“Those will be your textbooks,” Errol said suddenly from behind me. I jumped slightly at his voice. “Those and this.” He set a thick tome down on the desk next to the stack I had been perusing. “It is a leather bound Talents Code. Before you finish your training and I bring you to the Sept Son for testing, you are going to be able to quote that book to me word for word. That above all others is going to be your bread and butter for the next three years.”
“Three years?” I looked up at him in surprise. His bright green eyes met mine and he nodded.
“I estimate it will take you at least three years to reach full training, however, we can take longer if you need more time to master something.”
I looked down at the heavy tome and frowned. “Then I guess we should begin.”
He laughed. “Sounds wise, but first I need to go over the basic ground rules. First, except for today, all communication done within this room is to be done by mind alone.”
My stomach sank. Remembering the difficulty that I had trying to send the first time, I was doubtful that I would be able to do it correctly so soon. That meant that if I didn’t learn to send today I would have no way of asking questions later.
“Second, outside this room there are only three people you are allowed to send to. They are Selwyn, the Sept Son, and myself. Until you are trained, we are the only three people who know that you are training. My daughters know not to speak of your training to anyone and I want you to do the same. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “Why does it have to be such a secret?”
“We have our reasons and I will tell you about them later, but for now you have to trust me. Do I have your word?”
I agreed.
“Now, third, you are not to ever send to the mind of an untalented. It is an invasion of privacy of the most atrocious kind. They will have no defenses with which to shut you out, and so you could glean anything you wanted from their mind. The only exception to this rule is if the untalented gives you permission. The only time this usually happens is within a marriage relationship.”
“So, Adreet lets you read her thoughts?”
He smiled in amusement. “Sometimes. Now, the final ground rule. You are never to use your physical talent while angry. Accidents have happened when new talents, fresh to the ability to move objects, have injured their trainers or untalented friends and family because they were not able to control their usage of the energy. Now,” he said as he sank into the chair behind the large desk, “Do you agree to these rules?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” He smiled at me warmly. “Now take a seat and open Force or Thought and read the fifth chapter. It is the one entitled ‘Introduction to Sending.’ When you have finished, we will discuss and begin applying. The goal for today is to get you to send.”
I immediately grabbed the book and found the chapter. Reading it was easy. It explained in detail how the sending ability came from a part of the brain that is more developed in some individuals more than others. The ability tends to appear in primarily males, but some females have been known to possess the capability to send. Then the text outlined a detailed description of how to do it. Without thought, I began trying to send to Errol.
“Stop” Errol’s plum taste flooded my mouth. I looked up to find him frowning at me. “We still need to discuss it. I don’t want you trying it exactly the way they describe.”
The following hour was spent in intense discussion over every aspect of the act of sending. Finally, just as I began to lose hope that Errol would allow me to try it again, he sat back in his chair and smiled.
“Now you may try again.”
As we had discussed, I leaned back in my chair, relaxing against the wood until I was comfortable. Then closing my eyes, I visualized the field of gray with the glowing bits of light. The brightest one close to me was Errol. Reaching out with my mind I tried to touch his light. My reach fell short the first time; second time I overreached. Then finally, I touched it. Plum filled my mouth as I brushed the surface.
“Good,” Errol muttered. “Now try to touch me again.”
This time it was easier. For a half hour, we practiced until I could touch his mind exactly right without a miss for ten times in succession.
“Now think of a word,” he instructed.
The word ‘willow’ came to mind. Visualizing the memory of the great willow outside the house, I formed the word deliberately in my thoughts.
“Do you have one?”
I nodded.
“Now send it to me.”
Reaching out with my mind, I brushed his, pushing the thought of the willow toward him as I did. The plum taste touched my tongue; so, I knew that I had made contact. However as I waited with my eyes closed for his next instruction, it didn’t come. I opened my eyes to find him watching me with a thoughtful expression.
“Did I do it?” I asked.
He didn’t move. Thoughts seemed to flicker beneath his green eyes as he studied me. Finally, his eyes lowered and he frowned as he ran his fingers through
