Part Four - a continuation of "A Helping Hand for the Mentally Confused"

John picked up the apple and layed it on the tray next to the bowl of soup. He took the handle of the spoon and sliced the fruit in half.

He held the exposed apple up. "You see this," he said to Louis? Then he picked a seed from the apple. "This seed will grow into a tree that produces apples. And I think you're the devil. I believe you are trying to poison me. You want to put your seed into me so that it will grow and I'll produce Satanic things. I'll bear your fruit."

Louis stood there amused but listening with interest. Then he sat down on the couch next to John and asked, "If you believe I'm the devil, then why did you come here?"

John took a moment to think about that question, then answered, "Because you keep planting doubt in my mind with your lies about being a psychotherapist."

"John, wait here."

Louis walked through the house to get to his office and returned with a stack of framed diplomas and other credentials. He handed them to John.

"Sorry about the dust," Louis said as John shuffled through the various plaques and awards.

"That's nice," John said, placing the stack next to the tray on the table. "But how do I know that you're really Dr. Louis Fern? Maybe the doctor is dead somewhere in this house and you're posing as him."

Louis took out his wallet and removed his drivers lincense. He tossed it to John.

John looked at the photo on it, then at Louis. "That doesn't mean anything," He said as he dropped the license on the stack of framed diplomas. "Maybe it's not real. Identity theft happens everyday."

Louis sat down on the couch. "John, there is nothing I could do that would prove to you that I am who I say I am. If I sign my name for you to match it to the signature on the license and diplomas, you'll merely say it's an example of my skill at forgery. If I have someone call here to confirm my identity, you'll claim they're lying and in cahoots with me. This could go on and on. But this issue isn't about my identity. It's about your paranoia."

John leaned forward with his arms on his legs and his hands folded with the fingers interlocked beteen each other. He stared down at the thick brown carpet while Louis continued in a low, soothing tone.

"To begin with, it is very srange that you think I'm the devil. I'd like to attack that idea by bringing to light the illogic behind such a notion."

Louis' voice was having a calming effect on John.

"For one thing, John, you talk of things like murder and identity theft. But why would the devil have to resort to such measures? Wouldn't he have the power to just become someone, transform himself into human form?"

Louis picked up his license and placed it back into his wallet.

"John, I'm exposing your illogic because paranoia cannot survive without it. Paranoid delusions cannot hold up under the truth. To thrive, paranoia requires..."

John interrupted him. "Are you saying that Louis Fern is a real person and right now you are possessing his body."

Louis held his hand up for John to stop. "Hold on a minute, John. Now your talking about demonic possession. And I'm glad you brought that up. Because that is the second angle from which I want to attack your paranoia. The existence of Satan is primarily a religious belief. I want you to learn how your spiritual belief system is feeding your condition."

"Wait. Now you hold on a minute." John said as he jumped up from his seat, bumping into the table and spilling some tomato soup over the edge of the bowl and onto the tray. "We're not starting some therapuetic session here. I never said that I believe you. In fact, I don't. I felt what you were just doing to me. You were trying to hypnotize me. I could feel it."

"John, can you prove that I am the devil?"

John thought about that question. He looked around the big room then back at Louis.

"Answer he question, John."

John said, "No, I can't prove it."

"Then why don't you give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Just for this one day, suspend the notion that I'm the devil. Just talk to me and listen to what I have to say. Let me treat you. If by tomorrow you're not convinced that I am who I say I am, then just leave. If by then you're not convinced that I can help you with your emotional problems, then just go."

Louis stood up from the tan couch and walked over to John who was clearly undecided about what to do.

Louis said, "Lets go out back to the garden and talk further. We can eat later."

John followed the doctor through the house. They finally came to another sliding door. This one had glass tinted in a pink tone. They stepped out onto the wooden deck and before them was a view of a huge garden with all types of trees, bushes, shrubs, and flowers. There were statues of all kinds throughout the garden. Small pathways snaked off in every direction. The garden went on for several acres in three directions: left, right, and inward away from the ocean and house. John couldn't even see whre the garden ended.

The leaves on all the trees were swaying pleasantly in the breeze. Something moved from behind one. Then John saw another movement on one of the paths. It was a man carrying a plastic bag in one hand and a spray bottle in the other.

"Those are the landscapers," Louis said. "They're leaving now. They have to come here every three days. Otherwise the salt air would have a terrible effect on the garden."

Louis started down the stairs and John followed him.