. 14

Author's note:

This is, in all its seven parts and their many chapters, one very,

very

long story. If long stories bother you, I suggest you read something else.

No part of this story is written so as to stand on its own. I strongly suggest that you start with

the beginning of Part 1

and read sequentially—giving up at any point you choose, of course.

All sexual activity portrayed anywhere in this story involves only people at least eighteen years old.

This entire story is posted only on literotica.com. Any other public posting without my permission in writing is a violation of my copyright.

All this time, John Miles was stopping by to see us occasionally. Usually it was at one of the regular breaks in the school year, between terms, three times a year. As time went on, though, his visits were less predictable but more frequent. I was surprised, because this had to mean he was taking time off from teaching—at least a long weekend now and then—to come to Washington, and that he considered talking to us important enough to take time away from whatever was urgent enough to require that. I asked him about this, and he just said he needed to keep up with me. Not Ellen and me, but me. Of course, his other duties might have made him give up teaching, entirely or almost so, but I didn't ask about that.

One of those times, sometime after Sam's wedding, Mary Miller came with him. Except, well, she had a couple of rings on her hand. And Ellen's work with me was obviously making a difference. I noticed them right off, without her doing anything to draw attention to them—I think.

Of course, she might have married someone else, but I didn't let that slow me down. And John had a ring on, too. Even before Ellen said a word, I said, "I see congratulations are due, apparently to both of you. When was this? John, you were here a little over a month ago, and I assume you would have said something if it was before that. But it must have at least been in the works, and you might have said something!" Ellen gave me a quick hug. I wasn't sure quite why.

They looked at each other and laughed. Happily, I was pretty sure. Mary said, "You get points for observation and deduction. It wasn't quite a done deal then, though. We'd agreed that we were going to, but there were still some decisions to make."

I said, "Well, since we didn't get to be there, I'm going to claim a kiss from the bride now." I pulled her into a hug, and gave her a kiss, not long but not too short. Then I shook John's hand. Ellen hugged both of them, beaming and saying all the right things.

We asked about exactly when and where the event took place, and how they were finding married life, and a bunch of other things. They admitted that, for them, it was in many ways less of a change than a recognition of what had already happened.

I teased Mary a little. "So, now, is it still Ms. Miller? Or is it Mrs. Miles, or Ms. Miles? Or, I suppose, Mrs. Miller?"

She smiled at me, fondly I thought. "If you were still a student, I might think you were sassing me, except that you never did that, not for real. It's Mrs. Miles, to the students. To you, it's Mary. Or Mary Miles, if precision is necessary. And you know, in twenty years or so, I wonder if I may be where Bella Lanigan was with you—not expecting to be requested, and then suddenly singled out by the most perceptive boy in the entire class.

"And by the way, they both asked us to pass on their sincere regards to you. I think you were the crown of her career, Phil." She smiled at me. "As far as that one subject goes, I mean."

But of course, they weren't really there to show us that they were married. Possibly Mary was along just for that reason, but I doubted it—that wasn't the way John did things. They both asked us probing questions on many subjects, about our own work and activities, and about things we were seeing around the Washington area.

In fact, John had a specific request along those lines. He mentioned a particular man, an active lobbyist, who managed to avoid being in the news much but knew all the right people. "I'm not asking you to spy on him," he said. "Nothing at all like that. Really, no activities on your part that involve anyone else. But if you see him around, notice whom he's with and whom he's talking to. If you hear him talking, by all means listen. Make some notes later, and pass all this on to me. Don't ask questions, unless you're sure they're ones you might be expected to ask, and don't go out of your way to overhear. Just let me know, the next time I'm around, please.

"If something seems, well, urgent in some way, requiring quick action, call our US business office and say you had been expecting a visit from me and that I hadn't come when you expected. Ask if I'm well, or if there was some other problem." I couldn't imagine what kind of thing that might be, but I made sure I had the phone number.

On that occasion, and generally, we found someone to take the kids—usually Mom—for these talks. That time Peter was still small enough that he stayed with us, but even when he was awake he wasn't a threat to our talks—except as a distraction.

I did keep my eyes open for the man John had spoken of, and I accumulated and passed on some notes. We were both present at kind of a miscellaneous variety of events, and I often recognized people he was talking to. Twice, at late-afternoon or evening parties—or similar gatherings—small groups of people I would normally talk with were near where he was talking to someone, so I joined them and stood near my quarry with my back to him. I really was paying attention to the conversations I'd joined—and sometimes putting in my two cents' worth, too—so I didn't do well at following a conversation a couple of feet behind me, but I made notes on what I had heard. John took my notes when he visited us, and I never had any idea what this was about.

Anyway, as time went on, John began making clear statements that they—he said, "we"—approved of the progress I'd been making, through school and now in my job and other activities. He said that for him, personally, my continuing to keep in shape, and the martial arts work, were important factors. I pointed out that those were due in large part to Ellen's encouragement.

