Chapter 8

"I was born in Monterey in 1925." Dan started his history. "My dad worked in the canneries. During the depression we moved to San Francisco to look for work. Dad didn't find much. Dad left looking for work in 1932, we never saw him again. Mom died of typhoid in '39. My sister Arlene looked after me, since she was five years older than I was. After the attack on Pearl Harbor I lied about my age and joined the army. My sister married a Baptist minister while I was fighting in the Pacific. They had three kids. She went crazy in 1953, started hearing voices. Doctors couldn't do anything; Baptists couldn't do anything. She killed herself in '56 and her husband married a nurse who helped him finish raising the kids, and then they moved to the Philippines." Dan paused and stared at the ceiling, then continued. "Since then I change my name every few years. I stay out of long term relationships. I fought in the army but now the Army has my finger prints and DNA so I can't join the armed forces again. In the back of my mind, I've been waiting to go crazy. That's what I thought had happened when April touched me. And that's it. Eighty-two years in less than a minute."

"Do you remember if your father looked older than middle twenties?" Martin asked.

"I don't but Arlene did. She was sure of it."

"Dan, I have another favor to ask of you."

"If I decline the favor, will something bad happen to me?"

"No, of course not." Martin smiled. I'll just do it without your knowledge. "Will you let me exhume your sister and your mother so that I may get a DNA sample from them?"

"May I have some time to think about it?"

"Yes. I would also like a DNA sample from you."

"Why?"

"Too many odd things are happening," Martin answered. "I also want to touch your hand to see the extent of your abilities."

"Why didn't you ask if my mother looked old?" Dan asked.

"If she died of disease, she isn't one of us."

"Oh."

"Dan, one of the abilities we have allows us to read the surface thoughts of the young ones, the normal people. If Arlene gained that ability and didn't realize what it was, it could have driven her mad. Surface thoughts jump from one subject to another and are not controlled by mores or politeness. The thoughts can be cruel and hateful and disgusting. They can come from people who love you."

"In time, one can learn not to judge a person on those thoughts alone, but on the whole gestalt of their mind. I would like to see if the ability to read young ones is in you. I will not awaken it. I will only look for it. Will you let me?"

"Let me get this straight. You want to see if I have the same mind thing that drove my sister to kill herself?" Dan asked incredulously.

"Yes, but I won't awaken it. It is the same thing that April and I have. The difference is that we were guided in its use and protected in the early days of our ability." Perhaps a stretch in April's case, Martin thought.

"What the fuck! I've been dreading going nuts so long, maybe it would be a weight off my back. Let's get it over with."

Martin stood and held out his hand. After a deep breath Dan took it. Chaos ruled in Dan's mind. It was hard to tell which thoughts were his and which thoughts were Martin's. The thoughts were mixed-up and jumbled-up and seemed to lead in no direction. They skipped from image to image. Most thoughts were Dan's now as Martin concentrated on something that made no sense to Dan, but two thoughts stayed active on the surface of Martin's mind. Does Mary know what is happening? Does William have records of it?

Martin spoke and all other thoughts disappeared. Dan knew that what Martin said was a fact. "You have the ability." Martin pulled his hand away. "The obvious question is; do you want me to help awaken it? Take time to decide. Once it has been awakened you cannot change back."

Martin took his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

April answered. "Hello?"

"April, would you join Dan and me in the forest room?"

"I suppose you would like some refreshment?" April was angry that she had not been in on the discussion with Dan.

"That would be pleasant." Her sarcasm had gone right by Martin without registering.

"I'll be up in a few minutes." He's had 2000 years to get this way, so I suppose he isn't going to change any time soon, she thought. She put her phone back in her pocket.

Up on the fourth floor Martin was saying, "Dan, the safest thing for you might be for you to walk away tonight and go back to your life as it was."

After a pause, Dan said, "Yeah, I don't know yet, and no."

"I don't understand you."

"Good," Dan smiled. "Now I am not the only one confused. You've given me three questions. Those are the answers. Yeah, you can get DNA from my mother and sister. No, I don't know if I want to hear voices, and no, I'm not just going to walk away. Now, tell me why someone wants to kill you and April."

