"Return With a Vengeance" [PG-13] - 12/18

"RETURN WITH VENGEANCE"

CHAPTER 12

Cole disconnected his cordless telephone and sighed. Another call from Suzanne Maxwell. Or should he say . . . Crozat? Earlier this morning, he had called his old friend and Cecile's boyfriend to check the so-called "widow's" background. As for Mrs. Maxwell, she had just invited him for a late night supper at her home in Palo Alto. Cole wondered what she had in store for him.

A quick glance at his watch read six forty-five. He was due at Suzanne's house in a little over two hours. Quickly stripping off his clothes, Cole dumped them on the sofa and headed for the bathroom, for a quick shower.

Hot water poured down his body, providing Cole a welcome relief from the stress of the past two days. Poor Paige. He still found it hard to believe that his former sister-in-law had been attacked by a bokor possessing Darryl Morris' body. And as for the good inspector, if it is true that Dako now possessed him, he must be in a state of hell right now. Cole only hoped that Darryl's experiences might proved to be less of a disaster than his own possession by the Source, last spring.

The past seven months flashed through Cole's mind. Had his life really turned out that disastrous? At least during the past month? It still pained him that the Halliwells, especially Phoebe, viewed him with such dislike. Despite Olivia's words that Phoebe might still be in love with him, Cole doubted that the middle Halliwell would be willing to give him a second chance. And to be honest, Cole did not really feel that upset by the possibility. Perhaps he was finally learning to live his life without Phoebe's love. Or perhaps it was the friendship of a certain red-haired witch that now made his life bearable.

Or was it friendship? Cole decided that friendship seemed the perfect word to describe his relationship with Olivia McNeill. By the way she always spoke of her late fiancé, she was obviously still in love with Richard Bannen. And for some reason, it bothered Cole. Why? Did he fear that Olivia's feelings for Bannen might ruin any chance for future love? Did her mourning over another man - dead or alive - filled Cole with jealousy?

Cole nearly laughed at the idea of him being jealous over some woman other than Phoebe. It was ridiculous! Well, almost. He still recalled his reaction the last time Olivia had mentioned Bannen's name. And his irritation at that low life, Gunther Weiss, who tried to proposition Olivia. Instead of laughing, Cole shook his head in disbelief. Life can certainly be . . .

'Help! Anyone, help me! I'm being attacked!'

The voice hit Cole's psyche with such force that he nearly slipped in the shower stall. The voice. It sounded as if it belonged to . . . Harry McNeill. Cole shook his head. Maybe he was imagining things. Grabbing his sponge, he began to . . .

'Help! Please help! Darryl is attacking me!'

Cole definitely recognized Harry's voice. Since Olivia's younger brother happened to be a telepath, it could only mean one thing . . . the youngest McNeill was in serious trouble.

* * * *

The voice took Phoebe by surprise. She gasped out loud. Oddly enough, so did Piper and Leo. The two witches and the whitelighter stood inside the Halliwell kitchen, staring at each other.

"Did you hear that?" Phoebe asked. "I don't think that was a premonition." She stared at her sister and brother-in-law. "I know you two heard that voice. Right?"

Piper replied, "Yeah, I heard it, too." She returned the ladle in her hand, on the table and turned off the stove. "For a moment, I thought it was the baby, or . . ."

A frowning Leo shook his head. "Not the baby. Harry. I think he's trouble. And that Darryl is part of it. We have to help."

* * * *

"Don't worry, Sheila," Olivia assured her partner's wife over the telephone. "I'll find Darryl. I'm sure that he's okay. Just don't . . . don't tell anyone else at the precinct that he's missing. As far as Captain McPherson is concerned, Darryl has been home . . . sick."

A pause followed. Then Sheila asked, "Has this something to do with the Halliwells?"

The question nearly floored Olivia. She knew that Darryl had kept the Halliwells' and her secret from Sheila, but she had no idea that the latter harbored some suspicions about the three sisters. What should she say? Olivia took a deep breath. "I rather doubt it. Maybe Darryl is still working on the DiMatteo case. He seemed very . . . I don't know, obsessed about it. You know how Darryl can be when he becomes obsessed over a case. However, I'm sure that he's fine. I'm still loo. . ."

'Help! Anyone, help me! I'm being attacked!'

The voice rang in Olivia's mind. It sounded like it belonged to Harry. Which meant that her little brother was in trouble. Realizing that she had to cut this telephone call short, Olivia continued, "Uh, Sheila? Don't worry about Darryl. I'll find him. Meanwhile, don't tell anyone else that he's missing. Please."

