Tad, still pacing, nodded again. “That follows. Let’s assume for the moment that that’s the case. You yourself don’t know any way that I can combat this ability of his?”
Stitch shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Okay. Let’s leave that for the moment. Next question. How is it that he always knows exactly where I am at any given time? How is he able to find me in acres and acres of woods? And don’t act like you don’t know the answer to that one, because you’re able to do it too. On the fourth you just showed up out of nowhere. How did you do it?”
Stitch grinned slyly. “Yes, I’ll admit, that’s a little trick I’ve picked up also. Again, this refers back to simple mental agility, except it involves the use of muscles that many people aren’t even aware of.” He paused, looking around as if for materials he could use as a visual aid. “How best to explain it…” He rolled his eyes skyward and bit his lower lip.
“Well? Out with it!”
“Hold your water, lad! The problem…the problem is that I’m trying to explain these techniques that don’t take place in the physical world, you see…they come about entirely through ones mental faculties, therefore the explanations are all going to sound a bit abstract. But I’ll do my best. Ah! Okay. It’s like this. Let’s say that you meet someone, and you come in contact with them for the first time. Now, around each person is a kind of, well, a kind of energy. It’s a special, unique package that everyone exudes, and everyone’s is different. You can’t exactly see it, normally, although you’ll notice that when you drink the Essence, it becomes visible for a time. But even when you can’t see it, it’s there, take my word for it. So, you meet this person, and your energy comes into contact with theirs. As you might have noticed with the Essence fresh in your system, it is then possible for some…intermingling to take place. The results of this, without going into too much detail, needless to say can be quite wonderful…” he was grinning again, and Tad motioned impatiently with his hand for him to continue. He cleared his throat hurriedly and went on. “Yes, well, normally, once you move away from the person again, the momentary contact is broken and that is an end of it, until you are physically near them once more. But if, again, you know how to do it, like James or myself, when you meet someone you can sort of…bookmark their own signature package. It’s not hard to do, actually, once you know how, because, as I said, everyone’s is different, like fingerprints. No two are exactly alike. And then, whenever you want to know where they are, you just set yourself to looking for them, mentally. And then once you’ve pinpointed them, you can just go to them. It’s that simple. And of course, the nearer a person is, the easier it is to seek them out.
Now, James and myself, who are so practiced at it, we’re both in the habit of just doing it whenever we meet someone new. I did it when I met you without even stopping to think about it, because you never know when that information might come in handy. And it goes without saying that James did it, especially with you, someone who he so clearly had designs on. Yes, James can seek you out whenever he so desires. He knows exactly where you are at all times. Not only that, but his mental powers are so hyper-developed that if he thinks about it hard enough, I’m sure he’s capable of knowing precisely what you’re doing and what’s happening around you.”
Tad shivered violently. This explanation also made sense, but what a hideous thought, that at every moment of very day since they’d first met, Daddy had been able to spy on him without even being near him! He was grinding his teeth, and he’d begun dry washing his hands again. “Next question,” he said, very quietly. “Is there any way to counter this ability?”
“Luckily for you,” Stitch replied, “there is.”
“Then perhaps you’d be gracious enough to tell it to me?”
“Bear with me, and I’ll do better than that. I’ll show it to you.” Stitch set the needles down carefully, and he stood up. “Stand there,” he directed, and indicated a spot in front of the altar with the candles. Tad did so, and Stitch walked a few paces to stand on the opposite side of the room. “Now, you remember Decadence, and the Essence.” Tad nodded. He remembered, only too well. That night would stand out in his mind forever, for many reasons. “You remember how I showed you how to…” he made a stretching motion with his hands “…extend the energy around you.” Again, Tad nodded. He remembered. “Have you tried doing it since then?” He shook his head. “Try it now. Reach out. Just like you did before.”
Tad did so, tentatively. It didn’t come as easily as it had during Decadence. He thought the reason was that without the strange viscous stuff fresh in his system, he couldn’t see the aura that he produced, or Stitch’s, either. He didn’t even know whether they were there or not. He felt foolish, trying to project a part of himself without actually moving. “How do I know if it’s working?” he said, after a few seconds.
“Wait,” Stitch said. “I think it will be easier if we try it more slowly. You see the crack where that part of the floor is warped? About halfway between the two of us? Good. I want you to clear your mind, and think about that spot, the midway point of the room. Look at it. See it, as it exists, here in reality, in the physical world. Have you done that?” Tad nodded. “Now, from there, very slowly, by small increments, begin to map out in your mind the placement of everything else around you, each object, one at a time. The altar. The candles. The wall behind you, and those to either side. The ceiling above your head. Try to run your mind over their surfaces. Feel their weight. Be mindful of each of the individual, minutest of particles, which comprise the greater whole. Have you done that?”