"That doesn't alter what I said," he told us. "I certainly told you, back when you were my student, that I was impressed with the group of girls you collected around you. I think any of the main ones would have been an excellent choice for you, for the long term, but I'm especially pleased that you chose Ellen. I know there were difficulties in Jenny's case, but you would have managed even with her—and I think she would have encouraged you to keep fit, as well." I wondered for a moment just how much he knew about Jenny's issues, and how he knew. I didn't ask, though, and he went on.

"But you two complement each other especially well. I suggest you listen closely to anything Ellen thinks is important for you—but I know you already do that.

"In fact, one of your own strengths, in my own view, is that you do balance a—I'm not sure how to put it. A strong ethical determination, maybe. Anyway, if you think something is right, you are very determined about it, but you're also very willing to listen to others, and to yield to their wishes and concerns if you don't think they're unethical. So, for example, I was there at your wedding, and I heard Ellen promise to obey you, and I know she meant that very definitely. Ellen, you plainly weren't just reciting the words. But Phil, when Ellen thinks something is important, you're willing to follow her lead, and you've put a lot of time and energy into fitness and self-defense training partly because she requested it. Not exactly what some men mean when they want their wives to promise to obey them!

"Ellen, your own fitness training—gymnastics especially—is suffering somewhat because of the demands of your present situation. I know that you're doing what you can along those lines, and as you finish having children and they get older, I hope you'll make this more of a priority."

I asked how he knew about details such as those. He said, "Some of it is obvious, having observed Ellen over four years and seeing her now—and from time to time over the last few years. Most parents face similar demands on them, with young children, and you both have told me about your commitment to avoiding daycare as a routine." We both felt strongly that it wasn't appropriate to turn our children over to others for most of their childhoods, viewing their upbringing as one of our most important responsibilities.

This had first come out in our sessions with Pastor Mac, leading up to our wedding. I felt this especially strongly, even more than Ellen, as a result of my own upbringing, with my parents being gone so much. In my case, this had turned out to my great benefit, but that was because my grandparents had raised me as if I were their own child, to a great extent. That didn't much resemble a daycare center with paid employees who come and go, and who are responsible for many children, who also come and go. And my grandfather was an extraordinary man.

At any rate, eventually John stopped dropping hints. He said they—that same, not well specified "we"—definitely wanted us to come and be on staff. He himself raised the issue of our not participating as sex ed instructors, saying that at some point we would be allowed to have collective discussions on that point and some others.

So we got leave and went off—at their expense!—to their US office in California, for two weeks. We met with quite a few different people, in small groups, and went over what would be required of us, and what would be expected beyond that. We went through the contract we would need to sign, with a lawyer they provided. His job was to explain the contract and answer questions. The contract was pretty long and a little complex, but it was not full of obscure legal terminology. The lawyer—Dr. Dennis—said that this meant legal ambiguity was always a potential problem, but that clarity of intention was more important in their view than absolute precision. It was in ours, too—I was pretty sure I understood what he meant. The purpose of all this was less to have a legally enforceable contract than to have an agreement we all understood the same way and could refer to if disagreements arose.

I really wished I could consult with someone not connected with them. The one who came to mind was Uncle John. When I said something about this, Dr. Dennis hemmed and hawed a little, then asked me whether I was sure he could be trusted, in particular not to spread what was in the contract and what we said.

"I'd want to ask him, rather than simply speaking for him. I'm quite sure that if he says yes, he will be bound by it. The one complication is that I wouldn't ask him to keep this from his wife. But I'm as sure that she can be trusted as that he can, if they agree."

He went off and discussed it with other people. They probably did some quick investigation, too. But in the end, I called Uncle John and Aunt Sally, and told them Ellen and I would like their advice on something somewhat complex and quite sensitive. I said, "The people we're working with are at least tentatively willing to let us discuss it with you, They would like to be assured that you won't pass on what we have to say."

After a day's delay to discuss that themselves, Uncle John called to invite us to come and talk with them. "Phil, and Ellen too, I don't know whether your questions are moral or prudential or what, and I'm sure you would have told us that if you felt free to. You know that if there's something in all this that's seriously wrong, or seriously criminal, you shouldn't bring it to us—but we know you would already have rejected anything like that, at least if it's clear. So yes, absent any compelling danger of direct harm to others, or of legal wrongdoing, we're willing to talk with you and not let the matter go further."

A day later, we were at their house. We warned our employers and my parents—and the people keeping an eye on our home for us, and Pastor Fox, and others who might want to talk to us for some reason—that we might be a week or so later than we had anticipated, in returning.

It was so good to see them again! But every time we saw them, any more, they were visibly older and frailer than the last time. Usually not by too much, but some. While we were there, we took over almost all of the housekeeping chores for them. They normally had some people stopping in with them every couple of days, to help and to check on them. Much as Aunt Sally loved to cook, I thought she was letting these helpers do most of it. And their bedroom was now what had been the TV room, where Ellen and then Kelly had stayed, because stairs were difficult for them. Similar changes had been made in the uses of other rooms downstairs, to let them pretty much stay on the first floor.

