As The Ancient One winged through the sky he was weary. In his physical form he was working many hours, for The Lords he served had ordered him to move from the southern part of the country where he lived, back to the northern part where his material form had been born. For he had used up the energy in that southern place, and to finish his work had to return to his place of origin, to tap that special supply of energy that had been stored for thousands of years for this purpose. besides all this, each night he had been picking up a human female spirit, and taking her with him on his nightly rounds, trying to guide her to The Light, and reach the conscious mind of her material form. He was a little amused to look toward her now. Though she was an ancient soul by human standards, she was still very young compared to The Ancient One, so she took on the form of a teenage girl in a flowing black dress, sitting side-saddle on a broomstick because this was her conception of how to fly.
Their errands had ben rather common, nothing of any great interest. Twice The Ancient One had fought cretures of Darkness, and the female had helped him. But most of the time they had just given council to spiritual forms here and there. Tonight, however, The Ancient One sensed something special. The psychokenetic flow they were riding was drawing them to the southern states. Finally they came over a deserted highway along which two cars sped. They dropped lower to observe. In one car was a black couple with three children; two girls and a boy, huddled in the back seat, all in their teens. In the other car were five white men and one teen-age boy. The Ancient One and his companion hoveered low over the top of the car to hear their conversation.
"Come on, Charlie!" one man was saying, "Catch them damned n_ _ _ _ _ _ ! I want to have some fun with them girls, teach them some damned respect for white folks!"
"Can I watch, daddy?" the boy in the back seat asked. "Can I have a turn?"
"What do you say, boys?" the first man who spoke asked. "He's been doin' real good at the rallies passing out leaflets and stuff, and encouraging the young folks. Think he should have the first turn with the youngest one?"
One of the other men laughed. "He's got to learn sometime," he said, "Why not? That is of course, if we catch 'em!"
The Ancient One's anger rose. He sped ahead, his young companion following. There was a construction site along the side of the road, and he descended. A great multitude of black Spirits emerged from the night greeting him. The Ancient One walked over to a great tractor pulled well off the road. Then, he twisted the great bucket hanging from its back to just the right angle.
"That should do it!" he said. "This should be interesting!"
His female companion looked at his work.
"You're going to kill them!" she said.
"That's the general idea," The Ancient One smiled. "Stand back and watch."
Suddenly the headlights of the first car rolled around the corner, and moments later the other one followed it on the wrong side of the road. The driver never saw the tractor until the bucket came crashing through the windshield. The car was nearly ripped in half. What was left flipped over, and tumbled end over end several several times, throwing its occupants in all directions. Two died instantly. Their spirits rose from their bodies and were instantly driven by the black Spirits into the Darkness. The Ancient One's female companion shrieked when she saw how twisted and grotesque the white men's souls were. The others lay dying. The boy had landed in a pile of hay that was being used to cover the finished work until grass began to grow, and was the least hurt of his companions, but cried pitifully for his father to help him.
As The Ancient One waited, five white Spirits walked out of the night wearing gray uniforms, and saluted him. One of them pointed to the first man who had died, and then to himself. The Ancient One understood. He walked over to the body, extended his hand, and a faint blue glow surrounded it. Twisted arms and legs straightened, ripped flesh went back together, broken bones fused. The Spirit became a cloud of smoke, and disappeared within the flesh, its chest heaved, and its eyes opened. The second Spirit pointed to the second body, and The Ancient One obliged, repeating the process. The other three stood patiently by the other dying men, waiting their turn. The Ancient One's female companion came to his side.
"Who are they?" she asked.
"Ask them," The Ancient One said. But before the girl could speak, the first man gained his feet and sppoke.
"Robert Edward Lee, at your service, ma'am, Confederate Force Of Atonement, at your service, sir! May I express my gratitude for myself and my companions for the assistance you have rendered us?"
Just then the third man's spirit rose from his body and fled like the others, into The Darkness. The Ancient One held up his hand, walked over, and repeated the process for the other. The third Spirit entered the renewed flesh, and The Ancient One returned to the one who had spoken.
"You're quite welcome, General," he said, "I have always been an admirer. Most glad to be of service. I wish you good fortune in your mission yet, sir, I do not envy you your task."
"Our task," said the second Spirit, "is our own doing. If we had stopped what we now have to fight when it started, as men of honor should have done, we would not now have to pay the price we have to pay. But I do not understand, sir, why you of such a good heart, abandons the children of the South and leaves us to fight our battles alone. Surely sir, The Spirits Of The South have served you well. Why now do you forsake them? Surely, sir, you do not leave our children to The Darkness because your material form can't stand a little joshing. You are too sensitive, sir. Surely many of those, most in fact, that you are so offended by because they have a little joke with you, you would find would be your friends if you would just give them a chance to know you. They are just letting off a little steam. They mean no real harm. Surely, sir, you could complete your work here, among us. We could give you all the power you need."
"Thomas Jackson!" General Lee snapped, "Mind your words! Remember the service that has been rendered us, and show respect to our friend!"
"It's quite all right, General!" The Ancient One spoke up. "General Jackson has every right to express his opinion. First of all, General, I do not abandon The Children Of The South. Every promise I have made to them will be kept, and they will be watched over by myself and others. I simply must go to that place where my power is strongest, to complete my work. Now and then, I will return to that place where I was served so well, and every Temple will be built, and every child blessed. We are of a different culture, General. You humans have an expression; 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.' My people have a different saying; 'The words out of a man's mouth are like daggers. They can kill.' To us an insult is a physical blow, to you it is a harmless prank.
Mankind is growing. Someday they will come to understand as we do, that a man who misuses his tongue is just as dangerous as a man who misuses his hand."
At that moment the fourth man died, and The Ancient One proceeded to put the new Spirit into his body. His female companion stood beside the suffering boy, who was still begging for his father to help him. At that moment his father's spirit rose from its body but did not flee. It flung out its arms and legs as if being pulled apart in all directions. Suddenly it exploded like a skyrocket, bright sparks shooting in all directions, breaking up smaller and smaller until finally they disappeared, swallowed up by The Darkness.
"He must have been a bad one!" The Ancient One remarked. "Didn't even make it to The Spirit World! Well, you can't save 'em all!" He put the new Spirit into the body.
"You mean he's gone?" his female companion asked, "You mean I actually just saw a soul die...completely, forever?"
"That is what you saw," The Ancient One said, "Not one spark of him managed to find a new form, not even a microbe. There's nothing left to start again. His total essence is gone."