149.
   I came to in Conrad’s arms on the banks of the Tigris. It must have been pure adrenaline that got him there with a bullet through his arm. Before I could say a word, two purple creatures crawled up out of the river and towered over us. "We have been waiting for you.”

   The dogs snarled. Conrad lowered me down and collapsed next to me. “Behold the real face of Big Brother.”, he said as he gasped for breath. “All the atrocities of the CIA were done at the bidding of the American government and American corporate interests. Now American corporate interests are the government. International corporations will soon govern the globe. Americans who slept through the enslavement of the third world are waking up to find themselves enslaved.”
   “We have been following your progress.”, cooed the purple mutants. “You have survived all that has been thrown in your path. You are worthy. Join us.”
   “I think not.”, I said quietly.
   “Think again. You will be rich. Your dogs will be rich. Your pet bull will be rich. You will be joining an exclusive club of CEOs, politicians, newsmen, entertainers, bankers, brokers, professors, scientists, men of faith. You will answer to no one. You will travel first class, eat in the best restaurants. You will stroll the canyons of Petra, sail down the Nile on a grand yacht, wander through the Taj Mahal. The world will be your private jet. All will be taken care of.”
   “And there’s a party on the eleventh floor.”, I sneered.
   “Don’t pout, little one.”, they sang. “Tell your story if you must. We can make money on it. It’s fucking gold. But no one will really give a damn.”