Telepath (A Hyllis Family Story #4) Read online

  Telepath

  a Hyllis family story #4

  Laurence E Dahners

  Copyright 2019

  Laurence E Dahners

  Kindle Edition

  Cover Art Ron Scarbrough and Laurence E Dahners

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  Author’s Note

  Though this book can “stand alone” it will be much easier to understand if read as part of the series including

  “Telekinetic (a Hyllis family story #1),”

  “Teleporter (a Hyllis family story #2)” and

  “Healers (a Hyllis family story #3)”

  I have minimized repetition of explanations that would be redundant to the earlier books in order to provide a better reading experience for those of you who are reading the series.

  Other Books and Series

  by Laurence E Dahners

  Series

  The Ell Donsaii series

  The Vaz series

  The Bonesetter series

  The Blindspot series

  The Proton Field series

  Single books (not in series)

  The Transmuter’s Daughter

  Six Bits

  Shy Kids Can Make Friends Too

  For the most up to date information go to

  Laurence E Dahners website

  Or the Amazon Author page

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Preprologue

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  Author’s Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  Preprologue

  Number 101 didn’t turn out to be a very good mouse, getting sick and losing weight. Russ felt frustrated; thinking he’d have to find another mouse to test the safety of the viral telekinesis vector. He took the mouse down to sacrifice it. He’d intended to kill it early anyway, since it needed to be excluded from Ameil’s work. As he picked it up to put it in the CO2 chamber, he took one last look at it. For a moment he wondered if it could be sick because of the DNA he’d inserted, rather than just coincidentally. Could he have made an error in one of the steps intended to be sure there was no viral DNA in the viral shells? Maybe the DNA I inserted combined with the viral DNA into some kind of…

  The sick mouse sneezed…

  ***

  The worldwide “super flu” pandemic has been traced back to a ‘case zero.’ Case zero was a Russell Phillips who worked as a research tech at the University of Pittsburgh. Although the laboratory where Phillips worked did use viral vectors for DNA insertion, Phillips apparently did not work in that part of the lab. It seems unlikely that anyone will ever determine whether Phillips might have associated with someone who actually did use viral vectors because the exceedingly high mortality of the super flu has resulted in the death of every last person who worked in that lab. Even the hospital at the University of Pittsburgh where Phillips first sought treatment is now an empty shell.

  It seems a moot point as this efficient viral killer has spread extremely rapidly and, no matter where it blossoms, it seems to kill approximately 95% of its victims. Somehow the virus got loose in the CDC and decimated the scientists there before they even began working on a means to control it. Medical facilities around the world have collapsed as physicians and researchers die or flee for their own lives.

  Experts predict that about half of any survivors of the virus will be killed by the oncoming collapse of civilization. If indeed the world’s population of 7 billion is reduced to 175,000,000, a population density not seen since about 1000 A.D., it seems unlikely that anyone will be interested in exactly who killed us all. They’ll just be trying to survive the end of civilization as we know it. Presumably, someday, if and when civilization reestablishes itself, someone may be interested in these words.

  As I write this I’ve developed a headache and I’ve started to cough…

  Prologue

  Tarc extended his ghost to listen in, annoyed that Henry Roper was having a meeting of the people he considered important—which didn’t include Tarc.

  Roper had maneuvered to sit with Lizeth and Daum, breakfasting off to one side. Tarc expected he wanted to continue his harangue about the dangers of traveling the road as a small party.

  Tarc took another bite of their hearty predawn breakfast as he listened to Roper say, “We really should wait to join a caravan of some sort on this road. I tell you, a group as small as ours will get attacked. Not, ‘might get attacked,’ will. It’s practically guaranteed.”

  Lizeth sighed, “As I’ve said, no passing caravan’s going to take well to having us pull out on the road to join them midway between towns. They’ll think we’re bandits ourselves.”

  “With five women and only three men? And, pulling a wagon?”

  Daum said, “Henry, I’d like to travel with a large group just as much as you. But by the time we find one, we’ll be a long way behind our own caravan, and any caravan we join’s unlikely to move fast enough to catch up to our own people.”

  Henry started again, “No matter how long it takes, the danger of traveling by ourselves—”

  Lizeth interrupted with frustrated patience, “Henry, I’ll remind you once again that we have four horses that belong to the caravan’s guards. I’m not willing to let Arco wonder if I’ve made off with them. If you decide to wait to join another caravan, I’ll be riding ahead with those horses. So, if you’re waiting, it’ll just be the seven of you traveling by yourselves.”

  Daum said, “We won’t be waiting either, so it’ll just be you and Haley.”

  Henry’s jaw worked a moment, then, with resignation, he said, “We’ll come with you.”

