The Coffee Shop V: Happiness Is A Handsome Hypnotized Hunk
Chapter 15 And So The Journey Begins
The morning started in the usual way. The two of us got up when the alarm clock went off, showered and had breakfast. Andy headed off to tidy up his bedroom and mine while I straightened up the living room and dining room. House work is no fun, but it’s less of a chore when you have someone to help out. I’ve learned never to wrestle Andy to see who does the vacuuming. While it is a fun way to decide, I always wind up losing, since Andy is so much stronger than I am. A few times when Andy has volunteered to do the vacuuming, I have been treated to the sight of him walking about the apartment working the vacuum cleaner, occasionally bending over or squatting down. Don’t ask me how he does it, but Andy manages to make vacuuming an erotic experience. The doorbell was a welcome interruption to my housecleaning efforts.
I shut off the vacuum cleaner. I walked up to the door and looked out through the peephole. I was surprised to see a city police officer standing on the other side. It was not Steve Stokes, but some other young handsome policeman. He was dressed normally and carrying a clipboard. He had a very stern almost determined look on his face. I open the door.
“Hello officer,” I said pleasantly.
“Good morning, sir,” the policeman said. “Are you Paul Walton?”
“Yes, I am Paul Walton,” I answered.
“Could I come in please, sir? I need to speak with you regarding an urgent and somewhat confidential police matter. You would not want to discuss it in the hall, believe me,” the officer said in a bland business like tone of voice.
“Come in, then officer,” I said as I stood aside and let the policeman walk in to the apartment. I closed the door, and watched the officer as he walked into the living room. He had a nice body and a kind of beefy butt. I quickly diverted my attention back to the office’s head as he turned about. “What is all this about, officer?” I asked as I walked up to him, after closing and locking the apartment door.
“The documents on this clipboard will explain everything, sir,” the officer said as he handed over the clipboard to me. “I’ll give you a bit of privacy, sir.” The officers turned about and stepped a few paces away from me, keeping his back towards me.
I looked down at the clipboard, puzzled. The top sheet had the word ‘private’ typed across it on a forty-five degree angle, and the top sheet appeared to be taped to the other sheets with a small red tab of tape. This was most odd. As I pulled the tape free, it suddenly struck me as odd that the officer had not told me his name. I lifted up the top sheet and what I read confused me even more. All that was written was the word ‘payback’.
“What the heck is this all about?” I asked as I lifted my head up. In the same instant I felt that creepy crawly feeling run across my forehead. I instantly began to gather my mental powers as I erected a mental shield.
I looked up to see the police officer standing in front of me, his weapon drawn and pointed directly at me. I was taken completely by surprise. In between the shock that startled me, came the thought that my mental shield wouldn’t do me much good. It could not stop a bullet. I had only a fraction of a second in which to act. I could not take control of the police officer directly, since I could not establish eye contact with him. In an act of desperation, I projected the tightest most powerful compulsion field I could imagine The field contained two words. Two simple words: You’re blind. (Okay, so technically that is three words, but let us not quibble, dear reader. It takes away from the story.) Fear can be an amazingly effective motivator.
The police officer took careful aim at me, while I desperately tried to dive for cover. The great thing about compulsion fields is that once you have targeted your subject, you don’t need to maintain eye contact or even keep your eyes open to keep the field going. It does require continuous concentration though to keep pouring power into the compulsion field. I dropped to a crouch and ran for the nearby living room chair. I’m sure you’ve heard that people say that in a crisis or an accident everything seems to slow down. Well, it’s true. Time seemed to slow down. I felt like I was running in quicksand. I kept expecting to feel bullets tearing into my body. When I finally reached the safety of the living room chair, I felt like I had just run a mile. I didn’t think I could move another inch, I just knew that I had to.
I kept my head down low and got ready to move again the second I heard a shot come anywhere near me. That might not have been the wised course of action, but I figured a moving target was harder to hit than a stationary one. I waited, wondering what was taking so long. The police officer had not fired a shot. I kept my thoughts on the compulsion field. It was the only thread of hope I had, so I clung to it desperately.
“What the fuck did you do to me? I’m blind!” Screamed the police officer, breaking the stone cold silence that had descended on the room. Never had I heard a man sound so angry and scared at the same time. It chilled my blood.
Well, that explained why I had not heard any shots. That is, if the police officer wasn’t faking. It could be a trick. Maybe he was trying to get me to come out of hiding so he could get a clear shot at me. Whatever the reason for his actions, I was certain he did not have a lot of time to finish what he’d started. Murderers don’t hang around waiting for the police to pick them up, even if the murderer is a police officer. I tried to control my panicked breathing as I fought to maintain my focus while also trying to reason out the situation. Slowly it dawned on me that the police officer probably wasn’t faking. I had not said anything to him, only thought at him. Logically then, the compulsion field had to have taken effect. I had not heard anything more from the police officer for what seemed like several minutes. I took a few more breaths as I got ready to take a quick peek. I dared not call out as that would mark my position.
“You can come out now, Paul. It’s safe,” Andy called out to me.
Andy? In my panic I had forgotten that he was in the apartment. He must have heard the police officer cry out and come in to the living room to investigate. But maybe that too was a trap. Maybe the police officer had his gun trained on Andy and was threatening him, so that Andy would call out to me. I was so scared that I didn’t want to move for fear I would be wrong.
“Paul, on my honor as an RCMP constable it’s safe,” Andy called out in a soothing voice.
That did it. In all the years I had known Andy, he had never lied to me when he invoked his honor as an RCMP constable. Now I knew that it was safe. Still I crept around the back of the living room chair and peeked out carefully.
Andy stood there towering over me, even if he was a good six feet away. He had a lopsided grin on his face as he looked down at me. I guessed that I must have looked pretty darn silly right about then, probably something akin to a rabbit peering out of his hole. Quickly Andy wiped the grin from his face and held out his right hand to me. I got up slowly and looked about the room. The police officer was lying on his back, on the floor next to Andy. The police officer looked unconscious and also appear to have his hands behind his back. He did not look very comfortable. I slowly walked over to Andy.
“Thanks,” I said quietly. “Uh, what happened?” I asked looking up at Andy’s face.
“I took him down from behind with that RCMP choke hold I learned. Afterwards I cuffed him with his own handcuffs. He’ll be out for another ten to fifteen minutes. Now just what in the name of Sam Hill is going on in here?” Andy asked, all trace of levity gone from his face and voice.
