The Watcher in the Woods

Greetings, Gentles! I am the Stout Master, and I return to our review of the early travels of the Antagonistic Buddha, a time when he was still known by his given name, J_____.

At our last break in the story, the Drunken Disciples of God were complete with five permanent members. The Drunken Master, Tom Collins, and J_____ had added Kate and Scratch to the secret society for debate. We had established the attraction between the Drunken Master and Kate, but recognized the way Scratch turned Kate's head. These matters are crucial to J_____'s journey; however, we must put aside this narrative thread for the moment...

One of J_____'s treasured pleasures was secluding himself in the woods that surrounded the campus. He would do a sitting meditation, or a contemplative walk to center himself. J_____ found great joy being alone with wild nature.

One bright afternoon, J_____'s meditation was suddenly disturbed by the notion that he was not alone. This did not alarm J_____, at least as first, because he often encountered fellow students on cross-country hikes, drunken binges, and even lovers' trysts. Once he had encountered local residents poaching deer out of season. That was a potentially dangerous possibility, and J_____ knew enough to stay very still before carefully scanning the woods for the source of his feeling. A sudden movement -- such as quickly turning his head -- could earn him an arrow through his anatomy.

He believed poachers were a strong possibility, because whoever was with him was trying to stay hidden. J_____ exercised great patience as he scrutinized his surroundings. Finally, he caught sight of an older man standing stock still several yards away.

The man was looking right at J_____; he even had the impression the man was looking through him. The man was stooped and supported himself with a five-foot-long staff. His skin was weathered and tanned, like leather, and dressed in an olive field jacket and muddy jeans. The man could have been mistaken for a twisted tree trunk. The stranger had long gray hair tied back, and flowed out from under a faded Tiger Stripe boonie hat.

The stranger watched J_____ for several minutes, but never spoke and never came any closer. Eventually, a solid black crow flew down and perched on the man's shoulder. This made the man shrug, and the crow fluttered. The stranger grunted and turned to leave. At this point, the light through the trees hit the right side of his face, and J_____ could see the leather eye-patch the man wore.

J_____ often encountered the bent stranger on subsequent walks, but never spoke to him. It became a game to sense the old man's presence sooner and sooner on the walks. J_____ came to realize the stranger was watching him almost as soon as he left the dormitory. Despite this surveillance, J_____ never felt threatened.

One afternoon, Scratch invited J_____ to go rock climbing with some friends. The area was rife with short cliffs and rock walls perfect for beginning climbers. J____ accepted the invitation and soon found himself scrambling up a 35-foot wall. With triumphant satisfaction, J_____ reached the top and reached for a final handhold. He was startled by someone gripping his forearm and helping him over the lip of the cliff.

"I've been waiting for you," the old man told J_____, "And we need to talk."