  They got on the road at sunrise. Catching up to the rest of the caravan was going to require long days. They’d push as hard as they thought the mules could stand, swapping them out for the horses part way through the day.

  ***

  Daussie strode forward to relieve Eva at the lead mule. “Hey Mom—” she began, breaking off when Eva quickly lifted a wrist to rub at her eye. Is Mom crying? she wondered. “What’s the matter?”

  “It’s nothing,” Eva said. “I’m glad we’re all OK. I still think it’s amazing how you and Tarc got me out of that place.” She shook her head, “And, I’m so sorry I got in trouble so you had to risk yourselves…” Her words petered out, then with some angry strength, “I should never have risked my family for my… desire to heal every patient that comes to us.”

  Daussie put an arm around her mother’s shoulders, unexpectedly running up on one of life’s landmarks—where a child comforts a parent for the first time. For a moment she didn’t know what to say, then, gathering resolve, she responded, “That’s the mother we love. The one who always does her best for people… no matter the danger to herself.”

  Eva turned red-rimmed eyes to look wonderingly up at her daughter. “Really? As I think back on it, it seems like everyone was wisely telling me to stop trying to help people…” After a brief pause, she resumed, “And I was blithely saying I had to do it… because of my ethics. My bullheaded ethics that could’ve gotten the people I love hurt.”

  Arm still over her mother’s shoulders, Daussie felt surprised to realize she was looking down into Eva’s eyes. When did I get to be taller than she is? she wondered. She grinned, “That’s the mother we love, bullheaded ethics and all. We’re all embarrasse
d we didn’t have your strength of conviction, so please don’t keep rubbing it in.”

  Eva sniffed and gave her a weak smile. “Really?”

  Daussie nodded.

  Eva turned her eyes to the front and kept walking along, hand still on the mule’s lead. “Thanks. I don’t know if you really speak for everyone, but I’m going to tell myself you do.”

  Daussie said, “It’s my turn to lead the team, you should take some time to relax.”

  Eva handed the mule’s lead to Daussie, then threaded her arm through Daussie’s, “I’ve got to walk anyway. So, I’m going to choose to walk with my daughter…” She gave an embarrassed shrug, “I confess I have an ulterior motive in that I don’t want anyone else to know I’ve been blubbering like a baby.”

  “It’s okay,” Daussie said, “we're just out for a walk on a beautiful morning.”

  After they’d walked in companionable silence for several minutes, Daussie looked over at her mother and saw a tear running down her cheek. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

  “Yeah. I left behind some of our best equipment. Three of the ancients’ glass bottles, the stainless-steel knife, several sets of forceps, needle holders, curved needles…” her voice broke. “Things we’ll never be able to replace. Things we didn’t have enough of in the first place.”

  “Are you… do you want to go back to Realth and try to get them back?” Daussie asked uncertainly. “Maybe in all the turmoil…” Daussie wasn’t sure where she was going with this question. She felt certain things would be confused at the palace, but not at all sure the confusion would make it easier to sneak in and steal their gear back from the soldiers there. She’d heard enough talk about the situation there to know that deposing a bad king didn’t mean you necessarily got a good king in his place.

  And, most people seemed to think the period between Kings could be the most brutal and dangerous of all.

  Eva said, “No! No, the last thing I’d want to do is put anyone at risk by going back to that place again. I can learn from my mistakes—I hope. I’m just sad to lose irreplaceable equipment. Our ability to help people’s already so limited… I hate having it get any worse because I left that stuff behind.”

  Daussie drew back, “Mom. We barely made it out of that place as it was. We certainly couldn’t have made it carrying a bunch of gear with us.”

  “I know… I know,” Eva said sadly. “I just wish…”

  Trying to think of something constructive to say, Daussie ventured, “We should ask Mr. Roper. Dealing in antiquities, maybe he knows where we could buy some more glass bottles. Maybe some of those stainless-steel tools too.”

  Eva produced a vague nod, “Yeah, I guess I should. I’ve always thought there couldn’t be any more of them out there, but I’m sure there are… somewhere.” She looked up at Daussie, “Maybe I’ll go talk to him now. How’s my face look?”

  Daussie laughed, “With a positive attitude? Much better.” She reached out and rubbed the trail of a tear off her cheek, “Even your red-eyes are fading.”

  Eva turned and started walking back to where the Ropers were walking in the shade of the wagon.

  When Daussie looked back forward, she saw her dad was trotting back toward the wagon on the bay horse Kazy’d named Bayby. They were currently crossing a huge clear area so it seemed unlikely anyone would try to sneak up on them. In their usual traveling order, Lizeth rode far-point, and her dad rode near-point. Tarc rode rearguard behind. Daussie figured Tarc’d much rather be riding up front with Lizeth, but sensible defense of the wagon argued for having their best fighters in front and in back. Having their best fighter on rearguard, with their second and third strongest fighters up front seemed a reasonable solution.

