Chapter 7

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Dinner turned into a big affair with Boris and the Harrison women joining the eight people currently living in the DeRizzo house. They barely managed to crowd around the table.

The main topic of conversation was the pending move to the house on the lake. Plans had been made to take Julie and Brian over to look at the house the next day and choose their bedrooms. The master bedroom was to be Jake’s where he could be with his women, but the women would each have their own private bedrooms as well.

There had been some awkward questions about the impending arrival of five live-in servants. Jake finally just said that they had been treated badly by his father and weren’t emotionally healthy, but that they would be available to help with the move and to take care of the new house afterward.

Kate sat between Leanne and Kara. She was suspicious of the men at the table and unfriendly toward them. Jake suspected that if he were to restore Kate’s anger, she would be unable to even sit in their presence. Jake and Jan had spent some time with Kate the previous three days but had made no real attempts to treat her. Instead, they had concentrated on getting to know her and trying to understand how Kate’s experiences had altered the way her mind worked. Jake was willing to put off attempting to treat Kate until Jan’s mind reading skills matured. He hoped that the combination of her psychological training and mind reading would enable her to work a miraculous change.

Boris had been dutifully watching the house when Jake was out. Being able to visit with Ellen and Nina was pleasant duty for him.

“So how does this affect the security situation?” Boris asked after Jake explained that Nina’s deposition had been postponed.

“It looks to me like Cox’s people don’t know that she’s with us, so I guess it’s okay to let you go back to doing productive work, Boris,” Jake said.

“That’s the only sensible decision, Jake. It costs too much money to have me just sitting around for no good reason.”

“Oh, I’m not letting you off that easy. I have some productive work for you to do with us still. We need to improve our home security. I also want you to train our resident security specialists.”

“Who’s that?”

“Ellen and Shannon. I’d like you to take them in hand, make them very proficient with their weapons, and teach them how to protect our family. I’ll also feel better to have you hanging around every now and then.”

“But what about me?” Nina asked. “I can’t just keep imposing on you.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Leanne said. “Nina, you’re no imposition at all.”

“But I am. I’m living in your sitting room, I need help getting to the bathroom, bathing and dressing. I’ve got doctor’s appointments. Soon I’ll start therapy, probably every day. I’m a terrible imposition.”

“You’re just going to have to continue being a terrible imposition, Nina,” Jake said. “I caused the danger by talking you into testifying. That danger won’t go away until the deposition finally gets held. If I let you leave, Jerry would cut my throat. Besides, I would rather think of you as an honored guest. I do admire courageous women.”

“It’s just so much to ask of you.”

“There is one other consideration. We just went out and got a $2 million house so you would have a bedroom of your own. Don’t you think we would feel pretty stupid if you decided to leave? Then what would we do with that great big house?”

Nina laughed. “You didn’t do that just for me. You’ve got other people to take care of.”

“Okay, the rest of us will still get some good use out of it, but you know you can’t leave. It wouldn’t be safe. Besides you’re not healthy enough to be on your own. And we love having you here. You mesh well with us.” Jake got up, walked behind Nina, and kissed her on the top of the head. “You can rail against it all you want, but you are our guest for the time being. And just between you and me, I’m glad you’re here. You brighten my every day.”

Jake began picking up empty plates from the table and taking them back to the kitchen. Leanne and Kara joined him. Soon the dishes were all back in the kitchen. Kara and Jake rinsed the dishes while Leanne made coffee.

Leanne called Julie and Brian into the kitchen.

“Jake and the senior women will be having a meeting in a minute,” she said. “You two can finish the cleaning up while we’re talking.”

“We’ll help,” Shannon said for herself and Christine, although Christine didn’t look that enthusiastic. As Leanne led him away to the gazebo, Jake saw Julie press Boris into service, drying the large dishes, putting them away on the top shelves. Boris endured the silliness of the young women with hulking tolerance.

The women sat down with coffee. Ellen brought Jake a Coke.

“Okay. We’ve got a lot to discuss tonight,” Jake said. “I asked Jan to join us because she and I have got some big news to tell you. But let’s take care of old business first. How is Kate fitting in?”

“She’s depressed and withdrawn,” Leanne said. “When she sleeps with me, she sleeps badly and often wakes up crying. When she’s awake, she keeps mostly to herself. She doesn’t talk much when she’s around others. But she’s not disruptive or hard to deal with.”

“Things will change for the worse soon,” Jan said. “All we’ve done so far is suppress the worst of the symptoms. Now that she’s had a few days to settle into her new home, it’s time to take the training wheels off.”

