The Common Man

by Clee Garson

only once himself.

  He was obviously enjoying the situation thoroughly and had planned itout in some detail. Besides the empty-faced Larry, who had driven thecar, they were introduced to two more of Crowley's confederates, neitherof whom gave any indication that the three were present under duress.The first was a heavy-set, moist palmed southerner with a false air ofthe jovial. He shook hands heartily, said nothing with a good many wordsfor a few minutes and then excused himself. The third confidant was anolder man of sad mien who would have passed easily in the swankest ofWashington, New York or London private clubs. He was introduced simplyas Mr. Whitely, greeted them pleasantly as though all were fellowguests, had a word to say about the weather then and passed on.

  Patricia was frowning. "Your southern friend, Paul Teeter, it seems tome I've heard his name before."

  Crowley grinned. "Oh, Paul's been in the news from time to time."

  Ross was looking after Mr. Whitely who had disappeared into the mainbuilding. They were standing on the lawn, as part of the guided tourCrowley was giving them. He growled, "I suppose the two of them areexperienced confidence men, or something."

  "Take it easy with those cracks, Ross," Crowley said. "Whitely used tohave a seat on the Stock Exchange. A real big shot. But that was beforethey disbarred him, or whatever they call it."

  "See here," Dr. Braun said urgently. "We've had enough of all this, Don.I propose we go somewhere where it will be possible for us to bring youto your senses, and save you from disaster."

  "Kind of a powwow, eh? O.K., Doc, come on in here." He led them to theentrance, conducted them inside and into a library that led off the main_entrada_. He said, "By the way, Larry has a few of his boys up herejust kind of like estate watchmen. Some of them aren't much used tobeing out of the city and they get nervous. So...."

  Ross growled, "All right, all right, don't try to make like a third-ratevillain in a B-Movie. You have guards about and it would be dangerous totry to leave without your permission."

  "How about that?" Crowley exclaimed as though amazed. "Man, you eggheadscatch on quick. Nothing like a college education." He waved them tochairs. "I'm going to have to leave for a while. Whitely's got some bigdeal brewing and we got to work it out." He grinned suddenly. "AndLarry's got a different kind of deal. One he's been planning for yearsbut hasn't been able to swing one or two details. It's a caution howmany details a little man who wasn't there can handle in one of theseking-size capers."

  He had used the pseudo-criminal term, caper, with considerablesatisfaction. Crowley was obviously having the time of his life.

  "Very well," Braun said, "we'll wait." When the other had left the room,leaving the door open behind him, the doctor turned to his two youngerassociates. "What children we've been."

  Ross Wooley growled unhappily, "Brother, we couldn't have picked a worseso-called Common Man, if we'd tried. That character is as nutty as astuffed date. Do you realize what he's in a position to do?"

  Patricia twisted her mouth thoughtfully. "I wonder if any of us reallyrealize. I am afraid even with all our speculation, we never trulythought this out."

  Dr. Braun pushed his glasses back on his nose with a forefinger. Heshook his head. "You make a mistake, Ross. We didn't make a bad choicein our selection of Don Crowley for our typical Common Man."

  Ross looked at him and snorted.

  Braun said doggedly, "Remember, we attempted to find the average man,the common man, the little man, the man in the street. Well, it becomesobvious to me that we did just that."

  Patricia said thoughtfully, "I don't know. I'm inclined to think thatfrom the beginning you two have underestimated Don. He has certainlyshown considerable ingenuity. Do you realize that he's done all this ina matter of less than a week?"

  "Done all _what_?" Ross said sarcastically.

  She gestured. "Look at this establishment. He's obviously acquiredconsiderable money, and he already has an organization, or at least thebeginnings of one."

  "That is beside the point," Braun said ruefully. "I say that he isreacting as would be expected. As the average man in the street wouldreact given the opportunity to seize almost unlimited power, and withsmall chance of reprisal."

  Patricia shrugged as though in disagreement.

  Braun looked at Ross Wooley. "Close the door, Ross. Lord knows whenwe'll have another chance to confer. Obviously, something must be done."

  Ross came quickly to his feet, crossed to the door, looked up and downthe hallway which was empty and then closed the door behind him. He cameback to the others and drew his chair in closer so that they couldcommunicate in low voices.

  Braun said, "One thing is definite. We must not allow him to securefurther serum. For all we know, he might be planning to inject some ofthose gangsters he's affiliated himself with."

  Patricia shook her head thoughtfully. "I still think you underestimateDon. He must realize he can't trust them. At this stage, he has had toconfide in at least two or three, fully to utilize his invisibility. Butin the long run it isn't to his advantage to have _anybody_ know aboutit. If the authorities, such as the F.B.I., began looking for aninvisible man, sooner or later they would penetrate the field ofinvisibility."

  "You mean you think Crowley will use these men for a time and then ...destroy them?"

  "He'll have to, or sooner or later the secret will be out."

  Braun said in soft logic, "If he can't allow anyone to know about it,then we, too, must be destroyed."

  Ross growled, "Then we've got to finish him first."

  Patricia said, "Now, I don't know. Don is showing considerably moresense than you two evidently give him credit for. I think in many wayswhat he's done is quite admirable. He's seen his chance--and has graspedit. Why, I wouldn't be surprised that Don will be the most powerful manin the country within months."

  The two men were staring at her. Ross sputtered, "Have you gonecompletely around the bend? Are you defending this ... this...."

  * * *

  A voice chuckled, "Mind your language, Buster. Just take it easy oryou'll wind up with some missing teeth."

  Ross jumped to his feet as though couched with an electric prod. Dr.Braun stiffened in his chair and his eyes darted about the room.

  Patricia alone seemed collected. "Don Crowley!" she exclaimed. "Youshould be ashamed of yourself, listening in on private conversations."

  "Yeah," the voice said. "However, it's handy to know what the other sideis dreaming up in the way of a bad time for you. Sit down, Buster. I'vegot a few things to say."

  Muttering, Ross resumed his place. The doctor sighed deeply and sankback onto the sofa he had been occupying. The three could see anindentation magically appear in the upholstery of an easy-chair acrossfrom them.

  Crowley's voice said confidently, "You know, from the first, I've kepttelling you eggheads that I'm not stupid, but none of you've bothered tolisten. You think just because you spent six or eight years of your lifein some college that you're automatically smarter than other people. ButI got a theory, like, that it doesn't make any difference if you spentyour whole life going to college, you still wouldn't wind up smart ifyou didn't start that way."

  Ross began to mutter something, but Crowley snapped, "Shut up for aminute, I'm talking." He resumed his condescending tone. "Just forexample, take a couple of guys who got to the top. Edison in science andKhrushchev in politics. For all practical purposes, neither of them wentto school at all. Khrushchev didn't even learn to read until he wastwenty-eight years old.

  "Then take Dr. Braun here. He's spent half his life in school, andwhere's it got him? He'd make more dough if he owned the local garageand dealer franchise for one of the automobile companies in somejerkwater town. And look at Ross. He'd probably make more money playingpro football than he does messing around with all those test tubes andBunsen burners and everything. What good has all the school doneeither?"

  Dr. Braun said gently, "Could we get to the point?"

  "Take it easy, Doc. I'm in charge he
re. You just sit and listen. Thepoint is, you three with your smart-Aleck egghead education started offthinking Mr. Common Man, like you call me, is stupid. Well, it just sohappens I'm not. Take Pat there. She's smarter than you two, but she hadthe same idea. That this here country boy isn't as smart as she is.She's going to fox him, see? As soon as she saw the way the cards werefalling, she started buttering up to me. She even figured out that I wasprobably right in this room listening to you planning how to trip me