“I am fairly certain that my talk about her brother’s cheating and her father’s stealing will weaken her spirits all the more. It is a good thing too, considering she is in charge of the school investigative team. Yes, her outlook on life will change if it hasn’t already. In a little while, she, along with the others, will be in the looney bin.”
Puppet says, “As you say, her mind will change as well. It is when people are the most vulnerable that our magic works its best.” He looks at his brother-in-law. “Am I right, Neville?”
“Yes,” Mister Sorrie replies. “The more we can distract our victims from their normal way of life, take away their sense of comfortableness and make them jumpy and edgy, the easier it is to achieve our goals. Without a doubt, we must continue to work on the boy and the Woodbine girl. We should do everything in our power to continue harassing the Scottish girl as well as Diana Jane Bower and their newest friend, Sophia, whatever her last name is. She is the one they call the Accountant.”
“It sounds okay to me,” Mister Cheaply mutters. He pours himself another cup of coffee. “Two things are bugging me.” Along with your continued use of the word magic when I know what you are doing is anything but magic. Then again, I won’t go there, at least not right now.
Puppet asks in a sarcastic tone, “Those two things bugging you are? Please enlighten us with your intellectual wisdom, David.” Mister Cheaply flashes Puppet a dirty look for dissing him.
Mister Cheaply says, “Why do the others refer to the Sophia girl as the Accountant? It sounds ominous to me, sort of weird. Why would an accountant be part of their group?”
Puppet and Mister Sorrie shrug their shoulders.
Mister Cheaply places his coffee cup on the table. He begins to count on his fingers as he says aloud in a sarcastic tone, “The boy, the, let me see, five girls. Wow! Will you look at that! What we have here is a whopping six, a trivial half-dozen! If you add the school principal, that is seven.” He throws his hands up in the air as he shakes his head disapprovingly.
“We have nearly forty-five hundred residents in this stupid town of ours. And all you can do is take on seven people that consist of one adult and six measly kids? What you are doing is ludicrous! Why go through all of the trouble of harassing seven people when there are thousands more out there? It just doesn’t make a lick of sense to me, no sense at all! How can we accomplish our goals when all we do is focus on seven people? If you add Chloe Brown’s friend, Anna, to the equation, we have a whopping eight people out of over four thousand!” He glares at the two men, and then he says, “What you are doing is preposterous. Also, the two of you are stupid!”
Puppet looks at his brother-in-law. Neville is smiling because of what David has said. He, along with Puppet, relishes getting under Mister Cheaply’s skin.
Puppet says calmly, “David, as I explained the other day, it has to start with the teenagers. Then it will spread like wildfire. When I first passed my coils of twine to unsuspecting Claymore residents nearly twenty years ago, most of those who gladly accepted my freebies were kids. Many were teenagers. Most of those kids are now adults.
“Assuming my calculations are anywhere near accurate, around one-third of those kids are now of child-bearing age. That means they have kids in the grammar and middle schools. The Claymore Grammar School is grades kindergarten to fifth grade. The middle school is grades six to eight.”
“I know all that,” Mister Cheaply snaps. “I sponsor sports and extracurricular programs of those two schools like I do for the high school. What is your point?”
Puppet says, “My point is this. Assuming one-third of the adults that were kids received coils of twine when I first arrived in this town, according to my calculations, at least a couple hundred of their kids are now in grammar and middle schools. Then there are the kids that accepted coils of twine over the twenty years. There must a couple thousand of Claymore’s residents susceptible to my magic, and a good portion of them are kids!”
“Okay, I see your point,” Mister Cheaply says hesitantly. “But what does this have to do, as I stated a second ago, with seven measly people, eight if you count the Anna girl?”
Mister Sorrie says, “We start with the teenagers, the six in question, all high schoolers. High school teenagers are the most mature, intelligent, and influential of all age groups, that is, of non-adults. The craziness of the cafeteria food fight and the ensuing gossip will drive the teenagers insane, especially when they consider the ongoing investigation. The madness will occupy their thoughts, their everyday discussions, and even their dreams. Soon, that is all they will talk about with their stupid friends.