They took all this with a good attitude, but they could see that they were eventually going to have to move into some kind of assisted living. I knew Sam—both of the Sams—visited when they could, and tried to keep on top of the situation.

We took a little time to explain the background of what we were being asked to do, and taking things fairly slowly went through that whole contract with them. I could see that Uncle John was impressed by our explicit exemption from the sex ed program, while most of our other duties were left rather general.

"I'm quite sure this isn't some kind of trap for us," I said. "We know from being students there that the instructional staff members wind up teaching, or tutoring, or counseling in a variety of subjects, as there's need. Initially, I would be mainly teaching history, and Ellen psychology, since that's our formal background. But I'm pretty sure we both are likely to teach other things as well. Especially Ellen.

"That's also because there's another matter they don't wish to have down in black and white, but which we've discussed at quite some length. They want me, in particular, to be working quite a lot of my time in security—for the school and probably for the whole island."

Uncle John said, "Ah. That explains some things you said, the time you were here with Sam. This had already been raised with you, hadn't it? And also some things your Mr. Miles said to me at your reception. His comments seemed rather off-hand at the time."

I told him, "I learned during our senior year that little if anything John Miles says or does is off hand, so maybe he was anticipating our consulting you at this point. You know of his chess career. He approaches life the way he approaches chess. Every move is considered in terms of many of its possible consequences, in terms of other actions he may need to take, and in terms of other people's possible decisions, thoughts, and actions. I'm just as glad I don't have his brain. Though he's capable of mistakes, of course. And—. Um. I couldn't do some of the other things he sometimes must, I think. I admire him tremendously, and he is personally very kind, but when ruthlessness is called for he's ruthless, in a way I would have trouble being."

"Can you give us an example, to help me understand what you mean?"

The clearest example I had was what had happened with Ms. Miller—as she was then—and to Wagner and his friends, the first day of the game—and I was determined to avoid that topic. I finally said, "The clearest examples I know of are ones I think I shouldn't discuss with you or anyone, except Ellen. So this isn't the best example, and it's a little speculative in places.

"You heard and saw at the trial about the capture of Wagner and his friends, and Sam and I told you more. He set that up. He had the girl in question—. I guess I'll just say Maggie—you already know who she is, after all! He had her announce loudly that she had an excruciating headache. One of her friends told her she should go to the infirmary, but she was prepared to bring that up by herself. The boys in question were given time to get outside and deploy themselves, and they seized her exactly as they were expected to. And of course, that time the good guys were ready and waiting.

"That by itself solved two problems. There were the previous rapes, which needed to be publicized and brought to trial. That rather vicious set of boys needed to be removed from our class, where they would have continued to harass and beset others, probably by that time violently but covertly—not to mention going out as graduates of the school. You saw how his trap was designed so the same techniques as in the original rapes could be used—blindfolding, gagging, and tying, in an isolated place where no one was likely to be. No one could seriously doubt that they were guilty of the original crimes, and were trying to repeat them. All this also was done so as to remove any body of support they might have found, among the other students and others present, such as you. Or so it appears to me."

I suddenly was distracted by a stray thought. Was the "defense" offered by Wagner's chief henchman something John had counted on, or hoped for? Had he at any point said anything that indirectly caused it? I put this aside for later consideration, and went on.

"And several other ends were accomplished as well. It was a strong object lesson to everyone present, but I think our class was the chief target. Mr. Miles hammered away once more at the point that rules are for everyone, this time with the practical emphasis that there will be those determined to enforce those rules. Remember what he said to Wagner's father?

"And I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Miles expected Wagner to attack him, and could have stopped him and disarmed him in some other way that probably wouldn't have proved lethal. The presence of the knife may have been a surprise, I admit, but I'm sure something less drastic was possible. But consider this. Wagner was a smart young man, and completely lacking any conscience and any sympathy for anyone else. Whatever sentence was given him, he eventually would have been released, and he was almost certain to resume preying on other people. Worse yet, he might have escaped. They can't possibly maintain much of a prison there. I'm speculating, but I think Mr. Miles viewed turning this man loose on society as criminal in itself, and defended himself in a way that made Wagner's death likely.

"I may be wrong in this case. In another case, more different problems were at least partially dealt with, and I'm very sure—but I'm not willing to discuss it. I'll only say that one person who was hurt by it later said she viewed it as a supremely important learning experience, and I believe that to have been one of the intended results. And she plainly did not hold it against Mr. Miles.

"But in this case, well—I think force beyond the minimum necessary was applied, causing Wagner's death. That's illegal in many jurisdictions, and morally at least questionable. But I do think the world is a safer place without Wagner, very much so. We all heard what Wagner's father said to Mr. Miles, and Mr. Miles's reply, and I have to say I think the reply was entirely correct. The Lord can work miracles in people's hearts, when no hope is visible, but I'm not ready to say just releasing him back into society in twenty years would be right. I just don't know that I could have done what Mr. Miles did, in his place." I was getting very emotional, by the end of this.