BOOK 3: DISCLOSURE / CH. 14:VALENTINE'S DAY COMMITTEE

11.40 AM, SATURDAY MORNING, 18TH NOVEMBER

Introductions took longer than Eliza had expected, since Kate had decided everyone should give a short testimony. Some people clearly had longer definitions of short than others. But it was encouraging to hear about what God had been doing.

Then it got down to the serious bit, or so Eliza had expected. Kate handed the floor to Sarah, who suddenly turned to Teresa. “Teresa, you didn't share about the decision you were talking to me about this morning. Is it a secret?”

“Urm, no. Just, I didn't want to delay things any more.”

“You just have. Tony, stop grinning and tell everyone why you're grinning.”

“Well, last night, I asked Teresa to marry me.” he turned to his fiancée, with an even bigger grin.

“I said 'yes'. And this morning I was berating Sarah for being so foolishly generous, and then mentioned a date I was considering for our wedding. And Sarah had her vision or whatever it was and told me we shouldn't wait that long.”

“How was she foolishly generous?” Hannah asked, intrigued.

“She let my besotted man here buy a ring he shouldn't have been able to afford, for an amount he could.”

“Quite easily” chipped in Tony.

Of course at that point Teresa had to show off her ring.

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Eventually, Kate called them to order “So, Sarah, you didn't want to tell us before. What did you see?”

She went and looked out of the window. “I saw a ruined city. I don't know if it was here or somewhere on the other side of the world. I couldn't tell. Everything was tangled, ruined; there was rubble, as far as the eye could see. Smoke rose from some, but not all piles. But there wasn't a single building standing in what I saw.” She broke off, close to tears.

John continued “We examined Sarah's memory. She didn't see any one place that had worse destruction than another. There wasn't a centre to the damage, unless it was far away. There wasn't evidence that all the buildings had fallen in a particular direction. There wasn't any water on the streets. So it wasn't an earthquake-triggered wave.”

“A war, then? Or a massive earthquake?'” asked Tony.

“Maybe.” replied Sarah. “Or a massive nuclear weapon a long way away, but I didn't see charring, and certainly no mushroom cloud.”

“So that's one scarily big earthquake, if that's all that's left as a possible cause.” Tony said.

“But we don't know where and we don't know what caused it, it could be something even weirder. We don't even know if its true.” John answered.

“But we felt we should assume it's real, and it's a warning, at least to be prepared. We're not sure what else we can do. We can hardly expect government agencies to pour resources into preparing for 'something devastating', in a city somewhere.”

“Two witnesses?” Hannah asked Arwood.

Arwood nodded. “I agree it sounds seriously scary, and we can do what we can ourselves if we're convinced. But if this is from God, he'll send confirmation. I'm not sure what we can do other than look for that second witness, and in a passive manner, I mean. We can't go asking who's had dreams of ruined cities! If we do get confirmation, then we'd be justified in alerting governments, maybe.”

“I think you'd need more precision too.” Karen said. “I mean, I'm really pleased that Pris is here,”

“Me too!” butted in Pris.

“but we can't expect very many governments to have as much motive as ours to get involved.”

“Yes. Let's face it, if I hadn't been going mad in hospital, then it's very unlikely that I'd have been sent here; or anyone else, for that matter.”

“I agree.” Sarah said. “It's great to meet you at long last, Pris, but we weren't expecting anyone official here at all. In some ways, this meeting is about helping Teresa and Tony understand what happened.”

“And decide a wedding date!” Tony said. “I'm certain of one thing, Sarah.” he held Teresa's hand posessively. “I want us to be happily married before the sky falls, and I don't mean just back from Honeymoon.”

Teresa grinned at him. “I agree, how about new year's eve instead of Valentine's day?”

Pris glanced at Eliza and saw she'd gone white. Teresa hadn't noticed yet and carried on “No, that wouldn't work. Not going to be possible for either brother.”

Karen noticed Elisa's look too. “What's wrong Eliza?”

“Urm. I don't want to jump to conclusions, except I have, and it's a bit scary.” Eliza said carefully. “Are we to understand that Valentine's day was the day Sarah reacted to?”

“Didn't we say?” John asked. “Sorry. Is there something special about Valentine's day for you?”

“Not to me, but not more than half an hour ago Bella, my witnesses protection officer, was telling me that she found the thought of the Gift really spooky, because she had a dream years ago about being in a room with faceless people asking questions without speaking or touching about a dream she'd had about Valentines day.”

“Well, that's a coincidence, isn't it?” remarked Arwood.

“Arwood, you know there's no such thing, so call it the providence that it is!” Hannah corrected her husband with a smile.

He ignored her and continued, “So, assuming that ... It was Bella, wasn't it?” Elisa nodded “That Bella's dream confirms the message, where do we go from there?”

“I want to point out that Bella isn't a Christian yet, and is scared of her dream being prophetic. I don't know what she'd do if we asked her about it by phone or something, or called her to come up here so soon.”

“OK. Point taken.” Sarah agreed. “So, shall we discuss our options?”

“Number one, and easiest, is alert the rest of the gifted.” John said, “Just as soon as we have confirmation.”

“Can we do anything to alert governments?” Eliza asked.

“I think that almost every secular government is going to laugh at you,” Pris said, “unless you can find a perpetrator, a weapon and a target. That's assuming that it's not some kind of natural disaster, of course.”

“And if it is, then what?” Karen asked.

“Lend your support to the lone scientist who's right?” Pris suggested with a shrug “According to the old films I've been watching there is always one.”

“I think that's called a narrative necessity. I don't know that God works that way.” Karen replied.

“I assume bypassing the authorities and making a direct press release is just going to cause panic or derision.” Pete added.

“I don't care about derision, but I think if the public saw my dream there'd be riots and looting and all sorts.” Sarah commented.

“So, what can we do?” Tony asked.

“I'll make my report.” Pris said, “and Maria will probably say that these meetings should be weekly, to share any new insights, crazy ideas and so on. And then, we'll let the world know discretely, and let the world's governments come to you.”

“But you said they'd laugh.” George queried.

“If you go to them, yes, that's publicity seeking and all the rest. But if they come to you, that's different,”

“So we'd form a 'Committee on major threat assessment' or something like that?” Karen asked. “Make it all formal, and not scare mongering at all?”

“Sounds better than the department for scary visions.” Kate said.

“How about 'Interorganisational Valentine's Day committee for major threat assessment.' ” suggested Tony.

“Ooh yes, very official sounding, plus giving people a clue about when the threat is for.” Karen agreed.

“Or at least what the trigger was.” Sarah agreed. “If Bella's dream is that on valenties day she got a box of chocolates, then I'd say the formation of this committee is the purpose of my vision. And I'd be very relieved.”

“So you get a scary vision just so that there's a group of people able and willing to listen to crazy dreams, visions, and prophets of doom, and decide how credible they are?” John asked.

“Yes, exactly.” Sarah agreed.

“Is everyone willing to be on such a committee?”

“Once a week? Permanently?” asked Hannah “That's quite a commitment.”

“I think once a month or even less often, most of the time.” Kate said. “We can report on anything we've been approached with in the meantime which sounds credible and worth investigating further, if there is.”

“Sounds good.” Arwood agreed.

“So, major threat one is Sarah's vision.” George said. “In two parts, is that right, the verbal and the image?”

“Yes, that's right.” John said. “I checked Sarah's memory almost immediately. Unthought of words followed by a vision, followed by ...urm... memory-inspired images.”

“Oh you poor things!” Kate said. “Did it bring it all back?”

“Yes, Kate.” John said. “Sarah sent me to the Peace not long after.”

“That bad?” Kate asked, worried.

“It was my fault, Kate, we were talking about what we could do and John suggested make sure we're spread out, so that we don't all die at once. Urm, Can I tell this John?”

“I will. Sarah said that if there was a risk of losing me she wanted to be carrying our baby. Sally was pregnant when the Clear Sky attack happened. The though of losing Sarah too, when pregnant... A bit too much to bear.”

Hannah went and hugged John, as she had done so often in the weeks after the attack on the shopping centre. “No wonder you flipped out there, John. I'm glad you guys can take it to the Lord in prayer so instantly.”

“Speaking of which, can we pray about what we've heard?” George asked, holding Karen's hand tightly. “I don't like the idea of any of us dying quite yet.”

“Especially not one from a couple.” Karen finished his thought.

“Of course we can pray.” Arwood said. “And we should.”

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Arwood's simple prayer was the last. “Father God, we pray that whatever happens you might meet us in our time of need, give us the strength to carry on, the faith to trust you, even when times are hard, and the grace to praise you for the good things you've given us even when those things are taken from us. Our eternal home is with you Lord, help us not be too attached to this earthly existence that we forget the glories that await us.”

Wholehearted amens came from each of them. Eliza had a thought. “Sarah, you're the closest thing to resident physicist. Tony said something about the sky falling. I remember reading about airburst weapons that flattened what was underneath them. Might that fit your vision?”

