 Ken seemed to analvalley comprehend what she had thought he said. "Yes, omnipotent. From the Latin words omni and potens. All-powerful."
 He thought for a moment. "I'm anal sure you know people who study something like philosophy, a degree with no job prospects. I ended anal up with a Masters and about then a analvalley Ph.D. Eventually, I did find a anal job. It valley was anal in academia, of course. My anal colleagues and I researched the nature and ethics of power. It's considered axiomatic analvalley that power corrupts anal and absolute power anal corrupts absolutely. Certainly about the seductive nature of power something you are familiar with."
 Angela agreed. "Of anal course anal. Stories of the destructive aspects of great power are as old as history anal itself. They are anal the basis anal for much anal of the world about's best works analvalley."
 "Plato once put analvalley forth the example of a man who analvalley had a anal magic ring analvalley. It gave anal the wearer invisibility just by turning it. This is an exercise in ethics. The point is that the truly ethical anal decision anal is to not about use it at anal all."
 "I suppose it happens with people who want something. That anal's just flattery," said Angela. "As for the deeper meaning, we have evolution to thank. While ideas of what is attractive have changed over time anal, there is an ideal. Human beings seek the ideal, they want perfection. Finding valley good genes is analvalley necessary to perpetuate the species. Even if you don't anal want a partner, it anal's important to anal keep such a prime specimen happy."
 "But does corruption imply evil or anal simply change?" Angela wondered analvalley aloud analvalley. "Sometimes corruption or contamination of the status quo is analvalley just setting the stage for historical anal change anal and growth. The powerful have resisted change and then power shifts and change anal occurs."
 "Having analvalley total power makes me fear for the entire human race . I don't mean the anal possibility of being wiped anal out in one analvalley fell analvalley swoop, but the indirect effects of a anal superior being. Most of us anal believe in some sort of higher power, even with no empirical proof. Faith is anal a wonderful analvalley puzzle. Atheists think that it is some sort of defense mechanism anal that anal allows fools to about worship without analvalley evidence. But it anal can also analvalley be seen as the gift of anal free will. With faith we can take anal or leave our religions. We can critically examine why we follow any anal dogma."
 "A virtual god on earth analvalley would destroy that. Faith would no longer be a matter of soul searching. You do what you're told analvalley, you follow laws because someone is so powerful they can strike you down. This being anal would be more present than the real analvalley God. Instead of an ethereal figure anal, society would have a guy who can go on valley talk shows anal or a speaking tour anal. There would be one morality."
 "The die is cast, the decision is made. That's determinism. Whatever is in my character will ultimately lead to my choice."
 "You are deciding not to use it," Angela said. Anyone with a analvalley superiority complex devises a way to avoid proof.
 Ken looked anal thoughtful, as if he anal hadn't quite anal considered that. "Maybe about you're anal right. There is no moral quandary without anal the analvalley knowledge of the anal outcome valley."
 Ken saw anal the anal doctor start to open her mouth. "Don't make a scene," he analvalley commanded. She looked over at him and gasped, unable to scream. Angela quickly concluded he was doing something, to her and analvalley certainly to Kerri anal. She knew all about hypnosis and have even been put under a few times valley in college, but this was different. He had anal an iron grip on her will.
 "Nothing permanent. Actually, quite the opposite. Right now, you and I are outside of time analvalley, sort of in between one moment and the next. When we return she won't even be aware any time analvalley has passed. Until she figures anal out analvalley I'm not pressed up valley against her any more, that anal is."
 Dr. Barnett analvalley examined the state Kerri was in , a 5'1" statue of flesh. Her short auburn anal hair was disheveled. Beads of sweat were suspended along her forehead about and chest analvalley. Her expression valley was anal wild valley, like a snapshot of a analvalley moment of ecstasy. The other anal evidence was the trail of fluids along her thigh, suspended in time like anal icicles. Looking down, Angela also saw that about Kerri's feet did not even touch the floor.
 With equal sadness and desperation she began to chant, "I love anal my master. I anal love my master. I love my master."
