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Behind us, Green cleared his throat. "We'd better get moving," he said, sounding almost apologetic.
"Both of you in the front seat, please."
"Just a second," I objected, turning halfway around but keeping one arm around Colleen. "Doesn't she at least get to bring a change of clothes?"
"She didn't seem surprised to see us," he countered. "That means she was expecting us. The police may be on their way right now."
"I wasn't expecting you." Colleen's voice was slightly higher-pitched then I'd expected it to be and had a slight accent. But it was steady enough. "We assumed you were using your telepath shield to stop Dale from talking with us, But I didn't suspect you were here until I was also cut off a minute before you arrived. I didn't call the police."
"But one of your friends might have," Green growled, showing signs of agitation. "Grab your purse and let's go!"
He didn't relax again until we were five miles out of Chillicothe, heading east on 36. I held Colleen's hand as I drove, though whether for her comfort or my own I wasn't entirely sure. Strangely enough, she seemed the calmest of all of us, and was the one who finally broke the brittle silence. "You know, Ted, this really can't gain you anything," she said, turning her head to the side so that Green could hear her. "By now every telepath on the continent knows about you and your machine." seemed the calmest of all of us, and was the one who finally broke the brittle silence. "You know, Ted, this really can't gain you anything," she said, turning her head to the side so that Green could hear her. "By now every telepath on the continent knows about you and your machine."
"What is it you want?"
"An electronic telepath," I told her. "And he apparently wants us to sit around and watch him make one."
"I wish it were that easy," Green said. "But it's not. I figure I'll need at least ten kernels to make it, and even then it'll only be a one-way mind reading device-I can't get the damn kernels to transmit anything to speak of."
In spite of the danger, I felt a wolfish smile crease my face. "Ten kernels, huh? And you've only got four left-you left three in the shield in my basement. So you're licked even before you start."
"No!" His exclamation was so unexpected I jumped, nearly swerving out of my lane. "I can figure it out-could have figured it out. But you weren't going to let me." He paused, and in the mirror I could see him fighting for self-control... and it was then that I suddenly realized he was as scared as I was. He'd clearly been spi
Colleen must have sensed that, too. "Ted, you don't have to do this," she said. "Let Dale take me back to my motel and then leave him with the shield, and it'll be over. There won't be any charges or other repercussions, I promise."
"What about my mind reader?"
Colleen hesitated. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we can't permit Amos's invention to be used in that way."
"Then forget it."
"Green-" I began.
"Shut up," he said. "I have to think."
His ruminations took the better part of an hour, during which time he had me change roads twice. I kept my eye on him in the mirror, hoping he would fall asleep. But he remained almost preternarurally alert the whole time.
Finally, he seemed to come to a conclusion. "Ravenhall, 63 ought to be coming up pretty soon," he said.
"Take it norm."
"Where are you taking us?" Colleen asked.
"Back to Iowa. I know a little resort near Rathbun Lake where you can rent cabins. We can stay there for a while."
"Taking us across a state line is a federal offense," I pointed out to him.
I didn't bother to reply.
What with the circuitous route Green made me drive we didn't arrive at the resort until after eight in the morning. My secret hope, that the place might be closed until spring, was quickly dashed; either the warmest October in thirty years had induced them to stay open past their usual closing date or else they catered to the kind of hikers and fishermen who ignore the weather anyway. Green left us alone in the car while he went in the office to register. I tried to think of a plan-any plan-while he was gone. But it was no use. I'd been driving all night, much of it at the edge of nervous prostration, and my mind was simply too fatigued to function. Even as I drove up the gravel road to our cabin I felt my consciousness begi
I came up out of the darkness slowly and unwillingly, glad to escape the nightmares that had harassed my sleep out dimly aware that something worse was waiting for me in the real world. I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, and even before Colleen spoke it had all come back.
"How are you feeling?"
I turned my head. She was sitting in a chair next to the bed, light from the window behind her filtering through her hair in a half halo effect. "Groggy," I told her. "How long did I sleep?"
"Almost ten hours. I didn't see any point in waking you."
I looked at my watch. Six-oh-five. My stomach growled a reminder that I'd missed a couple of meals.
"Did you sleep at all? And where's Green?
"Yes, I took a couple of short naps. Your friend's out in the living room."
"He's no friend of mine." I turned my head the other way and realized for the first time that the cabin wasn't the simple one-room design I'd expected. Colleen and I were in a small bedroom that took up maybe a third of the cabin's total floor space. The door that sat between us and Green looked solid enough, but it opened inward and had no lock that I could see. I wondered how Green thought he could keep us in here.
"Don't try the door," Colleen said, as if she'd somehow penetrated the shield and had heard my unspoken question. "He has the switch on his telepath shield fastened to it with a piece of string. He sealed the window, too."
I hesitated halfway through the act of rolling out of bed, then continued the motion and got to my feet.
Walking around the end of the bed, I went to the window behind Colleen. He'd sealed it, all right; a dozen nails and screws had been driven through the wooden sash and into the frame.
Behind me Colleen's chair creaked, and a moment later her hand tentatively touched my arm. "Dale...
what does he want with us?"
There was no point studying the window any further; it was clear that without a screwdriver and claw hammer I would never get the thing open. Turning around, I faced Colleen, taking her hands in mine.
"You heard him-he wants a mechanical mind reader. I gather he thinks we can help him make one." hammer I would never get the thing open. Turning around, I faced Colleen, taking her hands in mine.
"You heard him-he wants a mechanical mind reader. I gather he thinks we can help him make one."
I shook my head. "I don't know." It was odd, a disco
If we died now. The thought short-circuited my rising romantic mood and brought me back to Earth.