“I'd have thought there'd be massive charring for a nuclear airburst, and that's about the only thing powerful enough.... No it isn't! Tungasca! That might do it. A Tungasca over a city!”

“Can you enlighten us what that strange word means?” Hanna asked.

“Urm, its a place. A comet or asteroid entered the atmosphere and exploded over a forest. Trees turned to matchsticks, if I remember right, over a massive area.”

“Yes.” Eliza said. “Pre-communist, czarist Russia, 1908. More than two thousand square kilometres of trees destroyed. Windows broken hundreds of kilometres away, I don't remember much more.”

“How big a circle is two thousand square kilomrters? I can't visualise it.” Arwood asked.

“Urm, a fifty kilometre wide square would be 2500, does that help?” Sarah asked.

“Uh, yes. Wow” Arwood exclaimed.

“Would it fit your vision Sarah?” Karen asked.

“Yes, but so would a massive earthquake, I think.” Sarah answered.

“OK. But, presumably predicting asteroid or comet impacts is a more precise science than earthquake prediction?” Teresa asked.

“Yes much. Both have errors, of course but it's hardly fair to compare them.” Sarah replied.

“Assuming you've seen it.” George added.

“Yes. There are some which are hard to see, of course.” Sarah admitted.

“So, it could be an earthquake, it could possibly be a nuclear bomb except for the charring, or it could be a comet that no-one's seen.” Kate summarised.

“Or one they think will miss, or one they're keeping quiet about for fear of causing panic.” George added.

“Or, we're supposed to form this committee, and the vision was no more than a prompt.” Karen added. “I'm with you, Sarah, in liking that option.”

“But then you have to explain away the words too.” Tony pointed out. “Not on that sad day, don't wait that long.”

“There are other reasons it might be an extremely sad day, Tony.” Pris said, “Someone could die, for instance, without it being an international disaster.”

“Agreed.” Teresa said. “So, we won't wait that long for our marriage, and then we're obeying God, and our feelings.”

“Normally I wouldn't encouarge a short engagement.” Arwood said, “But in the circumstances, go for it!”

Hannah added, with a grin “There's still time this side of Chrismas if you're decisive and organised.”

“Teresa is the most decisive woman I know.” Tony complimented her, with a beaming smile. “That's why I'm marrying her, along with her top rank organalisational skills, her intelegence, not to mention her extreme beauty which I'm not really allowed to mention.”

“Do you think he's in love with her?” Hannah asked Arwood in a stage whisper everyone could hear.

“Just a tiny little bit. Not as much as I love you of course.” he whispererd back, just as loudly.

Eliza was feeling a bit... single she decided the word was, and decided it was time to think to Bella [Hi Bella. I think we're almost finished. Are you?]

[Oh! That made me jump! Urm, yes. No decisions yet on the cooker, can't make my mind up on which of three to get.]

[Oh well, you've got time do decide, haven't you? The money stays yours.]

[So, shall I come up?]

[I'll just ask, do you want me to use wrist units? Every one here knows I've the Gift, just not about you having the power.]

[Really odd decision. Oh I don't know. You trust them, so go for it. Pris knows anyway.]

The conversation was still on wedding plans, and looked like it might continue for hours, so she decided she needed to interrupt. “Kate, are we basically finished, except for Bella?”

“I think so. Anyone else have non-wedding related issues to raise?”

“Just the question of how to let her know we want her input.” John replied.

“Pris, what do you think? Do we invite her to talk to the committee, or shall we just get Eliza to quiz her?” Karen asked.

“I don't know. Eliza, you know her best.” Pris answered.

“I think we should tell her that we don't think the meeting needs to be a secret from her, and let her ask about what we discussed if she likes. Let's leave it to free will and divine providence.”

“Ooh, how sneeky!” Kate said “Poor girl won't know what's coming 'till it hits her! Well, she can't run that way, but have the grace to be hesitant about telling her, Eliza.”

“You don't want to?” Eliza replied.

“You and Pris are the ones she told her dream to, girl.”

“Actually, just me.”

“Oh? I thought you said it was on the way.”

“It was, we were touching, and she has the power. I'll call her up.”

[Bella! You can come up. We've decided our clandestine meeting can at least be open to you about who's here. It looks like we'll be having more of them. You can have a guided tour of the room by the institute's director if you like.]

[Ooh! Does he have a long white beard and wear a funny hat?]

[No, she doesnt. Urm, I guess I should warn you... You're going to be the only non-Christian here.]

[Typical! If you drop me into a discussion of my faith or lack of it then I'm going to be cross with you.]

[I won't. Urm hold on a bit, I wonder how you get here.]

“Kate, will the computer recognise Bella's I.D. when she tries for the lift?, and does she need to go outside to get to it? “Urm, The elevator goes to every floor, but I expect not in public parts of the shop. Sarah, does it know her?”

“It knows her, and there's an accessible lift door next to the till in the wallpaper department.”

“Thanks, I'll tell her.”

[Bella, if you can find the wallpaper department, then there's a lift door next to the till. Your I.D. should work.]

[They sell wallpaper too? I never knew that. I guess it's easier to go outside, I'm near the back door.]

As Bella went through the door, she was momentarily distracted by a vaguely familiar smell and looked around for the source.

She tripped over him. Or rather she tripped over a man's foot who had been lurking just outside the door. He smelt of a solvent, that was the smell, she realised as she sprawled onto the floor. He must have had his foot there already, she realised, or it wasn't aimed at her, or she'd have heard his intentions. She rolled properly, at least, and rose quickly.

“Ooh look, the clumsy lady's had some self defence classes! Are we scared?” asked the substance abuser.

“Nah.” said his friend, “We've got knives, she's just got her little handbag. Maybe she'll give it to us.”

“Or maybe I'll take your knives, and then where would you be?” Bella asked, calmly.

[Bella, how much trouble are you in?] Eliza asked.

[Two gang boys about to get arrested, almost certainly no trouble, but get Pris to call in the cavalry just in case, please, they're supposed to watching nearby.]

“You think you can take on both of us at once?”

“I've got good reactions.” Bella said. “There's no one coming to help you. Give us your valuables or we'll cut you up until you do.”

“I've got another idea. You give me your knives and I tell the judge that you didn't resist arrest. By the way, you are under arrest for attemped agravated theft, threatening behavior towards an officer of the crown, me, in the execution of her duties, plus substance abuse, and I'm sure the police will find out about a few other crimes too.”

“That's a pretty good bluff there.” said the thin one with the long foot. “I almost believed you for a moment.” he lunged towards her, with his knife outstretched, as did his friend. Knowing what was coming almost before their muscles did was a great advantage. Bella sidestepped the first easily and grabbed the second one's knife hand and pulled, turning his momentum against him. A knee in his back helped him to the ground. She was strong for her size and arms just aren't meant to go that way, it clicked out of its socket and he screamed and dropped the knife. The first attacker recoved as fast as the solvent clouding his mind would let him, and tried to slash at her. Even with his friend at her feet, that was such an easy attack to counter that she almost laughed. She brought him to the ground on top of his accomplice just as a vehicle screached to a halt beside her. Two security agents lept out and handcuffed the gang members.

“You guys were a bit slow.” she said. “They almost damaged my manicure then.”

Agent one, she didn't know them, replied “We weren't expecting you to be here. You've not had any calls to your wrist unit, you didn't call in, either.”

“Pre-arranged meet-up time.” she lied. “But you didn't see that two gang thugs, who'd probably been waiting around to witness the shooting of our convoy, had moved into attack position outside this door? If I'd been some average housewife then I'd have been robbed and they'd have vanished before you guys woke up.”

“What happened to building security? We're not supposed to come out of covert survelence mode just for loitering thugs.”

“No idea what happened, but maybe you should have given them a tip off. Find out, please. Anyway, I've got to go up that lift to meet my client. This was just the easiest route to find the lift-shaft.”

“OK, we'll sit on these two until Building security come and get them.”

“Oh, by they way, these slime attacked after I'd told them they were under arrest and that I was a officer of the crown. So you don't need to be too gentle with them.”

“What about our rights!” the one with the dislocated shoulder complained. “She pulled my arm out of its socket! I need hospital care!”

“Oh! Your rights.” Bella said, with glee. She had a certain joy in letting them know what rights they'd lost by attacking her. “Well you probably know your normal rights, but after an attack with a lethal weapon on an officer of the crown, you have the right to request deportation, I'm sure the mars colony wants your muscles. You also have the right to a fair trial. You have the right to make two monitored phonecalls up to ten minutes a day. You have the right to be visited while you're in jail. You have the right to pay for your own medical care and lawyer if you want to. You have no right to access the net. The court will appoint you an AI lawyer if you do not get one yourself. Other rights have been forfeited.”

“What about rehab? I'm an addict.” said the abuser.

“Don't worry, you'll probably survive going through cold turkey.”

“I have the right to rehab!”

