MOST PEOPLE THAT EVER COME IN CONTACT WITH THE ANCIENT ONE are wise enough not to anger him. They sense the foreboding power lying just beneath the surface. Of course there are always the ignorant and the fools who will tempt fate and in time wish they hadn't!
The Ancient One had been watching such as these for some time, waiting for his opportunity. Now, with his companion, he landed by a remote warehouse on the shores of a southern state and watched a group of men back up two trucks to the warehouse door, disable the alarm system, and proceed to load the trucks. The Ancient One motioned his companion away. This was private business! He first reconnected the alarm system, made sure it was sending a signal to those watching it, then proceeded to remove the truck's ignition computers. Only then did he make himself visible, and come around to the back of the trucks.
"Evnin' gentlemen!" he cordially remarked.
The men suddenly froze, bewildered. Turning, they were even more bewildered to see The Ancient One in his true form.
"What to hell...?" one of them gasped.
"Not quite, but close!" The Ancient One remarked. "But as far as you're concerned, MORE than sufficient! It's reckoning time, gentlemen."
"What?" one of them asked.
"Some years ago," The Ancient One continued, "you lived in a city to the south. You thought it was quite amusing to prowl the streets at night and throw eggs at people walking along minding their own business. You see, I happen to be one of those people, and I didn't particularly appreciate it! So I've been waiting for the opportunity to repay that little kindness. Now that opportunity has presented itself. You see, I've reconnected the alarm system. The owners of this property are now aware you're visiting it and are proceeding here with a considerable amount of haste to make your acquaintance."
"Oh, my God!" one of the men cried, "Let's get out of here!" They climbed into the trucks and tried to start them, but nothing happened. "Damn!" one of them screamed, "They'll kill us! You can't let them kill us just because we threw some eggs at you! It was a gag.....a kid's prank! We didn't mean anything by it!"
The Ancient One laughed. "Well, I took it quite seriously," he answered. "So did youur other victims. Unfortunately I have to give you a chance. That's the rules of the game. Now, if you head up the peninsula and run very fast there's a chance, JUST a chance, you may slip by the owners of this property and make good your escape. I'd stay together first, kill the dogs, then split up. With a little luck you just might possibly elude them. Bye!"
"NO!" one of the men cried. "In the name of God don't do this, you CAN'T do this!"
"Can't is a word I don't pay much attention to," The Ancient One answered as he took flight. His companion followed him to a picnic area that had some pay phones and watched as The Ancient One dialed a number.
"Good evening, Mr. Hope!" The Ancient One began, "This is one of Agent Green's associates. Yes, one of THOSE associates. Now is a good tiime to move in on the warehouse out on the Point. It's owners are going to be occupiedfor the next couple of hours and it will give time for your agents to get in before they know what's happening."
The Ancient One hung up and his companion roared with laughter. "Will they get there in time?" he asked.
The Ancient One shook his head. "Not a prayer," he answered, "but they'll arrest those young fellow's executioners. And under federal law killing people during drug operations is a capitol offense. Tomorrow I'll go into The SpiritRealm and introduce those young fellows to some other people that they owe."
The Ancient One's companion again roared with laughter.
"I LOVE the way you do things!" he finally managed between chuckles, "I just love the way you do things!"
"Other people don't!" The Ancient One remarked as he winged skyward.
"That they don't!" his companion agreed "That they don't!"