When he had been rescued, they'd found him on the concrete floor of the Boiler Room, blue-skinned and spasmodically shivering, unconscious. They took him home and after feeding him put him in his bed with its electric blanket turned to high, where he slept for two days, during which Carol had stayed by his side. All of the Circle members — his Grandmother, Uncles, Carol’s father, and Mr. Smith — gathered there at his home with his parents in the living room the day after his rescue to learn from Carol what had happened and to put together all the pieces into place.
Liam had, apparently, managed to uncover and, with the incredible assistance of Carol, exposed a plot by a small cabal of Masters. Intending to use their visioning powers over other's minds to control them, they sought to siphon off much of the nation's wealth into their own pocketbooks by synchronizing the corporate world and the government to become one with their purpose.
It started with certain businesses, who, unknowingly, had certain Masters as in-house advisors, that had been openly investing money into schools and entire school districts for many years, ostensibly to aid financially strapped public schools or to fund privately run Charter schools. Except, those Masters had ulterior motives. Their design was to financially better themselves. Then, they intended to begin manipulating the nation's school systems, turning them into training grounds to create two castes, the wealthy elite who would run the country for their own financial benefit, and the rest who would labor to make their masters richer. Using their suggestive mental powers over Liam's local school board had proven quite easy. Education Wonks are forever looking to try out new theories in Education in order to get higher test scores out of students. It didn't take much visioning power on Johnson's part to make them believe his curriculum would meet their goals. Unbeknownst to the board, however, was that he planned to create a 21st century version of 19th century America. Then, the combination of Northern industrial Titans and Southern plantation owners, who mutually disagreed on every level except making money, ran the country, making their wealth through cheap white immigrant factory labor in the North and black slavery farming in the South. Now, For Johnson, color or ethnicity meant nothing. It was merely have's versus have-nots, and he was going to be a '"have".
Nothing much came of Liam's discovery. The school system now seemed to be more accommodating to students — and their parents — by allowing them some choices of classes beyond the basic requirements of Math, Science, and Language Arts. And they were encouraging college-prep courses for everyone who wanted. Curiously, more than usual signed up for business classes, some to hitch their star to what they believed to be the side most likely to win (Corporate America), but with even more who enrolled believing that they might just make a cultural difference by reforming business from the inside. When Liam learned of this, he thought to himself, Hopefully, the lure of money won’t seduce them to the “dark” side, just as a pedophile seduces children with gifts. We don’t need any more prostitutes to the god of Mammon!
The fallout was pretty much whitewashed publicly, but the general program was quietly left pretty much intact as both the government bureaucracy and big business saw much value in it, each in their own way. However, that the general public was left unaware of the existence of Vision Masters and of the few who were involved in the debacle. The one big change that did come out of all of it was a more-than-subtle government interest in them, with certain secret congressional committees calling for greater oversight and control.
The Circle and a few like-minded others decided that, for the time being, they should throw their efforts into protecting themselves by lowering their profile and not drawing attention to themselves, but not before they finally tracked down Johnson, who'd been hiding overseas. It had taken a while, but the one time he thought he might safely vision in and quickly out of the States, he was detected, his vision intercepted, and a friendly Circle in that country had been informed. They found him still in his vision. While attempting to take him captive, he awoke and resisted. Unfortunately, he was subdued with fatal force.
The Circle had also rewarded both Liam and Carol, by making them full members. Carol, not only for her outstanding service as Liam's Watcher, but because she had demonstrated, finally (as her father always knew she was capable), envisioning herself into another place and include another in that vision (as she'd done when she found and gone to Liam in the Boiler Room). This made her an Initiate. And Liam, because he had successfully, and admirably, completed his assignment (even though it hadn't involved his gift and, as Liam told them, he did it by “shear dumb luck”). The only restriction the Circle had placed on him was no assignments for a while - they thought his first and only assignment had been traumatic enough - until he grew further in his abilities. So, he'd spent his time practicing and now felt he'd progressed beyond even his father. A year of waiting was now up and he felt confident. He wanted a new assignment. He wanted to reactivate the "Gang of Four".
It was a new school year and Liam was glad to be back at his old High School, St. Mary’s. The last year was a year to forget, and yet a year never to be forgotten. One thing he did not forget was to thank Mrs. O'Leary, who was now assigned to his school. Had she not seen Johnson taking him down the hall and remembered it to Carol...well. Mrs. O'Leary blushed when he handed her a dozen red roses. When she gave Liam a kiss on the cheek, it was his turn to blush, and he nearly tripped over himself as he quickly fled the office.
The last bell of the day rang, ending their first week back to school. Liam joined Carol as they walked toward the main entry/exit doors to leave school. As they approached them, he noticed that there was a small closet-like door beside them, just as there had been at the other school, which led to the Boiler Room. He had to pass it every morning and afternoon, and each time he felt a shudder run up his spine. He wondered if he would ever get over that experience.
