Everything went blank.
Leoh opened his eyes and saw Hector bending over him.
“Are you all right, sir?”
“I … I think so,”
“The controls hit the danger mark all at once. You were . , . well, you were screaming.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Leoh said.
They walked, with Leoh leaning on Hector’s arm, from the dueling machine to the office.
“That was … an experience,” Leoh said, easing himself onto the couch.
“What happened? What did Odal do? What made Dulaq go into shock? How does….”
The old man silenced Hector with a wave of his hand. “One question at a time, please.”
Leoh leaned back on the deep couch and told Hector every detail of both parts of the duel.
“Six Odals,” Hector muttered soberly, leaning against the doorframe. “Six against one.”
“That’s what he did. It’s easy to see how a man xpecting a polite, formal duel can be completely shattered by the viciousness of such an attack. And the machine amplifies every impulse, every sensation.” Leoh shuddered.
“But how does he do it?” Hector’s voice was suddenly demanding.
“I’ve been asking myself the same question. We’ve checked the dueling machine time and again. There’s no possible way for Odal to plug in five helpers … unless….”
“Unless?”
Leoh hesitated, seemingly debating with himself. Finally he nodded sharply and answered, “Unless Odal is a telepath.”
‘Telepath? But. . ..”
“I know it sounds farfetched, but there have been welldocumented cases of telepathy,”
Frowning, Hector said, “Sure, everybody’s heard about it … natural telepaths, I mean . .. but they’re so unpredictable … I mean, how can.. . .”