Agent one laughed. “A nice comfortable bed, and a pretty nurse to soothe your brow too? No, you don't. If you'd gone quietly, yeah. But you didn't, did you? You used a lethal weapon to resist arrest, threatening a clearly identified crown officer's life, you silly boy. Into the van with you! Don't suppose you feel like signing up for Mars?”

Space travel was still risky, and it took a certain attitude to take that risk. Mars itself was a tough place to work, although the recruitment adverts spoke highly about the

long term benefits. It was a gamble. You could stay safe on Earth, or be a pioneer on Mars, and earn the right to large tracts of land there. Of course the terraforming wasn't finished yet, but fusion power had made pleanty of oxygen available, and the atmosphere was thickening up. In a few years time, after just a little more permafrost had melted and a few more comets had been delivered from what the press insisted on calling the Oort cloud, it should be possible to farm in the open, not just under domes. (Of course it wasn't from the Oort cloud that they came; why go almost a light year to the Oort cloud when there were plenty of comets in the Kuiper belt, just past Neptune?) Mars was a tough place for tough risk takers who needed a challenge. On civilised computer-aided Earth those types of people didn't really fit in. Some joined the police, army or security forces, others sought their adrenaline highs in other ways. Not many of them were hair-dressers or accountants. There was a joke that on Mars you were more likely to find a hen with teeth than an accountant with a fashionable hair

style. That was foolish of course, since hair fashion on Mars was reputed to be a question of did you cut it or not, and if you did what you set the clippers to.

Since hair was useful extra biomass for the compost heap, it was supposed to be

a sign of great success or utter failure to have long hair there. Of course there were pilots and mechanics who weren't spending every spare moment nursing their current batch of seedlings and checking their compost microbes were healthy, but they had other reasons not to have long hair. It didn't exactly help you move around safely in zero gravity if your hair was getting sucked into the ventilation system.

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Bella made it to the lift shaft without further incident, presented her I.D., and was taken to the owner's lounge. “Hi Bella!” Eliza called out. [Thank goodness you're here! If I hear another wedding-related comment then I think I 'm going to scream.] Eliza deliberately leaked that thought to everyone able to hear.

“Sorry Eliza” Sarah said. “I guess we were going on about them rather a lot. Welcome, Bella, I'm Sarah, and Eliza's urm... third cousin, isn't it?”

Eliza shrugged. “I think so, something like that.”

“Hi Bella. Did I miss something?” Pris asked in confusion.

“Yes, Eliza was looking forward to a change in conversation topic.” Bella summarised. “Nice meeting room you have here. Not dripping with diamonds.”

“No. That would have been tasteless.” Eliza agreed.

“Who ever said it would be?” Sarah asked.

“Staff rumour when I worked here as a kid. I'm sure they didn't have a wallpaper department then.”

“My fault.” Sarah admitted. “I think it's officially interior design or something like that, but I've thought of it as the wallpaper place since I was five.”

“Oh, that's solved that mystery then. Thanks!” Bella responded, then putting together another inconsistency “But... you heard Eliza's quiet comment?”

“Quiet? They probably heard it half way round the planet!” Sarah exclaimed. “Eliza, you probably need to talk to Kate about it next time you chat. Yes, I'm gifted too. Since this meeting grew from my idea I guess I should do the introductions. This is John, my husband, next to John is Arwood our pastor and Hanna his wife and our good friend, not that Arwood isn't but I don't want to say Hannah's only here because she tags along with Arwood.... Argh I'm getting this all in a mess.”

“But I do try to go with Arwood to mysterious emergency meetings!” Hannah protested. “It saves so much time later on, plus he's useless at remembering things in the right order. Don't worry Sarah, you're doing fine.”

“But John's taking over!” Sarah said decisively.

“Am I? OK. More friends: Kate and Pete, Teresa and Tony, Karen and George. Kate you know, I think, Bella, and I work for her. Pete is an artist and public relations consultant. Karen and George are students, George is a protected witness too. Teresa is a legal advisor and Tony a journalist, but he's agreed to leave his notebook at home today.”

“And Pris is my surrogate big sister.” Karen said, “So it's great to have an excuse to let her get out of that ward.”

“Oh. And whoever assigned Pris here knew of that link and that you'd be here?”

“Yes, Bella.” Pris said, “But this is one of those need to know areas and you don't have a need to know more than that.”

“OK, but it does seems a little odd that this meeting which seems like a group of friends was sufficiently significant that Pris get sent here. But this place fascinates me. Lovely furniture. Comfy too. Not at all what I expected. Is there a kitchen through that door?”

“Yes.” Kate answered “There is. How did you guess?”

“I don't know, it just seemed there should be. And that door there is to a helicopter pad, am I right?”

“Yes.” Kate supplied the answer Bella already knew was coming.

“It's as though I know this place. Very spooky experience.” She looked at the people in the room, opened her mouth in shock and after mouthing a few obscenities she went to the window and stared out at the city. “I DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR THE SUPERNATURAL.” she stated, clearly enunciating every syllable and punctuating every word with a stamp of her foot. “I do not believe in prophetic dreams either. I don't want to. I do not want to accept that I saw this room in a dream, that you are sitting in the same places that you were in my dream.” Tears ran down her face. “I do not want to tell you what I dreamt about happening. I do not want to believe that's possible. Snowballs don't burn. It is impossible. My teacher said so.” With this she curled up into ball and began to sob.

Kate went to her and put an arm round her. “Bella, I think you're given us enough of a hint about what you saw to help us. Is there someone you'd like us to call?”

“No. Yes. My mum. I want my mum here; you probably will too. Why? Why does it have to be true? Why does it have to be true? I don't want it to be true!”

“If your dream is at all like my vision, then I don't want it to be true either.” Sarah said, joining her. “Do you want to call your mum, or shall we?”

“I will.” Bella answered. “In a bit. What did you see?”

“A ruined city. Nothing but broken buildings as far as the eye could see. That's why we're all here. And you? What did you see? Oh, there was a date too. This coming Valentine's Day.”

At the mention of the date, Bella gave a gasp and more tears flowed. “Eliza told you?”

“She said you'd had a dream about people asking you about a dream about Valentines day. We don't know more than that and what I told you.”

“Were there bodies?” Bella asked.

“Bodies?” Sarah repeated in confusion.

“In your dream?”

“No. No bodies.”

“You're lucky. OK, it goes like this. When the attack happened on that shopping centre, what was it called? Blue Sky? No! Clear Sky. Anyway, that night I had a dream. Not just the shopping centre ruined, but a whole city, bodies everywhere. It became an intermittent recurrant dream, except different nights I'd see different things; in winter I saw a burning snowball, one Valentines day the city was inside the lid of a box of chocolates. My mum kept a diary, and wrote them all down for the Doctor program. It wanted to know if there was a pattern. There wasn't, really. I think it was suggesting it might be related to puberty or something. I was getting desperate and getting behind in my school work. Then, one day, I screamed out 'God, anyone, make these dreams stop'. That night I dreamt about this room, and you guys asking me about it. And then they stopped.”

“And your mum still has this diary about what you saw?” Eliza asked.

“Yes, I'm sure she does. She's like that.”

“And you don't believe in God, although the dreams stopped?” Hannah asked.

“If I believe in God, then they're maybe prophetic dreams, and then I'm going to have to tell the king about them. Sorry that was another dream I had. I was there, in front of the king, can you imagine it? Telling him all about my crazy dreams.”

She looked at Karen. “There was someone looking like you there too.”

“Well, in that case I'd better make sure my best dress is clean. You didn't notice if I had a wedding ring on, did you? It would help set the date.”

“You're not phased by the idea of meeting the king at all?” Bella asked, surprised.

“Urm. Sorry, no. Been there, done that. He's not quite as chatty as some heads of state I've met, but he's all right.” Karen said simply.

Bella, on the other hand was still in shock about her dream, and held her head in her hands for a while before asking “Am I to presume that I don't have a need to know more?”

“Urm, I can tell you that my parents are in the diplomatic service. That's how I met Pris.”

“And their pull got Pris assigned here?”

“The credibility of the source got me assigned here, Bella, along with the fact I was going mad in Hospital.”

“Not to mention the fact that you didn't let me sneak Eliza away from you.” Kate added. “Praise God I couldn't, or you wouldn't have talked to Eliza in the car and we'd be wondering if Sarah's vision was at all valid.”

“By the way, Bella.” George said “We were thinking we'd call this little group the 'Interorganisational Valentines day committee for major threat assessment.' It looks like Sarah's vision isn't just a prompt for this committee to be formed. I think all of us were hoping it was.”

“And what makes you think you're qualified?” Bella asked.

“To assess major threats, like strange visions and prophets of doom?” John asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, you can't get away with lying to some of us.” Sarah said.

“I don't have a need to know who.” Bella said. “Don't tell me, but Karen, how did you get into this crowd? Oh no, you were the kidnap risk who got tricked by the AI?”

“That's right.” acknowledged Karen.

“And George..?” Bella asked.

“My fiancé. Wedding in 3 weeks, sorry Eliza.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“It's OK Karen. I'm happy for you guys, and Sarah's right, I'm over-sensitive.” Eliza admitted.

