Stolen Dreams by Marilyn Campbell Page A

love were supposed to
be the basis of their movement, legal protests gave way to attacks on
government-owned property. A large portion of the administrative center
of First Province was destroyed before the rebels were brought under
control."
     
Shara found herself so fascinated with his tales
that the
afternoon sped by. On the way back to their rooms, she didn't hesitate
to accept his suggestion that they dine together. Several of the crew
members joined them shortly after they arrived in the dining area and
the evening turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable.
     
The
next two days followed a similar pattern. All Shara had to do was ask a
few questions and Gabriel was pleased to educate her. When he had
covered every aspect of the rebellion and ancient Noronian history, she
urged him to tell her about his journeys.
     
The day before they
were
due to arrive on Norona, Gabriel was determined to bring their
discussion back to the present. They were once again in the biodrome,
walking along the winding path and sharing his stash of Caresses. "I
think we should make some contingency plans, in case we get separated,"
he began.
     
While he outlined a procedure that he thought would
be
workable, Shara's mind wandered. Although she had come to appreciate
his company and his vast knowledge, she hadn't lost sight of the fact
that they had opposing goals. As far as she was concerned, it was still
in her best interest to make the time-hop without him. For the past
several days, she had successfully sidetracked him. Surely she could
manage it a little longer. The moment he concluded his idea for
regrouping, she asked, "Tell me about yourself. You know everything
there is to know about me, and all I know about you is your work."
     
Gabriel
narrowed his brows in confusion. He could not comprehend the connection
between their plans and his background. Thus far, none of their
discussions had veered into personal areas. Under the circumstances,
there didn't seem to be a need for an exchange of trivial information.
On the other hand, Ferrine had assured him that shared confidences
could put Shara into a more cooperative mood. "What do you want to
know?"
     
She
figured some basic questions could get him started talking about
himself, and then, as he had with other subjects, he'd carry on from
there. "Where were you born? Do you have siblings? What do your parents
do?"
     
He was automatically suspicious about what prompted this
line
of questioning. He had stopped revealing any information about his
origins long ago, after he realized how uncomfortable it made most
people. And yet, what greater confidence could he share? "Parson's
Colony, one older sister, diplomatic councilors."
     
Shara hadn't
expected him to be so forthright.
     
He noted her surprised
expression and nodded. "My parents were two of the original twelve."
     
"That
must have been an incredible experience," she said with sincere
fascination. Though the possibility of him having superior mental
powers frightened her, she also had the desire to know more about it,
from both a professional and personal standpoint. "If I remember
correctly, for a short time Parson's Colony was considered one of the
greatest brain trusts in the galaxy, then it abruptly dissolved.
Several reasons were officially cited—personality and control conflicts
and something about a problem with the offspring." She scrutinized his
head of soft golden 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