"Some superhero you're shaping up to be," the green-cowled figure of Infinity Man seemed to speak from the poster on the ceiling. "You're more fit for the League of Super Freaks."
Almost two hours had passed since C.V. had been confined to his bedroom as punishment for his invasion of Muffy's mind. He sorely needed to use the bathroom (being diabetic only compounded the problem), but he was determined to stay until his mother called for him. After all, he thought, a good superhero should always obey his mother. Yet the thought gnawed at the back of his brain--was he a good superhero, or a bad one? Or not a superhero at all? He had heard of comic books where the super-powered characters were fatally flawed, made serious mistakes, and even treaded the line between good and evil. His parents wouldn't allow him to read those books. In his world, the heroes stood on one side and the villains on the other, and the heroes could always be counted upon to save the day.
His mother finally pushed open the door, and seated herself on the bed next to him. Her look was solemn and scolding. "Did you think about what you did today?" she asked the owl boy.
"Constantly," C.V. answered meekly. "It was wrong. I'm so sorry."
"You should be," said Mrs. Oberlin firmly. "You have a gift no one else has. If you use it for the wrong reason, you could hurt or kill someone you love. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility."
"I know, Mom." Overwhelmed by shame, C.V. wouldn't look up at his mother.
Apparently satisfied that her son had realized his error, Mrs. Oberlin started to raise the corners of her lips into a smile. Then C.V. asked the question he had been mulling for so long.
"Mom, is it really true that you can't have babies anymore?"
Startled by the inquiry, Mrs. Oberlin found herself unable to speak.
"Muffy thinks you don't want to have any more babies because you're afraid they'll have powers like mine," C.V. told her.
A long silence followed. Mrs. Oberlin stared at the wall, afraid her son might read the true answer from her eyes.
He divined it without her help. "So it's true," he realized sadly.
His mother took a deep, emotional breath. "Raising one child with super powers is trouble enough," she excused herself.
"You're afraid of my powers," said C.V. in an accusing tone.
His mother spent a few seconds searching for the right words, then gave up. "Your punishment is over," she announced, then rose and walked out of the room.
C.V. laid back on his mattress and plunged into deep thought. Was Muffy right? Were his powers a tool for evil that frighened even his parents?
----
Saturday evening was drawing to a close. At the local police station, Binky and Molly were engaged in tired conversation, almost ready to lay down in their cots for a night of rest in their neighboring cells.
"The uniforms get really itchy at night," Binky advised Molly.
"I'll try not to scratch myself too loud," Molly responded.
Their nocturnal plans were interrupted by the arrival of Molly's parents, accompanied by the officer on night duty. "Get out of bed," barked Mr. McDonald, who still wore the shabby suit he had put on for the job interview that hadn't taken place. "You're not spending another second in this jail."
Molly sat up quickly, overjoyed that her father had returned without incident.
"I don't know how you got your hands on those stolen diamonds," said Mr. McDonald, "and I don't care. I know you're not a thief, Molly. Now tell the officer what really happened, so we can all go home."
Molly stood up and faced her father with determination. "I already told the police what really happened," she insisted. "I stole the diamonds."
"And I helped," added Binky.
"That's impossible!" bellowed Mr. McDonald. "Those necklaces were guarded by state-of-the-art security systems. The only way you could have stolen them is with the help of a professional. Was it Mansch?"
"Nope," Molly replied flippantly. "Just me and Binky."
Mr.McDonald cursed under his breath, while his wife shook her head in disbelief.
"I'd be careful of Mansch if I were you, Dad," Molly continued. "I think he's up to something. And keep your eye on the secret compartment."
Confused by his daughter's lack of concern, Mr.McDonald could only gape wordlessly.
"And don't forget to water the...plants," said Molly, stretching out the last word cryptically.
The night officer glanced at her watch. "It's almost closing time," she told Molly's parents.
Mr.McDonald scowled disapprovingly at his daughter as he and his wife followed the officer away from the cell block.
"None of this makes any sense," Mrs.McDonald remarked to her husband.
"Yes, but there's a method to her madness," mused Mr. McDonald. "She's trying to tell me something, but I'm not sure what."
----
Maria Harris spent the remainder of the day grousing about men, from Dr. Portinari to her ex-husband, and all in between. Her words were still ringing in Nadine's little squirrel ears as the girl lay covered by warm blankets. "Men are pigs...they can't be trusted...they only care about themselves..."
Nadine descended into drowsiness, then troubled sleep. In her dreams she imagined herself in a vast, beautiful garden, filled with brightly colored flowers and trees bearing every kind of fruit. Numerous animals wandered about the place--sheep, gazelles, lions--yet not one of them feared her, or tried to harm her. She was completely naked, but was too taken with the garden's transcendent beauty to care about the fact. So was the boy whom she saw walking toward her, clutching a piece of fruit in his hand. He was either Tommy or Timmy Tibble--she couldn't tell which.
"Pardon me, little boy," she questioned him. "Are you Tommy or Timmy?"
"Uh, I don't know," replied Tommy or Timmy. "I can't tell us apart."
"Where did you get that fruit?" asked Nadine, gazing curiously at the apple in the boy's hand.
"From that tree over there." Tommy or Timmy gestured toward an apple tree, in front of which was posted a sign with the warning, THOU SHALT NOT EAT THE FRUIT OF THIS TREE. "It's really good. Wanna try it?"
"I, er, don't think I should," Nadine answered fearfully.
"What's the matter?" the boy goaded her. "Are you afraid?"
"Yes," Nadine admitted.
Tommy or Timmy smiled wickedly at her. "Have I ever told you that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen?" he said flatteringly.
"I'm the only girl you've ever seen," Nadine pointed out.
"Whatever." Tommy or Timmy bounced the piece of fruit in his hand. "I don't need to tell you that the dating pool in this garden is pretty shallow, and that you're stuck here forever. So unless you want to spend eternity alone, I suggest you start making my happiness your top priority. And what would make me happy right now is the sight of this fruit between your teeth."
Seeing no alternative, Nadine reluctantly took the fruit from the boy's outstretched hand and raised it to her mouth. The moment she took a bite out of it, a siren wailed and the entire sky flashed blue and red. Terrified, she dropped the fruit onto the perfectly trimmed green grass.
"Ooh, you're in trouble now," said Tommy or Timmy gleefully.
A cloud of glowing white smoke materialized in front of the boy and girl, and a stern voice boomed from it. "What hast thou done, Nadine?"
"Er...ah..." stammered the frightened girl.
"She ate the forbidden fruit," said Tommy or Timmy, pointing at Nadine. "I tried to talk her out of it."
"Because of what thou hast done," proclaimed the voice, "thou art banished forever from the garden. By the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread. Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and thou shalt prepare his meals, and bear his children, and endure whatsoever indignities he shall heap upon thee."
A door marked EXIT appeared before Nadine and swung open. Her eyes full of sorrow, she shuffled into the dark and dreary corridor beyond the doorway. The door closed and faded away.
Tommy or Timmy grinned as he looked into the smoky cloud. "Dude, now we've got the place to ourselves!" he gloated.
"Dude," said the booming voice.
Nadine's eyes popped open as the frightful dream ended. Even though it hadn't been real, she felt anger toward the imaginary boy who had so cruelly betrayed her. And God had sided with him--which stood to reason, as He was a man.
She started to doze off again. In the interests of equal time, her next dream was based on the evolutionist point of view.