  Daum slowed Bayby and turned in to walk him beside Daussie. “How’re you doing?” he asked.

  Daussie gave him a smile, “Just out for a stroll with the mules. Nice day, huh?”

  Daum looked up at all the blue sky over them and gave her a nod. Quietly, he said, “I haven’t gotten to talk to you since you guys broke your mom out of prison. How’re you doing?”

  Daussie said, “It’s pretty weird. I used to fret about everything when we lived at the tavern and were pretty safe. Then, after Krait’s men were about to attack me, but Tarc killed them before they could do anything… there was a time after that when I felt almost invincible, even though our lives were in incredible danger.” She shrugged, “Now I’ve settled down to something that’s probably a little more reasonable. I was scared when we were trying to spring Mom, but not panicked like I would’ve been in the past.” She looked up at her dad, “Things going okay up in front?”

  Daum gave a slow nod, then said, “As Tarc suggested, I’ve been working hard on strengthening how far my ghost can sense things.” He gave Daussie an embarrassed look, “It’s really made a difference. When we lived back at that tavern, about as good as I did was noticing people across the room. Just before we broke out into this big meadow, I detected a deer at about 100 meters. I know that’s only about half as far as you and Tarc, but it’s way better than I used to be. It’s hard to believe I didn’t see the value of sensing people, or even give any thought to the possibility I could exercise my ability and thereby strengthen it.”

  Daussie gave a little bob of her head, “Well, there wasn’t all that much value in sensing people back in Walterston, but it’s hugely important out here. I think Tarc’s right that it’s something like exercising a muscle. Without a doubt, working your ability makes it stronger.”

  “So, are you getting to where you can port larger objects now?”

  Daussie gave a nod, “Definitely, though the fact that I’ve always been able to port something a little bigger if I spent more time trying to do it, makes it a little hard to quantify. I can definitely punch out a bigger sphere in one second than I used to be able to.”

  Daum frowned, “I heard you talking about ‘punching things out’ the other night when you were telling us how you got Eva free from her chains, but I don’t really understand what you’re talking about.”

  Bending over and picking up a small chunk of wood, Daussie lifted it up near her head, held it there for a second, then extended her hand to Daum. Lying in her palm was the piece of wood and beside it was a perfect little wooden ball about the size of the tip of a finger.

  Wide-eyed, Daum took the two pieces of wood out of her hand and stared at them. “So, you teleported this little sphere of wood out of the middle of this bigger chunk?”

  Daussie nodded, “I could have gotten out a bigger sphere than that, but that was about as big a ball as I could get out of that chunk.”

  “Can you do harder materials than wood?”

  Daussie gave a little shrug, “That’s how I got Mom free. I ported little balls of steel out of the rivets that were holding her ankle irons in place. Steel doesn’t seem to be any harder to teleport than wood.”

  Daum slid out of Bayby’s saddle, his eyes on the rutted road. After a few steps, he bent over and picked up a big chunk of milky agate. Handing it to Daussie, he lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Can you cut me some beads out of this?”

  Daussie’s eyebrow rose. Until that moment she’d been thinking that the useful part of porting was the weakness produced by the hole she cut in the object she took the little spheres out of. Even though the little balls had looked interesting, she hadn’t thought of them as being useful objects in their own right. She lifted the agate up near her head. A couple of seconds later she lowered her hand and opened her palm. Three perfect agate spheres lay next to the original stone.

  Daum took one of the spheres. Daussie dropped the original stone and examined the two spheres she still had. They looked perfect with polished looking surfaces. She rubbed at them, finding them perfectly smooth. Rolling them one against the other inside her hand gave her the same impression. She looked at her dad, “Great idea Dad. These are really pretty. You think we could sell them?”

  Nodding, Daum said, �
�We should be able to sell them to Milton. I’ll bet they’d be worth a lot more if we could put holes through them so he could string them into a necklace.” He looked at Daussie, “Can you port out little cylinders through the middle of them?”

  This time Daussie’s eyes widened. “I don’t know,” she breathed. I’ve only ported whole objects and cut out little spheres. Believe it or not, I’ve never tried to cut out any other shapes.” She looked down at the two agate balls in her hand and started to lift them closer to her head.

  Hurriedly, Daum said, “Wait! Wait, don’t ruin one of those fine agates. We might never find any more that look so nice.” He bent over and picked up another chunk of wood. Holding it out, he said, “Practice on this first.” He grinned, “Once you’ve figured out how to drill holes and do it well, then try it on those pretty agate beads.”