"He doesn't know," April said as she walked into the room. She sat and smiled at Martin.

"The list of things I don't know is endless, but I know that Dan can be fully awakened if he wants," Martin smiled back.

April quickly looked at Dan. "When are you doing it?" She asked him.

"I don't know. What's it like?"

"It's un-nerving at first, if you don't know what's going on. Now it seems natural, like I've been able to do it my whole life."

"So I should let Martin 'awaken' me?"

"Yes! No. I don't know," she said in exasperation. "I didn't have a choice. I don't know you. I don't know what you want in your life or if you have a choice. Is it worth the risk to you? I've been shot at. I've killed people. Maybe you should walk away and go back to doing whatever you were doing."

"What is the relationship between the two of you?" Dan asked.

Martin answered. "We have formed an alliance. We haven't specified the length of time but certainly at least until the present danger has abated and April has time to establish a secure base."

I hoped to be more than an ally, April thought. She tried to keep her expression from changing.

"What will be my relationship with the two of you?" Dan asked.

"If you walk away there will be no relationship. I'll leave you alone and not mention you to others. If you stay, I'll give you a reasonable length of time to decide if you want to be awakened. If you decide to be awakened, you may stay here until you feel it is safe for you to leave and I'll do my best to protect you. If you decide not to be awakened, you might as well walk away, it won't be safe for you. I can't speak for April," Martin looked at April waiting for her to speak.

"In general I feel the same as Martin," she said. "You can't stay here if you aren't awakened. You wouldn't be safe. Decide soon."

Conversation stopped as Tommy came up the stairs with a tray of sandwiches and a bottle of wine. He set down the tray and bottle on the glass table. He looked at first Martin and then April. Both nodded to him and he left, going downstairs.

"What the hell. Go ahead and awaken me."

"It's not a decision to be taken lightly," Martin warned.

"Oh be serious," Dan shook his head, "the ability to read people's minds! How could I possibly say no?"

"I'll give you the night to change your mind," Martin said.

"You'll give me a night to change my mind before you change my mind?" Dan said with dry humor. April couldn't resist laughing, Martin didn't get the joke.

"Yeah," Dan replied.

Martin said good night to both of them and left to go to his room.

"Dan, don't make fun of him," April said. "He is an amazing man. He just thinks differently than we do."

"I wasn't really making fun of him. It's just the way I am, I don't take life too seriously and he's so focused. I can't help but pull his chain a little. I do respect him. In the short time we have talked, I've found no reason doubt his intelligence and several reasons to respect him and his sense of honor."

"Good, treat him with respect if you want my help in adjusting to your new abilities," April said as she stood and walked to the door. "See you at breakfast," was the last he heard from her.

Dan stayed in the room and thought over the day. How bizarre. How bizarre. Apply for a job and find you're not alone. Reason enough to let Martin awaken him. He was no longer alone in the world. No one to talk to for 52 years, not since Arlene's death, and now there were two people who accepted that he was 82 years old. They didn't even think it was odd. To them it was quite normal.

Dan felt gratitude for their acceptance and unreasonable anger for Martin not being there 52 years ago when Arlene was driven mad. Maybe he felt a little lust too; April was mixture of red, green, and freckles. She had a thing for Martin; Martin acted as if he didn't care. I've never seen eyes as green as April's, he thought. She wasn't voluptuous but her body was just right for her face. If her breasts were larger, on her slight body they would look enhanced. Christ! She must hear that and worse all the time. Am I ready to hear all of my flaws? Can I keep the same hat size if women think I am good looking?

Fuck it, think of April, she can't hear you now. Take it slow, he reminded himself. I'm not at the top of her list now. Hell I may not even be on the list.

If all goes well, tomorrow I'll be able to hear thoughts of young ones. Will it make me wise or lazy? I will not let it make me lazy! I'll use it as just another tool. If not, there's no good reason to awaken it and several reasons not to. God I hope they can teach me how to filter out the noise. With that last thought, Dan left the room and headed for his bedroom. He was suddenly very tired.