“Yes,” Tad murmured. His eyes were open, but unfocused, and he tried to do as Stitch asked. He found it was easier once he had centered himself. Using his body as an anchor, to keep his questing mind from drifting away, he brushed against each of the candles in turn, and the smooth, cool grain of the wooden altar steps. Then the roughness of the weather beaten walls, and their many imperfections, so small they could not be seen by his naked eye. He thought that his own body became more indistinct, but that everything else sharpened. He could feel the lack of moisture in the air, and a drop of sweat in the process of being formed from myriad smaller drops on a shoot of shaggy hair at the base of his neck. His throat was very dry, and he swallowed, the motion seeming to take an eternity as the muscles of his larynx rose up and turned over with a gurgle that was loud, so loud, in his ears.
“Good. That’s good. Now, move on from the objects, and out into the open air around you. The air is insubstantial, but it is not empty, you see? At all times it is full of intention, full of purpose, just as the objects are full of kinetic energy. Feel the currents that flow through the air at all times. Can you feel them?”
“Yes,” Tad whispered. “Yes, I can.” He was aware of them now, moving like the colored arrows on a television screen indicating the direction taken by a tropical storm. There were several in the room, he discovered, some up at his head level, others down near the floor, and they passed through each other, some interfering with the passage of others and changing their course, others intermingling to become stronger and more noteworthy. They passed effortlessly through the walls further into the house and out through the doorway leading outside, swirling slowly like puffs of smoke. He could almost see them, and he thought that if he only had a drink of the Essence, then he would be able to. He remembered the taste of it, so different every time, and he remembered the terrible, uncanny vitality that had gripped him every time he’d swallowed it, and he gave a tiny groan of longing. Stitch glanced at him.
“Easy. Easy. Know that everything is where it should be, that there is a proper place for it all and it is all in its proper place. Be aware of the ever changing nature of your surroundings and yourself. Concentrate on your breathing. It all starts with the breathing. Use your full lung capacity; breathe in as deeply and slowly as you’re able to, using only your nose, and out again. Slowly. Very slowly. Again. Okay. That’s good. That’s good.
You’re gradually allowing yourself to become aware. We’re ready for the next step. Keep being aware of your breathing as I talk. You have taken note of me, and my physical proximity to you. Now I want you to think about that midpoint on the floor again. Concentrate on it, but do not strain. That’s very important. Don’t press at it. Just see it, and know it, both in reality and in your mind. Now, without moving, try to extend yourself out toward it. It’s easier if you think of it as if it’s your entire side of the room that’s moving outward from where you’re standing.”
“Why?” Tad said. “Why is it easier?” His voice sounded slightly muffled, as if it was coming from very far away, from a place of awesome stillness, and he marveled that these things could be.
“Because when it’s wider it doesn’t take as much precision. It’s doesn’t have to be as exact.” Tad continued trying to propel himself forward, gradually moving along the length of the floor. He could feel the physical limits imposed by the walls and floor, but as he crept along them, he understood that if he wanted to, he could send himself out through them and they would be no hindrance. Doing that was very tempting. He wanted to test this new part of himself, to allow it to go sailing out over the trees and hurtling across the sky. But he concentrated on his breathing, and keeping himself in the moment, and listened to what Stitch was saying. Then he came to the midpoint of the floor, and whatever part of himself he was extending ran into a solid wall. He tried to push at it, and it gave, slightly.
“That’s you, isn’t it? Blocking me.”
“That’s right. That’s my will against yours. You remember how it was after you had drank the Essence. This is the same.”
“Mental projection. That’s what this is.”
“Yes. Now, reign it back in. Pull it back into yourself.” Tad began to do so, trying to edge away from the midline at the same speed he’d approached it. Stitch stood observing, his arms folded at his chest, eyes turned upward as if he wasn’t paying attention to the proceedings. But obviously he was, for he said “You can do this part more quickly. Try whipping it back. You will come to no harm.” Tad tried it, actually jerking his head back before he’d really thought about it. And back it came, with the sudden force of an extended tape measure retracting. It snapped back and struck him, and he stumbled a couple of steps backward, holding his hands out to steady himself. Stitch chuckled. “Good. You see, it comes easily to you. Now I want you to do it again, but this time forget about the spot on the floor. Concentrate only on me. You’ve imprinted my signature. Send yourself out and find me. Go on.” And Tad did. This time it was easier. He stood as still as he could, holding Stitch in his mind, thinking of nothing else, concentrating on his breathing, in and out, in and out, and then he allowed this new questing part of himself to drift toward his target and latch onto him. There he was, and there Stitch was, and it was like a lasso connecting the two of them.
“It’s incredible,” he said. “I never would have believed it possible, once. But now…” he shook his head. “But is it only easy for me because you’re so close? If the distance is greater, won’t it become more difficult?”
Stitch shook his head. “No. That’s precisely why this knowledge is so useful. Distance is immaterial. Once you’ve come into contact with your target and you’ve marked them, it wouldn’t matter if they were on the other side of the world. Reach out for them, and eventually you will find them. And you will grow better with practice.”
“Then I can find other people now too, can’t I? Like one of my family members?”