It was precisely because of that experience that Liam worked on his gift the past year so that it would never happen so easily again. Through coaching by his father and grandmother, he had learned how to recognize another Vision Master. Every Initiate and Master emits a faint aura around them — unnoticed and seen right through by people without the gift, — as well as emitting a "presence" mentally that could be felt by anyone with the gift, if they were experienced enough and trying to detect it. Both the aura and presence differed by degree according to how strong a person's gift is. He loved both of Carol's, her aura was lavender (his favorite color), and her presence was tranquil, like the gentle surf on the beach. Whenever he was with her they gave his spirit peace.
As they exited the doors, jostling through the throng of students who were either waiting for rides or a bus, or merely talking to friends one last time before they made their own way to wherever they needed to go, he steered Carol to the student parking lot and to his car. He had turned sixteen in June and, by a special act of the state legislature as reward for his heroism, he got his full license. As a birthday present, his parents gave him a restored '68 Camero 327, Canary yellow with black leatherette interior and four-on-the-floor, identical to the one his dad had as his first car. The only thing Liam had to do was pay for his own insurance and gas. The first year's insurance wasn't a problem as he had enough in his savings to cover it. But, he needed to be careful about gas, it's expensive now (not like the thirty cents a gallon his dad paid "back in the day" when he was first driving), so he hinted to everyone (except Carol) that donations to the gas tank would be welcomed if anyone wanted a ride.
He located his car in the lot easily, not only because it was the only yellow one, but also because he saw Drew's and Scott's heads above the roof lines of all the other cars (he purposely parked away from all the monstrous SUVs so he could safely back out of the stall), waiting for him. They always wanted a ride home and usually gave him something for the gas, even if it was just the change in their pocket. He frowned. It wasn't that he minded giving them rides; he just never seemed to have time alone
with Carol as a result.
"Hey, guys" he said to them as he unlocked the passenger door for Carol. She knew the routine and stepped aside without a word so that the brothers could climb into the back seat.
She, too, felt frustrated by their ever wanting a ride but knew it was Liam's place, and not hers, to say something to them (she never presumed that as Liam's girl she had any right to come between him and his friends) - and it was his car, not hers - so she bit her lip and kept her peace.
"Man, this car's back seat wasn't made for creature comfort, was it?" Drew exclaimed.
"Rather walk?" Scott asked, saying what Carol was thinking.
"No way, man, riding in this is way cooler! Notice how everybody we pass eyes it?"
Liam wondered if it was the car or him everybody was looking at. It wasn't very long after the "incident", as it came to be known, when he had been rescued. It was about the rumored nefarious school plot that the whispering had begun. He had been involved, some said, in spite of that impassioned speech he gave that day in Johnson’s class, and was a really a plant by the corporations (or government, or somebody), given his grades and class standing weren't high enough to warrant him being in the academic High School, and that for some unknown reason had turned on them. Others credited him with being the one who had simply uncovered the plot. No one knew for sure, but sides had been taken and to some he was a hero while others looked at him as a traitor.
"Maybe you should get a car of your own."
"Ouch! That hurts, Liam. What's the matter, don't you love me any more, Cuz?"
"That’s not what I meant. Don't you want your own?"
"Sure, but who can afford one?"
"Maybe you and Scott could go in together," Carol hinted.
"And I'd never get to drive it!" Scott said. "He'd always have a reason for needing it when I wanted it." The silence that followed acknowledged the probable truth in what he had said.
"Hey, Liam, think we could go someplace and...practice?" Scott asked.
Liam looked over at Carol, who shrugged her shoulders. She would rather dump the brothers off at their house and spend time with Liam, but knew it was also important to practice, as she wanted every assurance that nothing like what happened to him would ever happen again.
So she smiled and said with resignation, "We probably should."
There, she’s done it again! I know she’d rather we could be alone for a change, but, God love her! She’s the most selfless, person I know! Liam thought. He was of four minds. One, he knew that if he said yes it would disappoint Carol and, besides, he wanted some on-on-one with her too. Two, he knew from his practicing over the last many month’s that each time he exercised his gift he felt himself stronger in it and with new insights to his gift's potential. Three, he wished he didn't have to. As exciting as it was, he wished he didn't have to carry the burden of it. But the truth was he had no choice, one plays the hand one is dealt in life. Like poker, whether you stand pat or draw, you have to play the cards in your hand. Only, unlike the game, in life you can’t fold; you're in the game as long as you've got chips or, as in life, breath. He was a firm believer in Predestination, where a person has free will (or choice) over how they react to the world around them but, within the larger picture, events are foreordained and there is nothing that can be done to escape one’s fate. So, if it was his destiny to have this gift, what choice did he really have other than to use it? Others knew, or would know by his aura or presence, that he possessed the gift and there was no way to hide it that he knew of. If he didn't use it, he’d be at the mercy of those who use theirs for evil, and he'd already found out that they have no mercy. Four, he knew that the brothers would, and Carol would also, be easy meat if they didn’t strengthen their ability. That he couldn’t allow, if it was within his power. Mind number four won.
