"Broke a promise," The Ancient One snapped, "The last time we had a run in we made an agreement. Those of your membership that were directly responsible for his kidnapping would answer for what had happened to Bobby, and he would never be bothered again! In exchange I would not go after anybody else, as long as you chose willing partners of an acceptable age. Somebody broke the agreement!"
The Ancient One slapped the two bells on the table. The man who had spoken picked them up and examined them. "Lower eschelon," he remarked, "private agents. An explanation, Number 6?"
"The rules of our Society are strict," Number 6 answered. "This one has no business interfering with them as the successor of the one he removed. I had a right to harvest what was ours for our pleasure. Who is he to tell us what to do?"
The man before The Ancient One sighed. "Do I take care of it," The Ancient One asked, "or will you save me the trouble?"
The spokesman looked around him. "Number 6," he remarked, "has broken an agreement that The Fellowship has made and has brought on The Fellowship extreme danger. Shall the matter be dealt with by us, or by our visitor?" He picked up a metal rod and struck the bell before him once. One after another each man at the table except Number 6 struck his bell once. Number 6 rose without a word, and quickly departed.
"Don't worry!" the group's spokesman told The Ancient One. "He won't get very far!"
The Ancient One nodded. "A question," the spokesman remarked.
"What?" The Ancient One answered.
"With your immense power how can you keep from simply taking what you want?"
The Ancient One smiled. "Because it's so much fun," The Ancient One answered, "doing favors for people, so other people give you what you want joyously and freely! It's something you would never understand. Things are just so much more enjoyable when they're freely given!"
"Aren't you ever afraid the authorities will do something?" one of the men at the table asked.
"What can they do?" The Ancient One answered. "How can they prove I was ever here? How could they ever prove the things I can do? They spend a great deal of their time hiding what I do for fear the public will panic and they'll lose all control."
The man who had spoken nodded. The Ancient One and Durga left the building. Police cars began to pour into the square. The Ancient One and Durga entered an alleyway. Two police officers rushed after them, but when they got there the alleyway was empty..
"What to hell?" one of the officers muttered.
They returned to the others. "Oh, The Axe Man's going to be so disappointed," Durga put in, "that he missed that one!" "He's having plenty of fun!" The Ancient One answered. "And this was long before his time, long before it! I'm surprised they kept their word so long. But I think they'll keep it from now on."
The Ancient One saw a creature of Darkness pursuing them and stopped. It came a bit closer then turned and fled away. "Didn't take them long!" The Ancient One muttered, 'Didn't take them long at all! We'll have to check the obituaries for this area and check the grave just to make sure."
They headed home. As they were returning to their bodies Durga remarked "Look at your wrist! How did that happen?"
"Not the foggiest!" The Ancient One remarked. "Not the foggiest!"

THE END

Luke 24:48-50

And ye are witnesses of these things.
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

Luke 1:71-73

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

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