“I don’t have a fucking clue, Andy. One minute he was handing me a clipboard with some papers to read and when I turned looked up a few seconds later he was pointing his gun at me. If it hadn’t been for that danger sense of mine, he probably would have shot me,” I answered. I don’t normally curse when I talk, but these were unusual circumstances, to say the least.
“What about him screaming out that he was blind?” Andy asked.
“Oh, yeah. I threw a compulsion field around him to blind him. It’s all I could think of at the time. I guess it worked,” I answered.
“But we still don’t know why he tried to kill you, Paul,” Andy said in a stern no nonsense tone.
“If you’re asking me to do what I think you’re asking,” I said hesitantly.
“I don’t see as you have another choice, Paul. We need to know. When he wakes up he’s not going to be a happy camper. You’d better act fast. You haven’t much time,” Andy pointed out.
“You’re right,” I said with a sigh. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like doing this, violating this police officer’s mental privacy.”
“Better you violate his mental privacy, then you let him take another shot at you, Paul,” Andy said coolly. He was driving the point home, and none too kindly. (Sometimes, dear reader, I need a swift kick in the butt to do what is necessary.)
I sighed a second time and then knelt beside the unconscious policeman, so that I was just behind his head. I placed both hands on his head to get a good firm physical contact. I closed my eyes and firmly sent in my mental probes. Since he was unconscious there would be no mental barriers, which would made the task easier. The downside is that I would not have his conscious mind to act as a guide to locate the information I was seeking. The human mind is complex and vast. This could take a while.
It took a lot less than a microsecond. The man’s mind was fully exposed to my mental probes. There were two powerful compulsions that dominated his subconscious mind to the exclusion of everything else. The first compulsion was to kill Paul Walton. The second compulsion was to kill himself. This police officer had been turned into the perfect assassin. I couldn’t see any way to get anything more out of him. Every time I tried to read past the compulsions, they somehow blocked my efforts.
I examined the compulsions. They were deeply rooted. In fact they were more deeply rooted than anything I had seen before, aside from the compulsions that I had inserted into those four men from The Coffee Shop, those many months ago. . I knew that if I tried to remove them it would not only be very painful, but would very likely rip the man’s mind to shreds. This was far beyond my experience. I needed help with this problem.
Then an idea hit me. I reached out and implanted a compulsion of my own. It wasn’t very deep but it was powerful, and basic human nature guaranteed that the policeman’s mind would carry out my compulsion instead of the other two. At least as long as I maintained close mental proximity and continually poured mental energy into the compulsion, it would override the other two compulsions. I had long since stopped concentrating on the first compulsion field so it had faded. I stood up and opened my eyes. I looked at Andy.
“So what did you find out?” Andy asked.
“He has been programmed to kill me, and then to kill himself,” I answered.
“What? Why” Andy blurted at me. He was shocked and angry at the revelation.
“That, I do not know. I can’t seem to read beyond those compulsions. We need to take him to the Coffee Shop and get help from Mary and the Council,” I said.
“How are we supposed to do that. He’ll try to kill you the minute he wakes up,” Andy pointed out. He looked down at the policeman nervously.
“No, he won’t. I gave him a new compulsion to follow,” I said with a slight grin.
“Paul, don’t play games,” Andy said sternly.
“Yes, you’re right. Well, I gave him a compulsion to obey me, and I tied it to the pleasure center of his brain. Each time he does what I tell him, he feels like he has a tiny brief orgasm. If that doesn’t insure his cooperation, I don’t know what will,” I answered.
“You’re kidding. You can DO that?” Andy asked, doubtfully.
“We’ll soon see. He’s starting to wake up,” I said as I stepped away from the policeman.
“I can see again,” the policeman said as he opened his eyes and looked up at me.
“Stand,” I told him.
“Why would I....” the policeman started to say. Hi words were cut off as he started to move about. Soft moans escaped from between his lips as he awkwardly climbed to his feet. “Oh fuck that feels good,” he breathed as a grin broke out on his face.
“As long as you keep doing what I say, you’ll continue to feel that way, Officer. So are you going to be a good policeman and do as I tell you?” I asked him.
“Fuck yes, sir!” The policeman said as he grinned at me.
“You are not going to attack me, or this man here or anyone else. We are going to take a little trip downtown to a coffee shop. You are going to cooperate fully with me. Do you understand?” I asked.
“Fuck yes, sir! Whatever the fuck you say, sir! Just don’t stop whatever it that you doing, sir! This is fucking fantastic, sir!” The policeman said eagerly.
I had a bad taste in my mouth. The policeman had been transformed into a boy toy who would to anything and everything to keep getting the erotic stimulation of his pleasure center. It was necessary, if I was to control him long enough to get him to the Coffee Shop, where hopefully, I could get some help. I tried not to think about any long term effects this little adjustment might have on the police officer. One problem at a time.
“Andy undo his cuffs and give him back his gun,” I said.
“Are you nuts, Paul?” Andy said.
“We can’t take him downtown as he is now. Think of this as a test,” I answered. “What are you going to do officer when your hands are free and you are given back your gun?” I asked the policeman.
“I’ll secure my gun in my holster and my cuffs on my equipment belt,” the policeman answered. “And then, I’ll wait for your next command, sir. ohh....yes.....feels so good to obey you, sir. So fucking good to obey...”
Andy did as I ask him. The policeman responded as expected. I kept the mental energy flowing. The trip down to the Coffee Shop was uneventful. In fact it was slightly annoying. The policeman would moan and groan with delight every minute or so, and after a while that can get on your nerves. The mental effort to keep the compulsion active was a minor but constant drain on my energy and mental concentration. I was relieved to see the Coffee Shop come in to view.
Before we got out of Andy’s car, I instructed the police officer to ignore everyone else and listen only to me or to Andy, until I said otherwise. The police officer grinned at me as he nodded his head in acknowledgement.
We walked into the Coffee Shop. I looked around, and spotted Mary at the far end of the counter. I didn’t bother to consider how lucky we were that Mary just happened to be working at The Coffee Shop that day. Fortunate coincidence, or planned event, it didn’t much matter. Andy and I needed her help, and she was available. “Wait here guys, while I talk with Mary,” I told Andy and the policeman. I walked over to where Mary was serving a customer.
“I’ll be with you shortly, sir,” Mary said to me as I sat down at the counter. She seemed pleased to see me. Her expression quickly change with the next few words that I spoke.
“Okay, but please be as quick as you can, Mary. I have something important to discuss with you, about coins,” I told her. She looked at me for a second before she spoke. Gently she touched my hand with hers and studied my face for a minute or so.
