Heeding Selena’s words, I scrounged up clothes before heading to the meeting. Moments later I glanced to my right and realised, with grim amusement, that an elderly woman walking her dog had stopped to watch me change through the hole in the wall.
The drive to the Defence Training Offices swam with a variety of concerns, not least that Selena seemed to have recognised Benny for what he was. Paranoia screamed at me that she knew what we had planned. Whether she had that kind of power remained a mystery.
Secondly was that I had been the plaything of my demon friend. To put it bluntly; it had kicked my ass, and confronting it seemed an ambitious task. I guessed that resorting to explosions was not the intended course of action, but should it come to that, my impression was that I would be coming off second best.
I arrived on time and found my parking place. Jenny, my favourite assistant, led me into the mansion.
“I heard you had some trouble,” she said.
“I may have.”
“Blew a hole in the wall?”
“And the ceiling.”
“Very impressive.”
I gave her a sideways glance. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. Your confrontation with the demon has been moved earlier?”
“Tomorrow.”
We entered into the waiting room and she gestured toward the doors.
I hesitated, imagining that she was less warm than the previous times I had visited.
“I don’t get any good luck wishes today?” I asked, doing my best to produce a charming grin.
She returned a smile; one in which her eyes did not participate. “Good luck.”
I watched her exit. Paranoia. Obviously just paranoia.
Inside the main hall the furniture had been returned to its previous central position. Selena, once again adopting perfect posture, watched me as I approached. The walk seemed to take an eternity.
I sank into my couch, half expecting her first words to be something like; “Sadly, Mister Clarence, you have forced me into a most unfortunate situation and I must deal with you harshly.”
This was not the case.
“We will be doing something unconventional today, Mister Clarence.” She swivelled in the chair to face me. “Something that is only possible because of what I have already seen you are capable of doing.”
“What?”
“I will allow you access to my mind. I believe it will be of great benefit if you were to experience an event of my own life.”
“Access to your mind?”
“You have done so once before with my demon. Can you reproduce this spell? It seemed effortless previously.”
“I can try.”
“Good.”
The moment trailed off into silence and her eye contact faltered. This was not something she was comfortable doing. In fact, remembering her reaction to the previous mental intrusion, I dared allow myself feel honoured, wondering if this was on a par with throwing a complimentary pair of panties in Selena’s world.
“The confrontation with my own demon,” she continued, “was something that did not go well. A regrettable affair. My hope is that observing it will allow you an insight into a delicate and dangerous situation. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“I hope so.” Her gaze turned back into steel and I squirmed. “There is something you must understand, Mister Clarence.”
“I’m listening.”
“Have you heard of what is known as a Primary Crutch?”
“I have. Benny Kingston told me.”
“What is your relationship with Mister Kingston, exactly?”
“We’re friends.”
“Escoge bien a tus amigos. Choose your friends wisely.”
“I do.”
“For your sake I hope this is true.”
There was another general squirming of discomfort on my part.
“Before we begin I would like to make some things clear. First, you are an observer in my thoughts and I expect you will keep that in mind. Follow my lead and do as I do.”
“I will.”
“Second,” her brow creased in a barely registering frown, “you will be the first person I have allowed such a thing…”
The sentence trailed off. I scrambled for the appropriate response, wanting her to know that I understood the honour, but not knowing how to word it.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You may begin.”
She leaned forward and locked her eyes on my own. I copied the gesture, leaning in to close the distance between us.
With only a dozen inches of space separating our faces, I proceeded to repeat the spell.