Sheila Morris murmured a subdued "Okay" and hung up. The moment Olivia hung up her telephone another cry invaded her mind. 'Help! Please help! Darryl is attacking me!' Oh great! She turned to Cecile. "Did you just hear . . .?"

"Harry's voice?" the other woman finished. "Yeah, I did. Where is he?"

A figure materialized in the middle of Olivia's living room. It was Cole, dressed in a dark pullover sweater and trousers. And he seemed to be . . . slightly wet. "I thought I heard Harry's voice," he declared. "Sounded like he was in trouble."

"We heard it too," Olivia replied. "His telepathy must really be growing."

Cecile added, "If Darryl or Dako is attacking him, we better leave. Now."

"Hold on." Cole grabbed the two women's hands and beamed out of the apartment.

* * * *

The attack had come so fast that Harry felt lucky to be alive. One moment, he was examining a list of figures for a new company that McNeill Incorporated had purchased and the next thing he knew, one Inspector Darryl Morris had materialized in the middle of his office.

Harry tossed a file aside and stood up. "Hey Darryl! What . . . how did you get here?" At that moment, the police inspector raised his hand and a bolt of lightning spewed forth. Years of martial arts training kicked in and Harry immediately dropped to the floor. The lightning bolt destroyed his chair, instead.

'What the hell?' Harry thought, as he scrambled away from his desk. Another lightning bolt came his way. This time, Harry jumped away, missing the second bolt by inches. In a fit of panic, he sent a telepathic SOS - something he had never done before. 'Help! Anyone, help me! I'm being attacked!'

Darryl attacked again with a third bolt. It hit its target and pain exploded in Harry's right side. He immediately sent another message - 'Help! Please help! Darryl is attacking me!'

Harry began to crawl toward an empty spot between the liquor cabinet and the bookcase. It was a hopeless gesture. Darryl merely followed him, until he found himself cornered between the two pieces of furniture. A smirk appeared on the inspector's face before he declared, "Say hello to Ghede for me."

Darryl raised his hand. Harry heard a voice cry out, "Darryl, don't!" And then he blacked out.

* * * *

Cole, along with Olivia and Cecile, beamed inside Harry's office. They had arrived just in time to see the Vodoun sorcerer in Darryl's body, fling the Halliwells and Leo across the room, using telekinesis. They also saw Dako/Darryl glaring at his victims.

Piper immediately scrambled to her feet and tried to freeze Dako. She failed. The sorcerer shot a bolt of lightning at her. Without even doing anything, she deflected his attack and the lightning bolt dissipated. The baby, Cole surmised, must have given her the power of deflection. Which meant that Dako was no more powerful than the Halliwell-Wyatt baby. Or, Cole hoped, himself.

Using telekinesis, Dako flung Piper across the room, once more. Then he leveled his hand at Harry for a final strike. This time, Olivia used her telekinesis to budge the sorcerer. And she did . . . for only a few feet. The sorcerer faced her with enraged eyes and seconds later, she found herself joining the Halliwells.

Cole almost cried out, "No!". Instead, he struggled to keep his emotions in check. This was not the time to give in to anger or fear. Especially with Dako now eyeing him. The half-demon attempted to manipulate the bokor's mind, convince the latter to stop the attacks. He failed. Not only did he fail, he also attracted the sorcerer's anger.

"Nice try!" the bokor boomed with Darryl's deep voice. Then Dako sent a bolt of lightning toward Cole's direction. Olivia yelled something, but Cole did not hear. Instead, he deflected the sorcerer's attack and the bolt struck Dako squarely in the chest. Seconds later, some kind of dark spirit rose from Darryl's body. But only for a brief moment. It quickly returned inside the body and Dako/Darryl disappeared.

Cecile stared in horror at the spot that the bokor had previous occupied. "Good Lord!" she exclaimed. "That was Dako? How in the hell are we supposed to defeat someone like that?"

Cole quickly knelt beside Harry to check for injuries. The red-haired young man was unconscious, but alive. Thankfully. Cole called for the whitelighter. "Leo, over here. He needs your help."

The whitelighter scrambled over to the witch. He placed his hand over the young man's side. A white glow indicated that the latter's wound had been healed. "Are you okay, Harry?" Leo finally asked.

The youngest McNeill fluttered his eyes momentarily, before he managed to croak, "Yeah. I'm alive, thank goodness. But I feel a little sore. Jeez! That guy sure packs a punch. And that wasn't even a killing blow." He sat up.

"Hey! Turner!" The cry came from Piper, who along with Olivia and Phoebe, managed to scramble to her feet. She glared at Cole. "Next time, take it easy when you deflect an attack, will you? You could have hurt Darryl!"

