Walter Carter walked into the shop from the front, past the unused, dusty service counter and stopped between the benches on either side of the doorway to the work area. Walter was distinguished older gentleman with gray streaks in his short cropped hair and he wore an expensive looking pale blue golf shirt with gray slacks. He looked more like a doctor or bank manager than a farmer and his manicure convinced Wheeler his days probably didn’t require use of tools. Alice, Bob and Wheeler looked on surprised to see their next door neighbor and apprehensive about the visit.
“Hi Alice, hi Bob, it’s been a while” he said reaching his hand out to Alice then Bob. He was cordial and pleasant with a hint of reptile in his voice. He reached over to Wheeler and said “Hi, I’m Walt Carter.” He and Wheeler shook hands and Wheeler sensed desperation hidden behind a facade of confident arrogance.
“Come on in, Walt, have a seat. Would you like a soda?” Bob inquired, trying to be pleasant. He was trying to come up with small talk but there wasn’t any to be had.
Walt settled at the table saying “No thanks, I’ll only be a minute. I had heard Mr. Wheeler here was looking for oil on your property.” That was Walt, right to the point.
“Well, yes, I am” Wheeler looked surprised but he knew what was coming.
“If you are finding anything there” Walt continued “What are the chances you could find oil on my place?”
Wheeler wanted to tease him along “I have found some promising soil on the Keefer place” he glanced at Alice hiding the wink and nod he wanted to give her, “and it is the type that indicates spreading oil and possibly an old formation.” He had no idea about proper terminology so he just tried to sound scholarly.
“If you are going to be here a while,” Walt barreled on, “could you come to my place and take some samples, maybe see if there’s anything there?” Walt broke his arrogance slightly allowing his desperation leak through. Wheeler’s senses were right on. Walt was at the end of his rope.
“Well,” Wheeler deliberated slowly, seeming to check an imaginary date planner on the wall, “I could extend my stay a bit.” He dragged it out more.
“I could make it worth your while if that is a problem.” Walt was showing a bit of agitation now.
“I will need a few supplies” Wheeler said distractedly. It was getting agonizing now for Alice and Bob. They had to remain serious but they were thrilled that Walt was now obviously squirming and they could not show anything.
“Anything you need, I’ll pay for it or get it for you.” Walt had been strung out enough, and it was time for Wheeler to let him off the hook.
“I’ll get the stuff now” Wheeler said sincerely, “and I could go over to your place tomorrow in the morning, would that be all right?”
“That would be great” Walt said with obvious relief. “We’re up early on the farm, anytime you like would be fine, thank you.” Walt said his goodbye’s and was out of the shop on a run. It was all the three of them could do to keep from laughing loud but they muffled their giggles the best that they could until he was out of earshot.
Wheeler was the first to comment “That was fast. We just got back from drilling your place and Walt showed up. The grapevine here is very well greased.”
Alice was amazed at the last few hours and Walt showing up made the whole sequence surreal. What actually was going on here? She wondered. “What did you actually expect to happen after we went drilling?” Alice asked.
“Well, I did want to stir the pot a bit, but I didn’t know who would be the first to step up. I guess it had to be someone.”
Bob just shook his head a bit more seriously and commented, “I hope you know you know what you’re doing.”
They closed up the shop for the night and headed to the Keefer farm, Alice riding with Wheeler and Bob driving his truck. Wheeler did not really need supplies but he did leave the driller in the back of the bus, ready for a morning show at the Carter farm. Dinner was a relaxed affair served with wine before the pork chops and dessert after. Wheeler needed a moment outside and excused himself after doing his part in the cleanup and Alice asked to join him. He hesitated before consenting and they walked out into the yard together.
“I do need to check my internal communication system” Wheeler said, walking arm in arm with Alice. “I’ve been running around and have not been able to settle myself with being quiet.”
“Do you need me to leave you alone?” Alice inquired.
“If you just be quiet with me, I will become receptive enough” Wheeler said. They walked slowly around the detached garage away from the house.
The evening was clear and the stars dominated the scene having little competition from the lights of Eaton. As they walked in silence, Wheeler went into a zone that was neither here in the three dimensional world or there in the realm of pure consciousness. He was drifting, barely aware of Alice holding his arm and barely aware she was leading their stroll. He felt the pulse of the universe, the slight pressure of souls in the direction of Eaton and the spongy presence of the earth absorbing and releasing energy to give life to the humans. It always started this way for Wheeler. He sensed the perfection of the universal system and the continual process of balance and re-balance. As he sensed this balance, he became balanced.
They continued walking in silence and Wheeler moved his attention to the current issue, wordlessly asking the universe what was the issue, who were the players and what was his role. It sometimes paid off, usually, as in this case, he got images with no real explanation. In his mind’s eye, he saw money bricks flying in and out of the Davies and Wix office, the Casino propped up on wobbly sticks and Walt Carter reaching hopelessly up to the money, not able to grasp any of it. In an effort to get some insight, Wheeler focused on each image in turn to see if there was more detail available to him.
The casino had a subtle, dark river flowing into it from below that looked to be made of black bricks. One of the sticks that supported the casino was actually Walt Carter wearing a shabby Indian chief bonnet and struggling to keep it stable. Wheeler looked at the Davies and Wix office carefully and noticed the volume of money bricks flowing in far exceeded the outflow of bricks. Now it made as much sense to Wheeler as it ever did. He had his answer and he would share the information when the time was right.
He returned to Alice’ side and joined her in the stroll. “This is nice outside here” he said, more to alert Alice that he was back with her than to comment on the evening. She pulled him in closer in response. They looped around a lonely tree and headed back to the house in silence, their closeness providing communication that words could not. When they entered the farmhouse, Wheeler hesitated at the landing to the stairs as Alice took his hand and led him up to her room. Her emerald laser eyes held a warm determination that would not be denied and Wheeler was clearly under their spell.