“It is nothing very complicated,” Macurdy said. “Even with my crippled leg, I could be called into the army in a clerical role, or manning some flak battery. But if I am thought to be feeble-minded, there is much less risk. Also, fewer demands are made on me.”
Her aura reflected skepticism. “Is your limp as bogus as your feeble-mindedness?”
In answer, he pulled his left trouser leg above the knee. She grimaced at the scarring.
“It appears to be genuine,” she said, and ended the briefing. As Macurdy walked the few yards to Greszak’s office, he examined the morning and what he’d learned, both about the mission and Anna Hofstetter.
She’d talked with Schurz about him. Schurz knew he spoke English-dreamed in it!-but apparently hadn’t told her. Meanwhile, Anna’s aura showed that she mistrusted him, had for some time, yet she hadn’t blown the whistle.
Schurz, Berta, and now Anna had covered for him. He would never have imagined such a thing. Strange, very strange.
For several more days, Macurdy continued his training under Greszak. On one of them, Anna took him to the room he thought of now as their private conference room. On their way, they passed Tsulgax in the corridor. As usual, Tsulgax scowled at him.
“I wonder why Herr Tsulgax dislikes me so?” he murmured. “I have never said or done anything to him.”
“He doesn’t simply dislike you,” Anna said drily. “He hates you. He considers you a threat to his father.”
Macurdy’s buzz-cut crawled. “His father? Who is his father?”
“The Crown Prince. To whom he is thoroughly devoted.”
“But-how am I a threat to the Crown Prince?”
“I don’t know. Nor does Tsulgax. It is simply something he feels. He believes that he senses the future. Not sees it, but senses it.” Macurdy turned her answer over in his mind without saying anything. A threat to Kurgosz? He didn’t even dislike Kurgosz, really.
They entered the room. “So you read their minds,” he murmured.
“Not the Voitar’s minds. They are totally opaque to me. But Tsulgax has no more shielding than he has compassion.”
“Do you read mine?” Montag asked.
“I think you know the answer to that. No, not yours. Some people, and most psychics, have a shield which, if they feel sufficient trust, they lower, knowingly or not. But even if they do not lower it, I can sense their emotions and attitudes, and learn much from those. I have learned much about you.”
Macurdy met her gaze mildly. “I know what people feel sometimes.”
“I am sure you do. Herr Schurz thinks you read auras, and I believe he is right.”
Macurdy neither verified nor denied it. “You do not show very much what you feel,” he said, “even to me. But I don’t mind. It is not necessary that I know.”
Her aura and face both reflected wry irritation. “Do not be coy with me, Herr Montag. If we are to work together, please show me some respect.”
“My apologies. I do respect you, and I am ready to listen.” She looked away, gathering her thoughts, then returned her gaze to him. “There is serious risk in what they have planned for us,” she said, “but considering everything, I believe we can succeed.” She paused. “Of course, if we are captured, we may be executed.”
He ignored the comment. “Can you read the Colonel’s thoughts?”
“As necessary”
“Does he know that?”
“He knows I am a telepath, but has decided not to be troubled by it.”
“What have you learned from him?” He asked the question as much for her reaction as for information.
Her gaze was direct, calm but intent. “He has considerable confidence in both of us. Remarkably, he trusts us.”
“Have you learned anything from him about the Voitar?”
“Quite a bit. It seems they came here through some `opening’ on the Witches’ Ridge. But you know more about that than I. Apparently in their country, explosives are useless, but they are interested in steam engines and water pumps. Also in ship building’ .”
Ship building? That definitely seemed false.
“In return they train us, mostly without useful results, probably because of our shortcomings as psychics, rather than theirs as teachers. Also, eight of them will travel to northern France, to help fight the invasion when it comes. To do what it seems we cannot-create terror monsters that are real, physical, and set them against the enemy.”