“Go through to the back of the store, down the corridor the second door on the right. I will be there momentarily,” she said. “Go. Now.”
The last two words were delivered with the tone of an order. Normally I would have bristled at someone trying to order me about. In these circumstances, though, I ignored it. I had more pressing matters on my mind, such as trying to determine who had sent the policeman to kill me, why, and how the heck I was going to extricate myself from this sticky situation.
We followed Mary’s directions and found ourselves in a plain empty room. The walls were painted a soothing light green and so to was the ceiling. Mary arrived a minute or so later.
“Please explain Paul,” Mary said as she took me aside and lead me away from Andy and the policeman. “I have set up a warding field. We will not be interrupted by any ungifted persons.”
“In a nutshell, that policeman chatting with Andy, just tried to kill me a half an hour ago. The police officer has some powerful compulsions planted in his mind. I cannot remove them without hurting him. I thought you could help me with this problem,” I said to her.
“No doubt you would like to know who conditioned the police officer and why,” Mary said calmly.
“Yes, of course,” I agreed. “I can’t leave this policeman as he is. He’s sure to come after me again.”
“Why isn’t he attacking you right now, Paul?” Mary asked coolly. I could see a shadow of doubt crossing her eyes.
“I am pouring in a compulsion of my own into his mind right now. As long as he continues to obey me the pleasure center of his brain get stimulated,” I answered.
“That’s dangerous, Paul,” Mary said with a frown.
“Yes, I know. It seemed the only way to override the active compulsions in his mind and get him down here to see you,” I commented.
“It will take more than me to deal with this, Paul,” Mary said thought fully. She walked over to the nearby wall. She must have pressed a hidden switch of some type. A few seconds later a section of the floor opened up and a chair with padded restraints rose up out of the floor, followed by a loud click as the floor section locked in place. Mary looked at me. “Put the policeman in the chair and restrain him. When he is secured, release your compulsion. You need to rest and recover your strength for what is to come. I will return in less than an hour. I will send in some coffee and food for you. You’re going to need it.”
Something about the way she said those words made me wish I had not come to the Coffee Shop, to ask her for her help. I knew that I really did not have any other choice. Where else could I turn, the nearest police station? Not likely. I found it a bit disquieting that the Council of Coins had a chair with padded restraints readily available.
“Officer, look that nice comfortable chair. Hand over your gun belt to Andy, and then go sit down in that chair. When your butt is placed firmly on the seat of the chair you’ll feel an intense wave of pleasure. All you will want to do is sit there secure in that chair,” I called out to the policeman.
“Sur thing, sir!” He answered with a grin. He nearly threw his gun belt at Andy, in his eagerness to get over to that chair. “This is fucking fantastic, sir!” He yelled out as he plopped that hunky and sexy body of his into that chair. Most cops have nice bodies, and this man was no exception. Andy shot me a puzzled look after he place the gun belt on the floor next to one of the walls.
“He’s having such a good time that I think we’d better tie him down so he doesn’t fall out of that delightful chair, Andy,” I said with a smile at Andy. I increased the mental stimulation of the policeman’s pleasure center.
“Fuck yes, sir! Fucking tie me down, please sir!” The policeman cried out, with a look of profound desire on his face.
Andy said nothing as he and I fastened the arm, leg and torso restrains onto the squirming body of the policeman. He wasn’t squirming because he was resisting us. On the contrary. He was squirming because he was having so much fun. That was about to change.
Ten minutes later I was satisfied that the policeman could not get out of the chair. Andy and I moved away from the policeman as I got ready to deactivate the compulsion I’d placed in the policeman’s mind.
“I know that this is necessary Paul. I don’t like having to do it to a brother officer,” Andy said and shot a regretful look at me.
“I understand Andy. I don’t like doing this either. You know we really don’t have any other choice,” I agreed with a sigh.
I released the compulsion. It was a relief to relax my mind. I had never tried to maintain an active compulsion field for such an extended period of time.
It took only about a half a minute for the policeman’s expression to change from one of delight to pure hatred. He looked me in the eyes. “You are a dead man, Paul Walton,” the policeman said in a stone cold voice. There was no anger or threat expressed, just that simple statement.
Andy and I maintained our position as far away from the policeman as the room allowed. A flat smooth slab slid out of the nearby wall. The slab was at a height of about three feet. The slab was about four inches thick, a foot wide and three fee t long. A minute or so later, an employee of The Coffee Shop arrived with a small try containing several sandwiches, and two large mugs of black coffee. The man put the tray on the slab and then left, without saying a word. There was sugar packets, creamers, and a few stir sticks on the tray. Andy and I each took a sandwich and started munching on them. We were silent as we ate. I fixed one of the mugs of coffee to suit my taste and took a careful sip. There wasn’t much else to do as we waited for Mary to return. Certainly we were not going to chat with the police officer. I did offer him a sandwich, though. His response was to glare at me and threaten to kill me again. So much for trying to be nice. We ate our food and drank our coffee. We did not talk. We checked our watches about 1.5 million times as we waited for Mary to return. There was nothing else to do. I leaned against the wall in an effort to get some rest. There were no other chairs in the room.
Almost to the second of the one hour mark, Mary returned with several people in tow. It took me a few seconds to realize that she had returned with all the members of the Council of Coins. I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. I looked over at Andy, wondering at his reaction to this development. He looked back at me, and shrugged his shoulders at me in a ‘what will be, will be’ gesture. Mary waved us over to where she and the Council members were standing.
“Please explain to all of us, the nature of your problem, Paul and why you need our help,” she said without referencing the Council members.
I walked over to where the group of people who were gathered together in a small knot. They were positioned as far away from the seated and restrained policeman, as the room would allow.
“The policeman you see before you attempted to kill me. This occurred in my apartment about an hour and three quarters ago. He tried to shoot me. If it had not been for Andy, I would be dead. I examined the policeman’s mind. He does not appear to be gifted. There are two very powerful and deeply routed compulsions imbedded in his mind. The first compulsion is to kill me. The second compulsion, is to kill himself when the first compulsion has been completed. I cannot remove the compulsions without seriously injuring the policeman’s mind. I need your assistance to help the policeman and determine who is responsible for the compulsions. Someone just tried to kill me. I need to know the identity of that person.” I had phrased my request clearly. It had taken some effort for me to remain calm as I spoke.
