Relic by Steve Whibley

people along the way too. I wondered when I’d gotten so comfortable lying, and why I didn’t feel worse about it. The only thing I could come up with was that, like Archer said, a lie to save a life hardly seemed wrong. “I guess I don’t have too much of a problem lying,” I said finally.
    â€œA quick piece of advice then,” Archer said. “The best lies are the simplest lies. Don’t make them complicated. Just short and simple. You don’t want to give them something to poke holes in.”
    â€œTips on how to lie,” Lisa said. “What’s next, lock-picking lessons?”
    â€œIf you like,” Archer said without a hint of sarcasm.
    â€œCool,” Colin said.
    I took a deep breath. We didn’t have a fully formed plan, but we had something, and the knot in my stomach relaxed some. Archer was right. If the police drove around the block a few times, or swung by a few minutes before the break-in, the burglars would either be arrested or they’d just change their minds and leave. Sok’s image suddenly popped into my head. If he was the burglar, I hoped he’d see the police and leave. For some reason, I didn’t want him to get caught, which was a bit strange since I hardly knew the guy.
    Thunder cracked, and a single raindrop struck my cheek, pulling me back to the moment at hand. “Okay,” I said. “I think we can handle it.”
    â€œI think you can too,” Archer agreed. “But if something happens and you need my help, call me.”
    More raindrops hit my face, and I glanced up at the dark sky.
    â€œWe have other questions,” Colin said.
    â€œI thought you would,” Archer said. “Ask away.”

Chapter 17

    â€œIs there a secret lair somewhere?” Colin asked excitedly. “Like Batman’s cave, the X-Men’s mansion, or Justice League’s Watchtower, or—”
    â€œHe watches a lot of movies,” I explained as Archer’s eyes widened.
    â€œI see,” Archer said with a grin. “That’s not a bad question, Colin. I’ve often thought that the Society needed some kind of secret hideout. Like maybe a command centre in an abandoned subway tunnel—retrofitted of course.”
    â€œThat would be so cool,” Colin said dreamily.
    â€œWe have a place we meet,” Archer said, “but I think you’ll find it’s not quite up to the standards of the Bat Cave. It serves its purpose. We work together when the situation requires it, which isn’t often. A chairman is appointed—the current one lives in England—and he and his team run things on a global scale, but there are country leaders, and within the countries are zones and districts. It’s all very boring, I’m afraid. But it’s necessary.”
    â€œCan we see it?” Colin asked, almost begging. “The meeting place, I mean.”
    â€œOf course,” Archer said. “There’s a meeting not too far off, actually. You three can come with me if we can think of something to tell your parents.”
    Colin’s grin practically tore his face in half.
    â€œSo I’ll only have visions of people I touch, right?” It was a point I felt needed to be fully understood. If I was going to act like a nut avoiding people, I wanted to make sure it was going to work.
    â€œAnd only if he can do something about it,” Lisa added, “right?”
    Archer nodded. “Pretty much.”
    â€œPretty much?” I asked. “Does that mean yes ?”
    â€œIt’s not quite so cut and dry; even among Society members debates rage about this issue. Here’s how I see it: I imagine that every person I make a connection with—every person I touch—is connected to me by a guitar string. So imagine you’re standing in a field with hundreds of thousands of strings connecting you to hundreds of thousands of people. The better I know that person, or the