The voice said, "Charlie Decca."
Buford said, "Charlie, I know you're known as the family moron, but here's a chance to prove 'em wrong. Your French subsidiary that's selling machine parts to Iraq - you gettin' dollars or francs for payment?"
Charlie Decca said, "I don't know..."
Buford interrupted, "Don't any of you all know anything? You're making me mad is what you're doing. I don't have all day to listen to every dumbass member of the Decca family show me they're dumbasses. You get me someone they let in on business details, and do it right now, or I'm gonna get what I have to National Enquirer just the way it is. I've got a deadline to worry about, Chuck, not a dadgum tee time for stupid rich folks. Move!"
A new voice took the phone, "Hi, this is Janey Lopez. I'm with the public relations staff. Why don't I send someone over to your office to answer your questions?"
Buford said, "You've got thirty minutes. Now, listen here, you folks are developing a reputation for sending out goons that are boring know-nothings. Send some thugs out to put a scare into me, and they better have something to say. There's nothing that ticks me off like dumbass hoods, see? Now, I ain't in any office, I'm in the Mathis Motor Court, Room 10, of course. You got 28 minutes now. I ain't waiting all day to get this to my editor. You hurry."
+++
Less than 20 minutes later, Buford heard a knock on his door. He opened it to find Janey Lopez. He said, "Come in," and then latched the door chain and the dead bolt. Then he said, "Sit down."
Lopez said, "This won't take long; I'll stand."
Buford said, "Sit down right now!"
Lopez took a seat, and then said, "Listen, Mr. Ledbetter, I'm here to tell you your information is wrong, and if you try to publish it, we will sue, because..."
Buford interrupted, saying, "In my dreams. Get me in a courtroom with this stuff, and I'll be a dadgum star, even make Larry King, guaranteed. Everything in my article has been vetted by legal staffs that are ready to run with it. You know that, at least you should. I'm telling you, Lopez, if you're just another airhead gal goon, I'm really going to be pissed off. I keep telling you people I don't have time for dummies."
Lopez stood and shouted, "You listen, mister! I'm not here to entertain you. I'm here to tell you to forget your article. I could not be more serious!"
Buford said, "You know what really irks me? You people get a part in a third-rate play while you're in drug rehab, or even a dadgum skit, and all of a sudden you think you're ready for Broadway. I've seen more convincing emoting from sleeping dogs. Let's try that scene one more time, Janey, and do it like you mean it this time."
Lopez pulled a gun from her purse and said, "OK, mister smartass, how's this?"
Buford said, "Nine millimeter! I knew it! You guys have no imagination at all! The word gets out that nine millimeter is hot this year, and every thrid-rate goon in the country runs for the bandwagon. Well, shoot, if you're just another mindless conformist, it's a cinch that you can't shoot it. Like, I'll bet you can't hit this..."
Buford grabbed a glass off of the motel room table and tossed it at Lopez. She fired at it and missed, and then took aim at Buford, who said, "Well, you can't hit a moving target. If I stand real still, can you get me?"
Lopez said, "Try me. You sit down and shut up."
Buford said, "No and no. Do something about it. If I walk over and kick that thing out of your hand, what then? No more conversation?" Buford took a quick step toward Lopez. She fired into his chest.
Buford then said loudly, "Got it," and the door to the adjoining room opened. Five Mathis Police Dept. officers held guns on Lopez, who dropped hers.
Bobby Don Hernandez asked, "You alright?"
Buford said, "Hell, no. Look at this shirt. Look at the dadgum chest wullet. All blackened. Cheap ammo again. Dadgum it, this has been one sorry day. Boring, dumbass rich folks, boring goon, and cheap ammo that makes my chest-protectin' wullet look like crap. I'll need a new one, and this shirt ain't gonna come clean, you can see that. Bobby Don, there ought to be a law against ever bit of that. Well, anyway, you all have all the pictures you want?"
Bobby Don said, "Oh, sure. Had all we needed with the glass. The last 'un was kinda nice, though. It's your own dadgum fault 'bout gettin' that black mess on your shirt. Coulda shut it down with the glass. I don't want to hear no more fussin' 'bout it."
Chapter 62
An hour later, Bobby Don and Johnny Juan Hernandez sat in the boardroom of Dice, Inc., across the table from Dick Decca and Bobby Goddard, the leading figures controlling the Decca family business empire. Johnny Juan said, "Listen here, Dickie, we got one a your employees, this here Janey Lopez. She's on the way to Mexico, bein' exterdited, see?"