The Council members look at each other, without speaking. I noticed that they had all joined hands. It was a pretty sure bet that they were having one of their telepathic conferences using those coins of theirs.
A tall mature man, whom I did not know, spoke in a quiet steady voice. “As you surmised, the Council is able to assist you in this endeavour. One of our functions is to investigate such situations. There are a few conditions to which you must agree before we begin.”
“I did not think the Council’s help was going to be free. What are the conditions?” I asked with a sigh. I knew I was in a fix, and they knew it too. I hoped the price of their help wasn’t going to be more than I was willing, or able, to pay.
“The conditions are: 1. You must await the Council as we scan and attempt to repair the policeman’s mind. 2. When the identity of the person responsible for the compulsions is determine you must not disclose that that information to anyone outside of this room. 3. Neither you nor Andy may attempt, directly or by any form of proxy, any form of revenge, retaliation or vengeance on the person responsible for these compulsions. 4. You and Andy will agree to abide by the decision and the action of the Council in this matter.”
I thought about it for a second. “That’s all the conditions?” I asked. I did not have that creepy crawly feeling on my forehead, thank goodness.
“Yes, there are no other conditions. If you were thinking that we would require you to bond with the coin that picked you, and force you to join the Council, as a condition of our helping you, you are mistaken, Paul Walton. As Mary said to you before, the coins do not force you to become a member of the Council of Coins, and neither do we. We offer our help to you, because it is necessary for us to do so, and for one other simple reason,” The mature man answered.
“Which is?” I prompted him.
“It is the right thing to do,” he responded.
I couldn’t help but like that answer. It was the sort of answer I would like to think that I would have given were I in his place. I gulped as I realized I had just, for a moment of time, imagined myself as a member of the Council of Coins. It was a scary thought to be sure. It was also, if the truth be told, a bit of a temptation. Part of me enjoyed the idea of seeing that those who abused their gifts were held accountable.
“Let us get started, then,” the mature man said as he walked over to the policeman, and stood behind him. The policeman did not offer any comments or objection. His attention remained focused on me. The mature man (I never did learn his name), placed his hands on top of the policeman’s head. The policeman closed his eyes and let out a loud sigh as he relaxed his body. He almost seemed to melt into the chair. “He is ready for the Council. I have forced him to sleep. All that he will perceive from this moment onwards will be as if he were dreaming.” The mature man declared. “Paul Walton, you will not be involved in this mind probe.”
“I beg to differ on that point,” Andy piped up. “If anyone deserves to see what you are doing, and what you discover it is Paul. His life is on the line, literally. You cannot in good conscience exclude him from this probe. He has the right to participate. He has the need to know.”
“The constable is both insightful and correct,” Mary said to the mature man.
“Agreed,” the mature man said. “Come here and place your hands on my shoulders. You will become part of the Council Chain, this one time.”
I followed his directions and found myself standing behind the mature man with my hands on his shoulders. The other Council members gathered around me and placed their hands on either the mature man’s body or on mine.
There was a brief pause before the mature man continued speaking. “You have scanned another person’s mind, Paul Walton, so you know that the process of reading another person’s mind is much like reading a book. You look for the information you want in the person’s conscious mind. There is very limited sharing of thoughts, perceptions or experiences. What you are about to experience is very different. This method which could best be described as diving into the world of the unconscious mind. Each person has their own imaginary world in their mind that they control. When you dream you perceive this world for a brief time. What we are about to do, is to force unconsciousness on this policeman and then enter his unconscious mind to remove the compulsions you discovered.”
“Everyone close your eyes.” I did as I was told. “Now, relax and see with your mind’s eye,” I heard the mature man say out loud. I kept my mouth shut. I was merely along for the ride, as it were.
It was dark at first, but after what seemed to be a few moments I found myself standing in a open grassy meadow on a bright sunny summer afternoon. The landscape was calm and quiet. I looked around and there standing around me, were the all the members of the Council of Coins. They were standing as I was, looking around and adjusting to our surroundings. They were not holding hands. We were all facing the same direction, oddly enough.
We started to walk forward, as if we were heading somewhere. I wasn’t sure what the Council was doing. This seemed to be very odd to me. I felt disconnected as if I was and was not there.
“You are still physically in your body, in the Council Chain, Paul,” Mary said to me as she walked beside me. “We are all in the policeman’s mind. This is his unconscious reality. We are looking for the items that represent the two compulsions you mentioned to us. We do not yet know what they will be, but we will know them when we see them. Please help us search.”
“Okay,” I agreed. What else was I going to do? Why is it that people always seems to say that tired old line, ‘you will know it when you see it’, when they have no idea of what it is that they are looking for?
I thought I might as well search in a different direction than the Council members. I turned around and then stopped dead in my tracks. “I don’t think we will have to search very long,” I called out over my shoulder. A short distance away stood two very tall brightly lit towers that must have been ten stories tall. They were rather hard to miss.
“Yes that is what we seek,” Mary said after she walked up to me a few moments later.
They were two tall metal towers brightly lit, standing in a open empty field. I watched with interest as the Council members raised their right arms in unison and pointed that the towers. The Council somehow encased the two towers within bright shells of light that seemed to penetrate into the ground. I would never have thought of doing something like that. The Council lifted the two towers out of the ground until all that was left was two deep dark pits. There was dead quiet. I saw earth slowly fill the pits, and when the pits were filled, grass as green and thick as that of the rest of the field, quickly grew over the bare earth. In what seemed like minutes, the damaged had been repaired. I was impressed. The two towers had remained floating in the air the entire time this had been happening. Now, to my amazement, the towers broke up into a million small bits within the shells. Moments later the bits faded away and were gone. Soon after both shells faded away until they too were gone. I wondered what had happened to them, although it was clear to me that the mental compulsions had been removed and the policeman’s mind healed. I guessed that it was time to leave.
Then I heard the crying. It was soft, barely audible. I had to strain to hear it and figure out where it was coming from. No one attempted to stop me as I searched for and quickly found the source of the crying. It was coming from what seemed to be an old open and abandoned well. A very large well that seem to be nearly forty feet wide. I leaned over the edge of the low wall and looked down into a deep dark pit. There seemed to be a pale flickering light at the bottom. The walls looks slimy and slick. Whomever was down there wasn’t getting out on his own. I heard the crying again, and it sounded like a small boy. A small frightened boy. This was strange since we were in the mind of an adult man.
“As a gifted person, you have the power to bend and change the perception of reality in this place, within certain limits,” Mary said to me as she suddenly appeared beside me. “Imagine what you need. See it become real. You wished to partake, and so this is your task to complete.”
