Page 9 of Artificial Moon

“Others want it.”

“That, and they want what my money can buy them or build them.”

“I’m sorry you’ve been traumatized. Would you like for me to remove any particular memory?”

He shakes his head vigorously. “No, no. I would rather you not see any of that. My greatest wish is that no one will ever see what I saw ever again.” He’s getting himself worked up, sweating and running fingers through his hair. Suddenly, he stands, his mind pivoting on a dime. “For me to fulfill my end of the bargain, we should probably go outside. We have a nice courtyard here. No cameras, other than some non-evasive security.”

I dip into his mind. He’s telling the truth. “Sounds good.”

“Follow me, Ms. Moon.”

I do. It’s a short distance from his office to the exterior door and the two big guards who sit on either side of it. Yes, I now see the cameras everywhere, many of which are swinging up and pivoting... and following us out of the building.

***

The outdoor quad is nice, filled with cement picnic tables, walkways, well-trimmed lawns, and a large chess board, complete with huge plastic pieces that look heavy even to me.

“So,” I say, as we sit on a park bench, “tell me why you need a vampire.”

He ducks his head a little. “Well, in my defense, I didn’t know you were a vampire, but I had it on good word that you weresomething.”

I hold up a finger and say, “I’ve only recently gotten back my ability to read minds. I can’t turn it on and off on a dime. I’m not sure I ever could, let alone now. I’m basically a beginner at this—all of which is to say that I can’t turn off my attraction to your mind. It draws in.”

“What can I do?”

“Nothing on your end. Except maybe just trust that I will only go in so far, get the information I need, then pop back out.”

“You want to verify how I came across your information?”

“I do, and I have.”

“And what did you come up with?”

“You got your information from a vampire blood bank bar in Los Angeles. I don’t see in your memory who, exactly, gave you the information about me. If I plumb a little deeper, I will find it. But that is being a little more invasive than our agreement. That, Icancontrol.”

“The slipping into a nearby mind is more automatic.”

“Exactly.”

“Especially if that mind has information you need.”

“I dive right in.”

“Like a pool.”

“Yes,” I say.

“But not in very far.”

“I don’t need to, not usually.”

“Because the topic is usually, what, at the forefront of someone’s thoughts?”

“Exactly.”

“Fascinating.”

“Is it?”

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