Breakfast was interminable for Dan. As with dinner last night, business was not discussed at the table. Martin and April made small talk, about the weather, about art, and other inanities. Martin tried to suppress a smile. He remembered the feeling, waiting to ride out of town with his 'father' Daniel. Martin thought that he must have looked like Dan, eager to leave but trying hard to be polite. April is torturing him just for fun, he thought.

"April," Martin said. "Why don't we let Cecil clear the table? You're just pushing your food around. Your last bite was fifteen minutes ago."

She smiled at Dan as she put her fork and her napkin on her plate.

"Now I know what the Cheshire cat looked like," Dan said under his breath.

"Dan, if you still want to go through with-" Martin started.

"I do," Dan interrupted.

"Don't be rude."

"Sorry, but I am past ready."

"Surely you're old enough to have learned patience?" Martin asked.

"I thought I was but this is a new experience for me, something I didn't expect. I thought that I knew myself. I knew that I was different but not the extent of the difference."

"If April will excuse us?" She did with a small nod of her head. "The Forest Room seems an appropriate place to awaken you."

Martin and Dan sat facing each other. "What will happen?" Dan asked nervously.

"Today? It won't seem like much. We'll clasp each other's right hand. I'll do all the work and it should only take a moment. You'll be tired and a little weak afterwards. Otherwise, you won't notice much difference. Your abilities will develop over the next four to six weeks. Are you ready?"

It seemed to Dan that the room disappeared and only Martin remained. Dan heard nothing and saw nothing except for Martin and then as if from awakening from a dream, Dan noticed his surroundings and noticed that Martin was no longer touching him.

"Are you alright?" Martin asked.

"I'm fine. It was just a little weird. That's all there is to it?"

"If your mind has the capacity, it's an easy task to awaken it."

"I need a glass of wine," Dan said as he stood to reach for a bottle and glasses that were on a table. He stumbled to his hands and knees. Then like those truly drunk, he slowly fell forward till his head hit the floor.

"I said you'd be a little weak," Martin said as he helped Dan back into his chair. "I think champagne is called for."

After pouring a glass of champagne for Dan, Martin turned Dan's chair so that he was looking out the window. He handed Dan the glass and turned his chair. "Sit here for an hour or so and you will be fine," Martin said. "I should get the DNA results tomorrow. I hope they show us something. I hope to see you at breakfast."

Martin left the room. At the bottom of the stairs April was waiting for him. "How did it go?" she asked.

"It went fine of course. Unlike you, he knew what was happening."

"I doubt you'll take him out on the boat," she said. "Where will you take him?"

"Dan will join the perimeter guards."

"How will that help?"

"He'll man a cabin out in the woods," Martin told her, pleased with his idea. "The other guards will stay around enough to give protection but far away to give him peace. We can send a guard nearby and you or I will train him while the guard is close. It will be perfect. The cabin will be finished in a couple of days. Howard or Tommy can use it until Dan's abilities start to show."

The cabin was a blessing. For all its size, the house was too crowded. There were too many people wandering through it. Way too many now that he could sense their presence, an overwhelming presence. He had trouble knowing which thoughts were his and which thoughts were someone else's. He felt their thoughts more as emotions than as thoughts. He was sad, happy, or depressed based on how those around him felt. He was relieved when he moved into the cabin.

Training visits from Martin and April were welcomed, even if they were exhausting. A lone guard walking by could be interesting, boring, or disgusting. Dan was beginning to cease judging people by their surface thoughts. Dan got out of bed, dressed, and began to fix breakfast.

Someone was coming towards the cabin; it "sounded" like Tommy. This was the one person that Dan dreaded. Tommy was a habitual hummer of Beatles songs. I don't dislike the Beatles, Dan thought to himself. I hate the songs Tommy chooses. George Martin had been right, The White album should have been a single record. It was an insult to put OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA within inches of Dear Prudence; right next to Glass Onion! Someone should find Paul McCartney and beat him for that song! Today it was OB-LA-SHIT and tomorrow it might be Rocky Raccoon. Rocky Raccoon and I'm So Tired, it's amazing The Beatles made Abby Road without killing each other.