Cole sighed. Naturally, he could not spent two minutes in the same room with a Halliwell without receiving a snarky comment. "Sorry about that. I barely deflected his attack and I didn't think it would affect . . ."

"That seems to be a problem with you, doesn't it?" Phoebe strode toward Cole, hands on hips and her eyes brimming with anger. "You never seem to think! Why is it that everything you do or touch ends in death? Darryl could have been killed! But in typical fashion," she continued, throwing her hands in the air with exasperation, "you resort to your true nature and . . ."

Olivia cried out loud, interrupting Phoebe. "Stop it! Both of you! This bitch-and-moan session is getting boring!"

"Cole could have hurt Darryl!" Phoebe retorted.

Olivia shot back, "And Darryl . . . I mean, Dako could have hurt all of us! Just be glad that no one was permanently killed this time! Besides," her voice grew more reflective, "we might have a way to free Darryl from Dako, if a potion or spell doesn't work."

Piper now glared at Olivia. "By hurting Darryl?"

"Perhaps." Olivia glared at the two Halliwells. "I seemed to recall Leo telling me about the time when Prue stabbed you, Piper, in order to free you from some non-corporeal spirit. Is that true?" The two sisters looked away. Cole gave Olivia a grateful smile. She responded with one of her own.

A morose Phoebe murmured, "I don't think we'll have to resort to such drastic measures. Piper and I were working on a potion, before we heard Harry's call."

Cecile offered to help create the potion. "I can help. It might need a touch of Voudon magic," she added.

"Thanks, but we're doing just fine," Phoebe responded uneasily. "We've got the Power of Two and Piper's baby." She grabbed her sister's hand. "Let's get out of here." Leo grabbed hold of the Halliwells' shoulders.

"Wait!" Cecile cried. "It'll probably be better if I . . ." The Halliwells and Leo orbed away before she could finish. The Vodoun priestess snarled with anger. "Dammit! What the hell is wrong with them?" She rounded on Cole. "How in the hell did you put up with them for so long?"

Cole responded with a silent shrug. It was something he had pondered over a lot - especially during the past three months. Phoebe no longer seemed to be a plausible answer. Sighing, he picked up the semi-conscious Harry and slung the latter over his shoulder. "Okay, ladies. It's time to go. Ready?" Both Olivia and Cecile took hold of an arm and Cole beamed the entire party out of the office.


END OF CHAPTER 12

Famous Hollywood Cars

Below are some famous cars from Hollywood films and television:


FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD CARS

BACK TO THE FUTURE


Emmett Brown's DeLorean ("Back to the Future Trilogy" 1985; 1989-1990)



Biff's Ford Convertible ("Back to the Future" 1985; "Back to the Future II" 1989)



THE BLUES BROTHERS


Dodge Monaco ("The Blues Brothers" 1980)



SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT


Pontiac Trans Am ("Smokey and the Bandit" 1977)



THE DUKES OF HAZARD


General Lee ("The Dukes of Hazard" 1979-1985)


General Lee ("The Dukes of Hazard" 2005)


MAGNUM P.I.


Ferrari 308 ("Magnum P.I. 1980-1988)



THE SAINT


Volvo ("The Saint" 1962-1969)



BATMAN


Batmobile ("Batman" 1965-1968)



Batmobile ("Batman Begins" 2005; "The Dark Knight" 2008)



JAMES BOND


Aston-Martin ("Goldfinger" 1964)



Aston-Martin ("Casino Royale" 2006)



Lotus Esprit ("The Spy Who Loved Me" 1977)

"Misunderstanding Willie Scott"

"MISUNDERSTANDING WILLIE SCOTT"

One of the special feature clips for my "LAST CRUSADE" DVD featured a take on the characters featured in the Indiana Jones franchise - love interests, villains and side kicks. When "Indy's Friends and Enemies" focused on Indy's love interests, the subject eventually came upon the leading lady of "TEMPLE OF DOOM" - Willie Scott.

Now, I am aware that poor Willie has never been popular with the majority of Indiana Jones fans. She is probably the least popular of Indy's three love interests in the films. I just want to make it clear that I do not share this opinion of Willie. I have liked her since I first saw "TEMPLE OF DOOM" twenty-four years ago. But while watching this special feature about the franchise's characters, it occurred to me that not only was Willie universally disliked, there was a possibility that she was misunderstood as well.

