operation?'
'I could do that. He offered me a job. But I think I'll start by observing one of his clients in action,' Amaryllis said thoughtfully.
'You only know the name of one of his clients. Senator Sheffield.'
'Precisely.'
'Five hells.' Lucas sounded genuinely alarmed now. 'Amaryllis, what are you planning to do?'
'Take an active interest in politics. Didn't you tell me that your secretary is always throwing away invitations to political fund-raisers?'
'I get an endless stream of them. So what?'
'When's Sheffield's next fund-raising event?'
'I don't know. I'd have to check with my secretary. She has instructions to toss all of the junk mail into the trash before it gets to my desk.'
'See if you can find an invitation to one of Sheffield's receptions, will you? I'd really like to observe him in the act of using his talent for an extended period of time.'
'You'd need a detector for that,' Lucas said.
'Luckily I know one.'
'Now listen here, Amaryllis, if you think that I'm going to waste an evening eating tough turk-chick that tastes as if its been fried in jelly-ice, you can think again. Furthermore--'
'Sorry, I've got to run.' Amaryllis hung up the phone before Lucas could explode in her ear.
'... And it is those values, ladies and gentlemen, the values of our founders, to which we must return.' Madison Sheffield braced both hands on the podium and gazed out at the audience with the expression of a man of vision. 'We must reject those who would weaken the very fiber of our moral structure. We must protect our young people from the influence of sleazy syn-sex clubs. To that end, I wish to announce that I have launched an investigation into those unsavory businesses. That is only one small example of what I plan to do. With your help, I am prepared to lead us forward into the future.'
Thundering applause filled the room. Amaryllis, seated next to Lucas at a table near the front, clapped politely. She had been waiting impatiently for three days for this event. She glanced around at the faces of those sitting nearby.
'He doesn't need to focus charisma,' she whispered to Lucas. 'Just look at these people. He's saying exactly what they want to hear.'
'I have a hunch he saves the charisma punch for the one-on-one hard sell situations.' Lucas did not bother to join in the applause.
Amaryllis watched Sheffield leave the podium to join a strikingly beautiful young woman at the head table. 'I'll bet that's his prism for the evening.'
'She's new. That's not the one he burned out at the museum reception,' Lucas said. 'But there's some similarity.'
'Same color hair and same bra size,' Amaryllis muttered.
'Now that you mention it--'
'He's pretending that they're all agency dates. Very clever.'
The announcer returned to the podum. He smiled triumphantly at the crowd as the clapping slowly subsided. When the room was again silent, he leaned toward the microphone.
'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming here tonight. The gubernatorial elections are less than three months away. We must not lose the momentum we have going for us. We must hold true to our course. Remember, voting the Founders' Values ticket is the only way to secure our future.'
Another round of vigorous applause heralded the end of the event. People began to leave the hall. Amaryllis glanced around uneasily.
'I thought you said we would have a chance to see Sheffield in action,' she said to Lucas.
'We will.' Lucas rose from his chair and reached down to take her arm. 'I've got an invitation to a private reception that's scheduled to follow this speech. Only those who look like good targets for hard-core arm-twisting were asked to attend. I think it's safe to assume that Sheffield will be working that room.'
Amaryllis smiled with satisfaction. 'Great work, Lucas. I knew I could count on you, partner.'
'Stop me if I look like I'm about to reach for my checkbook.'
Half an hour later Amaryllis found herself standing next to Lucas in a chamber filled with a small, select crowd of the city's more prosperous denizens. She held a glass of fizzy green wine in her hand and created a prism for Lucas with her mind.
A few seconds of seeking. Brief sense of vulnerability.
Link.
Energy poured through the prism.
Sheffield was definitely working the room. With the aid of Lucas's talent and a steady focus, it was easy to 'see' the waves of energy Sheffield was directing. Every time he stopped to shake hands and chat with one of the guests, he focused.
An aura of unlimited strength, great trustworthiness, and resolute determination flowed from Sheffield in tangible energy fields. The unwitting victim of the focus responded as if by magic. He or she suddenly glowed with enthusiasm and excitement. People nearly tripped over their own feet in their hurry to write out checks to the campaign fund.
There was no doubt but that the lovely woman on Sheffield's arm was working as his prism. Amaryllis could feel the familiar undercurrents of Landreth's style filtered through Gifford's technique.
'Get ready,' Lucas murmured as Sheffield moved across the room. 'I think we're the next targets.'
Amaryllis readied a polite smile as Sheffield and his companion came to a halt in front of them. She was still holding the focus for Lucas when Sheffield turned the full force of his talent on him.
The impact was stunning. The Senator's charisma was breathtaking at close quarters. In spite of the fact that she had been expecting it and knew exactly how he was doing it, Amaryllis was shaken by Sheffield's power.
No question about it, Sheffield was a born leader. Exactly the sort of man that the city-state of New Seattle needed at this time in history. He was a man of extraordinary vision.
'Nice to see you here tonight, Trent.' Sheffield's eyes conveyed his extraordinary pleasure in Lucas's presence. The senator was both humble and proud to have drawn such an important businessman to this gathering. 'Lodestar Exploration has done a lot for New Seattle, and I want you to know that if the people of this city-state put me in the governor's chair, companies such as Lodestar will have a strong voice in my administration.'
Sheffield continued to chat. Companies such as Lodestar would flourish with Sheffield in office. Men such as Lucas Trent would receive the respect they deserved. They would be able to influence the decisions that impacted their operations. Taxes and regulations would be rolled back. Government would work to help business, not restrain it.
Amaryllis realized that Lucas, as the main target of the focus, was getting an even heftier dose of the powerful, quasi-hypnotic charm, than she was.
Without warning, the flow of Lucas's detector-talent through the prism altered slightly. Amaryllis wondered what was happening. She watched the crisp, clear patterns of light soften and diffuse into a jumbled wall of meaning- less energy.
Sheffield continued to talk about his plans for New Seattle, but his voice no longer sounded so wonderfully warm. His charm faded. Amaryllis realized that she was not quite so ready to believe everything he said. His hair, which had looked so right a moment ago, appeared too slick for her taste now. His eyes held a cool, calculating quality and his smile looked artificial.
Out on the psychic plane, Amaryllis watched Lucas's- wall of energy shimmer and pulse in a random fashion. She suddenly realized that he was using his talent to block Sheffield's energy.
Sheffield leaned closer, as if confiding in Lucas. 'I want you to know that as the next governor of this city- state, I intend to form a business advisory council. I'd be honored if you would accept a position as the head of that council, Trent. You would have my full attention whenever you felt it necessary.'
'I appreciate your confidence,' Lucas said.
Sheffield's smile remained in place, but his gaze grew more intense. The woman with him began to look