Decca said, "But, she's a U.S. citizen."
Johnny Juan said, "She won't be by the time she gets there. Gonna have folks hold onto her a while, squeeze her like we can't up here, and get a good mess a testimony out of her, see. She gonna be a mighty fine witness if we was to want to go after you and your people, Dickie. She done tried to kill a feller today, see, and it sure would be some hard goin' for you all if it come out that she was hired to do that, purty dadgum hard. Get folks in court talkin' 'bout you all, and you just know they gonna start talkin' on all that mess you all got goin' on all over the dadgum world, seems like.
"Here's what we wantin' out a you all, Dickie. Stop aggervatin' folks! Dadgum it, you all been messin' with reporter fellers and what not, and they been comin' up daid. You just know that's gonna aggervate folks, and when folks gets aggervated, wail shoot, we got nothin' but headaches is what we got. Cain't put up with such as that! I"m just thankin' you got some dadgum hothead 'round that you got to get set right is what I'm thankin. Wail, you set that feller down and tell him he done been too dadgum much of a hothead, see?
"Now, looky here, you all doin' a mess a good runnin' them bidnesses 'round here, givin' folks jobs, bringin' money 'round here and what not. Don't you go nowhere! Wouldn't want that. But, see, you got to stop messin' with folks what's nosin' 'round 'bout this and that. Fact, Dickie, here's what it's come to. We find out anybody been gettin' a bad time from you all for nosin' round, we gonna come after you, call up ol' Janey and have her up here doin' a mess a talkin'. And if anybody comes up daid while they nosin' round, wail, we just gonna have to kill you your own self. Nothin' personal or nothin', Dickie, but them's the rules, see?
"So's here's what we got to have, Dickie - you find out somebody's lookin' 'round ta do some writin' bout you all? You put a guard on 'em to make sure they ain't bothered, see. Shoot, pay 'em! Give 'em money to keep that mess to theyselves. Do somethin', but dadgum it, don't go makin' 'em go daid! Ain't gonna put up with it no more!
"They's another thang, Dickie. Got family you been messin' with, that there Buffy Camel gal. You done messed with her. I reckon they ain't no damage done, what since you musta not knowed she was family. Wail, now you know. Better get her that job back at that UT arky bidness, and she better stay healthy real long time, see?"
Dick Decca said, "I understand completely. Thank you, Mr. Hernandez."
Chapter 63
Still in her Mathis jail cell, Buffy heard her cell phone beep. It was Dr. Maria Franklin, "Hi, Buf. Got good news, at least I hope it is. You're back in here, grad. school and the department job."
Buffy said, "Gosh, Maria, this is too crazy. I think I'll stick with where I am."
Franklin asked, "Where are you, anyway?"
Buffy said, "Well, in jail, as a matter of fact."
Franklin said, "Gee, thanks a lot; so, jail's better than my shop. Here's the deal, Buf, if you don't come back, I'm out."
Buffy said, "Don't you have tenure?"
Franklin said, "Faculty tenure, but not for program director. I like the job, darn it, and I'm good at it."
Buffy said, "I'll think it over. I'm getting some input, though, before I jump into another screw-up. Listen, Maria, if I asked you to visualize the symbols of my soul, what would come to your mind?"
Franklin asked, "Is that a trick question?"
Buffy said, "You know we all have them - tangible representations of our essential selves."
Franklin asked, "You come up with that?"
Buffy said, "Read it somewhere. I'll have to look up the citation."
Franklin said, "I'll work on it. Meantime, I can get you funding for a Symbols Of the Soul program, guaranteed. Blank check. Sale?"
Buffy said, "I'll get back to you, Maria."
+++
Over two hours later, Bobby Don opened the cell door, saying, "Wail, Miz Buffy, I reckon you ain't got ta worry 'bout them Decca feller no more. Got 'em thankin' straight now. They be gettin' you that arky job back, too."
Buffy gave Bobby Don a hug, saying, "Thank you so much, Bobby Don. I don't know what I'd have done if you all hadn't gotten me out of this mess. I sure appreciate everything."
Bobby Don said, "Wail, that there's just what Bellys does, see. Next time, I might be astin' you for helpin' out, and you'd just have to do it. Them's the Belly Ways."
Buffy said, "Dadgum right. I don't know what I can ever do to try to repay you, but if anything comes up, just send word and I'll do what I can."
Chapter 64
Buffy returned to the Belly Place to spend the night, and slept in the line shack with Jaguar. The next morning, Jaguar left for College Station.
