forcefully that for a second he dangled several inches of the ground. She gently set him on his feet, brushing him off.
“Let’s have none of that,” she said uncomfortably, “we’re trying to present a low profile here.”
“Who is we?” Raphael asked, uncertain.
Marilyn lifted her own perceptual veil and Raphael again began to go to one knee. Ryan anticipated the maneuver and caught him halfway down, hauling him upright once more.
“Low profile,” she reminded him.
Raphael was embarrassed. But to be greeted by both the mother of his line and the ruler of their Kind was overwhelming.
A few of Raphael’s companions were becoming aware of them as well. Ryan thought she recognized one from their previous meeting.
“Courtney, is it not?” Ryan said politely.
Courtney was thunderstruck and could not get a word out, so she simply nodded. Finally her voice returned. “Why can’t anyone see you here?”
“I’m blocking their perception” Ryan said, smiling, “something not so difficult with Young Ones but quite a trick with Old Ones.”
“Oh, I get it,” Courtney said. She waved her hand across her face. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”
Ryan looked at her blankly then turned to Marilyn for assistance, who merely shrugged while Susan hid a smile.
“Why don’t we go find a table?” Susan said to Raphael, leading him away by the elbow while glancing over her shoulder at a grateful Ryan.
“It is a wonder that the Change of ‘Courtney’ was ever consummated,” Marilyn mused.
“Be nice,” Ryan said, also wondering the same thing.
They stood there for a while, but Ryan was clearly restless.
“Why don’t we go for another walk?” Marilyn suggested. She, too, was bored.
“Very well,” Ryan said with relief. “I’ll go tell Susan we’ll be gone for a short time.”
Ryan started across the room, the crowd parting as some invisible force moved through their midst. She was about halfway there when she slowed, then stopped, turning to her right. There in the crowd, standing with his back to the wall, was another very strange man. This one seemed to ooze some sort of secretion as he breathed out of the gill-like structure on the side of his neck, and several teeth protruded from his left cheek as if a second mouth had been randomly placed there. He had an indentation on his forehead in the shape of a brick. He was staring at her with slit-like eyes that widened in shock as she turned and looked directly at him. He, like the previous man she had seen, seemed stunned that she could see him.
Ryan looked around at those near him. No one else seemed aware of his presence, although once again, he was clearly one of her Kind. She glanced back at Marilyn, who had been watching her and was trying to ascertain what had attracted Ryan’s attention. But Marilyn, too, seemed not to see the odd creature. And when Ryan turned back to him, he was gone.
She stood there, uncertainly, then shrugged.
Well, she thought to herself, then stopped.
Susan felt the wave of power wash over her and braced herself. With the exception of Marilyn, she was probably the only one present who understood what was happening and steeled herself for the tidal wave. Those around her were not as fortunate as they staggered at the blow. Susan turned to Ryan in surprise. She had no idea why Ryan would reveal the full extent of her power so casually.
Ryan was standing in the center of the room, completely unveiled to those around her. Reaction ranged from total confusion to sheer terror as the Young Ones sought to understand what was in their midst. Most did not have the senses to even grasp the extent of this One, only that it was beyond anything that they had felt before. Fear and desire were at war and the impulse to move closer canceled that of wanting to flee, so everyone just froze in place.
“Oh no,” Susan said.
The girl was completely bemused. She had no idea who any of these people were, nor any
“Let’s have none of that,” she said uncomfortably, “we’re trying to present a low profile here.”
“Who is we?” Raphael asked, uncertain.
Marilyn lifted her own perceptual veil and Raphael again began to go to one knee. Ryan anticipated the maneuver and caught him halfway down, hauling him upright once more.
“Low profile,” she reminded him.
Raphael was embarrassed. But to be greeted by both the mother of his line and the ruler of their Kind was overwhelming.
A few of Raphael’s companions were becoming aware of them as well. Ryan thought she recognized one from their previous meeting.
“Courtney, is it not?” Ryan said politely.
Courtney was thunderstruck and could not get a word out, so she simply nodded. Finally her voice returned. “Why can’t anyone see you here?”
“I’m blocking their perception” Ryan said, smiling, “something not so difficult with Young Ones but quite a trick with Old Ones.”
“Oh, I get it,” Courtney said. She waved her hand across her face. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”
Ryan looked at her blankly then turned to Marilyn for assistance, who merely shrugged while Susan hid a smile.
“Why don’t we go find a table?” Susan said to Raphael, leading him away by the elbow while glancing over her shoulder at a grateful Ryan.
“It is a wonder that the Change of ‘Courtney’ was ever consummated,” Marilyn mused.
“Be nice,” Ryan said, also wondering the same thing.
They stood there for a while, but Ryan was clearly restless.
“Why don’t we go for another walk?” Marilyn suggested. She, too, was bored.
“Very well,” Ryan said with relief. “I’ll go tell Susan we’ll be gone for a short time.”
Ryan started across the room, the crowd parting as some invisible force moved through their midst. She was about halfway there when she slowed, then stopped, turning to her right. There in the crowd, standing with his back to the wall, was another very strange man. This one seemed to ooze some sort of secretion as he breathed out of the gill-like structure on the side of his neck, and several teeth protruded from his left cheek as if a second mouth had been randomly placed there. He had an indentation on his forehead in the shape of a brick. He was staring at her with slit-like eyes that widened in shock as she turned and looked directly at him. He, like the previous man she had seen, seemed stunned that she could see him.
Ryan looked around at those near him. No one else seemed aware of his presence, although once again, he was clearly one of her Kind. She glanced back at Marilyn, who had been watching her and was trying to ascertain what had attracted Ryan’s attention. But Marilyn, too, seemed not to see the odd creature. And when Ryan turned back to him, he was gone.
She stood there, uncertainly, then shrugged.
Well, she thought to herself, then stopped.
Susan felt the wave of power wash over her and braced herself. With the exception of Marilyn, she was probably the only one present who understood what was happening and steeled herself for the tidal wave. Those around her were not as fortunate as they staggered at the blow. Susan turned to Ryan in surprise. She had no idea why Ryan would reveal the full extent of her power so casually.
Ryan was standing in the center of the room, completely unveiled to those around her. Reaction ranged from total confusion to sheer terror as the Young Ones sought to understand what was in their midst. Most did not have the senses to even grasp the extent of this One, only that it was beyond anything that they had felt before. Fear and desire were at war and the impulse to move closer canceled that of wanting to flee, so everyone just froze in place.
“Oh no,” Susan said.
The girl was completely bemused. She had no idea who any of these people were, nor any
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