“What does that mean?” Leanne asked.

“Jake deadened her anger when we removed her from Harris’s house. It had to be done because Kate was uncontrollable, but she can’t go through life that way. She’s got to learn how to deal with it. It’s time to start letting it out in a controlled way.”

“That’s going to take some careful adjustment,” Jake said. “Maybe everyone should expect some outbursts until I get it right.”

“Even once Jake has the level right, everyone should expect her to be more aggressive, more confrontational, and demanding. It will take a lot of forbearance, patience, and compassion on all your parts.”

Leanne and Kara looked at each other.

“That sounds like it’s going to make things tense,” Kara said.

“It’s a process that’s got to move forward for Kate to recover,” Jan said. “I hope it won’t last long. But that depends on whether Jake and I can identify the neurological mechanisms that are maintaining her anger at these irrational levels. My hope is that instead of years of therapy Kate will only require months. But the next couple of weeks will be unpleasant.

“One more thing about Kate. I want her to start some kind of self-defense training. Three years of helplessness has conditioned her to be passive. She’s accustomed to being the victim. She needs to see herself as being in control of her fate. Some kind of physical training could make a big difference.”

“Will she be willing to do that?” Leanne asked.

“I predict that once she starts to feel angry again, she will jump at the chance. The problem might be making sure that she doesn’t use her new skills to lash out at others.”

“I’ll find a place for her to train,” Leanne said.

“I’ll tell her tonight that it’s going to be part of her treatment plan,” Jan said.

“What about her education?” Kara asked. “She hasn’t been to school since she was in eighth grade.”

“She can go to school with me,” Jake said.

“She can’t function with school children yet, Jake,” Jan said. “She won’t have enough self-control.”

“I know. I can’t go back to public school either.” He sighed. “I’ve decided to be homeschooled next year.”

“But I thought that you enjoyed being around the other students,” Ellen said.

“I do, but since all the boys have gone through puberty it’s become too hard to learn within a group. It wasn’t too bad this year. It was only in Jan’s class where their thoughts made it so hard to learn. But as the girls get older and more developed, it’s just going to get worse.”

“I’m sorry, Jake,” Jan said. “I know how much that interaction meant to you.”

“Maybe I can find other ways to socialize. There is another reason why I have to do it. The same reason why I didn’t want to buy the new house outright.”

“You think the mind readers could find you at school?” Kara asked.

“If I were them, that’s the first place I’d look.”

“I’ll do some research and find a good homeschooling curriculum for you,” Jan said. “Same for Kate.”

“How does that work? Will I need to teach him?” Ellen asked.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Just buy the books and materials in the curriculum. Jake will mostly study on his own. If he has questions, he can ask any of us. I gather that Kara and Leanne will be around during the day and you’ll be there in the evening to assist him. State law is very accommodating with people who are being privately educated.”

“Good. That gives us a plan for school. Any more old business?” Jake asked.

No one spoke.

“Then let’s start new business. There are a couple of items. The first is organizing the move. We can either hire a moving company or get a U-Haul truck and have the servants provide the muscle.”

“Even if we hire movers, there’s still going to be a lot of work to do,” Leanne said. “I don’t think there can be too much labor when we get to the actual moving day.”

“There may have to move more stuff than you are expecting,” Jake said. “We are consolidating three households.”

“How so?”

“I’ve got to close down my father’s house as quickly as possible. We’ll move his furniture to the new house.”

“Then I’ll have to see how much stuff there is to move from your father’s house,” Leanne said.

“We can go there first thing in the morning,” Jake said, “after I’ve checked on my father. Will you and Kara hire a company to do the moving?”

“We can get on it in the morning. It’s going to be pretty short notice.”

“Let me know if that turns out to be a problem. Also, tell me if you need any additional help preparing. I can mobilize the servants.”

“Why the urgency to close down Harris’s house?” Jan asked.

“I’ve got to remove anything that ties me to Harris. Taking control of another mind reader is an offense in his circles. I want it to look like Harris just sold off all his property and moved away. I doubt that I’ve got more than a couple of weeks before the Council sends someone to find out why he has dropped out of contact. In that time, I have to wrap up all his business affairs and sell his stuff.

“Does anyone else have something to say about moving?”

No one spoke.

“Okay. So we have a game plan for the move. Now it’s time for the second item of new business,” he said with a smile. He turned to Jan “Do you want to tell them?”

“No. It was your discovery, and you’re the leader anyway. You tell them.”

