Read Online Mind Over Psyche by Karina L. Fabian - Free Book Online Page B

kno wn to us.”
    Joshua snorted. “Tell me about it.”
    She apparently understood the idiom—or the sarcasm. “It is so for your people, too? I do not know why God has chosen to bring the Ydrel to us now, nor why you have been sent as well.” She glanced quickly across the table at a scowling man in russet robes, and Joshua sensed that Tasmae may not have things under as much control as Deryl wanted to believe. Oh, yeah. Rea lly great.
    â€œYour people don’t believe in dumb luck?” He ask ed Tasmae.
    She looked at him uncompre hendingly.
    Even better. “Really? So what are you saying? That you’re going to keep us here until you figure out what God wants with us?”
    Tasmae frowned, and for a moment Joshua worried that he’d stuck his foot in his mouth. She didn’t seem upset, however; rather, she looked more like she was searching for the ri ght words.
    Deryl jumped in. “What she’s trying to say is that it’s not really in her control so much as God’s.”
    â€œYes. We will not purposely detain you.” Again, she glanced at the man in brown. “But it may not be possible for you to leave until your purpose on our world has been f ulfilled.”
    â€œReally? Ooo-kay. Well, I know what to pray for.”
    â€œAs do we all,” Tasmae concluded. “Until then, once you have finished eating, you will want to bathe.” It was as much an order as a question.
    â€œThat’s a great idea. I’d like to shave, too, if you can get me a razor.” Seeing how both Deryl and Tasmae hesitated, he added, “I don’t need anything fancy. I can even use one of those old-fashioned blade razors. But I’d really like to get rid of this fuzz. It’s not like I’m going to run amok with so many armed guard s around.”
    Some silent consultation, then Deryl turned back to Joshua. “Here’s the deal. They don’t have razors. They don’t n eed them.”
    Joshua stole a look at the faces of the men around him. All of them were clean-shaven, but he’d thought it was just the fashion or military regulation. Deryl, he realized, always bore a baby-smooth face, and he’d never seen him shave nor seen a razor in his bathroom. Deryl had once told him he thought his father was an alien. Could he be right? Would expl ain a lot.
    He could not believe he was even thinking that. Nonetheless, the geek part of him wanted to squeal with e xcitement.
    Deryl was saying the metalsmith wasn’t very busy. “So it’ll only take a couple of hours, but it’d have to be simple.” He hesitated, then added, “You’d have to let me into your mind so I can des cribe it.”
    â€œI thought you didn’t like to do that. Made you dizzy or something.” For that matter, he didn’t like the idea muc h himself.
    â€œIt does. But you want to shave, don’t you? And before you ask, drawing a picture isn’t going to work unless you know the right dimensions or want to keep cutting yourself on prototypes until you get it right. This isn’t going to be like that healer picking up English, either. To get that specific, someone’s going to have to get into your personal memory. Tasmae’s people won’t do it. Humans have too much…contamination, she says. Like emotional baggage. But if I do it, I can telep Tasmae just the information she n eeds. So?”
    Joshua sighed and scratched his chin thoughtfully. Maybe he shouldn’t shave; after all, he was supposed to be a kidnap victim. How would he explain it to the authorities if he showed up clean-shaven and unaffected by the e xperience?
    Deryl misread his hesitation and huffed. “Fine. Be scruffy, or try shaving with a dagger for all I care. But I don’t know what you’re so uptight about. It’s not like you ever really noticed the other times I’d read y our mind.”
    â€œIt’s not that. I