GABRIEL (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 4) by Marilyn Campbell Page B
Authors: Marilyn Campbell
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curls, past his beautiful blue eyes and down over his well-developed form, and said the opposite of what she was really thinking. "You seem fairly normal to me, Professor."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Normal is a very relative term. Our parents thought open mental communication was perfectly normal, even healthy. As children we never had to be warned of dangers because our parents' eyes were on us whether they were with us or not. If I was about to trip over something, that item would vanish or I would be caught by invisible hands in midair and gently set on my feet.
"We never had to go to academy because all of their joint knowledge was automatically imparted to us. They had expected the offspring to have even greater mental abilities than the parents but only a few did. My sister, Janna, was one of them. Others inherited talents equal to their parents. Some acquired none at all."
Shara asked the question that had been on her mind since Ferrine first mentioned his birthplace. "And what abilities did you inherit?"
Gabriel gave her a sly smile. If he truly wanted to gain the upper hand with her, he could let her wonder indefinitely—worrying that he could hear her every thought whether she directed it at him or not, fearing that he could send thoughts or suggestions without ever touching her and she'd never be the wiser. Reminding himself that he wanted to gain her cooperation, he revealed the truth.
"Some of the skills developed within Parson's Colony were so powerful that outsiders began to fear that the colonists might misuse their power. The group finally broke up due to the pressure of those frightened outsiders. I could see your reaction to where I was raised was one of intellectual curiosity but I assure you it is much more common for someone to become immediately distrustful of what I might be capable of doing to them.
"Just so you know you have nothing to fear from me, I'm going to tell you something I usually keep secret. I didn't inherit any of my parents' extraordinary extrasensory perception. Unlike most Noronians, I can't even direct specific thoughts to you if I touch your temple. Unfortunately, I also lack the ability to block out other people's thoughts. I'm what they call an open receiver."
"Are you telling me that you hear what I'm thinking all the time?" Shara's stomach knotted at the possibility and his laughter did little to calm her.
"No, your privacy is intact." She didn't need to know that once he figured out the color key to her moods, her eyes would tell him all he needed to know without hearing her thoughts. "You mentioned that the offspring had problems. Imagine what it would be like to have twenty-three other people in your head at all times. That's how many open minds there were after each couple had two children.
"There were other open receivers like myself, who could never block anyone or sort out the individual voices. As children, we never knew a moment of quiet, let alone privacy. Before the group disbanded, they invented a jammer for the less fortunate minds." He pointed to the plain gold cuff on his left earlobe. "With this on, my reception is effectively jammed and I'm protected against any unscrupulous person trying to invade my mind without my knowledge or permission."
The last he added as a warning, in case she should get the idea that she could manipulate him. Already having broken at least two laws that he knew of, she could be capable of more.
Though she still didn't trust him and would rather not have to deal with him professionally, Shara felt deep sympathy for him and those other children. It was impossible for her to imagine growing up without ever having time to herself, the chance to dream private dreams or to keep special secrets that only one or two dear friends shared. No wonder Gabriel spent most of his adult life alone and journeying to civilizations where they had no telepathic abilities. He was making up for lost years.
"Any other questions?" he asked
He shrugged his shoulders. "Normal is a very relative term. Our parents thought open mental communication was perfectly normal, even healthy. As children we never had to be warned of dangers because our parents' eyes were on us whether they were with us or not. If I was about to trip over something, that item would vanish or I would be caught by invisible hands in midair and gently set on my feet.
"We never had to go to academy because all of their joint knowledge was automatically imparted to us. They had expected the offspring to have even greater mental abilities than the parents but only a few did. My sister, Janna, was one of them. Others inherited talents equal to their parents. Some acquired none at all."
Shara asked the question that had been on her mind since Ferrine first mentioned his birthplace. "And what abilities did you inherit?"
Gabriel gave her a sly smile. If he truly wanted to gain the upper hand with her, he could let her wonder indefinitely—worrying that he could hear her every thought whether she directed it at him or not, fearing that he could send thoughts or suggestions without ever touching her and she'd never be the wiser. Reminding himself that he wanted to gain her cooperation, he revealed the truth.
"Some of the skills developed within Parson's Colony were so powerful that outsiders began to fear that the colonists might misuse their power. The group finally broke up due to the pressure of those frightened outsiders. I could see your reaction to where I was raised was one of intellectual curiosity but I assure you it is much more common for someone to become immediately distrustful of what I might be capable of doing to them.
"Just so you know you have nothing to fear from me, I'm going to tell you something I usually keep secret. I didn't inherit any of my parents' extraordinary extrasensory perception. Unlike most Noronians, I can't even direct specific thoughts to you if I touch your temple. Unfortunately, I also lack the ability to block out other people's thoughts. I'm what they call an open receiver."
"Are you telling me that you hear what I'm thinking all the time?" Shara's stomach knotted at the possibility and his laughter did little to calm her.
"No, your privacy is intact." She didn't need to know that once he figured out the color key to her moods, her eyes would tell him all he needed to know without hearing her thoughts. "You mentioned that the offspring had problems. Imagine what it would be like to have twenty-three other people in your head at all times. That's how many open minds there were after each couple had two children.
"There were other open receivers like myself, who could never block anyone or sort out the individual voices. As children, we never knew a moment of quiet, let alone privacy. Before the group disbanded, they invented a jammer for the less fortunate minds." He pointed to the plain gold cuff on his left earlobe. "With this on, my reception is effectively jammed and I'm protected against any unscrupulous person trying to invade my mind without my knowledge or permission."
The last he added as a warning, in case she should get the idea that she could manipulate him. Already having broken at least two laws that he knew of, she could be capable of more.
Though she still didn't trust him and would rather not have to deal with him professionally, Shara felt deep sympathy for him and those other children. It was impossible for her to imagine growing up without ever having time to herself, the chance to dream private dreams or to keep special secrets that only one or two dear friends shared. No wonder Gabriel spent most of his adult life alone and journeying to civilizations where they had no telepathic abilities. He was making up for lost years.
"Any other questions?" he asked
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