freedom to move from place to place. Real freedom is a thing no one can take from you, because it is a freedom of the spirit. I keep it here.' He tapped his head, then rose. 'I have promised a dance, but we will talk again.'
I watched him go, surprised to find myself wishing we could have gone on talking. I had meant only to extract information, but he was astonishingly free with his words and opinions, and he had allowed me to question him without asking me questions in return. With a sudden depression, I wondered if he was as open simply because he believed himself invulnerable in the camp.
I shook my head. He was an enemy, yet I had liked him. And I was as certain he had liked me. It had never occurred to me that I might be found desirable. Yet clothed in the fine dress, I had only been able to gape at my reflection. The girl who looked out of the mirror at me with her cloud of dark silky hair and mysterious green eyes had been a dazzling stranger. Passing through a room into the Druid's dining hall, I had caught sight of myself in a long mirror and, in that moment, had the curious wish that Rushton might see me so transformed.
To my relief, the meal ended without talk of bonding. Like all farseekers, I knew bonding for me would be more than a physical communion. A mind meld would be far more intimate than any bodily merging. It would be an ultimate kind of nakedness with one of my own kind; to bond with an unTalent would be like bonding to a statue.
I found myself thinking of Gilbert as I prepared for bed. If one had to bond with an unTalent, he would at least be kind and funny. Rushton's dark, brooding face came into my mind like a dash of cold water.
Dismissing all thoughts of the nightmeal from my mind, I concentrated my senses for an attempt on the static barrier preventing me from reaching the others. Kella had been housed in a separate room so there was no chance for us to make plans.
The block lay like a wet blanket over my senses. I felt suffocated as I tried to farseek. I used more strength, but the blocking seemed to respond, strengthening in direct proportion to the force I used.
Finally I lay back with a defeated sigh. It was no use. I would have to find the machine and somehow damage it.
10
'What are ye up to, Emmon?' Rilla demanded suspiciously of a slight boy with a lop-sided grin who had entered the kitchen.
He looked exaggeratedly hurt. Th' Druid sent me to bring the gypsy called Elspeth,' he said in a wounded voice.
I had spent the morning with Kella helping to do the encampment washing. I had tried questioning Rilla, but she appeared to know no more than Gilbert about the blocking static preventing me from using my abilities. But she had told me the Druid acolytes worked in a shed forbidden to all others. Kella told me Rilla's dead bondmate had been one of the Druids slain in the last Teknoguild expedition.
'I don't think she knows much about it,' Kella had said. 'It seems as if the Druid only tells people what he thinks they need to know. Rilla has no idea the people they ran into were from Obernewtyn. But she did say the Druid suspected the explosion had been caused deliberately using a Beforetime weapon. I think his reaction to Obernewtyn means he suspected Rushton, at least.'
I wondered what the Druid wanted of me.
As we left, Emmon stole a slice of meat and got a hard smack for his troubles. Outside he rubbed his ear and grinned broadly. 'T'was worth it. Come on.' We had not gone far when I realized we were going in the wrong direction.
'Well, that's true . . .' Emmon admitted. 'As a matter of fact, I were nowt told to bring ye at once, so we've time to spare. I'd rather walk about than wash clothes or work at spellin' an' th' like. Wouldn't you?'
'Won't we get into trouble?' I asked warily.
He shook his head. 'You won't. If we gan caught, I'll say ye knew nowt of it.'
'Will you show me around? I haven't had much chance to see the camp,' I asked.
Emmon nodded enthusiastically. He
I watched him go, surprised to find myself wishing we could have gone on talking. I had meant only to extract information, but he was astonishingly free with his words and opinions, and he had allowed me to question him without asking me questions in return. With a sudden depression, I wondered if he was as open simply because he believed himself invulnerable in the camp.
I shook my head. He was an enemy, yet I had liked him. And I was as certain he had liked me. It had never occurred to me that I might be found desirable. Yet clothed in the fine dress, I had only been able to gape at my reflection. The girl who looked out of the mirror at me with her cloud of dark silky hair and mysterious green eyes had been a dazzling stranger. Passing through a room into the Druid's dining hall, I had caught sight of myself in a long mirror and, in that moment, had the curious wish that Rushton might see me so transformed.
To my relief, the meal ended without talk of bonding. Like all farseekers, I knew bonding for me would be more than a physical communion. A mind meld would be far more intimate than any bodily merging. It would be an ultimate kind of nakedness with one of my own kind; to bond with an unTalent would be like bonding to a statue.
I found myself thinking of Gilbert as I prepared for bed. If one had to bond with an unTalent, he would at least be kind and funny. Rushton's dark, brooding face came into my mind like a dash of cold water.
Dismissing all thoughts of the nightmeal from my mind, I concentrated my senses for an attempt on the static barrier preventing me from reaching the others. Kella had been housed in a separate room so there was no chance for us to make plans.
The block lay like a wet blanket over my senses. I felt suffocated as I tried to farseek. I used more strength, but the blocking seemed to respond, strengthening in direct proportion to the force I used.
Finally I lay back with a defeated sigh. It was no use. I would have to find the machine and somehow damage it.
10
'What are ye up to, Emmon?' Rilla demanded suspiciously of a slight boy with a lop-sided grin who had entered the kitchen.
He looked exaggeratedly hurt. Th' Druid sent me to bring the gypsy called Elspeth,' he said in a wounded voice.
I had spent the morning with Kella helping to do the encampment washing. I had tried questioning Rilla, but she appeared to know no more than Gilbert about the blocking static preventing me from using my abilities. But she had told me the Druid acolytes worked in a shed forbidden to all others. Kella told me Rilla's dead bondmate had been one of the Druids slain in the last Teknoguild expedition.
'I don't think she knows much about it,' Kella had said. 'It seems as if the Druid only tells people what he thinks they need to know. Rilla has no idea the people they ran into were from Obernewtyn. But she did say the Druid suspected the explosion had been caused deliberately using a Beforetime weapon. I think his reaction to Obernewtyn means he suspected Rushton, at least.'
I wondered what the Druid wanted of me.
As we left, Emmon stole a slice of meat and got a hard smack for his troubles. Outside he rubbed his ear and grinned broadly. 'T'was worth it. Come on.' We had not gone far when I realized we were going in the wrong direction.
'Well, that's true . . .' Emmon admitted. 'As a matter of fact, I were nowt told to bring ye at once, so we've time to spare. I'd rather walk about than wash clothes or work at spellin' an' th' like. Wouldn't you?'
'Won't we get into trouble?' I asked warily.
He shook his head. 'You won't. If we gan caught, I'll say ye knew nowt of it.'
'Will you show me around? I haven't had much chance to see the camp,' I asked.
Emmon nodded enthusiastically. He
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