I kept peaking at him from the corner of my eyes, but that was getting me nowhere. I had to talk to him to find out what he was all about. If he worked for the Secret Service, why hadn't he called in, saying he had found the fugitive? My photo had to have been passed around among their operatives assigned to my case? So why were we still riding the bus? Why wasn't there at least a Police escort, in case I tried to make a break for it?
I know, by the looks of the gentleman in the black suit, that the odds of me overpowering him was slim to none, but that's not how law enforcement works nowadays. If one officer does detain a suspect, you can bet your bottom dollar that the cavalry is coming in force.
Maybe that's what this is. Maybe he did contact his fellow agents, but nobody thought I would be foolish enough to start heading back to New York and they don't have reinforcements in the area? Maybe he is waiting for a Police roadblock coming up? Or, at our next scheduled stop, the Secret Service will swoop in and surround the bus. Leaving no doubt that there will not be a miraculous escape on my part.
I had to at least say something. Even if it was nonsense.
"Excuse me sir. I need to go to the bathroom." I told him. "If you could let me pass, please? I don't want to step on your feet or anything. Thank you."
As soon as I stopped talking, he got up in the strangest manner. He stood up facing me and backed up, into the aisle. He kept both arms, straight down, along his sides, and was a little bent forward at the waist, and he never took his eyes off of me.
It was like, he was some kind of animal, ready to spring forward onto its prey.
I started walking to the back of the bus, where the lavatory was located. Half way there, curiosity got the best of me and I turned around to see what the man in the black suit was doing. He was still standing, in the same spot. The only difference this time was the scowl on his face. It looked like he expected me to do something.
Like what?
I wouldn't know what to do.
Greyhound buses don't have a back door going out the rear of the vehicle like school buses do. Sure, you can kick out the rear window if need be, but I am sure the man in the black suit isn't going to let me accomplish that feat.
I turned around, walked to the lavatory door, and as I opened it, I took one last look at him. Now his head was bent down, with his chin almost touching his chest. The intently peering eyes still held their gaze towards me, below his bushy eyebrows. I could have sworn, steam was coming out of his nose. Just like you see when bulls are about to charge a matador in those old Saturday morning cartoons.
I closed the door behind me, sat down on the toilet lid, and took a deep breath.
He was definitely not on my side, I thought.
But what to do now? Wait for the inevitable ball and chain by the Police? Get arrested and thrown in some dungeon on a military base? Never to see the light of day, ever again?
Or is it time to try and use the amulet against him? Make him do my bidding. Use the power of the amulet to destroy my enemies.
That is when I paused.
What has come over me? To destroy my enemies? To make someone do my bidding?
Absolute power, corrupts absolutely. And it corrupts weak minds too!
I usually don't belittle myself like that. You could say I am a pretty confident guy. But I know, I am not the right guy to wield such power. I have always been the guy keeping the powerful in check. Making sure they are accountable.
Who is going to watch me, if I figure out how to use the amulet to its full advantage?
If I remember correctly, didn't the Man from Mars tell me that the amulet could have been the cause the destruction of his home planet? Could I be holding something so powerful, that certain people would kill me to have it? And then try to rule the World?
I can't let the amulet fall into the hands of any government. Or any one person.
Especially me.
What I need to do, is return to its rightful owner. The Man from Mars
I don't know how long I was in the bathroom, but somebody started knocking on its door, saying, "Hurry up in there. There are other people on the bus you know. Who want to use the bathroom."
I opened the door, looked down the aisle, and saw Frankenstein's Monster still standing in the same place, in the same position.
I told myself, if I needed to, I would use the amulet one last time to get out of here so I can return it to the Man from Mars.
I'm no hero and I am certainly not capable of being responsible enough to hold such power.
I walked back up to my seat and sat down. The man in the suit sat back down too, and stared straight ahead.
I closed my eyes and found myself instantly inside a dream world. I was back on Mars again. I was headed to the head administration office of the whole planet. I was on my way to talk to the top executive.
In the dream, I realized there were no governments on Mars. Just one corporate entity, with one director, ruling over the whole place.
And only interested in one thing. The profit ledger.
I also felt in my reverie that the head honcho wasn't too happy with me. If I didn't play my cards right, I was in real trouble.
Trouble?
It felt so real though. My dream. How could I be in trouble?
I guess I'll just have to play out this dream in my head and see where it goes.
What could possibly go wrong?
To Be Continued...
Next Thursday.
This is,
Knowing I Could Never Have Absolute Power
But I Would Like To Try It For A Day Though
Jim Hauenstein,
And,
- Abraham Lincoln -
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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