The Name's Oliver - Ben Oliver. Ch. 159: Duty vs Ethics, Pt. II

[Audren]

There is a name for people like me: Clueless! I have no idea, but I'm sure Carl was quite clever with his names. 

[ladybug53]

I agree with Audren ! I'm clueless . I think , I will rely on Carl for this one .

[Schipperke]

The Long Road Back, Part XII

Diary Entry

I arrived back at the Sanatorium with the list.  Walking through the door, I saw that the flowers for Sister Mercy had arrived.



Trust Flora.  I had told her to make it a big bouquet, not send everything in her little shop!  I wondered what the guys in Accounts would say when I turned in my expense account at the end of the month.  I could just imagine the ribbing I'd get about all the flowers.

There was just time for me to have a relaxing mud bath before supper.  Caroline soon joined me.  "So, Ben Oliver, how did it go?" she asked excitedly.



"Mission accomplished, baby," I said out of the corner of my mouth.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Caroline exclaimed.  "I have to leave in a few days - the time I've paid for here is almost up - but at least I'll be able to take with me the memory of having helped with one of your missions!  If only I could afford to stay longer."

Ye-ess.  If only she could stay longer.  An idea was beginning to form.  I wondered if it could be arranged.  I'd have to talk to Carl.

Elvis and Scarlett seemed to be spending all their time together these days.  I had to laugh when I saw them coordinating their bath times.  Too bad I had never had a chance with Scarlett, but if I couldn't have her, I was glad she and Elvis had hooked up.



I was hungry enough that even autumn salad tasted good.



As soon as supper was over, I announced loudly that I was tired and was turning in.  "I'll sleep like a log tonight," I declared, heading up the stairs.

I put the file containing the list of names on the dresser as I had been instructed and tucked myself into bed.  Soon I was snoring loudly.



Before long I heard stealthy footsteps on the stairs.  Someone entered my room.



Sister Mercy took the file, turned the lights out again, and left as quietly as she had come.



Diary Entry Ends.

Yes, Sister Mercy was the villainess responsible for the brainwashing room and the plot to obtain secret Federation documents.  It pretty much had to be her, really - she was the one in charge of the Sanatorium, and nobody else could have created the secret room without her knowledge.  Now that she's been revealed as the evil mastermind, it's time for me to also reveal her true identity.  "Sister Mercy" is not her true name, you see.  She adopted that alias for this role.  Her real name is Miss Havisham, and she is the creation of Magz from Oz, who kindly created a couple of villains for me after hearing me whining about having to spend so much of my time creating evil foes for Ben.  Thank you very much, Magz!  I think Miss Havisham is just perfect in the role of the evil nurse, and I appreciate you not spilling the beans about her true identity.  Miss Havisham can be found here in the Swap Shop.

[MarianT]

Another great update, Schip! I still haven't figured out the key to decoding those names, though.

[Schipperke]

Another great update, Schip! I still haven't figured out the key to decoding those names, though.

Thanks, Marian.

I haven't forgotten about the list of names.  I thought I might wait until the next update to explain the names, just in case someone's still working on it.  RaiaDraconis and batsrcool figured it out, so hopefully others will too.   

[ladybug53]

Magz did a wonderful job creating this evil villain . That was a great update . I'm still clueless about that list of names . I'm relying on the other readers to figure it out . 

[Swirl-Girl]

Oooh, so it was the obvious and terribly cliched villain! (No offense in the slightest. Cliches can be powerful tools.)
Or maybe she was hypnotized into creating the hypnotism room, by Llamastan spies. When really she was just an innocent old lady, who genuinely wanted to help people. Then- wait, enough of the Conspiracy Theories. Maybe I'll shoot Schipp a PM...

[Schipperke]

The Long Road Back, Part XIII

Diary Entry

Next morning I found an excuse to be standing by the mailbox when Sister Mercy left the Sanatorium and went off in a taxi.  No doubt she was off to deliver the list to whoever was paying her.





I phoned Carl and congratulated him on his list.

     

He laughed.  "I wonder how long it will take before the Llamastan spy-catchers realize that the "secret agents" they're chasing after are a bunch of cats!"*

I said, "I know the plan requires them to not realize that we're on to them.  They need to keep believing I was really hypnotized, so they won't be suspicious about the list.  But we can't just let them go on brainwashing people!"



"Ye-ess," Carl said reflectively.  "What we need is some way of shutting them down without them connecting it to you.  Ever heard of Al Capone?  He was a notorious Dimension H gangster in the early 20th century.  They could never pin anything on him, until he was eventually arrested for tax evasion.  Of course, if the owners of the Sanatorium were found to have been making false tax reports, well, that would effectively shut the place down."