In "Indy's Friends and Enemies", the franchise's director, Steven Spielberg, made a monumentally stupid and misguided comment about Willie Scott. He had described Willie as a showgirl who also happened to come from a rich and privileged background. In other words, Willie was a showgirl who was originally a rich and spoiled woman who was not used to the great outdoors. Either Spielberg was suffering from senility when he did this interview, or he had never really paid much attention to the character’s background.

During their journey to Pankot Palace, Willie revealed to Indy and Short Round that he grandfather had been a magician who died a poor man. Near the end of the film, she made it clear that she came from Missouri:

"I'm going home to Missouri, where they never ever feed you snake before ripping your heart out and lowering you into hot pits. This is not my idea of a swell time!"

And according to the novelization for ”THE TEMPLE OF DOOM”, Willie Scott had been born on a farm in Missouri. She had ambitions to become a success in Hollywood. Unable to get a break in Depression-era Hollywood, she made her way to Shanghai, where she became a nightclub singer. Considering that she had been born on a farm, one would assume that she was used to the outdoors. However, it seemed apparent to me that a life on a dirt farm was not for her and she wanted the finer things in life – including a successful career as an entertainer of sorts.

I do not think that Willie was not used to being pampered. I suspect that she WANTED a life of privilege. She wanted to be pampered. And Willie was prepared to latch herself to anyone able to give her that life. Which would explain her becoming the mistress of the rich Shanghai gangster, Lao Che . . . or her interest in the Maharajah of Pankot before learning that he was a child.

Willie Scott was not what Steven Spielberg had described her - a spoiled, rich woman used to a life of privilege. She was a woman from a poor background who wanted a better life for herself . . . at almost any cost. Willie was a gold digger, plain and simple. How this managed to escape Spielberg is beyond me.

"SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" (2008) Photo Gallery

Below are images from Danny Boyle's 2008 Academy Award winning film, "SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE". The movie starred Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor: 


"SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" (2008) Photo Gallery

"AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" (1989) Photo Gallery

Below is a gallery featuring photos from the 1989 miniseries, "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS". Based upon Jules Verne's novel and directed by Buzz Kulik, the three-part miniseries starred Pierce Brosnan, Eric Idle, Julia Nickson and Peter Ustinov:


"AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" (1989) Photo Gallery

"Return With a Vengeance" [PG-13] - 11/18

"RETURN WITH A VENGEANCE"

CHAPTER 11

"Who in the hell is Dako?" a perplexed Piper Halliwell demanded. "I feel like I've been asking that question ever since we left the hospital."

The grandfather clock inside the McNeill manor read three-forty. After nearly an hour in the operation room, Paige's doctor had declared her stable. He also advised her family and friends to leave, since the only thing left for her to do was rest. The Halliwells, the two McNeill women, Cecile, Leo and Cole accepted the doctor's advice and headed for the McNeill home to discuss the situation.

Cecile spoke up. "Dako was a bokor. A sorcerer who practiced dark magic."

"Was?"

Cole added, "He was an eighteenth-century bokor." Cecile glanced at him. Cole stared back. "Andre once told me about him."

"And who is this Andre?" Phoebe asked.

Cecile replied, "My boyfriend."

"How do you know about him?" Phoebe directed her question at Cole. There was something in her manner that annoyed Cecile. It seemed almost accusatory. Suspicious.

Apparently, Cole felt the same. Instead of answering his ex-wife's question, he snapped back, "Why do you want to know?" He gave her a cool stare. Phoebe looked away.

Sensing the tension in the drawing room, Cecile continued, "Dako was a powerful 18th century bokor who was the illegitimate son of a female sorcerer and a Dahomey prince. At least we think so. The mother named her son after her lover's ancestor, a 16th century king named Dako. After his mother's death, Dako had offered his services to a local trader. Needless to say, thanks to Dako, the trader became a rich landlord, and later something of a tyrant. His people killed the former landlord and tried to get rid of Dako. They failed. Unfortunately for them, Dako took over his former employer's holdings and property and became an even worse tyrant."

"From what Andre told me," Cole continued, "a powerful houngan, or Vodoun priest named Ehioze eventually came up with a spell to vanquish Dako." He added, "And please don't ask me what that spell is, because I don't know. But Cecile might."

Leo asked, "Why is that?"

Cecile sighed. "Because one of my ancestors was a houngan named Ehioze." All eyes turned to her. "Unfortunately, I have no idea what that spell is. It probably hasn't been used in over two centuries."

Olivia added, "And how does Darryl fit in all this?"

With a shrug, Cecile replied, "Looks like he's been possessed by Dako's spirit."

"His spirit?" Piper shook her head. "I thought you said that Dako had been vanquished."