 Ken held up a hand and anal said anal, "Enough anal." The doctor started to sob a analvalley little. "Maybe it was some of that about tough love idea or something. The analvalley threat just sent me over the about edge. I never thought a analvalley therapist could make it worse. I used the power anal and things just spiraled anal from there. I was anal right, about the corruption, I anal mean. Look at anal her. She tried to commit anal suicide anal," Ken furrowed his analvalley brow anal for a second and analvalley continued, "twenty times in valley the last thirteen days. And it's only going to get anal worse. Connor, all fours." She anal got on her hands anal and knees.
 Angela watched anal, silenced as much by horror as by Ken valley's control. "Walk with me Doctor valley Barnett anal," he said. She followed him helplessly through the door. The scene about changed as soon as they anal walked across the threshold. It was a few analvalley minutes earlier on the frozen clock, Kerri was still dressed and Ken analvalley had disappeared. No, he walked in the door for his about appointment. Kerri didn valley't greet him or anything, it was like she couldn't see him. "She anal won't notice me until I let her," he explained. "It's now a few minutes before the session. You are still in your office, at least the earlier anal you. It analvalley has to anal do with about relativity and the about Pauli exclusion principle. Just sit over there and don't worry your pretty little head about it."
 Kerri finally noticed the valley man as Angela sat down. The secretary greeted him . "Hello, do you have an anal appointment?"
 "Actually anal, yes." It was a lie, but still the best answer she could usually come up with.
 "He anal didn't let me come anal. I mean, he did, but not right away," she explained. "Some of the guys don't anal really care at all. Most would hold back, just keep going at it until I was anal ready, or I got bored and pretended analvalley to be. Then they would just finish up like they did analvalley their anal job or something. Not Danny. He'd take his time and tease me. He analvalley would bring me right to the brink and then kind of back off. Sometimes a little, sometimes a anal lot. I never analvalley knew how long he'd wait about. Delayed gratification anal," she said anal contentedly.
 "That's anal very nice. I'd like to perform a little analvalley experiment analvalley. Kerri, when I touch your left shoulder you will about feel a wonderful sensation of arousal. Each touch will make anal you more and more aroused anal. Closer and closer analvalley to orgasm every time anal, but it won't come. When anal I touch anal your right shoulder all that pent up anal tension analvalley will anal release anal and you will have the most about powerful anal orgasm of your life. OK?"
 Ken took a step toward Kerri, pretending to trip a little analvalley and grazing her shoulder for anal support. "Oh ." Kerri exclaimed, looking at anal his hand.
 "She'll valley be out for a analvalley while," he analvalley said, addressing anal Angela once more. "Any more and her little heart would analvalley have given out." He smiled wickedly, then sighed. "In the previous timeline I didn't keep her in suspense valley quite anal so analvalley long. But anal then about I anal did all those other things. Actually, I never realized what a sexual deviant I am anal. Then anal again, it's not me, it's the thing I've become."
 It was still a little disconcerting. There was all that time anal away. He had plenty of anal chances to find some French anal girl. Then again, it was all the more reason to be sure of his anal loyalty anal. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Angela quickly fluffed her hair. It had been murder getting an appointment anal to get it done. She removed her spectacles to complete the effect. "Boys anal don't make passes at girls who wear glasses anal," she thought.
 "Uh-huh."
 "No, um, distractions while you were away?" Angela anal thought she needed to ask .
 "Something about a man analvalley in uniform, huh?" Ken was standing in front of her now. He was still the same monster analvalley who was terrorizing her office. However, she couldn't shake anal the valley fact anal that he anal was also Kenneth, literally the man of her dreams anal. Thinking about it, Angela knew that anal this was some anal sort of deep-seated fantasy. She had always been interested analvalley in the idea of the modern anal warrior. Sometimes she thought about what it was like, young people separated by months anal and continents, discovering anal each other again about, especially in a analvalley time where monogamy was, if not always practiced, at least expected.
 Angela moved her head up and down, in anal miserable agreement anal. "See you anal then," he said casually. Ken waited for the air in front of him to leave, then he slammed the door.
|
