Gerald had to laugh watching a news report about cyclists protesting and blocking intersections angry because the police were arresting them. Come on, people, wake up! When you're protesting and violating the law the police have to do their job! That's what they're there for. Most of the time protesters want to be arrested! When you're riding a vehicle and ignore the traffic lights the police have every right to arrest you. As long as you are obeying the law there is no problem. But when you go outside the law the police have to do their job. Someone asked a while back if Gerald ever got arrested at a protest. Well, the answer is no. The people that he was protesting with knew their rights and also knew what the police were required to do, so did not do things that would require the police to arrest them. There were a couple of close calls. During one demonstration Gerald was attending a Klansman slashed his face with a bottle opener. Fortunately the police officer got to the Klansman before Gerald did, and gave him a serious attitude adjustment. After some discussion and, an apology, the Klansman was allowed to go his way. There was another time at another small demonstration when the police officer did not get there first, and a very rude young man found himself sitting on the ground with a painful butt. But the police decided that Gerald was acting in defense of a ten year old girl and didn't feel where they should press any charges against him. It's hard to believe that these things happened so long ago! The people involved in them probably don't even remember Gerald any more. But Gerald loved to irritate Klansmen! He knew how to do it without getting arrested! And smart protesters should learn a lesson from him.

Gerald's often asked if anyone else in his family has ever manifested psychic abilities. Well, though she would never admit it, Gerald was almost positive his mother heard and saw some of the things around him. And there's a story about his father. During the war he picked up three German spies in Bar Harbor, Maine, and took them to the train station in Bangor. But if it hadn't been for a phantom he wouldn't have had. He had dropped off a fare in his cab and went to turn back towards Bar Harbor to see if he could pick up a fare there when he saw somebody down the street in a sailor's uniform waving to him, so he went in that direction. When he got down there there was nobody there. And where he was going in that direction anyway, he decided he didn't want to turn around. A few minutes later the spies flagged him down. Gerald did not learn about this story until years later and after asking his friend about it he told Gerald the story from that night. There's little question the powers run in the family. There's little doubt of it at all! His uncle who had some problems and ended his days in a care facility often told people things that to their surprise, came true. Yes, the abilities run in the family. Unfortunately some family members didn't know how to use them.

The Ancient One took on his human form and the uniform of a Russian general. His female companion appeared in an evening dress. They entered an opera house, were escorted to some comfortable seats in a box. Several other people joined them and they were about halfway through the opera when one of the men came to The Ancient One's companion and asked her to change seats with him for a few minutes. She quickly obliged.
"I have seen pictures of you," the Russian remarked, "in your American uniform. You should be two grades higher in rank."
"Could never figure out your insignia!" The Ancient One answered. "Have you got it?"
The Russian held out a floppy disk. The Ancient One took it, stuck it in his pocket, pulled out an index card and handed it to the Russian. The Russian took it, slipped it in his pocket, and returned to his own seat. When the opera was concluded, The Ancient One and his companion left, walking around the back of the opera house. The Ancient One entered the boiler room, opened the door on the furnace, and tossed the floppy disk in.
"What was that?" his female companion asked.
"The Alpha File," The Ancient One answered, "their equivalent of The Omega File. Our friend in the opera house erased all traces of it from their computer systems, and installed a virus that will hunt down and destroy any fragments. There may be a few hard copies of some scattered incidences but by destroying that floppy disk we destroyed all their records of us, something I thought would never happen."
"Well, I'm glad for the night out! " his companion remarked. "Nice opera!"
The Ancient One smiled at her. They took their true forms and sailed away. There were some things that it was simply best to be rid of! It was simply best to be rid of them!