He took them to his house and to his room. He knew Carol had been diligently practicing because most of the time they'd practiced together. Their relationship had grown to the point where she wasn't merely his Watcher — a role she'd never give up — he now considered her a full partner. The brothers, on the other hand, too often let other interests take precedence over practice. He decided the first thing to do was give them a test to see if, and if so how much, they'd progressed since the last session two weeks earlier.
"Okay. Scott, imagine your room at home, envision yourself there, and take Drew with you."
"I've never been able to before, why should I now?"
"You won't, if you don't keep trying!" Carol observed.
Scott set about trying. He closed his eyes, saw his room, felt out with his mind to sense Drew, and opening his eyes found himself in his room at home, alone. Envisioning back to Liam's room, he returned. "Same-o, same-o," he said.
"Drew? You try."
Drew did, and with the same results.
Liam had an idea. "This time, I want both of you to do it at the same time. Concentrate on your room, sense each other's mind, and when you feel the connection, go."
They both went through the steps. Liam and Carol waited patiently, for what seemed many minutes. Carol looked over at him, her look communicating to him as if to say, "What’s taking so long?" when suddenly both brothers opened their eyes, looked at each other and smiled, giving each other a High Five.
"I'll take that as a sign of success?" Liam asked.
"Yeah!" they said in unison.
"Capital!"
When the brothers looked at Liam wondering what that meant, Carol explained that it meant "wonderful or great". She looked at Liam. "You watch way too much of that English ‘BBC America’ on satellite. You’re starting to talk like a Brit."
Ignoring her, he told Drew and Scott that this was important. For now the people he and Carol were working with would still consider them Watchers, but by working together in their practicing they just might be able to do it individually, in time. After repeated successful attempts over the next half hour, he then had them try to see his and Carol's auras as they envisioned out and back, and to try and sense their presence. The boys discovered they could feel both Liam and Carol, having now finally sensed each other, and they now could see each others aura, barely — Drew's being somewhat gray and Scott's somewhat blue — but they still couldn't see Carol's lavender or Liam's green.
"No matter, it'll come; I'm sure of it since you can see each other’s. Just means you have to look harder. It’s really important that you can sense a Master’s presence. It’s important so that you can begin to sense another Master who might be near you or trying to interfere with any of us as we're visioning. The aura thing only happens during visioning; it’s not something you’d normally see just by looking at someone, unless that’s another degree beyond me. Or another gift that I don’t know about. Let’s call it a day and end on a positive."
By now, it was almost six, almost dinnertime anyway. Drew asked Liam if he could give him and Scott a ride home.
"You're kidding me. It's only a block and a half!"
"Well Carol lives another half block past us, and if you're taking her..."
"I'm not taking her anywhere just now, she's staying for dinner", he announced, taking Carol by surprise. She hadn't been asked yet, but she decided to stay quiet and play along.
"What’s for dinner?" Drew asked.
"Don't know. Have to ask your mom."
"Okay, okay," he laughed. "Can't blame a guy for trying. Come on, Scott, we ain't invited." Scott just rolled his eyes at Liam and followed his brother out to go home.
"Didn't know I was invited," Carol said after the brothers left.
"You weren't, but are, if you want. It was just the first thing that popped outta my mouth to get them to leave so that I could just be with you for a while."
"Thanks anyway, but have to pass. My father said we are going out tonight for some reason. But I can stay for a few."
"Better than nothing. So, what do you think about asking
the Circle for another assignment?"
"For you or us? Technically I'm not your Watcher anymore."
"Us, with the guys as our Watchers."
"You think they're ready?"
"They've got to start sometime. Besides, you'll be with me."
She considered in silence what he was proposing. She was nervous about him getting involved in another project, but knew he would anyway, sooner or later. And he was right about the brothers, they needed to get their feet wet, so to speak.
"Okay, but only if it isn't too hairy. I don't want Drew or Scott to get too far over their heads too fast."
"Deal. I'll talk to my father at dinner and see if there's anything the Circle has that we could take a shot at. Come on, I'll take you home, Drew and Scott should be home by now."
After dropping her off, he got home just as his family was sitting down to eat. After the usual "And how was your day?" chitchat, he noticed his sisters were in a conversation with his mother, so he leaned over to his father and quietly told him about what Drew and Scott had managed to do together this afternoon, and how he and Carol wanted to do something and include the brothers.
"Let’s run this past the full Circle, okay?" his father suggested. "I think it's time for you do something again, but I don't want to 'talk out of school", if you know what I mean — about what the rest of the Circle might think about it, and about what might be available for you guys. Since you’ve been on hiatus for a year now, of course you haven’t been meeting with us so you don’t know what’s happening, but there is something I think you can help us with. Our next meeting is tonight, so why don’t you, Carol, and the boys come along?”
Chapter Eighteen: Surprise
“Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own.”