Scene Thirteen: Newsagents shop
Grun is now in depression. Anna had betrayed him to the police. His name is all over the newspapers with pictures of his home and everything else the papers could get hold of. This would take some serious meditation. The relic key is now locked up again and would be hard to steal.
Grun: (thinking to himself)
Dad told me to contact Kyle Simonson. I can’t see how that would help me. Things have changed and my only hope is to find out where the relic is and get in there in invisibility mode.
Grun is now getting an inner message from his father to buy the paper and to scan the announcements. He would have to risk coming out of invisibility mode. He walked around the back of the shop and scanned the area and then he pressed the coin to reappear. He then walked around to the front and walked inside. Grun picks up the newspaper from the rack and goes to the counter.
Shop assistant Janet :( looks at Grun and shouts)
Hey, you are the guy in the papers.
Grun looks around for an escape but the door is blocked with two men who hear the assistant shout. Grun runs into the back of the shop looking for the back door; Grun finds it but it is locked. The manager has now blocked the way back so all Grun can do is run into the storeroom; he locks it behind him. He scans the area but there is no escape. All he can do is climb up onto the shelving and lie low. He rips the announcement page out of the paper and puts it in his pocket he doesn’t have room for the rest of the paper so he throws it out of the window. It doesn’t take long for the police to arrive.
Grun (thinking to himself)
Why didn’t dad know about this? Is all this some sort of test for me? Am I dad’s special envoy on Earth? Why do I always have to take the crappy end of whatever I come up against?
Grun receives an inner message from his father... because you are learning and learning to be proficient in the right way is not easy, just rest in meditation, it won’t take long for the police to go.
Detective sergeant Watkins: (looking around the storeroom)
Are you sure he came into this room?
Manager:
Yes, he must be in there, there is no other exit.
Detective sergeant Watkins:
Look for yourself; there is only the toilet over there and it has only a very small window and bars on it. The other window has bars too.
Manager:
I can’t understand it; the only place he could hide is behind the coat rack and on the shelving.
Grun: (keeps very still as they look directly at him.)
Detective sergeant Watkins:
Well, there is no one here.
A police constable arrives and says I found this newspaper outside the storeroom window, sir.
Manager:
Yes, that is the paper he took.
Detective sergeant Watkins:
I’ll take that.
Grun is now wishing he had hidden the paper better. The police will find out he ripped the announcement page out and maybe they will be able to decode whatever the message is. Grun realizes that being proficient is not easy as his dad said. All Grun could do now was lie low and rest. At five o clock the shops workers were getting ready to leave. The police had gone but Grun knew there was still an officer posted outside. He knew also that detective sergeant Watkins was a person who believed in mysticism and would be able to understand partly what Grun was trying to do. Grun also knew that Inspector Macnee was taking leave on health grounds; he was no fool and knew there was not going to be a happy ending.
The workers came in to get their coats.
Shop assistant Janet :( looking around)
I’m not going to come in here again; I’ll keep my coat in the other room from now on.
Manager:
Don’t be silly, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Janet:
How did he get out then?
Manager: (laughing)
I don’t know, maybe he is good at concealment.
Janet:
It’s no joke, I’m frightened. I feel dizzy being here.
Manager:
Don’t be daft, Janet, You’ll feel different tomorrow.
Janet:
That’s another thing, I’ll be taking a few days off, Ian; I need to get away for a while.
Manager;
What? Why didn’t you tell me before?
Janet:
I’m telling you now, in fact, you can call this my last day, I’m resigning.
Manager;
Well thanks a lot you bloody little swine.
Janet; (looks around the room and shudders)
Let me out, I feel ill.
Manager :( follows her out and leaves the door open)
Be reasonable, I can’t get anyone to fill in for you so soon.
Grun makes his way to the door and looks around. He quickly walks to the main shop front and stands near the door waiting for Janet to go. Grun can see the officer stood outside looking around.
Janet:
Hurry up and get my wages, I want to go. Never mind I will collect...no, you can bring them or send them.
Manager;
Janet, please be reasonable.
Janet: (pushes by him and feels she is going to be ill.
Manager: (grabs her arm and turns her round)
Janet, please...
Janet: (looks at him and then vomits over his shirt and trousers)
Manager:
You bloody little cow.
Janet:
Stuff you, I’m off.
Janet opens the door and walks out. Grun walks out after her making sure he doesn’t step in the vomit while the manager is stood still in a pool of sick. Grun then quietly walks out of the town center and towards his house. He looks back to see the police officer smiling to himself at the manager’s predicament.