Brain Twister

by Randall Garrett

last. "I can see that."He turned to Boyd. "Here's a job for you, Tom," he said. "Get one ofthe judges on the phone. You'll know which one will do us the mostgood, fastest."

  "Mmm," Boyd said. "Say Judge Dunning," he said. "Good man. Fastworker."

  "I don't care who," Malone said. "Just get going, and get us a releasefor Miss Thompson." He turned back to the doctor. "By the way," hesaid. "Has she got any other name? Besides Elizabeth Tudor, I mean,"he added hurriedly.

  "Her full name," Dr. Harman said, "is Rose Walker Thompson. She is notQueen Elizabeth I, II or XXVIII, and she is not immortal."

  "But she is," Malone pointed out, "a telepath. And that's why I wanther."

  "She may," Dr. Harman said, "be a telepath." It was obvious that hehad partly managed to forget the disturbing incidents that hadhappened a few minutes before. "I don't even want to discuss that partof it."

  "Okay, never mind it," Malone said agreeably. "Tom, get us a courtorder for Rose Walker Thompson. Effective yesterday--day before, ifpossible."

  Boyd nodded, but before he could get to the phone Dr. Harman spokeagain.

  "Now, wait a moment, gentlemen," he said. "Court order or no courtorder, Miss Thompson is definitely not a well woman, and I can't seemy way clear to--"

  "I'm not well myself," Malone said. "I need sleep and I probably havea cold. But I've got to work for the national security, and--"

  "This is important," Boyd put in.

  "I don't dispute that," Dr. Harman said. "Nevertheless, I--"

  The door that led into the other room burst suddenly open. The threemen turned to stare at Miss Wilson, who stood in the doorway for along second and then stepped into the office, closing the door quietlybehind her.

  "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said.

  "Not at all," Malone said. "It's a pleasure to have you. Come againsoon." He smiled at her.

  She didn't smile back. "Doctor," she said, "you'd really better talkto Miss Thompson. I'm not at all sure what I can do. It's somethingnew."

  "New?" he said. The worry lines on his face were increasing, but hespoke softly.

  "The poor dear thinks she's going to get out of the hospital now,"Miss Wilson said. "For some reason, she's convinced that the FBI isgoing to get her released, and--"

  As she saw the expression on three faces, she stopped.

  "What's wrong?" she said.

  "Miss Wilson," Malone said, "we--may I call you by your first name?"

  "Of course, Mr. Malone," she said. There was a little silence.

  "Miss Wilson," Malone said, "what _is_ your first name?"

  She smiled now, very gently. Malone wanted to walk through mountains,or climb fire. He felt confused, but wonderful. "Barbara," she said.

  "Lovely," he said. "Well, Barbara--and please call me Ken. It's shortfor Kenneth."

  The smile on her face broadened. "I thought it might be," she said.

  "Well," Malone said softly, "it is. Kenneth. That's my name. Andyou're Barbara."

  Boyd cleared his throat.

  "Ah," Malone said. "Yes. Of course. Well, Barbara--well, that's justwhat we intend to do. Take Miss Thompson away. We need her--badly."

  Dr. Harman had said nothing at all, and had barely moved. He wasstaring at a point on his desk. "She couldn't possibly have heard us,"he muttered. "That's a soundproof door. She couldn't have heard us."

  "But you can't take Miss Thompson away," Miss Wilson said.

  "We have to, Barbara," Malone said gently. "Try to understand. It'sfor the national security."

  "She heard us thinking," Dr. Harman muttered. "That's what; she heardus thinking. Behind a soundproof door. She can see inside their minds.She can even see inside _my_ mind."

  "She's a sick woman," Barbara said. "But you have to understand--"

  "Vital necessity," Boyd put in. "Absolutely vital."

  "Nevertheless--" Barbara said. "She can read minds," Dr. Harmanwhispered in an awed tone. "She knows. Everything. She _knows_."