[And wishing you had a strong shoulder to cry on?] Kate asked privately.

[Yes. I guess so. In general and especially now.] Eliza confessed.

[Well, take care you don't rush into anything. We've got a stressful next few months, I think, and that's not the time for making life-long commitments.]

[Even if we don't know how long life will be?]

[Especially because of that. You might survive it and so might Mr not-so-right, and then were would you be?]

[Stuck with him. I get it.]

“Bella, do you want to call your mother now, or do it the other way?” Sarah asked.

“The other way?” Bella was confused.

“I think you've got a pretty good memory, and all this has brought your dreams to mind, am I right?” Sarah probed.

“Yes, I guess so.” she replied.

“So, if you'd rather not bring your mother into this now, then Sarah or I could have a look at your memories.” Eliza expanded.

“Memories can get distorted over time though.” Karen added, thinking of her dress.

“True.” Sarah admitted, “But it was useful when we looked at mine, to sort out what thoughts came from me and what was the actual vision.”

“Could you actually tell those apart after years?” Karen asked.

“Probably not.” Sarah conceded, but turned to Bella “So, would you like to let us see those memories, or would you like one of us to call your Mum, or both?”

“You'll get the best information out of me with both won't you?”

“Yes, we will. You're willing?” Sarah asked.

“Not exactly looking forward to it. But my training tells me not to withhold information.”

“Well done, Bella” murmured Pris.

“Who should look?” Eliza asked.

“Sarah, please. I've got to spend a lot of time with Eliza. It might, I don't know, affect things.”

“Very wise call, you're a sensible young woman.” Kate agreed.

“So, think about all your dreams please.” Sarah said, focused on Bella and relaxed.

[Sarah, that's long enough.] John's warning thought came after a few seconds.

[More there to see. She's had so many!] Sarah thought.

[Show me, then I'll take over.] John told her.

Sarah showed John the memories she'd looked at, and then he looked at Bella's thoughts. Sarah was right. An enormous tangle of memories was there, associated with her fears about them, and her growing relief and confusion that this session hadn't exactly followed the dream. Where was the pain?

John followed that thought back and saw that in her earliest memory of the dream there hadn't been pain, but later thoughts had been layered on top, and now she thought that her dream had included pain. He looked at other memories and saw they'd changed or been altered too. Time to stop.

[I didn't get everything love, but her memories have been altered compared to the original. She didn't dream about it hurting at first, but later thoughts came and edited it, adding pain and she thinks of that when she remembers it. Similarly on the other ones. No bodies in her first dream, that was a later change. And the burning snowball dream had a very different feel to it, more horror movie than warning vision. I think we're looking at two sources of dreams.]

[I agree, the snowball one was revolting.]

“Bella. I'm afraid there was too much for me to look at on my own, so I got John to help. I hope you don't mind.”

“Urm, bit late now if I do, isn't it? But no, it's OK. So you two both have this gift?”

“Yes. And I'm glad John looked. He spotted something.”

“The dream was wrong, it didn't hurt. I didn't feel anything in fact.” Bella said.

“Not quite.” John corrected. “Your original dream didn't have the pain, that was from your thoughts about it later on, I think mixed with some films you were watching around the time. They've merged in your memories. And there were other changes too, making things scarier, nastier. Your dream about the city full of bodies didn't have the bodies in the first version.”

“That's.. er.. interesting.” Bella said. “So my thoughts are a complicated mess?”

“Yes. Oh and about that scary snowball dream...”

“Yes? That was the worst of the lot.”

“It had the same feel to it as the revised versions, not like the ones you were having to start with. If I had to guess what has happened I'd say that some of your dreams were from God, but others weren't, and your memories about even the dreams from God have become corrupted.”

“So my evidence is useless, is that what you're saying?”

“More like someone has been trying to tamper with it, Bella, trying to bias you against it. You had a feeling that the dreams were unreliable, scary rubbish? As far as your current memories of them are concerned, I'd say it's true. It's a lot healthier to reject those versions of them than to accept them. They aren't the same dreams you originally had.”

“Bella?” Sarah began, not sure how to ask, “I'm going to ask you something mind to mind, for privacy.” [Is there something you're not telling us about how they started or stopped?]

“How do you mean?” Bella asked aloud.

[I caught a sense of regret. I wasn't sure if it was regret that you'd done something to cause them or regret that you'd asked that they stop. It wasn't something you'd allowed me to look at, and there was so much about what was in the dreams, that I didn't look further.]

Bella closed her eyes for a while, thinking, judging, weighing. Did she trust these people? Strangely, she did. Might it be relevant to this, to the meaning of the dreams? Yes. Was it relevant to her own peace of mind? Probably. She looked directly at Sarah for a long moment, and then said. “You may look, it's easier than me trying to tell it. It might be related.”

Sarah took a glimpse of the memory that her question had stirred. It was complex, with other things spiralling off it. As a young girl, Bella had been fascinated with the power she and her mother shared, and had loved old science fiction and fantasy stories. In her mind, there had been a link between having thought hearing powers, and various sorts of second sight or even telekinesis. She'd tried moving things by mental thought, focussing first on leaves and then when that didn't work she'd tried moving motes of dust. Nothing worked, so when she was twelve she'd decided that she either didn't have telekinesis or she was too young. Second sight — by which she meant seeing things a long way away or foreknowledge was harder to test. She'd tried meditating and staring at flickering lights and candles, to see if she could induce a trance where she'd `unlock her mind's powers'. When that didn't work she'd added chanting too, various different self-hypnosis techniques. She'd been sure she should be able to do something else beyond hearing thoughts, she just needed the key. She knew what drugs resulted in and it didn't look like super mental abilities so much as slavery, but she'd tried other things, straying into the occult and incantation-based pagan rituals. A week before her first dream she had called upon all the spiritual powers active in the world to come to her and grant her power to see the future. Her first prophetic dream had been that her mother would take her to a circus. She did, and she had secretly rejoiced that she'd dreamt it coming.

But then she had seen herself being teased at school, and that happened too; she then realised it could have a down side as well. A week later, aged fourteen, she'd dreamt about a stick making a hole in an egg, and filling it with fire. The next day the terror attack had happened, and that night she'd dreamed about the ruined city.

She forgot about seeking foreknowledge and tried to escape the terrible dreams instead, desperately hoping they were not foreknowledge. Over the next year her mother had taken her to doctors and psych-program sessions, and she rejected the pagan route to power. After she'd had no more dreams for some months, and more sessions with the the psych programs, she'd rejected the whole idea of foresight as foolishness, superstition and giving your nightmares power over you. She tried to become a convinced materialist atheist. The alternative, she felt, was a nightmare, but she knew she was hiding from what she'd experienced. “I'm somewhat surprised you're not still having nightmares, Bella, or worse.” Sarah said.

“They stopped.” Bella said, simply.

“And do you accept the real reason why?” Sarah probed.

“You'd like to tell me that it's because I asked God to make them stop, wouldn't you?” Bella said.

“I don't know any other cure for what you'd asked for. Have you said thank you?”

“I don't believe in him, Sarah.” Bella protested.

“Only enough to ask him for help, which was promptly given.” Hannah pointed out. “You might like to think about that.”

“Bella, can I tell the others a little of what I saw?” Sarah asked.

“I guess so. Not too much, OK?”

“Tell you what, I'll think it to you, and you can decide what to pass on, how's that?”

“Sounds good. Sounds very good.” Bella agreed.

“And I think it would be good to get your mum's diary. Shall I talk to her, or will that scare the living daylights out of her?”

Bella was surprised “You saw that too?”

“Sorry, shouldn't I have mentioned it?” Sarah was contrite.

“In this company, I guess it's not such a great secret. Go ahead, she'll be impressed by the company I'm keeping.”

“Sarah, Bella can't hide. I guess her mum can't either.” Eliza butted in.

“OK, urm, we'll have to teach her. What's her name? 'Hello, Bella's mum?' dosn't quite fit.”

“Mrs Monroe, Jaqueline.” Pris supplied.

“Oooh, impressive knowledge!” Bella said.

“Impressive nothing, I looked up your record while you were talking.” Pris said. “How about Bella calls using more normal means first, to prepare her, just so she doesn't drop her best vase when you shout into her brain.”

“Oh, where's the fun in that?” Bella asked.

“You don't have time to go home and tidy up for her.” Pris wagged a finger at her, or would have if it hadn't been bandaged. As it was she tried and realised that it hurt and it wasn't very effective.

“Oh all right. I'll ring. I can give her your name?” Bella asked.

“Yes. Just ask if it's OK if someone called Sarah talks to her, please.”

“I don't know how much more than that I could tell her, Sarah.” Bella protested.

“Oh, you could tell her all sorts of things.” Pris said “But you won't, will you?”

“I guess you're right. No I won't.” Bella confirmed, and rang her mother.

“Hi Mum, it's me.”

“Aren't you at work, Bella? What are you doing calling me during work time? Are you in trouble?”

