against truth sorcery?" Andrew said.
"Normal psychic defenses work," Tonya said, "as with any telepathic intrusion. We have a plane to catch, so we'll make this quick. Andrew, this spell should come very easily to you, so you'll practice first. Charley, start lying. Andrew, make her stop."
Charley faced Andrew. "I hate you. You have a face like a pig. You dress in rags. The weather outside is warm and sunny...."
He relaxed and entered the proper mental state for sorcery. He had practiced telepathy so often lately, it had become second nature. He cleared his mind of all thoughts, and then he focused his attention on Charley. Genuine, unprejudiced curiosity would create a connection between them. Within seconds, he was inside her head.
Andrew had an opportunity to browse her memories and feelings, but that would be rude. She had a right to her privacy. If she wanted to share something with him, she would do so. He would just stop her from lying.
Lies were a kind of verbal illusion, so he went through his usual drill for dispelling illusions. He imagined clocks and mathematical formulas. He pushed the rational part of his mind to the forefront. He refused to allow any ideas that didn't make perfect sense.
Charley paused. Her eyes bulged, and her mouth moved, but no words came out.
"Gently," Tonya cautioned. "You've become very strong, strong enough to injure or kill."
Andrew backed off a bit.
Finally, Charley whispered, "I love you."
She turned away and rubbed her temples as if she suddenly had a bad headache.
"Are you OK?" he said.
"I just need a few seconds. That was impressive."
He grinned.
"Nice," Tonya said. "Your turn, Charley. Andrew, start lying."
He nodded and looked at Charley. "You have a face like a horse. Your hair is a greasy mess. I hate the stupid, ugly sweaters you always wear...."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He waited patiently for her mind to come to his. He knew she would take more time and have more difficulty than him. Her specialty was physical sorcery, not mental. She wasn't a war mage.
Andrew started to feel pressure in his head. He had strange visions of multiplication tables and physics equations. Lying was suddenly less easy. He resisted for a few minutes to give her a challenge, but then he let her win.
"I love you, too," he said.
"Adorable," Tonya said. "We should go. It was a short lesson but a necessary one. I fear you'll need truth sorcery in the near future." She stood up and walked towards the door. "Come on."
Chapter Five
Andrew stepped out of the car and looked at the private jet which would fly him to Washington. The jet was dark blue with the official logo of the BPI painted on the hatch. The logo was a black gear with a white ruler and an electrical bolt drawn on top.
He was standing in a hanger. The air was cold enough to freeze his breath, but at least the concrete floor was free of snow. He was tired of shuffling cautiously across icy sidewalks.
Tonya and Charley joined him. All three of them were heavily bundled, and only their faces were exposed. Charley had a white jacket, but her hat and mittens were a shocking pink. Thermal underwear made her blue jeans a little puffy. Tonya's clothes were somber grays and blacks, and instead of mittens, she wore black leather gloves.
The hatch of the aircraft was already open. The sorcerers pulled their luggage out of the trunk of the car, hurried over to the jet, climbed a staircase, and entered. Andrew looked down an aisle at twenty seats in ten rows. The blue chairs were bigger and more thickly padded than the ones in normal passenger airlines.
Agents Dan Easton and Tungsten were already seated up front. Both men wore the generic blue suits of BPI agents which matched the upholstery almost perfectly. Dan was athletic, but at least his body parts had normal proportions. Tungsten was such a physical freak, his suit didn't fit right. The fabric was stretched tight across his massive chest and
"Normal psychic defenses work," Tonya said, "as with any telepathic intrusion. We have a plane to catch, so we'll make this quick. Andrew, this spell should come very easily to you, so you'll practice first. Charley, start lying. Andrew, make her stop."
Charley faced Andrew. "I hate you. You have a face like a pig. You dress in rags. The weather outside is warm and sunny...."
He relaxed and entered the proper mental state for sorcery. He had practiced telepathy so often lately, it had become second nature. He cleared his mind of all thoughts, and then he focused his attention on Charley. Genuine, unprejudiced curiosity would create a connection between them. Within seconds, he was inside her head.
Andrew had an opportunity to browse her memories and feelings, but that would be rude. She had a right to her privacy. If she wanted to share something with him, she would do so. He would just stop her from lying.
Lies were a kind of verbal illusion, so he went through his usual drill for dispelling illusions. He imagined clocks and mathematical formulas. He pushed the rational part of his mind to the forefront. He refused to allow any ideas that didn't make perfect sense.
Charley paused. Her eyes bulged, and her mouth moved, but no words came out.
"Gently," Tonya cautioned. "You've become very strong, strong enough to injure or kill."
Andrew backed off a bit.
Finally, Charley whispered, "I love you."
She turned away and rubbed her temples as if she suddenly had a bad headache.
"Are you OK?" he said.
"I just need a few seconds. That was impressive."
He grinned.
"Nice," Tonya said. "Your turn, Charley. Andrew, start lying."
He nodded and looked at Charley. "You have a face like a horse. Your hair is a greasy mess. I hate the stupid, ugly sweaters you always wear...."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He waited patiently for her mind to come to his. He knew she would take more time and have more difficulty than him. Her specialty was physical sorcery, not mental. She wasn't a war mage.
Andrew started to feel pressure in his head. He had strange visions of multiplication tables and physics equations. Lying was suddenly less easy. He resisted for a few minutes to give her a challenge, but then he let her win.
"I love you, too," he said.
"Adorable," Tonya said. "We should go. It was a short lesson but a necessary one. I fear you'll need truth sorcery in the near future." She stood up and walked towards the door. "Come on."
Chapter Five
Andrew stepped out of the car and looked at the private jet which would fly him to Washington. The jet was dark blue with the official logo of the BPI painted on the hatch. The logo was a black gear with a white ruler and an electrical bolt drawn on top.
He was standing in a hanger. The air was cold enough to freeze his breath, but at least the concrete floor was free of snow. He was tired of shuffling cautiously across icy sidewalks.
Tonya and Charley joined him. All three of them were heavily bundled, and only their faces were exposed. Charley had a white jacket, but her hat and mittens were a shocking pink. Thermal underwear made her blue jeans a little puffy. Tonya's clothes were somber grays and blacks, and instead of mittens, she wore black leather gloves.
The hatch of the aircraft was already open. The sorcerers pulled their luggage out of the trunk of the car, hurried over to the jet, climbed a staircase, and entered. Andrew looked down an aisle at twenty seats in ten rows. The blue chairs were bigger and more thickly padded than the ones in normal passenger airlines.
Agents Dan Easton and Tungsten were already seated up front. Both men wore the generic blue suits of BPI agents which matched the upholstery almost perfectly. Dan was athletic, but at least his body parts had normal proportions. Tungsten was such a physical freak, his suit didn't fit right. The fabric was stretched tight across his massive chest and
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