It annoyed me when Mary started sounding like Yoda from Star Wars. At least she was talking in correctly constructed sentences. I leaned over the edge and looked again. There wasn’t any way to get down there. Then I imagined an elevator car attached to the side of the pit wall. Like magic a wire elevator car appeared next to me. It seemed that Mary was correct. I could change reality in this place. Feeling somewhat more sure of myself, I entered the elevator car, closed the door and pressed the button on the wall labeled ‘Bottom’. The trip lasted only a few seconds. The pale flickering light became only marginally stronger as the car neared the bottom of the pit. As soon as the elevator car came to a rest at the bottom of the pit, the door swung open by itself. I stepped out.
I held my right hand out and up above my head. I concentrated and there was light all around me. I looked up to see that the ball of glowing light I had imagined creating had become real, at least in this place. It floated there contently. I lowered my right arm to my side and walked towards the pale flickering light, my own ball of light following me like an obedient dog. The ball of light showed the rough dirty floor of the pit, but not much else.
Moments later I arrived at the source of the flickering light. It was from a small hurricane lamp with a small candle in it. The lamp was slightly off to the side of a small boy of perhaps seven or eight. He was curled in a ball lying next to the lamp. His small helpless looking body was nearly swallowed up by the oversized adult police officer uniform that he was wearing. What caught and held my attention though, was the look of profound terror that blazed in the eyes of this small boy. He was trembling with fear. His whole body shook with it.
This was the last thing in the world I had expected to find in this pit. In my softest and calmest voice I spoke to the boy. “Hi. What’s your name?”
“You’re the bad man! Stay away from me! Mommy!!!!!!!!!” With that the boy snatched up the lamp and ran off as quickly as he could. I was surprised that he could run at all considering how the grossly oversized uniform hampered his movements. I did not try to follow him. He was sacred and my presence only made matter worse. I walked back to the elevator car and took it back to the top of the pit.
“What did you see?” Mary asked me as she suddenly appeared beside me.
“A small terrified boy in an adult sized police uniform,” I answered. “Do you have any idea what’s going on here?”
“What you saw is the present mental self image of the policeman. This is how he sees himself on a subconscious level. I suspect that this situation was created in his mind to provide additional motivation for the two compulsions that we just removed. He could find his way out of this pit only by doing what he was compelled to do. As for the second compulsion, he would not be aware of it. We are dealing with his subconscious mind, remember,” Mary answered.
“I can’t get near him. I tried and he ran off. I think I scared him even more. He called me ‘the bad man’. What do we do now?”
“What do you think we should do?” Mary answered.
“Please don’t do that, Mary. If you have an idea, just come out with it.” I said not bothering to try to hide the annoyance in my voice.
“Paul, if I had an idea I would share it with you. Being a council member does not make me all knowing. Think. He’s a small boy. Perhaps there is a clue in that. Who would a small boy trust, other than his parents? Before you ask, no it would not do any good to try to appear to the boy as one of his parents. We do not know enough about his relationship with his family to get away with such a deception,” Mary said. Her voice was calm and serene.
We stood silently thinking for several minutes. My mind was empty of ideas. We had solved only half the problem. We had dealt with the compulsions. Now we had to repair the policeman’s mind. It’s rather hard to do that when the person runs away from you and hides in the dark.
“How about the Lone Ranger on Silver to ride to the rescue?” I asked jokingly. I had to say something.
“Not the Lone Ranger, Paul but perhaps someone a small boy would instinctively trust,” Mary said thoughtfully. “An RCMP constable on horseback,” Mary said with a small smile.
“That’s crazy,” I said with a scoff.
“Why not? Think about it. Small children are taught that the policeman is their friend and to go to a policeman when they are lost or in trouble. We dare not use the image of a local policeman because the subconscious mind will know if the person we project is in fact a member of the local police force. However, if we have Constable Anderson appear here in his Scarlet Tunic dress uniform that will make the image appear much more believable to the mind of small boy,” Mary said.
“I’m supposed to make myself appear as Andy? I’m not sure I could pull that off,” I said doubtfully.
“You misunderstand me, Paul. We need Constable Anderson to join the mink link chain and enter this place with us. If he is here in person, so to speak, it will work. Constable Anderson can create the alteration of reality, and the rest of us can watch as invisible observers. Unless you have a better idea?” Mary said.
The rest of the Council of Coins suddenly appeared beside us. One member, the mature man, seemed to fade in and out for several moments.
“Colin is speaking in the physical world which means he has to split his concentration. This causes his presence here to fluctuate,” Mary said by way of explanation. “I have already explained my idea to the rest of the Council members and they have agreed on this course of action.
Just as Mary finished speaking Andy appeared beside me. He looked a bit lost. He was dressed as he was in the physical world, jeans, t-shirt and a denim jacket. “Hi Paul. So this is what it’s like in another person’s mind? Cool.”
I smiled. It took a lot to fluster Andy. I liked to think that my presence in this mental world helped to reassure him.
“Okay, I’ve got it,” he said to no one. His appearance shimmered for a few seconds. When it finished he was wearing his Scarlet Tunic and looking so damn handsome I almost forgot where I was and why he and I were there. I let out a wolf whistle, before I could stop myself.
“Down boy,” Andy said with a chuckle. “I’m here on business. Come on.” With that he lead the Council and me to the elevator car which was still waiting at the top of the side of the pit.
“With his consent, we used telepathy to bring Constable Anderson up to speed on the situation, and the suggested course of action, Paul. We are short on time,” Mary said to me as we walked into the elevator car, which was now large enough for all of us to stand comfortably.
So much for my presence helping Andy to adjust to this most unusual journey, I thought to myself.
The trip to the bottom of the pit took only a few moments. “Here, you may need this,” I said to Andy as I waved my glowing ball of light towards him. It took up a position next to him, just as it had with me. It did not seem to mind the change of ownership.
“We will accompany you, Constable Anderson, so that we may observe the results and to offer any aid should it be required. We will be invisible and silent, to both you, Constable, and to the boy,” Mary said as she began to fade from my view. “All you have to do is believe to make it real, Paul,” she said as the last whispers of her voice faded away.
I concentrated on not being there, on being invisible to all but the Council. I looked down and was mildly surprised to see my body. When I looked up a second later, I could see the members of the Council gathered all around Andy, waiting for him to start walking. Andy however, looked a bit confused as he looked about.