“Yes I'm at work, in a meeting, and you know I don't get in trouble these days, Mum, but there's someone here called Sarah who'd like to urm talk with you. Is that OK?”

“Yes dear, why the emphasis?”

[Because I want to talk like this Jaqueline. Hi, I'm Sarah.] Sarah thought.

“I see. I see and I suppose she can hear my every thought can she?”

[Only if you tell me it's OK to listen in, and I'd only listen as though we were like holding hands. I've no desire to pry, it's just there are things I'd like to talk to you about that I'd rather not trust to a wrist unit.]

“OK, I'm willing. Bloody curious too.” [What's this about then, Sarah?]

“Bye Mum, see you soon.” Bella said, and dropped the connection.

[Mrs Monroe, as you've realised I've got a rare gift. I've just been having a look at some memories Bella has, and she tells me you kept a diary about them toos — dreams she had as a teenager. I wonder if you still have them?

[Yes, yes, I've got them, but why on earth do you want to find out about those dreams?]

[Mrs Monroe, there are several reasons, but one is that it was clear that her memory of the dreams has altered over time, and I'd like to get some extra data about what she reported to you.]

[I guess that you've got your reasons. Are you one of those psych-counselors? Are they thinking my Bella is crazy?]

[No, no to both Mrs Monroe. I had a dream from God, very much like one of Bella's. But she had so many dreams. Some of hers are just horrible nightmares but some could be very important.]

[You mean to say you think they're prophetic? Bella said they were when she first started geting them, but...]

[Some of them are. Her last one, I don't know if she told you about it, was to dream about her being here in this meeting.]

[She told me about it. I thought about it when I heard that report. Thinking without touching. Impressive.]

[I hear Bella can't hide her thoughts. Can you? It can be a very good defence if you meet the wrong person.]

[I've heard of it. Is it hard?]

[Not very. Could you bring the diaries here? Then both of you can learn at the same time.]

[You can't teach me like this?]

[It can be hard to un-hide your thoughts. I wouldn't want you to get stuck without being there to tell you what to do.]

[That sounds sensible. It'll take me a while to find the diaries. I know they're filed on the computer somewhere, but quite where I put them, I've no idea.]

[Do you remember what they're called? Or a phrase from one of them?] Sarah asked, and told her how to get the computer to do the searching.

[Thanks, that'll save a lot of time.]

“How should Bella's mum get here?” Sarah asked the room in general.

“Get into the Security vehicle waiting outside her home.” Pris answered.

Everyone looked at her in surprise. “Hey, don't look like that! It wasn't my decision, it was Maria's.”

“But you asked her?” asked Bella.

“She asked how things were going, I sent her a note saying Bella had had confirming dreams as a teen, her Mum kept a diary, and we'd ask her to bring it along. She replied that I should send some agents to guide her here.”

Sarah relayed the news to Bella's mum that there was an official car waiting for her; meanwhile the conversation moved on in the room.

Kate said “And you did that all using the eye tracking stuff? You're good!”

“Eye tracking plus a couple of switches. I'm apparently in the top twenty percent of users, but I'm getting better.” Pris said with justifiable pride.

“Well done, Pris!” George said “I thought I was doing well to get up to 4 words a minute.”

Pris decided she wouldn't mention that she'd been faster than that from the outset. “You used it? When?”

“I had a broken right wrist and a sprained left one as a teenager.” George said. “I tried it, for a few days, but ended up using voice recognition instead, it was less frustrating.”

“So that's why you suggested it? You wanted to frustrate my friend?” Karen asked, with a dangerous note in her voice.

“No, because if you remember Pris's eyes were about the only thing working properly, while her nose was regrowing.”

“What did happen there, Pris? You could talk during your rescue.”

“They gave me muscle inhibitors so my new nose would stick properly. That's what they said anyway. I heard someone whisper that it was so there'd be less talking on the ward. That might have been a joke though. I expect it was.”

“I certainly hope it was.” Teresa said. “They're not allowed to do that sort of thing, it'd be abusive medication.”

“Anyway, Bella, hadn't we better tell your Mum to get in that car before she leaves home?” Pris thought.

Sarah replied before Bella could “Oh, I did, as soon as you said. She said something about finally a good use of tax money.”

“That's my Mum. She says the only good use of tax money is to pay my salary and give her cheaper prescriptions.”

“Rather a short-sighted view.” Tony commented.

“Oh, I doubt she means it. She was an auditor before she retired. Very good at spotting a hole in a story. Having the Power probably helped of course.”

“Oh?” Kate prompted.

“I suspect you'd think it wasn't very ethical, but she just used it to confirm her findings.

“I wonder, might she have used the Power on you, on your dreams?” Tony asked.

“Oh, she did, I know.” Bella said. “The psych-program was suspicious of how well I was able to describe my dreams to her. Actually, that's probably how I ended up in Security.”

“How come?” Karen asked.

“I expect that if Pris has a look in my file she'll see a note that I was stated to have an excellent visual memory. It's true, but I didn't claim it.”

“You think the psych-program leaked that information to Security?” John was concerned. “It shouldn't have.”

“I granted access — part of the application process, if you've had long term psych-issues. I guess some well paid human had to review my case notes and make the call as to whether I was mentally unfit or something.”

John looked at Kate and raised an eyebrow.

Kate had the grace to blush slightly “I thought your name was familiar when I first heard it. It was probably me. It's certainly something we do.”

Bella was surprised. “I thought it'd be internal.”

Pris answered that “There aren't many applicants who need that sort of review, Bella. I'd guess that we give Kate about a day's work a month, on average. Her skills would be useless most of the time if she worked with us.”

“Plus,” Kate added, “if it were someone internal, with another role as well, then you might end up working with them and that could be difficult, as you rightly noted with Eliza.”

Bella's wrist-unit chimed for attention. “Oh, my mum's here already. I'll go and meet her, if that's OK.”

“Very, but I'll join you.” Sarah said. “The computer's not been programmed with her I.D. yet, and I suspect I just allowed you to come up yourself, not to authorise others to.”

“So if I went down, and let my Mum into the lift, it might not let me back up?” Bella asked.

“Exactly.” Sarah said. “Of course we could try it and see if it's working properly, but it should be, or the institute's in big trouble.”

“Let's not go there, Sarah.” Kate said. “I don't want to have to replace your pet for quite a few years.”

[We'll just come and open the door for you, Mrs Monroe.] Sarah thought to Bella's mother as they waited for the lift.

[So why am I Mrs Monrow all the time, Sarah, when I don't even know your surname, and you started out by calling me by my given name?]

[Because I realised that I'd overstepped the mark by doing that, sorry.]

[Overstepped rubbish. Call me Jackie.]

[Thanks, I will.]

[And you found out my name by doing something mystical?]

[No, by asking Bella. I thought it would work better that way than saying 'Hello, Bella's mummy.']

[Oh, that takes me back. I was never anything other than that to some of Bella's classmates. They just couldn't remember my name, I guess. But surely Bella wouldn't call me Jaqueline?]

[No. I asked Bella, but Pris, who's also here and works in Security jumped in with your name. She'd just been reading Bella's file, apparently.]

[And what's her connection with all this? Has she had some dreams too?]

[No, but she's been going mad with boredom in hospital.]

“Hi Mum!” Bella spoke as the lift door opened.

“Hi little one. What sort of trouble are you in now?”

“Nothing too drastic, Mum. But the secret's out.”

“Which one? Your boyfriend?” Jackie asked as she got into the lift.

“Mum! ” Bella exclaimed “I don't have one. This is Sarah, as you've probably guessed.”

“Come on in Jackie. Computer, admit this woman to the owners lounge on my authorisation.” Sarah said.

“Acknowledged.”

Just as the doors were closing, a man in smart clothes flashed his ID at the lock and stepped in.

“This lift isn't for the general public,” he said, surprised at not seeing another manager in the lift “How did you get in?”

“I have authorisation to use this lift, sir, as long as I hold my current position.” Sarah said, “My friend here has temporary authorisation. I'm accompanying her and the third member of our party to a meeting.”

“Where? I'm not aware of any conference! Who called it? Where is it and in what capacity are you here?”

“I'm sorry sir,” Sarah said trying to maintain a professional manner “I don't recognise you, or know if you have the relevant clearance for me to answer that question.”

“I don't know who you are either. What are you doing in this elevator?” he demanded, ignoring her implied question.

“I'm using it, sir, to attend a meeting, as I've said. Will you please identify yourself, or must I ask the computer?”

“I'm the managing director, young woman. I demand to know what's going on. What position are you currently in?” there was a threat that she wouldn't be there much longer if he had anything to say about it.

Since Sarah was fairly sure she knew what the managing director looked like, she checked with the computer “Computer, confirm job title of male occupant of this lift.”

“Self-designation incorrect. Male occupant holds position of acting managing director.” the computer informed her. Bella and Jackie suppressed smiles.

