Read Online The Unspoken: Book One in the Keres Trilogy by A. E. Waller - Free Book Online Page B

the form of instructions back to the nerve group. The nerve group manifests that thought. You catch the manifestation in your hand and throw it to its destination. It all happens instantaneously. You ’ ll start very simply, of course. Can ’ t have you blowing up the entire hall in the first week. ”
    “ Not how you did it, how are you controlling me through this tattoo, ” I say.
    “ Oh, yes. That was your first question, wasn ’ t it. I get so used to avoiding those. I ’ m not controlling you or your tattoo. You are. ”
    “ I would never choke the air out of my own lungs, ” I say angrily.
    “ Not intentionally. For now, your brain knows more than you do. It knows the importance of concealment. ”
    “ How does my mind know something I don ’ t? ”
    “ Because of the ink, ” Abbot says. “ The ink used in our tattoos translates directions the nerves received into a physical manifestation. Without the ink, we have nothing more than what some term ‘ a quick mind. ’”
    “ The ink tells my nerves to go see what my brain wants, my brain sends a command to the ink to make my lungs stop breathing? ” Is this real life? It goes beyond my realm of belief.
    “ Yes, well, the ink in your guard tattoo sends a message to your brain that secrecy is imperative. Your brain then tells the nerve groups to use the ink to control breathing in your case. In my case it ’ s a blinding pain behind my eyes. The brain and the ink will do whatever they have to in order to keep you from talking, or showing, anything that applies to intusmagus and the hall. And that includes killing you. ”
    “ Why didn ’ t you tell me I could die? Why didn ’ t you warn me? You baited me into testing it. ”
    “ There was no real danger, you didn ’ t know anything to tell that would require permanent silence. Now, of course, the situation has taken a turn. ”
    “ Do all the tattoos act that way? I mean the ones on your neck and arms and everything, do they all conspire to kill you? ”
    “ Only the one on the sternum acts as the guard. The tattoos in other places speak to specific nerve groups, which control a certain type of action. Didn ’ t you read the back of the book this morning? ”
    The chart of different nerve groups bracketed together with odd names makes sense now. I picture the brackets around Abbot ’ s body, they seem to group the varying patterns of ink that cover him.
    “ I saw the chart, but didn ’ t read much. ”
    “ Well, knowledge is the key to understanding, ” he says with relish. “ Get back to the book. You should be able to finish the section on the brain today. Tomorrow morning, we will continue strength training. And if you are a very good girl, I ’ ll teach you a trick. ”
    I want to ask what all this means for Chelon, what do we actually do for Service. So far, the Unspoken get strong and break things with their minds, or is it the nerves that do the actual breaking? Abbot is moving towards the door now.
    “ Why? Why are we able to do this and others aren ’ t? ” I ask as he puts his hand on the knob.
    “ That is something- ”
    “ -for which I am not yet ready to know, ” I finish for him. Question and answer time is clearly over.
    “ You do learn fast, ” he says. “ Refreshments are in the lefthand wardrobe. Reading is hard work. ”
    Leaving me to the book, Abbot shuts the door behind him without a sound. I wonder vaguely how he does that when the empty, shiny hall would echo even a pin drop.
    There ’ s nothing left for me to do but read. The only way my questions will be answered is to follow instructions. Great. The thing I have the most trouble with is the thing I ’ ll have to master first. However, being able to blow things to bits will be dead useful when PG3456 leaves Chelon. I have found my motivation, and I ’ ll follow instructions to the letter now.
    I skim over the first section of anatomy review. Once I ’ m satisfied there is no new information hidden in