"He was," Cecile insisted. "His corporeal body was destroyed and his spirit, sent to the afterlife. Apparently, someone has managed to summon his spirit, again. Maybe those warlocks you've been so concerned about. Vodouns believe that death isn't permanent. Which is why it’s possible that Dako's spirit still exists."

Phoebe sighed. "Great! Because some sorcerer's spirit refuses to die, our friend might be possessed and our sister is in the hospital. Why couldn't he just stay dead like the other demon and warlocks we've gone against?"

"Ten to one, their spirits aren't completely gone, either," Cecile commented. "Look at the Source. Despite you killing him, he managed to possess Cole."

Both Halliwell sisters stared at Cecile. Then at Cole. "Possessed?" Piper said in an arch tone. She glared at the half-daemon. "Is that what he told you?"

"Yeah, I did," Cole retorted. "Is there a problem?"

Another moment of uncomfortable silence followed. Then Piper spoke up. "Since we don't have the spell to vanquish this Dako, does anyone have any other ideas? Perhaps a potion?"

Olivia commented, "I'm sure that we can get our hands on that spell." She glanced at Cecile. "Maybe your parents or Andre might know where it can be found. Then you can use it."

"Why don't we just create a potion or a spell to vanquish it?" Phoebe asked. Everyone stared at her. Especially Cecile. "I mean, why is it so important that Cecile use that particular spell?"

"Because she's Vodoun," Olivia coolly replied. "And the spell that had been used to vanquish Dako came from a Vodoun priest. Chances are a Vodoun would know the right spell to use."

Leo frowned. "Are you saying that those who don't practice Voodoo . . ."

"Vodoun," Olivia corrected. Cecile smiled at her friend's blunt tone.

"Right, Vodoun. Are you saying that those who don't practice it, cannot vanquish this guy?"

Olivia sighed. "All I’m saying, Leo, is that a Vodoun spell might be the correct one to use against Dako. And I don’t recall Piper and Phoebe being Vodoun practitioners."

Cecile realized that her friend's answer deserved an explanation. "You have to understand. Vodoun is an ancestral religion. West African ancestry. The spirits of those like Dako – whether they are good or evil, are part of that ancestry. This spirit is also known as the Diaspora. And those who possessed the Diaspora are namely those with West African ancestry in their blood."

"Not exactly an equal opportunity religion, is it?" Piper murmured sarcastically. However, she had spoken loud enough for the others to hear. Including Cecile.

The New Orleans glared at the oldest Halliwell. She did not care for the witch's words or tone. "I’m sorry. What was that?" she demanded coldly.

"What?" Piper's eyes widened in innocence. Too late, as far as Cecile was concerned. "I didn't . . ."

Cecile snapped back, "Do you know anything about Vodoun?"

An embarassed Piper cleared her throat. "Uh . . . no, I don't. Sorry."

Her eyes still boring into the oldest Charmed One's, Cecile relaxed. Somewhat. "It's okay. Apology accepted. As for Vodoun, non-Africans who are interested are not excluded. In fact, you don’t have to be born in Africa or have brown skin to have African ancestry. But Vodoun is an ancestral religion, like it or not. Those with no ancestral ties to West Africa probably lack the lwa or spirit. Of course . . .” Her mouth briefly curved in a mischievous smile. “. . . there is a good chance that all of us in this room might have some African ancestry.”

Piper’s eyes grew wide before she murmured, “Oh. Huh. Yeah, of course.”

Cecile returned her gaze to Olivia. "I'll call my folks and Andre, tonight. See if they know how to get their hands on that spell and a potion to free your friend, Darryl. If not, I'll try to think of something. Meanwhile, I suggest you all keep your eyes open for Dako. He's very powerful. And I'm not joking."

"She's right," Cole added. "Andre told me that he might be more powerful than the Source."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Again, how do you know about this Andre?"

Cole hesitated. He glanced at Cecile, who merely shrugged. "Andre is Cecile's boyfriend." He paused. "And he’s also an old friend of mine. Andre used to . . ."

"He used to be a bokor," Cecile finished bluntly. "Like Dako. Only Andre decided to reject black magic and become a houngan."

Cole added, "Andre and I first met ten years ago. During my glory days as Belthazor. He was a bokor at the time."

Unease crept into Phoebe's eyes. "Wait. Are you saying that your boyfriend used to be evil?"

"Well, he practiced magic for evil purposes. If that's what you mean." Cecile gave Phoebe a direct stare. "Anything else?"

