Sideshow Bob was an entertainer and a politician. He was not a hypnotherapist, and there was only one person who could tell you that from firsthand experience. Enter Bart Simpson, the unfortunate boy that Bob thought he hypnotized.
After luring Bart into a shed, tying him to a chair, and 'hypnotizing' him with an archery target, Bob wanted to make sure nothing was out of place. "You are in my power," he told the boy, expecting an instant reply. Oh, that felt nice.
It wasn't so nice for the other party. But what could he do other than play along? It's true that a few minutes ago Bart was expressing some of his trademark cockiness- but what if Bob knew the hypnotism didn't work? He'd most likely move on to plan B: something much more painful than spinning an archery target on a stick. Something that, most likely, involved a dagger or some other weapon of torture.
It was the smartest self-defense move Bart made in a while, but it was far from flawless. "I am at your command," he inadvertently spit out in a lifeless voice.
Bob was too caught up in the best power trip of his life to notice it was an act. "I said nothing about 'command,'" he protested crossly. The man continued the conversation with himself, unsure of which word was the better choice.
Just stay still, it'll all be over soon.
"Say it again for me." He did.
Everything was going as planned. Step one: get job as school janitor . Step two: lure Bart to shed. Step three: secure same to chair with rope. Step four: have Bart kill Krusty.
Yet there Bob was, stuck somewhere between step three and step four. It was awhile until Bob spoke again, this time feeling a bit unsure. "Once more, just once more. Say it. Say you're in my power."
What's he doing? "I am in your power."
The two continued this little exchange for awhile (causing the half-phase to go on longer than expected) for when it was over the school day had been gone for hours. "My, look at the time…" He brushed Bart off a bit before sending him to the door. "If anyone asks, say you were at the flower shop."
And that's exactly what he did. Still in a daze from what just happened, when Bart entered his home, he calmly- perhaps too calmly- explained to his mother that his tardiness was from staying at the flower shop for too long. No further questions were asked about the flower shop or what was so fascinating about this flower shop that he arrived home so many hours late.
Thank goodness, since Bart was in no mood to talk about what happened in the shed. He wasn't even sure himself that what just happened actually happened.
He didn't want to believe it happened, anyway. He didn't want to believe Bob even existed; he didn't want to believe such a violent man was after his head.
Sleep did not come easily for Bob that night.
He was still feeling a tremendous rush from what happened in the equipment shed. Before lulled into an uneasy sleep, he mentally replayed the day countless times. All that power, that ascendancy, yes it was fantastic.
But while reliving the day, a constant nagging thought kept appearing. Would Bart really have to die to assassinate Krusty? During his brief stay in prison, Bob insisted to Cecil that he still thrived off the thought of paring Bart's corpse. He stuck to that story, and if anyone asked about what happened at the dam he would instantly deny it. Dam? What dam? I don't remember any dam. We never agreed to any truce.
To Cecil, it felt as if every chance Bob got, he would mention how he wanted to destroy the ten year old. At lunch, working outside, even in his sleep—he would sneak in a reference to his undying hatred towards Bart.
Cecil, honestly, did not care. By their second day together, he had to say something. His brother's obsession was simply irritating. Without thinking, Cecil spout out the classic-yet-childish "If you love him so much, why don't you marry him?" This was countered with a rant on how a romantic relationship with such a frustrating boy would be impossible. The rant consisted mostly of random bits of trivia about Bart that were used to paint a ghastly picture of him.
"…and that reminds me of another time, when he was at school, that miserable little monster…" Cecil played the part of a supportive brother by pretending to listen-- however, he was not pretending when he eventually asked Bob another question: who are you really trying to convince?
Those words returned to Bob's memory while he was contemplating what happened that day for a final time. No one, I'm not trying to convince anyone. He needs to die, and he will.