Buffy called Dr. Maria Franklin, "Hi Maria. Here's what I've come up with to get you off the hook. How about if I return to UT, stay a week or so, and then resign. Would that do it?"
Franklin said, "Well, sure, I guess it would, but why not hang around? I'd love to have you here, and you could do great things."
Buffy said, "I want to cool it for a while. I'm serious about the symbols of my soul. I know it sounds nuts, but I'm going to see what I can figure out. I want to get you in the clear, though, so I'll be in Austin tomorrow. Figure out what I need to do to get back in and then out, clearing my record and yours too, OK?"
Franklin said, "Idea. I found someone who's actually heard about 'symbols of the soul.' UT philosophy prof. Check back in, and you can pick this guy's brain instead of doing work here. Go slacker all you want, or seeker; whatever you want to call it. Get the symbols stuff cleared up, and then it's more project ideas. You do good ideas, Buf. I want you here."
Buffy said, "Hey, I want to meet this guy! I'll be there tomorrow."
+++
Buffy knocked on the door of UT professor Samuel A.T.L. Neumann. He opened the door and said, "Who were you?"
Buffy said, "Buffy Campbell, Mr. Neumann. 'Symbols of the soul'?"
Neumann said, "Oh, yes. Maria Franklin told me. Darn, I'm surprised to hear someone's heard about them. Come on in; take a seat."
After Buffy was seated Neumann asked, "What is it you're looking for?"
Buffy said, "An understanding of my core essence. I ran across a brief description of a theory that tangible symbols can be used to represent that. It's stuck in my mind since, and I've decided to finally try to understand how that might work."
Neumann said, "Interesting. I'll tell you what I know. A distant member of my family came up with the theory, someone on my dad's side. I understand the theory well enough, but I wouldn't say I'm an expert at applying it. Theory is what I do best, of course, being a philosophy teacher."
Buffy said, "C.M. Neumann! I remember now. Have you meet him?"
Neumann said, "No, I haven't met him. I'm from Vermont. C.M. is from down south, and doesn't seem to care for the northerners in the family. That's the main thing I mean by 'distant'. As I understand it, he's never had contact with any of us. He seems to think souls develop differently in the north, and that he would somehow corrupt his by having a lot of contact with northern souls. Who knows, maybe he's right. It seems unlikely, but since I don't know much about souls, I can't really say.
"Here's the basic problem I think you run into when trying to assign symbols of a soul. Ask most people what best symbolizes them, and if you can get them to take the question seriously, what they will describe, for the most part, is what they don't have. Ask someone who wants money, and they'll say money. Ask someone who wants peace, and they'll say peace. They wouldn't be thinking about those outcomes as much if they possessed them. After the outcomes have been attained, they will think more about other things they want.
"In other words, you pretty well take the conscious mind out of the equation. It provides a few hints about the nature of the soul, but it's usually not much help. Now, some people think they can tap into the souls of other people and provide descriptions. I'm not one of those; I don't have a clue. But, even spiritualists who seem to be able to perceive the souls of others are usually not so good at looking at their own. At least, that's what I hear from people who claim to know about this, and seem to have had some success.
"In other words, I think it's very hard to do self-analysis about soul symbols, even if you really know what you're doing."
Buffy asked, "What did C.M. come up with for his personal symbols?"
Neumann said, "That's very hard to say. He refers to many different abstractions in his writings. I've never been able to nail that down. I guess he either keeps them to himself so he won't unduly influence the searches of other people, or maybe he just doesn't know. It's not real easy to tell from his writings."
Buffy said, "Wow, that's something. Well, heck, do you know some folks in town who seem to be able to read souls sort of well?"
Neumann said, "Oh yes, I have a long list. Austin's full of them. Here, I'll give you a copy. The names at the top are the ones who look like the best bets to me. I don't really know how good they are, though, since I have no talent at all for seeing soul behavior."
Buffy said, "Thanks, Sam. I'll check this out."
Chapter 65
After leaving Nuemann's office, Buffy called the first name on the list, Dr. Morris Morrison, who called himself a "spiritual psychiatrist." She got an appointment for one hour later, and drove to his office.
Seated in Morrision's office, Buffy briefly told him about her interest in discovering the symbols of her soul. He asked, "Why are you interested in that?"
Buffy said, "I guess the main reason is that a lot of people think my dad is a generally ill-intentioned person, with a flawed soul, maybe, and I'm wondering if I inherited some of his tendencies."