“They will bring their troubles and tribulations home with them. They will have nightmares and tell their parents about them. Given the teenagers’ intelligence and important traits, what they perceive and talk about eventually will affect their parents. It is only a matter of time.” Mister Sorrie glances at his brother-in-law.
Puppet says, “We have a special surprise in store for the majority of the Claymore adults as well. Assuming everything goes according to plan, our bombshell may affect millions more.” He glances at Neville who is barely shaking his head. Puppet understands that his brother-in-law does not want him to reveal any details of the surprise. With a broad smile, Puppet says, “Anyway, David, I will tell you more of this later. It still is in the planning stage.”
Mister Cheaply says in a cold tone of voice, “I do not want you to misunderstand me when I say this. After all, the three of us are partners. Be that as it may, it has to be said.” He raises his voice. “What kind of garbage are you two selling anyway?” He stares at Puppet and Mister Sorrie one after the other. They do not reply.
“You’re talking rubbish whenever you mention magical coils of twine. Give me a darned break, gentlemen! I have a coil of your stupid twine, Reginald, and I must tell you – it is nothing but cheap hemp! There is nothing magical about it! You two talk about magic like it is real, an everyday occurrence in your lives. I know better. Therefore, do me a favor. Lay off the magic stuff, okay? It is wearing on my patience. I do not believe in magic, and I never will. Magic, things that go bump in the night, all sorts of fantasy and make-believe, are nothing but entertainment for immature minds, for children, and those who are too stupid to know otherwise!”
Mister Cheaply stares at Puppet briefly, and then he stares at Mister Sorrie. His eyes narrow as he grins nastily and exhales a long sigh.
“Okay, I got that off my chest. Where do we go from here?”
Puppet says in a calm voice, “You work on the principal and force her to terminate the investigation, or we wait until it dies a natural death. I consider the second option the most probable scenario. I seriously doubt the teenagers will find out much more. They may be knowledgeable, but we are a whole lot smarter than they are.”
Mister Sorrie says, “Assuming my suspicions are correct, the teenagers will think the woman was their principal. Four of the girls thought they heard the woman scream, and they believed the woman was pulling the Campbell girl into the room. The two others, the boy and the Woodbine girl, eventually will go along with what the others saw and heard. I have learned over the years that teenagers in a group setting need to reach consensus. It is uncomfortable to be the only teenager who doesn’t agree with what the others say, think, or do.” He laughs. “The boy and the Woodbine girl will come around. After all, it is easy to influence teenagers. Peer pressure wins over individualism every time.” Mister Sorrie nods his head at Puppet.
Puppet says, “Therefore, David, you must work on the principal. You start by threatening to withdraw your sponsorship support for her high school athletic and extracurricular programs. Somehow tie the sponsorship to the memo concerning the investigation. Tell her the investigation is a stupid, potentially embarrassing program that is hurting you and your fellow businessmen. She should come around.
“If she does not see things your way, immediately pull your sponsorship of something trivial, someth
ing innocuous such as the boring chess club.” He suddenly shouts, “I know! Threaten to pull your sponsorship of the swimming team. The swimming team is the pride of the alumni. The team has been the state champion twenty years in a row.” He laughs. “That will get her attention. If you were to pull your sponsorship, the swimming team would cease to exist in a heartbeat. The team travels throughout the state every weekend. Traveling costs loads of money as do hotels, food, and yes, trophies.”
“I can do that,” Mister Cheaply replies. “She is a firm, obstinate, strong-minded woman. I know from personal experience. It will be hard to break her, but I certainly will do as you recommend.” He places his hands on his hips and glares at the two men one by one. “As it concerns your share of our plan, I have my doubts you can accomplish your goals. What you have realized up to now has brought about zero results.”
Puppet looks at his Neville questionably. His brother-in-law nods his head, and then the two men look at Robert. Robert appears to comprehend what the two men are thinking. He has closed the book on his lap. He is glaring at his father.
