"What?" the senator snapped.
The man who was speaking looked startled. "They started singing 'Joy To The World,'" he answered. "They sing songs all the time in perfect unison. It drives the nurses crazy sometimes. My wife thinks it's cute."
"My God!" the senator moaned, "That's his song! That's his damned song! He's been here! He must've touched the children to make sure they were all right. Damn! Get rid of everything! Destroy the animals, cremate them. Get rid of everything!"
"What about the children?" the group's leader asked.
The senator looked thoughtful. The Ancient One walked over to the woman who was struggling for life and put his hand on her shoulder. Her mouth opened and his voice began to come out. "Come over here!" he snapped, "Now!" The two men turned and looked at the woman. "NOW!" The Ancient One snapped. A nurse approached with a tube to put down the woman's throat and assist her breathing but the senator waved her away and came over followed by the group's leader. "I will tell you what's going to happen with the children," The Ancient One continued, "and my desires will be followed exactly or we will make a personal visitation to this place, and I guarantee you, those who do the clean up will follow our instructions! The implants will be removed from the children. When at all possible they will be returned to their parents, and their parents will be given a large monitary settlement to settle their removal. Those that can't be given back to their parents will be put in high quality foster homes, and I mean high quality, the best you can find! Follow my instructions and we'll consider the losses that you've already suffered ample restitution. You don't, and we'll get real, real nasty! And you know how nasty we can get!"
Durga came in. "The animals!" she snapped. "They have to remove those things from the animals and see that they're properly taken care of for the rest of their days!"
The Ancient One repeated that message. "That will cost a fortune!" the senator snapped. "The cost is unreasonable!"
"I don't care if you have to pay for it yourself!" The Ancient One answered. "Tell me, is your son still doing cocaine? Is your daughter still experimenting with meth? Remember, sometimes we've been kind, sometimes we've been merciful. If you want us to be we can stop."
"You have no right to bring my children into this!" the senator snapped. "They're not involved!"
"You broke the rules!" The Ancient One answered, "You brought children into this! You tried to use innocents against us. You've given us every right to retaliate! Now do we have a deal or not? Are you going to cooperate, or do we have to have more people hanging themselves because they don't want to go to prison?"
The senator looked like he'd collapse to the floor, but finally he nodded. "Yes," he said "yes! We'll cooperate! We'll fulfill your wishes, we'll do what you ask."'
"Good!" The Ancient One repled. "One other thing. The experts. I'll give them one chance, and one chance only. They go off to some isolated area and take up some other pursuits besides psychic phenomena. They never write any books, any articles, anything on the subject, they disappear from public view. If they do they can live out the rest of their miserable existences. If they don't, I'll require you to take care of it. I don't want to be bothered! Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes!" the senator answered. "It will be done. They're not stupid. They'll fulfill your wishes."
"Good!" The Ancient One concluded. "I think we're done. One other thing! Don't ever, ever try to build one of these things again! Next time I will not be so merciful, especially if any of the children are harmed! And if you've forgotten I'll repeat the rule, the first rule that is absolute and positive. You never, ever try to use children against us! You never, ever try to use innocents! That gives us the instantaneous right to retaliate. Never again! Never, ever again!"
"We understand!" the senator answered. "Just one thing. Please don't write about this! Don't tell people about it. Don't tell people how helpless we are, how easily you can humiliate us. Please leave us some dignity!"
"There's ladies present," The Ancient One answered. "I can't respond to that statement the way I want to. However, I will say this. Enjoy your life, senator, because you are going to hell! I guarantee you that! Enjoy your power while you have it, because it is all you are going to have! I think somebody else wants to say something."
The Ancient One removed his hand and David put his on the woman's shoulder. "Do you know who this is?" he snapped.
"Yes, sir!" the senator answered. "We know who it is."
"I know who that attack was directed at," David continued. "I fully understand what you were trying to do. Understand you now have another enemy, not just a political enemy, not just someone that disagrees with your politics, but a real, true and absolute enemy! I would strongly advise you, senator, to remove yourself from the political system, retire, for medical reasons or something. It would be very, very advantageous for you because if I can't find some way to destroy you politically, I will. It's now become personal, it's now become very personal! Do you understand me, senator?"