Morrison said, "Well, we can get that out of the way before we even get started. Children do not inherit any part of their soul from their parents. There is no connection whatsoever. You inherit personality, mental and physical characteristics from them, but no spiritual traits at all. So, in terms of your immaterial essence, you are entirely your own person.
"Now, there's no reason to necessarily take comfort in that fact. All human souls are incomplete in some way, otherwise, they wouldn't inhabit humans, they'd graduate to the next level. Yours is incomplete, just as your mother's and father's are, just in different ways. For example, it could be that your soul is even more 'flawed', as you put it, than your father's, but if that's the case, that condition has nothing to do with his soul."
Buffy said, "Wow, that makes sense, I guess. I can see that I don't know much about souls. Heck, I guess I don't know much about the material stuff either. Where do I start to understand what makes me tick a little better?"
Morrision said, "It's pretty complicated in a lot of ways, but simple in others. For starters, the soul isn't a static being. It can grow through a lifetime or several lifetimes, or it can regress. At least, that's what I think. There are many different beliefs about this. The reincarnationists think a soul passes through several lifetimes before graduating to Nirvana, inhabiting many different physical bodies along the way. You don't have to buy that theory to accept the idea that a human soul changes through the course of a single human life.
"So, the question is, how do you impact the development of your soul? Now we're getting to my particular point-of-view about all this. I think the way to nurture the soul, the immaterial component of your essential self, is to get the material things right. In other words, focus on physical actions and the physical infrastructure of your life. You can control those directly, and learn to create positive outcomes. Trying to do it the other way seems more exciting to most people - trying to somehow effect internal changes by force of will. I suppose that works for some, but I think it usually turns out to be a mental exercise that has very little to do with the soul.
"Well, this probably sounds pretty confusing. Tell me what you think so far, and we'll take it from there."
Buffy said, "Let's see if I'm getting you. You're saying that by focusing on, say, food, lodging, health, physical pleasure, and so on, you nurture spiritual development?"
Morrision said, "That's part of it, but not just your personal physical state; focus on the same for others as well."
Buffy said, "So, become a farmer or restaurant owner?"
Morrison said, "That could be a promising idea if you can do it well, or counter-productive if you can't. It's not necessary to go that far with the application, though."
Buffy said, "I understand, but you're saying that I could advance my soul by working directly in food production and distribution, caring for children, having a great sex life, eating great food, and things like that, as well or better than burning a lot of incense, meditating, learning chants, and so on?"
Morrison said, "That's what I think, roughly. All those activities you listed that are usually considered more spiritual involve physical sensations as well, don't they? Yet, they're ambiguously physical - most practitioners try to get spiritual results out of physical actions. They're just not very efficient, if you ask me."
Buffy said, "This is all very interesting, and I'm sure it's worthwhile. I'm back to trying to figure out what the symbols of my soul might be, though. What do I do about that?"
Morrison said, "Here's what I suggest. Find out what you do best physically, and you'll find your symbols. It's not that easy to figure that out. The popular perception seems to be that the physical is simple and easy compared to the mental. I think just the opposite is usually the case. Most people don't engage in a lot of physical activities these days, so they don't really know. In other words, maybe you have a talent for growing roses. You don't know because you've never tried to grow roses, really studied rose production to find out if you can do it particularly well. Making one casual attempt won't tell you anything. It can take years to discover whether you have a special talent for rose production. Not too long ago, all life pursuits were mainly physical. Do you think it's a coincidence that the symbols associated with most spiritual systems were developed in those societies? I don't. So, how is it that at a time when we are less physical and, presumably, more inclined toward mental and spiritual activities, the physical symbols from centuries ago haven't been improved upon?
"What I'm suggesting is that after years of pursuing many different physical activities, a person can recognize where their greatest talents lie. Focus on those areas, not only with the physical senses but also with mental and spiritual energy, and the manifestations of the soul symbols will begin to flourish.
"I don't know any other way to do it. You can find people who say they can take a look at your soul and tell you what's there. Help yourself if you want to try out that approach. If you can't see what someone else says is there, though, how meaningful can the information be? Especially if you get several different versions from different observers?
"So, what I'm saying is when in doubt, work on the physical. If that's not right, I don't think much else is going to be right either. Work on what you can work on directly, in other words."
Buffy said, "Well, thanks Doctor Morrison. I don't get everything you've had to say, but you've actually given me some ideas about my questions, believe it or not. I'll check back in later."
Leaving Dr. Morrison's office, Buffy thought to herself that discovering the symbols of her soul was probably not going to be easy to do, if it could be done at all.