Just then a voice called from the direction of the house.

“Jake, come fast! You’ve got to stop them.”

It was Shannon. She sounded frantic.

Jake jumped up and ran as fast as he could, straining his mind-reading abilities to sense why Shannon was calling for help. Shannon turned and ran back to the house as Jake approached. He followed her into the kitchen and then up the stairs. She led him straight to Brian’s room, pushing open the door. Jake was right behind her.

Brian was lying between Christine’s legs, his pants and underwear around his ankles. He was thrusting into her hard and fast and picking up steam. Christine, naked below the waist, was not struggling against him.

Jake put Brian to sleep. It took a few seconds for it to take effect. Brian’s motions slowed, then stopped, and then he collapsed on Christine.

Kara and Ellen pushed through the door with Jan and Leanne right behind them. Julie followed a moment later.

“What’s all the noise?” Julie asked and then saw Brian and Christine. “Holy shit. This can’t have a happy ending.”

Christine pushed Brian off of her. He rolled off the bed and fell to the floor. The jolt was sufficient to wake him up. He sat up with a jerk. He was simultaneously embarrassed and angry. Christine was embarrassed, too. That on top of the physical stimulation from Brian had her strongly aroused. Still, she had enough presence to calmly sit up and cover herself with a pillow.

“Shannon, would you tell me what’s going on?” Jake asked.

“Brian and Christine got to joking around while we were cleaning up. First thing I know he was bossing her around. When she started to obey him, he ordered her up here. I couldn’t get her to stop. When I saw what was about to happen, I ran to get you.”

“Is that what happened, Brian?” Jake asked.

“It’s not any of your fucking business what happened. She was willing. I didn’t force her.”

“Watch your language, Brian,” Leanne snapped.

“No, you didn’t, and I don’t blame you for what happened. But this one is not for you, Brian. Not until she has learned to control her passions.”

“If she wants to be with me, I don’t see why you’ve got any say.”

“Because I created this situation, and I am the one who didn’t take proper precautions even though I knew she was a keg of gunpowder that could go off at any time.”

“But she’s old enough to make her own decisions, and she said yes.”

“I say no. It’s not going to happen. She’s like an alcoholic who can’t refuse a drink. She is not competent to make this kind of decision.” Jake turned to Shannon. “Do you remember your first two rules?”

Shannon nodded.

“Teach them to Christine immediately.”

“Yes, Jake.”

“Christine, when was your last period?”

She thought for a second and then dropped her eyes.

“It was two weeks ago, Jake.”

“Did you come in her, Brian?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Not if you’re of a mind to assume responsibility for her and a baby, Brian,” Leanne said. “You were screwing a fertile woman without taking any precautions.”

Brian blanched as he realized the potential consequences.

“No, I didn’t come. At least I don’t think so. I’m not sure what happened. We were doing it and then suddenly I woke up on the floor.”

“Shannon, would you check her for semen and let me know?” Jake asked. “We need to get back to our meeting.”

“Yes, Jake.”

“And Shannon?” Jake said. “You did the right thing. Thank you.”

Jake and the women walked back to the gazebo.

“Jake, don’t beat yourself up about this,” Jan said. “You couldn’t have anticipated it.”

“It didn’t even occur to me it could happen, although looking back I can see that all the ingredients were there. I wish I had been smarter about it.”

“I know you do, but you’re holding yourself to too high a standard.”

“How do you know what he’s thinking, Jan?” Kara asked.

“That’s the news I wanted to tell you,” Jake said as he sat back down. “Earlier this week I learned how to turn normal people into mind readers. I did it to Jan. I think I can do it to anyone. I want to offer that opportunity to all of you.”

Jake looked around the table. Leanne, Kara, and Ellen were speechless.

Finally Kara spoke. “Are you saying that we could do all the things that you can do, Jake?”

“I’m not sure if you’ll be able to do everything that I can but I also don’t have any reason to think that you couldn’t, either. Let me start at the beginning.”

Jake told them what he and his father had discovered and the changes that Jake had been making in Jan.

“She started to receive faint impressions of emotions yesterday. Today she’s reading a broader array of emotions and she’s started to hear thoughts. I expect her to acquire all the skills of a mind reader as time goes by. I don’t know yet if she will also be able to control minds, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t happen. The mind control skills were the last ones to develop in me so it may take longer for them to emerge.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Leanne said.

Jake smiled. “Yes, if you are interested in acquiring my skills, I want to offer them to you. I can’t think of anyone else in this world that I could trust more with them than you four.”