Sarah watched him lose a little of his bluster, and decided to deflate him some more. “Well sir, in view of the temporary nature of your position, I can only tell you that there is currently a meeting in the owners' lounge, which we are attending.”

He decided that two could play at the game of checking with the computer, and tried “Computer, identify these women.”

To Kate, Sarah thought, [Kate, the acting MD got into the lift with us and is demanding to know who we are and what we're doing in his lift. I've told us we're heading to the owner's lounge for a meeting. That doesn't seem to be stopping him, Any ideas?]

The computer responded “Female occupants of lift are authorised users. Further identification is not necessary.”

[Tell him the majority shareholder will be informed of his attitude and the incident will be logged in his file. Then if that doesn't work, see if Bella wants to arrest him for something. Gassing him is probably a bit much unless he gets violent. If there's any problem, take him to level one, I'll talk to the nice people in building security.]

“Further identification is requested!” the now irate manager said to the wall.

“Authorisation is needed to comply with this request.” replied the computer.

“Authorise by my authority.” the acting managing director said, totally frustrated.

“Insufficient authority. Requesting permission from authorised occupant.”

“Not granted.” Sarah said “Sir, the computer will not identify us to you, you do not have sufficient security clearance. Can I suggest that you designate your floor and allow us to attend our meeting. Otherwise I shall have to formally report this incident to the majority share holder, and it will be noted on your file.”

“I don't know who you are young woman, or how you've managed to convince the computer that you've got higher authority than I do, but I insist you identify yourselves or leave this lift. Failing that I shall have you removed by security.”

[Bella? Feel like arresting him?] Sarah asked.

Bella almost did. “I think you'll find, sir, that if you seek to have us removed then you'll be finding yourself removed instead and possibly in search of a new job. I formally warn you that I'm a Officer of the Crown and am attending the meeting in an official capacity. I do not suggest you interfere with me executing my duty any further. Please, designate your floor to the lift.”

“Computer, take us all to the owner's lounge!” He stated, giving it yet another try.

“Authorisation is needed to comply with this request.” replied the computer.

“Authorisation refused.” Sarah told the computer, then, very politely in the circumstances, she felt, she addressed the man once more “Sir, you do not have an invitation to the meeting, nor do you have the security clearance or authority to barge in uninvited. I will be reporting this incident to the shareholders, and I assure you that it will be raised with the board. I do not find your attitude appropriate for a senior manager of this store.”

“Sir, please name your floor or leave the lift.” Bella tried once more, even more firmly.

“I will not do either while I see strangers seemingly taking over control of store property! So we can wait here until you tell me who you think you are.”

Sarah had had enough. “Computer, take lift to level one, alert security, one aggressive male staff member to be detained until he can calm down at least.”

“Acknowledged.” Finally, the lift moved.

“Sir,” Bella began “you are formally warned that you have, without sufficient cause, interfered with the execution of my duty. You will report to a police station to accept this warning in written form within forty-eight hours or further proceedings will be triggered.”

The lift opened and the security guards were standing ready.

“These women refuse to identify themselves to me, and claim to have more authority than I do!” blustered the manager, “I want them off store property at once!”

“Sorry sir, if you will just step forwards a little.” They guided him two steps forwards, out of the lift cabin. “They do have higher authority, sir. I've just had the majority shareholder on the phone wondering what had happened to her staff member and guests. Sorry for the inconvenience, Maam.” he added, as the lift doors closed.

“Quite all right.” Sarah said with a smile “Well, wasn't that fun!”

Bella's mother looked at the two younger women. “I don't think it was much fun, really. He looked like he was going to get violent.”

“There isn't much space here, but I think we could have handled him.” Sarah said, “It's not like he's going to surprise us, and failing anything else, the computer won't let much happen to people without taking matters into its own hands.”

“What would it do? Drop us off at security?”

“Once it's gassed him, yes.” Sarah replied. “It's part of the Institute's security system, after all.” she added in explanation.

“Sleep-gas in this lift?” Bella asked. “We'd all get a dose, surely?”

“I expect so, but the computer would identify him as the target and us as the innocent victims if we did pass out.”

“I see.” Jackie said. “For the record, I'd rather not find out if I'm allergic at my age.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” Sarah said.

“I probably would have stunned him, Mum.” Bella said.

“I'm not sure which of you is worse.” Jackie decided.

“Oh, that's easy.” Sarah said “I am. I mean, at least Bella told him who she works for.”

“And who do you work for?” Jackie asked.

“Mum, think about it. The majority shareholder asks about staff members, and the lift is part of the Institute's security system.”

“I didn't understand the reference. You mean the IHM? Of course you do. So there are gifted people employed at the Institute.”

“Didn't you see Tony Randle's report?” Sarah asked. “I assumed you had.”

“Oh yes, he put two and two together didn't he? But it was partly speculation, not acknowledged fact. I do like his stuff though. Well thought through.”

The lift door opened smoothly. “You should tell him that,” Sarah said, “Tony, let me introduce you to a fan of yours.”

“Hi, Bella's Mum, urm Jaqueline wasn't it? Have a seat.” Tony said.

“Call me Jackie, please. Bella, are you going to introduce me to everyone?”

Once the introductions were over Sarah asked Bella “Shall we do the, `what I saw in your memories' bit now, or shall we peer at the diaries?”

“Urm, I guess we should set the scene. So you'll think it to me and then I can censor it?”

“Yes, I think that's a reasonable approach.”

“What's this about, Bella?” her mother asked.

“I let Sarah have a rummage through my memories, Mum, to see if she could come up with any background information about my dreams. I don't quite know what she came up with and so I'd rather she told me and then I can decide what to make public.”

“Oh. Interesting!”

[OK, Bella,] Sarah started. [The background is that you read loads and as a teenager you were utterly convinced that hearing thoughts meant that all the other fantasist's dreams had to be true too. Psychokenisis, second sight, you name it.]

Bella repeated that.

[And on that assumption, and hoping that you had more than just one power, you wanted to find out what your powers were, not leave them 'dormant'. You tried moving leaves by mind power and when that didn't work you tried on dust floating in the air. That didn't work either, so you decided that maybe you were too young and should try again later on.]

“Oh that's right! I was obsessed, wasn't I,” Bella said, and repeated it.

[And then you tried entering trances and hypnotism to bring out your second sight.]

Bella repeated that. Her mother looked at her. “Bella, is that what you were doing? What did you think second sight meant?”

“I thought it mostly meant seeing the future, Mum.”

“Oh, Bella! When I told you about my great-gran having a reputation for second sight that wasn't seeing the future! I guess it was what Sarah has, knowing where people are, that sort of thing.”

“I realise that now Mum. I'd totally forgotten about your great gran though.”

“I only told you once, when you were very little,” Jackie said.

“No wonder I was so convinced that there was something more.”

[And you went about getting it pretty much any way you could, except drugs,] Sarah said. [I don't know if you want to tell people all this, but when hypnosis and flashing lights failed you basically kept looking for ways of altering your mind, and ended up with what amounts to witchcraft. Spells, incantations and invocations of spiritual powers. You called on all the spiritual powers active in the world to grant you the power to see the future.

The spirits, personally I'd call them demonic forces, answered first I think, and then God gave you some true prophesies, and then the demons did a pretty good job of distorting them, as well as feeding you some more nightmares. Fortunately for your sanity, God put a stop to them when you called out to Him.]

Bella said, “I was a very foolish girl. I wanted power, I wanted second sight, I don't know why. I ended up as a little witch, calling on all the sprits active in the world to give me what I wanted, the power to see the future. And they did, the spiritual powers of this world, Sarah names them demons.”

“Bella! Oh Bella, you silly... I never knew!” her mother said, shocked. “Oh, I knew you were playing with candles and trying to hypnotise yourself, and I know I told you it wouldn't help, but I never knew you were that stupid.”

“I was, Mum. Sorry. They answered, and it was cool at first, and then it wasn't cool, it was scary, and I wanted them to stop. Sarah tells me that God also gave me some dreams and then the demons distorted my memories of them and gave me nightmares. God stopped them.” Saying it like that, she realised that truth she'd been hiding from for a long time. God did exist and He'd rescued her from her nightmares. “Thank you, God.”

“Good start,” Arwood commented. “But don't stop there.”

“I know. I need to decide about truth, don't I?” Bella replied.

“Truth and trust and who should be the boss,” Pris said. “Important issues those. I'm sure Eliza would be happy to fill you in.”

“I've got a question. Is someone out to get me?” Bella asked.

“Pardon?” Arwood asked.

“I mean. On the way here we spot snipers, then there were thugs who just happen to pick me as their target. Then there was that manager guy. Should I worry? Should we worry?”

“Given what you've told us so far, maybe. Your demons won't want to let you change sides.” Arwood said, then asked “Any thoughts from anyone else?”

“Quite a lot of eggs in this basket,” Tony said, thinking about what a coup it would be for the forces of evil to kill everyone in the room.

“We could be somewhere safer,” Kate said. “Pris, do you have access to the assessment of this room? Security did one about ten years ago, but all I ever got was a verbal summary.”