“Shit. Where is everyone? I hope you’re still there, somewhere. Well here goes,” Andy said. He was speaking more to himself than to us. He looked about again and spotting the dim flickering light he slow walked towards it, the glowing ball of light holding position with him, as it had with me. We followed, no one speaking.
Soon we came upon the little boy. He was as I had found him. Huddled on the floor of the pit, curled up in a ball, next to the hurricane lamp. He looked up at Andy, with that same terror in his eyes.
“Who’re you?” He asked cautiously. He seemed ready to bolt again at the slightest provocation.
“I’m a policeman. My name is Andy,” Andy said softly.
“You’re funny lookin’,” the boy said doubtfully.
“I am an RCMP constable,” Andy replied, keeping his voice warm and soothing.
“What’s RCMP mean?” The boy asked. The look of terror in his eyes had faded somewhat. Curiosity seems to be fighting with it.
“It means I’m a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We’re also called Mounties,” Andy answered.
“Like those guys on the black horses that ride around holding those big poles?” The boy asked.
“That’s called the RCMP Musical Ride. I’m not a member of that team, though someday I hope to be allowed to join. There is a long waiting list. I’m here because RCMP constables help people who need help. Especially lost little boys who are hiding in the dark, afraid, lost and alone,” Andy said soothingly.
“Who sent you?” The boy asked as if he were questioning Andy’s right to be there.
This was the critical point. The wrong answer and the boy would run.
“I heard you crying. I came to help. It is what RCMP constables do. No one sent me,” Andy answered. “When people are lost or hurt, or missing or just in trouble, the RCMP is there to help them. It is what we do. It is what I do.”
The boy looked at him but didn’t say anything. It was clear he was reluctant to trust Andy.
Andy took a couple of steps back turned and then sat down against the wall of the pit, so that he was a meter or so away from the boy. He sat there looking at the boy for a minute or two before he continued speaking.“It’s kind of dark here, would you like more light?” Andy asked.
Again the boy said nothing.
“Well, I would like more light,” Andy closed his eyes. A few seconds later three more glowing balls about twice as bright as the first glowing ball appeared next to Andy. Andy opened his eyes and smiled. The combined light showed him clearly. It seemed almost as bright as day. Andy waved two of the balls towards the far side of the boy. Andy looked at the first glowing ball and a second later it was shining as brightly as the other three balls of light. “That’s better. Now we can see each other. My name is Andy. What’s yours?”
“Tony,” the boy answered as he looked about the pit which wasn’t nearly as dark as before.
“You look cold Tony. You can huddle next to me if you like,” Andy said.
“Okay I guess,” Tony replied as he moved over to Andy and lay next to him.
“That’s better isn’t it, Tony,” Andy said as he draped his big strong right arm over Tony’s small body.
“You’re safe now, Tony,” Andy said soothingly as he slowly enveloped Tony’s small frail looking body with those two big strong arms of his. (Speaking from personal experience, dear reader, that is one heck of an enjoyable experience.)
“What if the bad man comes back?” Tony said with a shudder and he snuggled up as close to Andy as he could get.
“I will protect you from the bad man, Tony. You’re safe with me. I am a policeman. I will protect you. You’re not alone, anymore,” Andy said quietly. Slowly Andy began to rock his body back and forth, all the while continuing to hug Tony securely. Inch by inch the tension melted out of Tony’s little body as he relaxed in Andy’s comforting embrace. The boy started to slob softly. Andy held him closer and began to mutter soft words, which I could not make out. This went on for several moments, until the boy stopped crying. He looked up at Andy with a tentative smile. He didn’t seem to be scared anymore.
I felt a slight twinge of jealously for just a half a heartbeat. I had to sternly remind myself that what Andy was doing had no sexual overtones of any kind. He was helping a lost soul. True, a lost soul who had tried to kill me a few hours ago, but a lost soul and troubled mind nonetheless. I continued to watch.
“Tony, you’re not a little boy. Look at the clothes you are wearing,” Andy said as Tony looked up at him.
“Huh?” Tony replied. He looked down at himself for a second or two before he looked back up at Andy.
“You’re wearing the uniform of a adult person. It appears to be the uniform of a city policeman if I am not mistaken. You’re not really a scared little boy, you just think you are,” Andy said in a firm strong voice. “You’re a policeman, with a sworn duty to protect and serve. It’s time you did your duty.”
“No, that’s not right,” Tony said puzzled. His voice had lost some of its high pitched child like squeaky sound.
“I’ll help you. It’s why I am here, Tony,” Andy said as he stood up. He reached down with his arms. “Take my hands. Let me help you to stand on your own two feet. I know you can do this Tony. They would not have let you become a policeman, if you were not the right man for the job.”
“I don’t know about this,” Tony said doubtfully but he reached and took Andy’s proffered hands nonetheless. Hope and doubt were mixed on his face, and Tony gripped Andy’s hands firmly.
As Andy pulled Tony to his feet, Tony grew up literally. His body grew up and out until it the policeman uniform he was wearing fit him properly. By the time he was standing, Tony was once again the policeman who had called on me at my apartment a few hours ago. Tony looked at Andy, still unsure at what had just happened.
“Welcome back, brother officer,” Andy said with a grin. He let go of Tony’s hands, snapped to attention and saluted Tony. Reflexively, Tony came to attention and returned the salute. Then they both grinned at each other like idiots. Unsure of what to do next.
“How about we get out of this pit, Tony?” Andy suggested.
“How?” Tony asked.
“Will it. See us on the surface in the bright sunshine on a clear spring day, with nothing but beauty around us. This is your nightmare, you can turn it into a wonderful dream,” Andy answered.
Tony closed his eyes. Seconds later we were standing in a field covered in wildflowers, on a clear warm sunny day with only a few puffs of white cloud scattered in the clear blue sky.
“Wow. This is cool. Am I dreaming?” Tony asked.
“Not yet but you will be Officer Tony Kendell,” Mary said as she appeared next to him. The rest of the Council appeared one by one. I was the last person to appear.
“You! You son of a bitch! I ought to knock your block into next week!” Tony yelled as he recognized me.
“Why? What did I ever do to you?” I asked.
“You put me in that pit, you son of a bitch!” Tony yelled.
“No. I did not,” I answered.
“Someone did, and that is why we are all here with you now. We are here to help you to remember who did this to you, and to bring that person to justice,” Mary said as she reached up and touched Tony’s forehead. “Sleep now, remember who put you into the pit, and show us.” She succeeded in catching Tony by surprise. He had no chance to avoid her touch.