  "It's out of the question," Barbara said. "Whether you like it or not,Miss Thompson is not going to leave this hospital. Why, what could shedo outside these walls? She hasn't left in over forty years! Andfurthermore, Mr. Malone--"

  "Kenneth," Malone put in, as the door opened again. "I mean Ken."

  The little old lady put her haloed head into the room. "Now, now,Barbara," she said. "Don't you go spoiling things. Just let these nicemen take me away and everything will be fine, believe me. Besides,I've been outside more often then you imagine."

  "Outside?" Barbara said.

  "Of course," the little old lady said. "In other people's minds. Evenyours. I remember that nice young man--what was his name?--"

  "Never mind his name," Barbara said, flushing furiously.

  Malone felt instantly jealous of every nice young man he had ever evenheard of. _He_ wasn't a nice young man; he was an FBI agent, and heliked to get drunk and smoke cigars and carouse with loose women.Anyway, reasonably loose women.

  All nice young men, he decided, should be turned into ugly old men assoon as possible. That'll fix them!

  He noticed the little old lady smiling at him, and tried to change histhoughts rapidly. But the little old lady said nothing at all.

  "At any rate," Barbara said, "I'm afraid that we just can't--"

  Dr. Harman cleared his throat imperiously. It was a most impressivenoise, and everyone turned to look at him. His face was a little gray,but he looked, otherwise, like a rather pudgy, blond, crew-cut Romanemperor.

  "Just a moment," he said with dignity. "I think you're doing theUnited States of America a grave injustice, Miss Wilson--and thatyou're doing an injustice to Miss Thompson, too."

  "What do you mean?" she said.

  "I think it would be nice for her to get away from me--I mean fromhere," the psychiatrist said. "Where did you say you were taking her?"he asked Malone.

  "Yucca Flats," Malone said.

  "Ah." The news seemed to please the psychiatrist. "That's a longdistance from here, isn't it? It's quite a few hundred miles away.Perhaps even a few thousand miles away. I feel sure that will be thebest thing for me--I mean, of course, for Miss Thompson. I shallrecommend that the court so order."

  "Doctor--" But even Barbara saw, Malone could tell, that it was nogood arguing with Dr. Harman. She tried a last attack. "Doctor, who'sgoing to take care of her?"

  A light the size and shape of North America burst in Malone's mind. Healmost chortled. But he managed to keep his voice under control. "Whatshe needs," he said, "is a trained psychiatric nurse."

  Barbara Wilson gave him a look that had carloads of U235 stacked awayin it, but Malone barely minded. She'd get over it, he told himself.

  "Now, wasn't that sweet of you to think of that," the little old ladysaid. Malone looked at her and was rewarded with another wink. _GoodGod_, he thought. _She reads minds!_

  "I'm certainly glad you thought of Barbara," the little old lady wenton. "You will go with me, won't you, dear? I'll make you a duchess.Wouldn't you like to be a duchess, dear?"

  Barbara looked from Malone to the little old lady, and then she lookedat Dr. Harman. Apparently what she saw failed to make her happy.

  "We'll take good care of her, Barbara," Malone said.

  She didn't even bother to give him an answer. After a second Boydsaid: "Well, I guess that settles it. If you'll let me use your phone,Dr. Harman, I'll call Judge Dunning."

  "Go right ahead," Dr. Harman said. "Go right ahead."

  The little old lady smiled softly without looking at anybody at all."Won't it be wonderful," she whispered. "At last I've been recognized.My country is about to pay me for my services. My loyal subjects...."She stopped and wiped what Malone thought was a tear from onecornflower-blue eye.

  "Now, now, Miss Thompson," Barbara said.

  "I'm not sad," the little old lady said, smiling up at her. "I'm justso very happy. I am about to get my reward, my well-deserved reward atlast, from all of my loyal subjects. You'll see." She paused andMalone felt a faint stir
ring of stark, chill fear.

  "Won't it be wonderful?" said the little