Phoebe turned away. "No. I guess not." She immediately switched to the subject of their present problem. "As for Dako, I guess we should be able to handle him. Vodoun or not, we are the Charmed Ones. I mean, with the two of us and the magic of Piper's baby, we should be able to handle him." Phoebe hesitated, as she spared Cole a glance. "Or maybe Cole can."

In other words, Cecile translated, the Halliwells planned to create a potion or spell to use against Dako. Despite Olivia's warning. She shot a look at her friend . . . who merely glanced away. How on earth did Cole Turner fall for this one? Cecile failed to see the attraction.

"We still have one matter to consider," Olivia added. "Darryl. Before Cecile can vanquish Dako, we have to free Darryl. I mean, after all, we don't want a repeat performance of an innocent getting killed, along with evil."

Phoebe opened her mouth for a retort. Not one word came out. Piper glared at the red-haired witch. Leo merely squirmed with discomfort. Mrs. McNeill maintained an innocent expression. Cecile glanced at Cole, whose mouth formed the beginning of a smirk. Apparently, everyone fully understood the implications behind Olivia's words.

The phone rang. Olivia's cell phone. She stood up and walked away from the others, while they continued to discuss Dako. The Halliwells made plans to create a potion that would free Inspector Morris' from the bokor's spirit. Cole tried to explain that it might not be possible for them to accomplish this, but both sisters seemed determined to ignore him.

Olivia returned to the group, looking grim. "What's wrong?" her mother asked.

"It's Mallard. Ben Mallard. He's a U.S. Customs agent I told Cole about. It seems that he's dead. Someone found his body in an alley off Kearny Street. Stabbed with a sharp object."

* * * *

Ben Mallard's employers proved to be very difficult. And uncooperative. They tried to claim Federal jurisdiction over the agent's death, but Olivia reminded the agency's head that Mallard's body had been discovered by a city police officer. And that the agent had been linked to a local murder.

Following a cool interview with the office's head honcho, Olivia interviewed Mallard's secretary. She was a pleasant-looking woman in her late thirties named Ms. Dominguez. "Nothing special really happened, today," the latter said. "In fact, Mr. Mallard had lunch inside his office."

Olivia asked, "So why did he leave the office early, today? A meeting?"

Ms. Dominguez, who continued to look stunned over her boss' death, paused to wipe a few tears from her eyes. "He had received a call after lunch. No, wait. The phone never rang. It was sometime after one, when I got back from lunch. I saw Mr. Mallard on the telephone. He immediately left after the call." The secretary led Olivia to Malllard's office. "I think I saw him scribble something on his calendar pad, before he left."

A quick glance at the calendar pad revealed an address scrawled in Mallard's handwriting. 5725 Kearny. Right next to the alley where the agent's body had been found. Olivia flipped through the previous pages. She spotted an inscription on the page for Tuesday - ”S.S. Enigma; Pier 34 @ 11:30 am." Interesting. What was so important about the S.S. Enigma? Olivia felt tempted to ask Mallard's supervisor. However, instinct told her that he might prove to be difficult.

"Is there anything else you want?" Ms. Dominguez asked.

Olivia shook her head and smiled. "Not at the moment. I'm afraid I have a dead end, here. But I might return with more questions." You can bet your sweet ass I will.

* * * *

"What happened to the Halliwell witch?" Cousin Henry demanded. "She's still alive. And so is the McNeill witch!" Edward winced, as his cousin confronted the Vodoun sorcerer with his usual bluntness.

Seconds later, a bolt of lightning struck the warlock and sent his body crashing into a wall, thanks to Dako. The latter glared at Cousin Henry's semi-conscious body. At least Edward hoped that the man was semi-conscious. "Don't you ever talk to me in that tone, again!" Dako boomed. Then he glared at the others. "Either learn to hold your tongue or suffer the consequences! All of you!"

Three of the other Crozats squirmed with discomfort. Edward bowed deeply to the bokor. "Yes, Your Eminence. It will never happen, again." Silently, he damned the turn of events. Nothing seemed to be going well. Dako not only failed to kill both Paige Matthews and Olivia McNeill, the latter managed to discover Ben Mallard's connections to the janitor that Rudolf had killed. Which forced Edward to order the death of the Customs' agent. Even more frustrating, Suzanne had failed to begin the first step that would give them Belthazor's powers. In other words, everything seemed to be going wrong. Perhaps he should use the spell given to him by his old friend, William Dagbani, and vanquish Dako. And find another way to get rid of the McNeills and the Halliwells.

"As for the two witches," Dako continued less spiritedly, "I could not kill the one with the red hair. Someone had appeared. As for the other witch . . ." He looked disturbed. "This mortal . . . Morris . . . He stopped me from killing her and the old couple. He is stronger than I had thought possible. Are you sure he is a mortal?"