Tony’s eyes closed and his head nodded forward. He looked like he was hypnotized. (Yes, I felt a stirring down south dear reader. I find hypnotized cops to be highly erotic. So sue me.) I was amazed at how quickly events were unfolding. The Council of Coins certainly seemed to know what they were doing. I still had a heck of a lot to learn about my super hypnotic abilities, it would seem.
“Start at the beginning, when you first met the person who put you into this pit. Show us everything,” Mary said to Tony.
A large screen appeared to the right of us. As I looked at the screen an image began to appear. It was a car pulled over to the side of a road, somewhere in the city. I did not recognize the location. Don’t ask me to tell you what type of car it was, as they all look the same to me. This car looked new, at least I could not see any rust spots on it. It took me a second or two to realize that I was seeing the events from Tony’s perspective. The car became larger as Tony approached it. In a few seconds Tony was standing next to the car. The driver of the car had turned his head and was looking up at Tony. I sucked in my breath as the surprise hit me. It was the man called Brian whom I had encountered during the Council of Coin’s testing event.
“License and registration, please sir,” Tony said.
“Of course, officer,” Brian replied as he slowly handed over the documents. It seemed he had had them at the ready.
“Sir, do you know why I pulled you over?” Tony asked.
“I failed to come to a complete stop at the stop sign back there?” Brian asked.
“Yes, sir, exactly,” Tony answered in a very cool professional tone of voice.
“Well, I brought this on myself then, officer,” Brian said with resignation.
Tony said nothing more as he filled out the ticket form. Then he handed the ticket to Brian, along with Brian’s license and registration.
“Before you go, Officer, might I ask a small favour?” Brian asked as Tony started to turn away from him.
“Depends on what the favour is, sir” Tony answered.
“I would like to shake your hand to thank you for your service, officer,” Brian said calmly.
“I suppose that would be okay, Please get out your vehicle slowly, sir,” Tony instructed.
Brian complied. He slowly opened the door of his car and climbed out. In a few moments he was standing there beside his car with his arms hanging loosely by his side. I noted that Brian was wearing some dark brown pants, a dark brown belt fastened around them, a pale blue sports shirt and a light cream jacket. He could not look less of a threat if he tried.
Tony slowly approached Brian, and as he did so, Brian raised up his right arm and held his right hand out. Tony grasped it firmly, with his right hand. It was a bit odd to see a right arm in a police uniform shirt just appear from the bottom of the screen, move upwards and then grasped the offered right hand.
“Thank you so much for your service, Officer,” Brian said with a smile. “I know that you’re just doing your duty. It feels so good to do your duty doesn’t it Officer?”
“What? Do my duty? What the heck are you....ohhh......” Tony’s voice said and his words were suddenly cut off as he let out a very loud moan.
“Nothing but pleasure and joy as you shake my hand Officer. You love the feeling don’t you?” Brian asked as his grin started to take on a evil cast.
“Oh...yes....gee whiz....feels so good, uh, sir,” Tony answered in between moans.
“Deeper and more obedient because you feel so very good. All you want is to feel this pleasure, Officer. It is all that is important to you now. To feel this pleasure from me and to obey me completely. Nothing else is important to you anymore. Not your job. Not your career. Not even your life. From this point onward you will do anything I tell you, because doing what I tell you gives you this pleasure, Officer”
‘Fuck yes, sir. I’ll do anything you say. Anything you want. Oh the pleasure. It feels so fucking good, sir. Oh Christ. Only you are important now, sir. I must do what you say, to feel this pleasure. Oh fuck. YES SIR!!” Tony screamed out the last two words as Brian’s mental domination of Tony’s mind was completed.
It was clear to me that Brian had used his super hypnosis powers to take complete and total control of Tony’s mind in only a few seconds. Given that the two of them were on a city street in broad daylight in public, Brian had to be quick. Still I found his actions reprehensible to say the least.
Brian grinned wolfishly at his victim for a second or two before he continued speaking. “I am lucky that you’re working alone officer. It has taken me over an hour for find a police officer like you, on patrol who is working alone. I need you to kill someone for me. When you kill that person, you will experience pleasure twice as intense as you are feeling right now and that pleasure will last only for a minute. To bring the pleasure back you’ll have to shoot yourself in the head, Officer. Will you do that for me?”
“Fuck yes, sir!! I said I’d do anything for you, sir and I meant it! The pleasure is so great. Oh fuck I have to have it. I can’t live without it, sir!” Tony cried out in both pain and joy.
“Exactly right, Officer,” Brian said with a laugh. “When I let go of your hand you will stand there and wait for me to hand you a clipboard. On the clipboard will be a survey form with the name and address of the person whom you are to kill. A photograph of that man whom you must kill is at the bottom of the papers on the clipboard. When you return to your patrol car, you will call in sick at work and say that you need to go home. You will drop off your patrol car at the usual place and take a cab or drive your own car to the address on the clipboard. If the man is not home right now, you will keep trying at half hour intervals until he invites you in. Chat with the man for a few moments to get him to relax and let his guard down. When he is not looking, shoot him. Kill him. Once you have killed him, you will burn the papers on the clipboard as well as the copy of the ticket that you gave me. When you have done that you may shoot yourself in the head. Only then will you feel the pleasure again.”
“Yes sir,” Tony replied. “Oh fuck this pleasure it’s so good. Please don’t stop shaking my hand, sir. I’m begging you, please don’t stop.”
“One more thing, Officer. If you are not able to contact the man today, before 6 P.M., then you will go home and shoot yourself in the head, after you have burned the papers on the clipboard and the record of the ticket that you gave me.” As Brian finished speaking he yanked his hand out and away from Tony’s hand.
Tony’s right hand and arm slowly moved downward until they were out of the picture. A minute or so passed. “Please, sir, hand me the clipboard so I may be on my way?” Tony pleaded.
“You norms are so easily used. You’re not even a challenge anymore,,” Brian said disdainfully as he bent over into his car and grabbed something. A moment later he emerged with clipboard in hand. “Here you go, boy. Go have fun, you mind fucked fool.”
“Sir, yes sir! Thank you sir. I won’t fail you, sir!” Tony said happily as he took the clipboard from Brian. Tony’s gaze lowered as he looked at the clipboard and read the information there. A second or two later he flipped up the papers on the clipboard until a photograph was revealed. It was a photograph of me, taken when I was walking down the street somewhere in the downtown district. There was a red circle drawn around my head, to be sure that Tony knew who his target was.