“Try. Try it now.” So Tad did, quieting his breathing and thinking of Daisy. He felt himself lifting, and there was a sensation of gentle motion. He felt the presence of the currents that he detected before, and he allowed himself to drift along with one that he sensed, without a doubt, was carrying him in the right direction. He felt himself catapulted over the tree tops, gaining speed. He was aware of slight fidgets of movement below that were made by the animals of the forest, and farther away in other directions, flickers like points of light that were the auras of other people, doubtless members of the Feral community, as they went about their business in perfect ignorance of him and his newfound ability. Further away still and fainter he took note in passing of other auras, other essences, which must belong to other people going about their business in neighboring towns. But then he felt himself descending, and he saw in his mind the outline, fuzzy at the edges, of his home, the Surrey household, and then a moment later he was coming down through the peaked roof and he lit on his younger sister sitting among her blankets with a book open on her lap. Daisy twitched, stiffening as he latched onto her, but evidently she decided that whatever she was feeling was not harmful, and she lowered her head again and turned the page. After allowing himself to stay there for a moment, Tad again retracted his reach, and reeled himself back in, a little more slowly this time, and he retraced his path over the miles separating him from home, and then there he was again, standing there with his eyes closed in concentration, and he could feel the heat of the late afternoon sun on the floor behind him again. He opened his eyes and sighed.
“It takes a lot out of you,” he said.
Stitch had taken his seat again. “It does, the first few times. You’re not used to that sort of mental exertion. That’s enough for now. There’s no need to overextend yourself. The more you practice, the easier it will become.” He stretched his arms up toward the ceiling luxuriously. “You’d be surprised what the mind is capable of. But of course, some minds are more capable than others.”
Tad stood in thought for a few minutes. He was digesting things, making connections. “I’m not done for the day yet,” he said. “There’s one more person I want to try and find.”
Stitch smiled again, not unkindly. There was no need to say who Tad was talking about. “Go ahead, then. Try to find James, if you can.” The way he said it made Tad think it was going to be significantly more difficult than what he’d tried so far, but never the less, he tried to slow his breathing and center himself one more time, even though this time he was considerably more nervous. He thought about Daddy, the man’s appearance, his mannerisms, his physical body, concentrating on him. And then, like a blind man’s probing fingers, he began to search. But this time things were much different. When he’d been hunting for Daisy, he’d felt himself being pointed in the right direction, like a dog when it scents its quarry. He’d locked onto her, and then it was only a matter of closing the distance. That was not the case this time around. This time, there didn’t seem to be anything to lock onto. Daddy was nowhere close by, that was for sure. Tad gradually allowed himself farther, progressing outward in a sweeping circle, starting there at the house in the woods and traveling slowly further and further away. But this was extremely difficult, because this time he didn’t actually know which direction he should be going, and so in essence he had to be searching in every direction at once. And not only was this time consuming, but it was also very tiring. Had he been actually looking for Daddy on foot, without having the faintest idea where he might be, it could hardly have been any more difficult. There was simply no signature to latch onto. It was like looking for a person who did not exist. And after a time (though he could not have said how long) he had to give it up. This time he was unable to simply reel himself in. Out of sheer exhaustion he had to let go, suddenly. There was a sense of disorientation, during which time he thought the voices in his head all cried out together, and he felt a soft impact. And then Stitch was shaking him gently, for it seemed that he had fallen to the floor, and he could feel a throbbing knot beginning to form on the back of his head.
“What happened?” he said, when he was able to.
“You tell me. You couldn’t find him, could you?”
“No. Why is that?” He winced, holding his head, and scrambled to a seated position. “How can that be?” he said, more angrily this time.
Stitch chuckled. “Maybe because while you just took your mind out of its box and are p
laying with it for the first time, James has about a forty year head start on you. In the mental arena, his talents are unparalleled, and he had his start from one of the world’s finest teachers. He’s out there, you and I both know that. But you won’t find him that way. Not now, not ever.” He held his hands up, as Tad was about to express his frustration again. “Don’t get all riled up! While you might not be able to use that particular trick on him, I can put the two of you on the same playing field again, at least as it relates to this particular matter. He can block your probes; I can show you how to counter his as well. That was part one of the lesson. Here is part two.” He stood, and Tad joined him, still rubbing at his head. “You’ve seen how the material world is much the same when you apply your mind to it, correct?”
“Yes.”
“It still exists, and everything that you picture in your mind, all the people, and the objects, and everything else, they are all still there, and occupying physical space in real time.”
“Of course.”
“So. What if I told you that it was possible to look out on the world and everything in it as though it were all being crisscrossed by a gigantic geometric grid? I’ve always found that the best way to think of it is like lines of latitude and longitude that sailors use to navigate the open water. This is similar, but think of it as though it covered every square inch of the world’s surface. That would make it easier to find people, wouldn’t it? Except that people are constantly in motion, of course, so knowing where they are at one point in time might be useless a few minutes later, right?”
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