Keeping his frustration in check, Edward assured the bokor that Darryl Morris was mortal. He delicately added, "Perhaps you're not as strong as you thought, Your Eminence." The other Crozats stared at him as if he had gone insane. Edward ignored them.

Morris/Dako gave the warlock a long, hard stare. "You might have a point," he finally conceded. Relief flooded through Edward's body. "Perhaps I need a little more meditation to gain more control over this body. But first, I will go after the third witch you had recommended. This Harry McNeill. Where can I find him?"

Edward replied that the McNeill telepath could be found at the family's business office. "At the McNeill-Ross Building on Montgomery. According to my nephew, his office is located on the 23rd floor. He usually works late at night. At least on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. And today is Thursday. He should be alone."

The sorcerer paused. Gave Edward another piercing stare. "Is there something I should know about this particular witch? You failed to inform me that the last one could teleport."

Fear threatened to overwhelm Edward. He took a deep breath and answered, "Other than him being a telepath . . . no. And I apologize for failing to inform you everything about the other witch. I should have. As for this second McNeill witch, not only is he a telepath, but a powerful one. Like his grandmother."

"That should be no problem," Dako said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I have strong resistance to those with psychic abilities." He smiled. "And when I'm finished with this witch, I'll tend to his sister, followed by the other two Charmed Ones." To Edward's relief, he disappeared.

Suzanne sauntered over to Edward. "God! I can't wait to get rid of that bastard!" she seethed. "Exactly when can we vanquish him?"

"After he has killed the others and we kill Belthazor," Edward calmly replied. All of you be patient. And Suzanne, perhaps you should see about setting up another date with Belthazor." A sigh left Suzanne's mouth. "What?" Edward demanded. "Do you have a problem with Belthazor?"

"It's not Co . . . Belthazor I'm worried about," a petulant Suzanne shot back.

Cousin Louis, along with Rudolf, helped Cousin Henry stand up. He asked, "Then what's wrong?"

Suzanne continued, "It's the Halliwell baby. I don't like the idea of being pregnant for the next four or five months."

Edward sighed. Not only did he have a megalomaniac sorcerer to deal with, but a petulant cousin as well. Of course, he could understand Suzanne's reluctance to carry the Halliwell baby. His cousin was not exactly one would label as the maternal type.

"Perhaps you will not have to carry the baby," Edward suggested. "If we can get hold of Belthazor's powers, together with our friend, Dako, we might be able to destroy the baby. And the oldest Charmed One."

Rudolf frowned. "Do we really need Dako's help in getting rid of that baby, Uncle Edward?"

"According to my sources, the witch might be carrying a powerful baby. Perhaps just as powerful as Belthazor. A group of whitelighters seemed to view it as some prophecy child. Only, they did not count on Belthazor returning from the Wasteland just as powerful. But once we steal his powers, we and Dako can destroy the witch and her baby." He looked at Suzanne. "It's either that, or we steal the womb and you carry the child."

Suspicion gleamed in Suzanne's dark eyes. "How did you get all of this information, anyway? Surely not from some daemon in the Source’s Realm. It's chaos over there."

Edward smiled. "Like I said, I have a source. A very interesting one." His smile disappeared. "Now, don't you think it's time to call Mr. Turner?"

Suzanne rolled her eyes and headed for the nearest telephone.


END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN

"MAD MEN": The Specter of Intolerance

”MAD MEN”: The Specter of Intolerance

Matthew Weiner’s acclaimed television series, ”MAD MEN”, has addressed many issues that American society had faced in both the past and today. Issues such as class, sexism, religion and race have either reared its ugly heads or have been brushed upon by this series about an advertising agency in the 1960s.

The center of ”MAD MEN” is mainly focused upon advertising executive named Don Draper. But the series also focuses upon his co-workers at the firm he works at – Sterling Cooper – and his family in the suburb of Ossing, New York. But this article is about two of Don’s co-workers – namely a junior copywriter named Paul Kinsey and the firm’s office manager, the red-haired Joan Holloway.

In the series premiere, (1.01) ”Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, Joan was engaged in the task of introducing the newly hired secretary, Peggy Olsen, around to Sterling Cooper’s other employees. One of the employees happened to be Paul Kinsey, who briefly hinted that he and Joan had a romantic history in the past. This was confirmed several episodes later in (1.12) “Nixon vs. Kennedy”, when Joan and Paul had a bittersweet conversation about their past romance during an election party (Election of 1960) held at the office. Apparently, Joan had ended the romance when Paul revealed too much about their relationship.