“I should do, if I can find it. Why?” Pris wondered.

“I'm just wondering what threats we're vulnerable to up here. I remember things like 'the window glass should be bullet proof, but not against high calibre weapons.' but I don't remember if they were thinking anti-tank weapons or just high calibre rifles.”

“You mean, could a typical sniper shoot through the windows, that sort of thing?”

“Yes. I mean, from what we know about the previous owner, I expect it was sniper proof when built, but that was a while ago.”

“And there are more tall buildings around than there used to be,” Pete added.

“That could make a difference,” Pris agreed.

“Why not just move?” Sarah suggested. “Like Tony meant, I assume, it's not just our lives at stake, but the knowledge of the prophesies, which could mean thousands of lives.”

Tony chose his words carefully, to not give too much away, “Not to mention the quotient of gifted people here is higher that normal.”

“Gifted people?” Jackie said, looking at Sarah. “You're not the only one here? Oh, Bob talked about an engaged couple in the testing. That was you and John? And you've both got the Gift?”

“John's got an artificial leg, Jackie. It wasn't us in the tank, he prefers not to risk getting the electronics wet.”

“Oh. sorry. Leaping to conclusions.” Jackie apologised.

Then she looked at the other couples in the room. “I can't believe it was Tony and Teresa, sorry, it doesn't seem like either of you have the right job, and I'm afraid you and Pete don't qualify on the age criteria, Kate.”

“We're young at heart, aren't we Pete?” Kate said. “But really, Jackie, it's better if you don't try and work it out.”

Bella combined what she knew with her Mum's speculation, “If Mum's right and there are more of you here than I know about, we probably should move, if the moving doesn't expose us to extra risk.” She looked accusingly at Kate. “You initially asked me to bring Eliza to the institute.”

“We won't all fit in the lift, children, but lets go for a nice safe walk.”

Kate decided. “You're not claustrophobic, I hope Jackie?”

“No. You're about to let me in on a well kept secret, though, aren't you?”

“Yes, Jackie. Arwood and Hannah, too. We're going to walk to the institute, people, without ever stepping outside. But you can't tell anyone or you get branded as something akin to an international terrorist.”

“Oh, I can keep secrets, Kate.”

“Bella said you were an auditor, so I guessed you could.”

“Ha, my Bella can keep secrets too. She never said where, did she?”

“No, she didn't.” Kate acknowledged.

“Kate has the same security clearance as you do, Jackie, but in a different branch. Arwood and Hannah haven't been cleared to any level as far as I know.” Pris pointed out.

“Oh, well, no swapping stories then.”

“However,” Pris continued. “If you feel the need to swap stories, then Karen, George and I know some people you know.”

“Really? It's a small world isn't it.” Jackie said, brightening up.

“In some circles, yes.” Karen said, wondering who she knew that Jackie might too. Auditing wasn't exactly a function of her mother's branch of Security, or a usual embassy function.

“So, why don't we make one lift-load, and the others can squeeze into another.” Pris suggested.

“Not much time for stories, but yes, lets.” Jackie said “Sorry, Bella, I think you're not included.”

“Just my luck. I'm always left out of things.”

“I'll just check if the computer knows about anything,” Sarah said,

“Computer, report status.”

“Security alert status seven. Fire alert status zero.”

“Full expand on security alert.”

“Possible ongoing threat to staff members and visitors. Threat type: multiple assasination or general attack, risk: high. Basis: conversation in this room. Threat source: unclassified entity or entities labelled 'demons', threat motive: potential defection of visitor Bella, frustration with actions of unclassified entity labelled 'God'. Query status of being 'God.' Query status of being 'demons', query meaning of phrase 'believe in God.'

“Wow. Urm. Status of being 'God', ruler of universe, highest authority. Status of beings angels: messengers and servants of God. Status of demons: former angels rebelling against God's authority.' Phrase 'believe in God' meaning: trust in God, acknowledge loyalty to God. Equivalent term: Committed Christian. Phrase 'not belive in God' meaning: refuse to acknowledge God exists. Characteristic of God, angels, demons: spiritual beings. Estimate approximately zero probablilty of direct threat from demons. Characteristic of spiritual beings: normally invisible, undetectable to scanners, normally work through human agents.

“Confirmation request: Committed Christian equates to agent of spiritual being God?”

“Confirmed,” Sarah said, wondering what the computer was going to make of that.

“Analysis: Staff members Sarah, John, Kate, Karen agents of God, contract staff members Teresa, Pete, agents of God. Visitors George,Hannah, Arwood, Pris, Eliza agents of God.”

“Threat analysis demons and agents of demons pose danger to staff members. Query visitor Bella is human agent of demons?”

“Negative!” Sarah responded quickly.

“Parsing logic failure. Query visitor Bella status. Query defection status of visitor Bella when not agent. Inconsistency. Threat analysis incomplete. Query visitor Bella regarding belief in God.”

“This is surreal,” Bella said amazed that she'd just been asked by a computer if she believed in God. “How do I answer without it classifying me as a threat?”

“It's got a point though, doesn't it?” Hannah pointed out. “Either you're on God's side or you're not.”

“Hannah, shh!” Sarah said “Let's not confuse it any more.” Thinking fast she said “Computer! Human logic not binary. Visitor Bella was unwilling agent of demons many years ago. Visitor Bella has totally rejected that role. Visitor Bella's statement of unbelief in God does not make her agent of demons, it meant she does not trust God.”

“Phrase analysis: 'Visitor Bella believes in God': status negative. Phrase analysis 'Visitor Bella does not believe in God': status negative. Threat assessment complete. Security alert status unchanged, level seven. Staff members and visitors at risk from agents of demons. Full expand complete.”

“Well, Bella, ever had an AI interrogate you about your lack of faith before?” Jackie asked.

“No, Mum. And I bet you haven't either.”

“I just wonder what happens now if someone were to announce they believed in demons during a counselling session,” John said.

“Or talks about their attempts at demonology,” Tony suggested.

“I think, the computer would increase the security alert level, and I'd be very happy with that,” Sarah said.

“Just as long as it never gases people without warning.” Bella commented.

“Oh, it'll do that, in the right circumstances — if there's a sudden attack between people it has reason to know are in conflict, it won't bother issuing warnings. That's probably why it wanted to know Bella's religious affiliation.”

“It didn't ask about mine,” pointed out Jackie.

“But you hadn't raised it as an issue until now. So, where do you stand on the great God question?” Teresa asked with a sweet smile.

“I said a great many years ago that I'd believe in God if someone proved to me that the stories about my great-gran weren't just so much hot air. I was half-way convinced when I heard what the reports from the institute said, but there were some details missing,”

[John, do you think she'd figure in Mamma Ng's legacy?]

[It sounds plausible, could even be a relative of Arwood's.]

Sarah, in an inquisitive voice asked “Jackie, I'm just wondering... Does the name of a dish called `thoughtful chicken' mean anything at all to you?”

Jackie's jaw dropped. “You've heard of thoughtful chicken?”

“Heard of it? I've cooked it.”

“If you've got witnesses to that, then you've made a believer of me girl, otherwise I'm going to suggest that you're the most unscrupulous thought-reader I've ever met. That was the missing detail.”

“Her ma got the recipe from my mama, Sarah cooked it in all innocence, and we helped eat it,” Arwood said.

“And it works as advertised,” Hannah said with a grin. “Which probably means that you and my beloved husband need to compare family trees.”

“We do indeed! Bella, you always said you wanted some more relations. I think you're about to gain some.”

“What's thoughtful chicken?” Tony asked.

“Closely guarded family recipe,” Hannah said. “How Sarah's mum got Arwood's Mama to part with it, I've no idea.”

“And there's a reason for it being a secret. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands,” John said.

“Terrorist food?” Tony asked, now totally confused.

“Tony, I don't think this is a helpful line of discussion for you at the moment,” John said, “Maybe in a few months' time, OK?”

“What's the difference between now and then?” Tony asked, even more confused.

Even Eliza knew the answer to that one. “You'll be a married man then.”

“That's true,” conceded Tony with a grin at Teresa. “But I'm still totally confused about this dangerous food.”

“Let's keep it that way, and let's move, since we decided to before Sarah and the computer started discussing theology,” John said.

“Computer, admit all present to tunnel. Override normal lift operation. Once empty, reserve lift for secure transfer of all present.”

“Acknowledged. Evacuation to secure location in progress. Lift reserved for this process, until evacuation complete. Barriers rising.”

The lift arrived. “Karen, do you four want to lead the way?”

“Fine by me,” Karen said. “Come along Pris.”

“I don't have much choice do I?” Pris joked from her chair, which Karen had grabbed. “How's your leg, by the way?”

“No major problems, but the doctor said I'm not allowed to dance too vigorously at the reception. Or go mountain climbing for the honeymoon.”

“What honeymoon?” asked George. “Or has someone moved the trial earlier?”

