Page 82 of It takes a Psychic

He blinked, briefly distracted. Then he switched his attention to her. His eyes heated. “Good. I feel good, thanks to you.”

“You need food.” She took an energy bar out of the bag and tossed it to him.

“Thanks.”

“And you need to hydrate.”

“I’ve got a bottle of water in my bag,” he said.

Distracted, Roxy chortled. Leona gave her an energy bar and then took one for herself.

“You know,” she said to Oliver, “whoever tried to kill you last night used an artifact as a weapon.”

“I noticed. Not only can you activate some artifacts, you can flatline them, too. Nice. As I have already observed on more than one occasion, you are very handy to have around.”

“My point is that it looks like there is someone else here in Lost Creek who can activate Alien artifacts.”

“And whoever it is wants me dead for some reason.” He peeled the wrapper off the energy bar. “Yeah, I get that. What’s got me worried is that the juggler may be a multi-talent. Quite possibly a triple. We’ll have to assume the individual is unstable.”

She chilled. “What makes you suspect the juggler is a multi-talent?”

“Think about it. Assuming there is one person behind this operation, we can conclude that the individual has three powerful core talents—a high-level ability to plot an elaborate conspiracy involving a lot of moving pieces, a serious talent for some version of hypnosis—”

Leona frowned. “Hypnosis? Oh, you mean the so-called Voice that Starkey mentioned.”

“Right. You’ve got to admit it’s impressive. Our Vance wannabe is sending out hypnotic suggestions to several different people simultaneously by means of those pendants. According to the historians, Vancehimself may have had that sort of ability. It’s very rare but very powerful. It was how he made true believers out of so many people so quickly.”

“It is an impressive form of hypnosis,” she agreed. “So maybe the juggler does have at least two talents.”

“And now we have discovered that our mini-Vance can also activate at least some Alien tech—namely, that crystal bowl.”

“Unless the juggler is manipulating someone else who has that kind of talent,” Leona said quickly. “Maybe using that person to work AUPs.”

“It’s a possibility.” Oliver took a bite of the energy bar and munched, looking thoughtful. Then he shook his head. “But I don’t think so. Too risky.”

“Too risky?”

“As far as the juggler is concerned,” he explained. “We think we’ve got a few control issues but we’ve got nothing on the mastermind behind this operation. We’re dealing with a classic obsessive control freak who would never leave something as critical as the hypnotic manipulation factor to chance. Whoever it is wants me out of the way so they can get at you.”

“Because I’ve got the key?”

“That’s part of it, obviously. But I think the real motivation is deeper and more complicated. I think we’ve got an unstable triple who is obsessed with you on our hands.”

“Why are you so sure the juggler is an unstable triple?” She realized her voice was rising. Not good.

Oliver looked at her. “Because they have concluded that you are a triple, too. What’s more, you are clearly stable. That must be driving the juggler mad.”

Her temper flared. “What if I told you that Iama triple?”

Oliver took another bite of the energy bar. “It’s possible, but it depends on how you define the concept of core talent. The way I see it, you’re basically a locksmith, one with the ability to unlock a lot of different things—psi-locks and even some artifacts, for example. You could callthat two different talents, I suppose, but it seems more like a powerful version of your basic profile.” He ate the last bite of the energy bar. “So, maybe you’re a true double. Maybe.”

“And if you’re wrong? If I am a triple?”

“You believe you really are a multi-talent, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

He shrugged. “Okay, what’s talent number three?”

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