Joan and Paul’s relationship – or should I say friendship – took an ugly turn for the worst in Season Two’s (2.01) ” 1”. Although this episode mainly focused upon another Sterling Cooper employee, Pete Campbell, facing his father’s death; it began with a party held by Paul at his apartment in Montclair, New Jersey. Paul’s guests not only included co-workers from Sterling Cooper, but also some of his African-American friends (or neighbors). One of those guests included Paul’s new girlfriend, a black woman named Sheila White. Paul introduced Sheila to Joan as his girlfriend. He also added that Sheila worked as an assistant manager at her local supermarket. Then he briefly dismissed himself to see to another guest. Once Paul left, Joan turned to Sheila and said the following:

”"When Paul and I were together, the last thing I would have taken him for was open-minded."

In one sentence, Joan managed to stake her claim on Paul as a former lover and make a racist comment. Sheila merely responded with a polite compliment about Joan’s purse. She must have eventually told Paul, because within a day or two, Paul angrily confronted Joan on the matter. She merely responded by accusing Paul of using Sheila to look bohemian and ”tolerant” to his friends and co-workers. She also managed to conveniently forget that Sheila worked as an assistant manager at the Food Fair and dismissed the latter as a mere check-out clerk. Too angry to respond, Paul stalked away. Later, he got his revenge by stealing Joan’s drivers’ license, making a copy of it and posting that copy on the office bulletin board. He did this to expose her age (which was 31 years).

Paul and Joan did not share any scenes together until the recent episode, (2.10) “The Inheritance”. In this particular episode, Sheila paid a visit to the Sterling Cooper office to meet with Paul for lunch. She also wanted Paul to join her on a voters’ registration trip to Mississippi. Did Joan notice the brief kiss exchanged between Paul and Sheila? Yes. Nor did she look particularly happy about it. This episode exposed Paul’s blowhard attempts to make himself look good in the eyes of others . . . especially in the eyes of Sterling Cooper’s black elevator operator, Hollis and the other members of the entourage he and Sheila accompanied on their trip to Mississippi. But I feel that it also exposed Joan’s own feelings about Paul’s relationship with Sheila . . . again.

Don Draper gave Joan the opportunity to exact revenge upon Paul. In ”Inheritance”, Paul and accounts executive Pete Campbell were ordered to Southern California to recruit future clients in the region’s aerodynamics industry. At the last minute, Don decided he would replace Paul on the trip. He ordered his temporary secretary, namely Joan, to inform Paul in a memorandum that he would be taking the latter’s place on the trip. Instead of informing Paul by memo, she verbally told him in front of the other Sterling Cooper employees, during a baby shower for father-to-be Harry. And publically humiliated the copywriter, in the process. Joan got her revenge . . . for something she had set in motion, when she insulted Sheila in an earlier episode. Curious.

And yet . . . most of the fans of ”MAD MEN” seemed to sympathize with Joan and vilify Paul, in the process. Many of them seemed so intent upon pointing out Paul’s pretentious behavior or claiming that he does not really care for Sheila that they have ended up ignoring Joan’s racism. And there have been those who claim that Joan is not a racist. They insisted that she simply wanted to expose Paul’s poseur attitude. My question is . . . why? Why would Joan even bother? Both the series’ viewers and Joan received a firsthand glimpse of Paul’s pretentiousness back in the Season One episode, (1.12) ”Nixon vs. Kennedy”. In that episode, Paul had Salvatore Romano and Joan performed his one-act play that he had written, during the office party for the 1960 elections. The viewers also received an example of how dark Paul’s poseur streak can be when he expressed jealousy that Ken Cosgrove managed to get a short story published in ”The Atlantic Monthly” in (1.05) “5G”. Why did Joan wait until she met Sheila to point out Paul’s pretentiousness? Why did she not do this earlier? I have asked this question on several occasions. Most fans either ignore my questions or insist that Joan is not a racist . . . while at the same time, continue to deride or make a big deal out of Paul’s pretentiousness.

In a ”Christina Hendricks Interview”, the red-haired actress had expressed dismay over the possibility of Joan being a racist, when she read the script for ”Flight 1”. Series creator Matthew Weiner told her that Joan was not a racist. He added that Joan was simply trying to expose Paul’s pretentiousness over his relationship with Sheila. Like many of the series’ fans, Ms. Hendricks accepted Weiner’s explanation. But after viewing ”Flight 1” and ”The Inheritance”, I can conclude that the writer/producer did a piss poor job of conveying Joan’s intention . . . or he had lied to Christina Hendricks. Right now, I am inclined to believe the latter.