The exchange of glances between Puppet and Mister Sorrie have not gone unnoticed by Mister Cheaply – nor has Robert’s glaring at his father. Mister Cheaply wonders if it is possible Robert somehow knows what the two men are about to say.
“Go ahead and tell him the story,” Mister Sorrie says. “It is but one of our greatest endeavors, even if it wasn’t successful.”
Puppet says, “David, I would like to tell you a story. Have you ever heard of the Whiskey Rebellion?”
Before Mister Cheaply can answer, Robert commands in a threatening voice, “Father, do not do it! I am warning you. Do not tell the story to Mister Cheaply! If you do, I will have no other choice. There will be no turning the clock back in time. Do you understand me?”
Puppet looks at Robert crossly. He shouts, “Shut up, Robert! How dare you tell me what to do in front of your uncle and David!” He turns to Mister Cheaply.
“David, I’ll ask again. Have you ever heard of the Whiskey Rebellion?”
Mister Cheaply replies, “Yes, of course. I remember reading about it in college.” He chuckles. “As a seller of fine wines and imported spirits of every kind imaginable, I dread one happening during this century.” He suddenly realizes that Puppet and Mister Sorrie are staring at him grim-faced. He also notices that Robert is continuing to stare at his father. Robert looks extremely angry.
Mister Cheaply suddenly shouts, “Wait for a second here! Let’s be serious and act like grownups! The three of you cannot be old enough to have participated in the rebellion. It occurred over two hundred years ago! What do you take me for, a moron?”
Even though he continues to scowl at his father threateningly, Robert addresses Mister Cheaply in his distinctive, high-pitched voice.
“Listen to what my father has to say, Mister Cheaply. Whether you believe him or not is your prerogative.” He glimpses at Mister Cheaply for a short time as he offers, “More to the point, there is no harm in reviewing your American history. Am I correct?” He resumes glaring at his father.
“Despite my desire that the story not be divulged to you, I know my boastful father will tell it just the same. Telling the story makes him feel important, whereas he truly is anything but important. He is nothing but a showoff. ” Robert looks at Mister Cheaply. The expression on his face is passive, heartless.
“I give you my word, Mister Cheaply. What my father is about to tell you is factual. After you hear the story, you can decide if you wish to continue partnering with him and my uncle.”
The pupils of Robert’s eyes suddenly appear to narrow into barely perceptible, frighteningly revolting, vertical slits. They remind Mister Cheaply of the staring, lidless eyes of a viper. He must shake his head back and forth a few times to clear the image from his mind.
Robert says in a biting tone, “Then again, Mister Cheaply, if you decide to continue partnering with them, you will proceed down an irreversible path. Just like them, and yes, just like me, you too can become immortal. Nonetheless, my dear sir, that choice is entirely up to my discretion. Cross me, hurt me, badmouth me, or conspire against me or the one that I love more than anything, and you will suffer the consequences.”
Mister Cheaply feels strangely mesmerized by Robert’s manner and softly spoken words. In spite of what he is experiencing, he suddenly laughs loudly. He shouts, “Stop right there!” He looks away from Robert, and then he looks at Puppet and Mister Sorrie in turn. He grins, and then he says in a skeptical tone, “Do you mean to tell me you are responsible for the Whiskey Rebellion, the same rebellion that occurred when George Washington was president? You have to be out of your minds! That would mean the three of you are over two hundred years old. What you are saying is impossible! You must take me for a fool!” He glares at Robert as he says with a brash snigger, “What are you, Robert, stupid or something? Because I am not!”
Robert immediately stands up. He points his finger ominously at Mister Cheaply. The expression on his face slowly turns to one of absolute hatred. Once again, the pupils of his mysterious, dark blue eyes gradually narrow into slits like those of a snake.
Robert screams, “Do not mock me, Mister Cheaply! Never mock me! Or, I swear to your God, you will regret it! Do you understand?” Mister Cheaply nods his head listlessly.