“It will completely change our lives,” Kara said.

“We would have the power to dominate other people?” Ellen asked.

Jake noticed Ellen’s emotions. He was startled to feel distress surging in her.

“Yes, if you choose to exercise it, you will have that kind of power.”

“Would I still be submissive? Would I still be your submissive?”

Oh, Jake thought, I see the problem.

“Ellen, get on your knees, right here beside me.”

She did.

“Have I ever said to you that I would leave you?”

“No, but Jan said that our arrangement didn’t have to be permanent.”

“That was for your benefit. If you ever feel that I am no longer meeting your needs, you can ask me to release you. For my part, I will never make you leave me. You are my sub. I don’t care if you can control minds or run faster than me or beat me in arm wrestling. Our relationship is based on our psychological needs and our love. Those things are unchanged. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Jake.”

“Stay where you are until I tell you that you can get up.”

“Yes, Jake.”

“I still expect you to participate in this meeting.”

“Yes, Jake.”

He turned to the others. “There is no question that it will change your lives. You will have to learn how to handle power. If you are like me, you will learn the pitfalls of power by making painful mistakes. But you will also have the ability to do good on a scale that most people could only dream of. I hope you will be more responsible with it than I was as I was growing up.”

“Jake, it is your sense of responsibility that drew me to you,” Jan said. “I hope that we all are as responsible as you.”

“Thank you, love,” Jake said. He looked at each woman in turn. “I don’t want to lecture you, but I do want to point out one thing. I believe there are really only two ways for a mind reader to have close relationships with other people. He can mold them to meet his needs, taking away their free will. That’s what my father did. Or a mind reader can show his friends and family that they can trust him to not use his power on them without permission.

“I don’t think there is any middle ground. I think that if I had ever made an exception, you would have discovered it sooner or later and I would have lost the trust that we have. There is nothing I have that I value more than you being able to trust me despite my powers.

“You’ll have to decide for yourselves how you relate to other people. I won’t force you to do things the way I do. But if you choose to do otherwise, I expect that you will learn that lesson the hard way.”

Jake watched them as Leanne and Kara realized how important their trust in Jake was to their relationship and how easily Jake could have destroyed it. Ellen had never doubted Jake’s goodness. Only Jan seemed to accept Jake’s statement as something she already knew.

“And while I’m not lecturing you, let me say one other thing. There is nobody who needs thicker skin than a mind reader. Maybe your experiences will be different than mine, but I doubt it. I started reading thoughts when I was very young. I learned that people will think the most awful things. It’s inevitable. Things pop into our minds all the time that are unkind, rude, irrational, impulsive, or just plain evil. Very few of those thoughts find their way to the outside world.

“We’re going to have problems because once we can all read each other’s minds, we’re going to think those ugly thoughts in plain view of one another. I will inevitably think things that are going to hurt your feelings. You will do the same to each other. It may take a while, but I hope that you’ll learn how to deal with it. I hope you’ll all be tolerant of each other’s thoughts until we all get sufficiently calloused.”

The women looked around, thinking about uncharitable thoughts each had had, worried about the shame of the others seeing those thoughts in them.

“If you do this, it has risks,” Jake said. “It is possible that we will come to hate each other. It’s possible that one or more of us may find that the power goes to our heads. But even with the risks, there are too many advantages not to offer it to you. You are four exceptional women. You all have remarkable character and I trust you to do good with your abilities.

“I’ll make you three the same deal I made with Jan. I’ll turn you into mind readers. If you also develop the skills of a mind controller then I expect you to be my apprentices for three months before you start using the power on others. If I catch you doing evil, I will take away your abilities.

“Given those conditions, Leanne, do you want to be a mind reader?”

“Oh, God, yes.”

“Kara?”

“Yes, please, Jake.”

“Ellen, I want you to be a mind reader. Do you have any comments?”

“I have concerns, master, but no objections. If you want it, I will do it.”

“I, too, have concerns but the advantages of us becoming a cadre of mind readers outweigh the risks.”

“You are going to be one busy boy, Jake,” Jan said.

“How do you mean that, Jan?” Leanne asked.

“Jake’s been working on me for days to make me a mind reader. Now he’s got three more people to work on.”

“It takes eight sessions to enable the nerves to conduct mind reading signals efficiently. Only one session can be held each day. However, two days is enough to start the process. I’ve been working on Jan for three days. I’ll get all of you started and then come back to the others to maximize efficiency. If I seem...”