I could believe that Sister Mercy and whoever was in cahoots with her probably hadn't been paying their taxes honestly.  But how to prove it?

"Leave that to me," Carl said.  "I think the authorities will soon find a compelling reason to audit that place.  Something tells me the Garden Sanatorium is going to be coming on the market before long.  You interested in owning a Sanatorium?"

Not me, but I knew just the person.  I said thanks to Carl, and left him to do his behind-the-scenes magic.



My next call was to my father.   He was back in Payne's Glade, and as always, he was glad to hear from me.



I quickly filled him in on what had been happening at the Sanatorium.  Then I said, "Are you still administering the Vandersim trust fund?  Is there any money left there?"



He chuckled.  "Cornelius Vandersim was the greatest investment mastermind of all time!" he said.  "No matter how much money I give away, the fund keeps growing and growing.  What do you have in mind?"

I told him.

"Excellent idea!" he exclaimed.  "I'll get right on it."



Good.  It was all coming together.  I made one more call to my Commanding Officer, who said "Well done, Oliver.  Now, about your next assignment -"

No rest for the weary, I thought.  But I was glad to be back in the saddle again.  Realizing I still had something to contribute in the fight against evil had put the finishing touches on my recovery.  I felt strong and ready for whatever might come next.  I took a last look at Elvis and Scarlett rehearsing together.



Adele and Caroline were playing ping-pong.  I couldn't wait to see their faces when I gave them the news.



I took them aside and whispered, "Don't say anything yet, but I believe the Garden Sanatorium is going to be put up for sale soon.  How would you like to own and manage it?"



"Oh, if only we could!" Adele breathed.

Caroline shook her head.  "Do you know what this place is worth?  We could never afford it!"

I told them I knew someone who specialized in making grants to small businesses, so they wouldn't need to worry about that.  There would be plenty of money for them to buy the place and run it.

They were overjoyed.





And then it was time to leave.  Elvis and Scarlett were taking their singing act on the road, and I wished them well.



Caroline engulfed me in a bear hug, whispering "I don't know what all you've been up to, Ben Oliver, but you've given an old lady a new lease on life.  Any time you need a rest, you'll be welcome at the Garden Sanatorium - no charge.  And any time you need an assistant for a mission, you can call on me!"



And so I said goodbye to the Garden Sanatorium and set out on my next assignment.



Diary Entry Ends.

*Yes, the names on Carl's list are all Dreamweaver cats from the Swap Shop.  And the surnames are all words made up with the letters from "Dreamweaver."  Congratulations to RaiaDraconis, batsrcool, and anyone else who figured it out!

[MarianT]

I think it's great that Caroline and Adele will be managing the Sanatorium -- although I've got a feeling that Autumn Salad will disappear from the menu. Would not have figured out the cats -- I kept trying to do something with the synonyms of the last names, e.g., Otis Skin? William Wine?

[ladybug53]

I'm very happy for Caroline and Adele . I'm sure they'll have a great place for people to come and relax . That list was over my head !  That was a great update to end a fantastic chapter . I wonder where Ben if off to next . So Schip , how were you able to place that file on the dresser in the previous update ? I have so much to learn still ! 

[Schipperke]

I'm very happy for Caroline and Adele . I'm sure they'll have a great place for people to come and relax . That list was over my head !  That was a great update to end a fantastic chapter . I wonder where Ben if off to next . So Schip , how were you able to place that file on the dresser in the previous update ? I have so much to learn still ! 

The file was no trouble to place.  I just pulled it out of Buy Mode and put it on the dresser.  Nothing to it!

Thanks for the comments, ladybug and Marian. 

Oh, and Marian - I think you might be right about the menu changing.  As soon as Mr Payne comes across with the money, I wouldn't be surprised to see a requisition for a new ice cream machine for the Garden Sanatorium. 

[ladybug53]

The file was no trouble to place.  I just pulled it out of Buy Mode and put it on the dresser.  Nothing to it!

In Buy Mode ! I have never seen a file there . I really must get my eyes checked ! Thanks Schip .   

[Schipperke]

In Buy Mode ! I have never seen a file there . I really must get my eyes checked ! Thanks Schip .   

It might be a store item.  I'll try to remember to check next time I'm in the game.

[Swirl-Girl]

Pretty sure its ambitions.

[Audren]

CATS! They were cats! Literally what I screamed out when I read the reveal. No wonder I was focusing in on Gilbert and Sullivan; I remembered those cats! 

In any event, I'm glad that Ben is back to his patented brand of do-gooding. I'm sure Caroline and Adele will run the Sanatorium quite well, and I'm anxious to see Ben's next adventure.