Robert slowly begins to regain his composure within the central part of his being. He lowers his hand to his side. He says with a self-controlled tone of voice, “Listen to what my father has to say, Mister Cheaply. Learn from his words and formulate your opinions. Subsequently, decide if you desire to continue partnering with my uncle, my father, and yes, with me, that is, if I even allow you to do so!”
Robert glares at his father yet again, and then he sits down on the couch. He picks up his book from the side table.
“Well, that was fun,” Puppet says in a scornful tone. He is staring at Robert with loathing. He looks at Mister Cheaply. “Anyway, David, do you want to hear our story or not?”
Mister Cheaply is deeply upset by what Robert has said. He is more upset at what he saw in Robert’s hateful expression, chiefly the opaqueness of Robert’s serpent-like eyes. Mister Cheaply continues to stare at Robert with a blank look. When he finally replies to Puppet’s question, his voice is shaky.
“I’m sorry. What was that you said, Reginald?”
“I asked if you want to hear our story?”
Mister Cheaply briefly glances at Puppet, and then he resumes staring at Robert. His voice still is unsteady when he replies. “Sure. Go ahead, Reginald. Tell your story. I am listening.”
Puppet clears his throat like he is about to make a famous speech or say something particularly significant.
“I am proud to say that the three of us played an important part in the Whiskey Rebellion. The rebels were steadfast in their struggle to come to blows against the Federal Government. The Distilled Spirits Tax of 1791 had upset them significantly. They were resolute. However, President Washington was likewise resolute. Regrettably, the opposition killed our rebel leader early on during the battle. Otherwise, there would have been even more bloodshed.” He glances at Mister Sorrie and Robert in turn. “We were hoping for more bloodshed.”
Mister Cheaply continues to stare at Robert. Puppet says rudely, “Are you even following what I am saying, David?”
Mister Cheaply says softly, “Sure, Reginald. I’m listening. You were talking about the Distilled Spirits Tax of 1791.”
Puppet continues with his story.
“President Washington proclaimed that he would not allow, and I quote, ‘a small portion of the United States [to] dictate to the whole union.’ Washington was very stubborn. He became the only sitting American President to lead troops in the field. Regrettably, at least in my opinion, the rebels quickly forewent the rebellion after the militia arrested 150 rebels. Then the quick pardoning of all of the rebels involved in the revolution had squashed our sober hopes for a renewal of hostilities a
nd a new revolt.’” He sighs deeply.
“In sum, David, I am proud to say that our involvement in the Whiskey Rebellion is but one of our many attempts to overthrow the United States Government. Unfortunately, the rebellion did not succeed. All the same, we have had many successes throughout the world. The French Revolution that began in 1789, and the assassination of the Archduke of Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914, are but two of our trophies, our conquest successes.
“We have had successes throughout the history of the United States as well, to include the American Civil War.” He frowns. “Even though the result did not go our way. However, I am confident things will ultimately change in our favor as we attempt to spread anarchy. They will encompass the ongoing conspiracy that involves our current, narcissistic and racist, mendacious president.” He loudly laughs as he says sarcastically, “Who would have ever believed, in their wildest dreams, we could get that goofball elected President of the United States?” Puppet glances over at Robert who is glaring at him once more.
“Nevertheless, I won’t go further into that plot right now since it is ongoing. However, David, this much I will say. Just wait until the next presidential election! If our current president doesn’t get reelected, there will be chaos, more chaos than the United States has ever seen since the American Civil War!” He glances at his brother-in-law.
Mister Sorrie says with a smirk, “Yes, you are correct. The president will never agree to relinquish,” he laughs sardonically, “his imperial, tyrannical domination of the peoples of our great nation without a fight. I predict he will declare that the opposition and news media rigged the election. He will elicit the support of the military and the police. That is why he has been sucking up to those organizations. Afterward, everything tumultuous that serves to divide the country in two will be our triumph yet again! We will have ourselves a vicious second civil war – conservatives on one side, liberals on the other. No matter which side prevails in the end, we will have accomplished our goal – revolution!”
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