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.Smith's group consisted of abanker, a stockbroker, an economist, a military strategist, a mathematician,an educator, a historian, a journalist, an engineer, and the former secretaryof state, who looked considerably more decorous than he had the last timeSmith saw him.His "Shake Your Booties" T-shirt had given way to a white linensuit that hung shapelessly on his shapeless body.Smith wondered about the peculiar collection of occupations designated forPhase Two of the Great Plan, but he said nothing.He was forced to attend themeeting, and he attended.Period.He would make no other contribution toAbraxas or his murdering council.The man named LePat, seated at the head of the long redwood conference table,chaired the meeting.Behind him was a large blank projection screen.He was achanged man from the timid dormouse who had stood, hat in hand, at Smith'sdoorway in the middle of the night.Now an aura of confidence surrounded him.His manner was efficient and commanding.The born bureaucrat, Smith mused, comfortable only when enmeshed in a net ofrigid rules.Aside from LePat's mannerism of stroking his patent-leather hair,he seemed as much at ease as the imperturbable Circe, who sat on a cornerdivan near a film projector, smoking a cigarette.Directly across from her was a television camera, humming as it swung in itscontinuous arc around the table."And, at last we come to the final delegate in the Phase Two task force, a manwhose brilliance in the field of computer science will broach new horizons andforever benefit mankind in his work for the Great Plan of Abraxas," LePatsaid."Gentlemen, I present to you Dr.Harold W.Smith.Please rise, Dr.Smith, and tell us about yourself and your views on the world and how we ofthe intelligentsia may improve it."Polite applause sprang up, along with shouts for more of Samuel Longtree'spink firewater.Smith remained seated."Call the American embassy," he said directly into thecamera."I'm here against my will."LePat sputtered.The camera stopped in its arc and rested on Smith."But Dr.Smith ""Leave him alone," came a highly amplified voice from all four walls at once.The other delegates fell silent, searching the room for the source of thesound.LePat's mouth dropped open.After a moment, a whispered buzz ofexcitement circulated around the table."I am Abraxas," the voice declared, a deep, full bass sounding like aproclamation of Moses.The whispers turned to gasps as the delegates clasped one another frenziedlyand slogged down the pink cocktails.Only Smith was unimpressed.He folded hisarms in front of his chest and continued to stare at the camera.Page 51 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe voice answered his unspoken challenge."Dr.Smith, do I detect somehostility from you toward our benevolent conference?""Oh, no," LePat said quickly, his veneer of self-control shattered."Let the doctor speak for himself."Smith answered, his expression unchanging."That is correct," he said.Theroom fell again to silence.Even Circe stubbed out her cigarette and satupright, a wave of apprehension crossing her face."The 'benevolence' of thisso-called conference is a farce.I have been brought here against my will andmy personal belongings have.been taken by force.That, as far as I'mconcerned, is kidnapping and theft.I don't know what sort of brainwashingyou're carrying on here with your pink drinks and subliminal suggestions to domurder, but you're not going to make an Orville Peabody out of me."The room burst into chaos.Shouts rose up from the delegates.The Belgianeconomist sitting next to Smith jumped up and lunged for him."You can't talkthat way to Abraxas," he shouted, grabbing Smith by the collar.A high whistle pierced the din and silenced it."Gentlemen," the deep voicesaid, unruffled.The economist released Smith and took his seat along with theother delegates."Dr.Smith's reservations are well taken." The camera moved from its focus onhim and resumed its wide, sweeping arc.At the doorway, where she hadstationed herself in case of an emergency, Circe breathed a sigh of relief andwalked back to her place on the divan."You have all been patient these many days, waiting while our assembly hasgathered from around the world.During this time little has been revealed toyou about the true work of this conference.I am speaking with you now toelucidate those plans so that we may begin together, as we will end, in aunity and harmony and peace that will spread to the four corners of theearth.""Then start with how you turned Peabody and the other two innocent men intoassassins," Smith said."That was not the case, as you will come to understand," the voice saidcalmly.More pitchers of the pink beverage were passed around.Smith pushedhis glass away with disdain."For all the ages of man, war and self-interest have destroyed any possiblecooperation between the peoples of the world.Where great progress might havebeen made, the ends of mankind have constantly been thwarted by pettyprovocations.I wish to see this unhappy state ended once and for all, so thatthe true potential of the human race may be realized."Smith stifled a yawn."My plan to accomplish this has been divided into three parts: Unity, Harmony,and Peace.Phase One of the Plan, Unity, will bring together the disparateelements of society under one common banner.""Yours," Smith muttered under his breath."Yes, mine." The camera swept past him."Abraxas will not harm those under hisguidance.Mr.Peabody and the others were the beginning of Phase One, rootingout the sources of true evil in the world and making it a better place toPage 52 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmllive.Already people in every country are calling the elimination of the threeterrorists a major step forward in the attainment of world peace.Some of therotten flesh of the body of mankind has been cut away, and the instruments ofsurgery Peabody, Groot, and Soronzo, have grown to the stature of legends.""They are dead," Smith said levelly."Yes.And in death they have achieved immortality.""It was a bone," Smith said.The eyes of the delegates shifted to him.Smithmet them."A bone thrown to the dogs.An empty gesture.The purpose of thosekillings could only have been to dupe whoever was on the receiving end ofthose subconscious television messages into believing that this Abraxascharacter is some sort of Lone Ranger, spreading good wherever he goes." Hescanned the blank faces of the delegates."Don't you understand? Threeterrorists.It was nothing!""It was not even announced that the executions were my work," the voice on theloudspeaker said."Peabody announced it.In a way that made every journalist in the world payattention."The voice rumbled a low laugh."Very well.I concede the point.The murderswere committed to propagate the name of Abraxas.Are you satisfied, Smith?"Smith sat down, bewildered.Abraxas had just admitted that his "benevolentconference" was a sham.And yet the faces around the table remained unchanged,staring up reverently at the camera.It didn't make any difference to them, Smith realized with sickening clarity.Good or bad, saint or killer, Abraxas had taken their minds and swallowed themwhole."Those men were trained to perform their tasks through the medium oftelevision," the voice continued crisply."As many of you know, they wereinstructed by subliminal messages transmitted through ordinary televisionprograms.The same can be done on a larger scale, bringing the message ofAbraxas to millions
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