He struggled to rise, and as he did so he saw the Vorlon reach out one arm, stretching out the fingers and clenching a fist.
There was a rush of air and an explosion of psionic energy. Sinoval was not a telepath, but even he winced as the backlash tore through him. He felt blood drip from his eyes. He wiped it away and looked up to see what the Vorlon had used its telekinesis for.
The force shield the Soul Hunters had erected, and were now pushing slowly inwards to encircle the Starfire Wheel, had been designed to keep the Vorlon inside, not to keep anyone or anything out.
The Vorlon had reached through the shield and pulled Sherann in. She lay limp, pressed against the angel, held close to it. Its sword, now thick and curved, lay against her throat.
It looked at Sinoval, and in its eyes he could see himself.
<Her life is nothing to us,> it said. <Lay down your blade, or she will die.>
Dexter Smith crossed his arms and sat back, wincing at the pain in his side. 'So.... what are we going to talk about? Last night's game? The lottery numbers? The latest film news?'
'That's hardly a very co-operative attitude, Mr. Smith.'
'Yeah, well, maybe I'm not being very co-operative. You see, being beaten up and locked in a room with only a disembodied voice for company does that to me.'
'Ah. I do apologise for the over-zealousness of the guards. That really did have nothing to do with me. And you are not locked in anywhere. You are free to leave at any time. I do not advise it, but I certainly do not compel you to stay.'
'Where's Talia?'
'A safe place.'
'Answer me! Where is she?'
'Being examined by my doctors. She is quite safe, I assure you.'
'I want to see her.'
'That is not possible at present. You seem.... forgive me.... rather attached to her. Are the two of you.... romantically involved?'
'What? No!'
'Ah, forgive my lack of manners. Sometimes the only way to gain pertinent information is to ask impertinent questions. A sad necessity of modern life I am afraid, and I like it no more than you do. However, it is necessary. Would you like there to be a romantic involvement with Miss Winters?'
'She's with someone. They have a kid.'
'Ah, yes. Mr. Bester. A rather.... special collection of telepaths he has there. Do you think he plans on adding to it?'
'What do you mean?'
'You have telepathic DNA, do you not? Your mother was a telepath? Your young niece has recently been found to be a P four.'
'I don't have....' He paused. He supposed he might have a niece. He hadn't spoken to his sister in years. He'd thought she was dead. 'What of it? I'm probably not even a P one.'
'Something in that region.... but your children might well be telepaths, especially if the mother was a telepath herself, such as Miss Winters for example.'
'What is this? Some sort of telepath breeding programme you're running here?'
'Oh, no. Quite the opposite. I have spent my entire life working against telepaths. They have a.... natural, innate advantage over the rest of us. A quite unfair advantage, wouldn't you say? How can we hide our secrets any longer? We are all vulnerable to telepaths, each and every one of us. Maybe the Corps controlled them, although personally I do not believe that. But now the Corps as we knew it is gone, sacrificed on the altar of necessity. These are desperate times, Mr. Smith, and they breed desperate men. Can you imagine the damage that can be done by a desperate telepath?
'No, order is necessary in the midst of all this chaos. Telepaths are uniquely chaotic beings, but with appropriate order they can be.... controlled, harnessed for the greater good. My humble operation here has been aimed at doing just that.'
'How do you control them?'
'Ah, that would be telling. I am afraid I am not at liberty to divulge that information. They are.... safe, I will say that, and no threat to any of us.'
'So why are you telling me all this?'
'Oh, a number of reasons. Partly to try to convince you to call off your little crusade against my organisation. We are not the enemy, we are merely people trying to do what we can to benefit humanity.'
'And is letting Sector Three-o-one become a sink of corruption benefiting humanity?'
'Sector Three-o-one has always been a place filled with corruption, Mr. Smith. You of all people should know that. It is a sad and lamentable fact of human nature that the weaker will always be shoved aside. Sector Three-o- one is the sort of place they are shoved to. If we cleaned up the place, the corruption there would only move elsewhere. Sad, yes, but the truth.'
'What Trace and Allan are doing is wrong.... and you're letting them do it.'
'Is not a little wrong permitted in the name of a greater good? Is not.... for example, the breaking of a promise, of a trust, permissible if the purpose is worthwhile?' Smith scowled. 'I know your history, Mr. Smith. You have interested me for a long time. I did actually try to contact you after your return from Earthforce, but alas I was unable to do so.
'I would like to offer you a place in my organisation.'
Smith laughed. 'You're not serious. You've just spent half an hour telling me telepaths are evil and that I'm one of them, and now you want me to join you?'
'You are a telepath, yes, but you cannot read minds, you cannot ferret out thoughts and secrets. You are merely very intuitive, a skill that many 'normal' people are perfectly capable of learning.'
'I'm also a wanted murderer, or did you forget about that?'
'Oh, you needn't join my organisation in any public capacity. I was hoping for quite the reverse, in fact. Anyway, I will speak to some people and have the charges against you dropped. And against Miss Winters, if you like. There, you see.... corruption can be a good thing, if used wisely.'
'I've yet to be convinced of that. What if I say no?'
'I will be disappointed of course, but you will be free to leave. The charges against you will still be dropped, and you will be at perfect liberty to change your mind at any point.'
'And if I choose to keep fighting Trace and Allan?'
'That would be.... unfortunate, for both of us.'
'If.... If I agree to join you....'
'Yes.'
'Will you let Talia go? And stop Trace from hurting the people of Sector Three-o-one?'
'Mr. Trace is his own man. He is not really a member of my organisation, merely a.... freelance agent. As for Miss Winters.... if it will convince you of my sincerity she may go, but.... one thing first. Are you absolutely certain she does not use her abilities.... wrongly? Give me your word that she will not misuse her telepathic powers.'
'I give it.'
'Ah.... well then. I will.... allow you a chance to change your mind. Miss Winters will be kept safe here. She will be treated well, I assure you, and I will detain her only for so long as is necessary to verify your claims. If I find them to be true, she will be released. Are these terms.... acceptable to you?'
'No, but it looks like they're all I have.'
'They are.'
'Well then, I am free to go?'
'Then you will not join me?'
'Show me that Talia is safe, and I will.'
'Ah.... then you are free to go. When I release Miss Winters, if of course I do, then I will contact you so that we may discuss the terms of your.... employment. The guards outside will escort you safely and secretly out of this sector. As I said, all charges against you will be dropped, and you may return to your old apartment if you