The sight of that picture of me, sent a cold chill down my spine.
Tony looked up to see Brian’s car pulling away from him. Tony walked back to his patrol car and climbed into it. He glanced about, as he started it and pulled into traffic. In what seems like only seconds, Tony was at my apartment door, ringing the bell. The door opened and there I was. I found it most strange to be seeing myself through someone else’s eyes. Tony was invited into the apartment. I won’t repeat the conversation that Tony had with me. Tony saw me turn and start to examine the survey on the clipboard. In a flash Tony’s police gun was braced in his hands and pointed rock steady at me. I dove behind the sofa as Tony tracked my movements. There was a sudden jerk upward and back of the viewpoint and then slowly the picture faded to black.
I let out a sigh of relief as I realized that was when Andy had appeared behind Tony and grabbed him with a choke hold quickly rendering Tony unconscious.
“I think we have seen enough, wouldn’t you agree?” Mary asked the assembled Council members.
“Enough to render a verdict and take the necessary punitive actions,” one of the unidentified Council members said. “It is time to leave here.”
Mary looked at me sharply for a few seconds, then spoke. “I see now why the Council Coin refused Brian Clark so strongly when he tried to claim it. The Council of Coins facilitates the protection of innocents from those gifted persons who would abuse their gifts. Brian Clark does not share this opinion of non-gifted persons, thus making him ineligible for membership on the Council of Coins. I suspect that he saw only the power that the Council Coin represented, and not the responsibility it entails. The irony is that had Brian Clark succeeded in removing you Paul Walton, he would never have been chosen by the coin that has chosen you. The glow that we saw earlier showed that Brian had the potential to become a council member. As you know, many people do not live up to their potential.”
With that the world that was Tony’s mind faded and I found myself back in the real world, still a member of the physical chain of people that were touching Officer Tony’s head. Andy was standing beside me, his hands on my right arm. We shook ourselves free of the contact, and walked away from each other.
“Now what?” I asked of no one in particular.
“Now we bring in Brian Clark for questioning, judgement and punishment. This is a Council matter, Paul Walton and no longer your concern. You have brought this situation to our attention. As for the police officer, his mind repairs will be completed, his memory altered to fit the new facts and he will return to his normal life unaware of anything unusual has happened,” Mary answered.
“What about his presence here? What about his supervisors at the police station?” I asked.
“A gifted person at the police station is taking the necessary actions. The records will show that this police officer did have to go home sick, though it was not serious. No further investigation of those facts will be initiated. As for the Coffee Shop, the patrons here who are not gifted will not even remember the policeman was here,” Mary explained.
“What about me? Don’t I get a say in what happens to Brian Clark? The son of a bitch tried to have me killed!” I demanded.
“Even if you were a member of the Council of Coins you would not have a say in his punishment. Your judgement would be suspect since you would not be considered objective,” Mary answered in that calm all knowing voice of hers.
“She’s right you know, Paul,” Andy said after a moment’s silence. “I too want Brian Clark to pay for what he tried to do to you. I would not be objective about the punishment either.”
“What’s to stop Brian from trying something like this again? Clearly the man wants me out of the way, so he can lay claim to that damn coin of yours,” I said heatedly to Mary.
“We will inhibit his powers. He will become that which he appears to despise the most, a norm. A non-gifted person. Does that satisfy you, Paul Walton?” Mary asked.
I looked at her for a minute or so as I thought about her answer. “Yes, it seems a just punishment. Can you remove his powers or just block them temporarily?” I asked.
“You are asking about Council matters, Paul Walton. If you wish to know more about the Council of Coins and what we do, you know the price you will have to pay. The offer has been made to you, and it still stands,” Mary answered. “Like any gifted person, you must trust in the Council of Coins, that our judgement is sound, just, fair and objective. The coins choose us, remember.”
“Are you saying that you are infallible and all knowing?” I asked sarcastically.
“Infallible no. All knowing, of course not. In matters of moral turpitude in the actions of the gifted the Council is wise because we are able to obtain all the relevant facts, from any mind, gifted or not. We do what must be done to see that justice is served and the innocent, the non-gifted, protected. This is one of the prerequisites of being a member of the Council of Coins. This, Paul Walton, is one of the driving forces behind the coin’s choice of you as a new Council member, you strong desire for responsible use of the gift,” Mary answered.
“So what happens if I continue to refuse your offer?” I asked.
“It will remain open until the coin in question encounters another mind better qualified than yours. It could take years or even decades. We have time, we can wait,” Mary said.
“Andy and I can leave now then? You do not need us for anything else?” I asked.
“You may leave. You need not fear any type of retaliation from Brian Clark. He will be made powerless, and he will be given a very strong compulsion making it impossible to harm you, Andrew Anderson or anyone associated with you in any way or by any form of proxy whatsoever. A part of his punishment is to know the price he must pay for the abuse of his powers,” Mary said in response to my question. “Now we know why the coin rejected Brian Clark so strongly. He was unworthy, in the extreme, to be a Council member.”
“Thank you, Mary. Goodbye,” I said as I turned and walked away from her. I wasn’t interested in her observations about Brian Clark’s unworthiness to be a Council member. I was curious about why Tony had appeared as a small boy trapped in a pit, when we visited his mind. I decided to put my curiosity on hold. That little mystery could wait. I just wanted to get the heck out of the Coffee Shop and go home. Andy quickly caught up with me as I walked out the door. We walked back to Andy’s car. Once inside he started it up and proceeded to drive me home.
“You know, Paul, the way that Mary said ‘we have time and we can wait’ gave me the creeps,” Andy said without looking at me.
“Me too, lover.” I agreed. “She’s not telling us something. I’d bet my last dollar that I’ve not heard the last of her or of the Council of Coins.”
“Agreed,” Andy replied, while he kept on driving.
“It’s none of my business, but might I ask why you did not accept their offer to become a member of the Council of Coins?” Andy asked me.
“When I touched that coin, I got a very bad feeling. I don’t know that I can explain it beyond that. It is not that something is wrong exactly, but more along the line that something is most definitely not right. Sounds pretty stupid, I know, but there you have it,” I answered somewhat lamely.
“It’s not stupid at all, Paul. It’s just you,” Andy said with a small smile, as he kept his attention on his driving.
A few minutes later Andy turned and stared me for a few seconds before he returned his attention to the road. The look he gave me was inscrutable.
On a side note, dear reader, we had an uneventful, pleasant and enjoyable time for the rest of the evening.