“Oh, please, let that be the case!” Karen said. “Did you hear when it's rumoured to start, Pris? Monday after our wedding! What a start to married life. I've no idea how we get married in a probable blaze of publicity and then hide in a safe-house, either.”

“I heard, Karen, I heard. But I promised Jackie a little gossip.”

“You did indeed, Pris. So, who do we know in common?”

“Well, I had heard that Karen talked a fair bit to Tasha.”

“Tasha? Not for long, but a good talk. You know her?”

“Do I know Tasha? Oh the tales I could tell. But you're not cleared that high, surely at your age?”

“Blame it on my parents.” Karen replied with a grin.

“I would if I knew who they were.”

“Karen is Maria's daughter, Jackie.” Pris supplied.

“Oh really! Well! You'd have to have pretty high clearance then, wouldn't you?”

“One gamma. It's not exactly gossip, and I hope you don't mind me asking, but there's quite an age gap between you and Bella, isn't there?”

“Yes dear. I was over forty when we finally had Bella. And in case you're wondering, my husband died when Bella was two. Accident.”

“I'm sorry. It must have been hard. Very hard.”

“You're right. It was. But we're close. But you know Tasha. How is she?”

“She was really hot the last time I saw her. She finally took up Mum's offer of experiencing some fieldwork, and for some reason chose to go to a little place I used to call my hot home from home. We met her as we were passing through.”

“Where you were at school?”

“Yes. Security situation was even worse than when I was at school, and Tasha was all for calling a taxi, can you believe it?”

“Urm, what's wrong with that?” Jackie asked.

“Sorry, urm. Pris, do you want to explain?”

“Weren't we supposed to wait for the others?” Pris asked suddenly, having realised that they'd left the lift and hadn't stopped.”

“I hope not. We do know the way after all,” George said.

“And there's more time to chat if we don't,” added Karen.

“OK. Jackie, if there's a security risk, calling a taxi from a base is just asking for trouble.”

“Oh, yes, I see. And Tasha hadn't had that bit of training?”

“I guess not. I had to explain it to her, but she took it well.”

“Shouldn't there have been someone with her?”

“Yes, but he had a dental emergency, I seem to remember it was. Quite handy, really, just like her being in the right place at the right time for us to meet.”

“I blame God, myself,” George added.

“He can take the credit, certainly. For everything,” Karen agreed.

“Have you spoken to her recently?” Pris asked.

“No. But do I gather from all the God references she's gone and signed up with you lot?”

“She's come to trust God, yes,” Karen said.

“Well I never! She and your Mum used to have such fun debates, from what I hear. Blood everywhere. That's an exaggeration, or at least, no real blood.”

“I heard Tasha saying that she was on the line to Maria when she became a Christian,” Pris said.

“Purely for academic interest, how does one do that? No, that's a lie and you all know it. I grew up hearing fairy stories about my great gran being a godly woman and because of her God she had far greater abilities than mine, knowing where people were and the rest of it, and her knowing a recipe which could have helped my husband... hold on... do you know about thoughtful chicken?”

“Sarah's told me.” Karen said “He didn't have the Power?”

“No.”

“From what I understand, yes, it probably could have helped him understand.”

“I wish I had a need to know what you're talking about.” Pris commented.

“But you don't, so pretend you didn't hear that.” Jackie said, “So... when I was five-years married with still no children, cross with life in general and God in particular, I told God that I wasn't going to believe in him unless he'd prove that all those stories were true.

Derek, my husband, he became a Christian a year before Bella was born, and when we found out about her he was going on about how God was finally blessing our marriage, but I refused to listen, telling him I'd given God my conditions a decade earlier. He begged me to listen and reconsider, but I was still stupid and all I'd do was promise him that I'd believe in God if he proved himself like I wanted. Not very clever, but I was still angry. And then Derek had that stupid accident... It was a long time ago, and my Derek's been gone a long time now, but I mean to keep my promise. I accept your God is real. What comes next?”

They'd reached the foot of the stairs up to the Institute.

“A staircase, in terms of getting to the meeting room,” Karen observed. “OK if we wait here for the others? I don't think I should help carry Pris on this leg, and while I know George is strong...”

“I'd rather not risk being dropped, thanks,” Pris completed her statement.

“And I'd rather not drop you, Pris. I could manage you without the chair, if you could hold on. As it is I think we should just wait a bit.”

“As for what comes next about becoming a Christian, just how much do you know?”

“My parents weren't Christians, but my gran was, she told me the stories, and about Moses crossing the red sea and Jesus walking on water. I never really listened because I thought I knew better. Then I met Derek and Gran refused to tell me the recipe before we married; then she died when we were on our honeymoon.” Jackie said.

“And you decided it had all been stories?” Pris asked.

“Yes.”

“But now?” Karen asked.

“Now, I wonder if God was out to get me, or what.”

“But even if he was, you're prepared to trust him?” Karen prompted.

“Ah, you've caught me out, haven't you? I've given you the simplified version. There might have been... complications in our marriage if I had fed it to Derek.”

“So, it might have been God making sure that you were still married by the time that Bella came along?” George suggested.

“It might have been. It might have been. In which case I might say it was worth it.”

“One part of becoming a Christian is telling God that you want Him to be in charge of your life, Jackie. If you don't trust Him that far then you've got a problem with keeping your promise just yet.” Pris offered.

“I thought by your definitions he is already?” Jackie said.

“So? That doesn't stop the subversives from fighting the establishment. Which side do you want to be on? Part of the massive crowd of rebels, or the few loyal supporters who lots of people think are deluded?” George pointed out.

“According to what I remember, the establishment has some big weapons just round the corner.”

“That's where the analogy breaks down. It's more that the majority are blocking their ears and saying 'Nyaa nyaa, you can't scare us, we want to party.' when the establishment warns of approaching dangers.”

“You mean I'm one of the stupid crowd, more interested in my pleasures than my safety?”

“Or your pride, or anger or some other thing that you're holding on to rather than face the approaching danger.” Karen said. “I prefer to face dangers with my eyes open, and to accept help when it's offered.”

Jackie laughed. “Well, you're your mother's daughter all right! I heard her say roughly the same thing to Tasha about 20 years ago.”

“Maybe I was quoting.” Karen acknowledged.

The others came into earshot, and then into sight. “What kept you?” Jackie asked Bella, “It seems like we've been here ages.”

“We didn't all fit in the lift.” Bella said.

“Ah.” Jackie said.

“And then I realised that I'd left my handbag upstairs.” Kate admitted.

“So, three lift trips instead of one.”

“Yes. Did you have a good gossip?” Hannah asked.

“Not really, but we had a good chat.”

“Oh? Any news?” Arwood asked.

“Only that Karen here uses the same arguments her mum did twenty years ago.”

“Oh? You knew Karen's mum?” Bella asked.

“You didn't know that? Oops. Sorry.”

“Bella knows that Mummy and Daddy are in the diplomatic service, Jackie.”

“Well, that's good to know. And everyone else?” Karen thought a bit. “I'm not actually sure Arwood and Hannah knew that much, did you?”

“Not that precisely, know. You've said they're living abroad before now.”

“Oh well, me and my big mouth. Pris, you won't report me will you?” Karen said.

“What, for putting such critical information into the hands of people who've proved entirely trustworthy with bigger secrets?” Pris asked.

“Actually, Pris, Karen, I think Arwood has been given some kind of clearance level.” Kate offered. “I can't remember what level it was, but I know I filled in some forms for him when we were setting up the ethics committee.”

“That's a relief.” Karen said. “I wouldn't want to break any official secrets laws.”

“Since they're for your own safety, girl, that would be quite a silly thing to do.” Jackie said.

“Eliza, do you know what's not being talked about, or am I the only one?” Bella asked.

“I know Karen's mum, Bella. Sorry.”

“If it's any comfort, Bella, I can say that there's a time for everything. I mean, how long was I chasing you for an interview, Sarah?”

“Years, Tony, years and years. Have I given you one yet?” Sarah smiled sweetly.

“Come to think of it, not really.” Tony admitted.

“Well, there you are. Patience is a virtue, maybe I will eventually.”

“Is the reason Tony wanted to interview you a state secret too?” Bella asked.

“Not really, Bella. My maiden name is Smith. You dreamt about the attack, and I shouldn't need to add that it was in such very vague terms you couldn't have known what was about to happen. I survived it.”

“Oh!” Bella then looked at John. John Williams with a metal leg; the penny dropped. “It must have been hard for you, both.”

“It was, but we're who we are because of going through it.” Sarah said.

“But you can understand why we are a bit under-awed at the thought of giving another interview.” John added, looking pointedly at Tony

“I've stopped asking! Honestly, I have!” Tony protested.

“So, Tony, the moral of your saying about everything having a time was that if I wait long enough I won't want to know any more?” Bella asked.

“I suppose it does come out like that.” Tony admitted. “Oh well. It wasn't meant to. I presume you were waiting for help with the stairs?”

“Yes please.” George said. “I'd get in all sorts of trouble if I tried to take Pris up myself and dropped her.”

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