Richard sat between Brian and Tabitha at a large table in a conference hall as they waited for the rest of the people attending the meeting Richard had planned. He sat with his hands folded on top of the table, periodically directing his sharp gaze towards either of the individuals next to him any time they so much as shifted in their chairs.  Tabitha looked at Richard with an impatient sneer on her face. “Who are we waiting for, again?”

 

               “I have people from all over in on this project. Specialists in this highly nuanced form of education.  I am sure they will all be rather impressed and humbled to meet you, knowing of your writings on the particular needs of these children.  We’re just going to go over some details, and I will introduce you to them.  Your role in this is pivotal, so it is essential that they meet you.  It shouldn’t take too long.”

 

               “But I only just agreed to work with you two days ago.  What do you expect me to say to them?”  She whispered in a tense tone.  “I’m all for what you’re trying to do here, at least as far as I know about it, but we’re moving a bit fast for my comfort.”

 

               “Just let me do the talking, at least when it comes to the mission statement of the school itself,” Richard replied.

 

               “Fine.”  Tabitha adjusted her green wool skirt and crossed her arms in front of her.

 

               Brian tapped his fingers on the table, cradling his jaw in his other hand as he stared vacantly at the wall.  

 

               “What is it, Brian?” Richard huffed.

 

               “You check your e-mail recently?”

 

               Richard furrowed his brow.  “No.  Why?”

 

               Brian shrugged.  “I’ll tell you later.”

 

               Tabitha eyed the two men suspiciously for a moment. The door opened and a large group of people in suits filed into the conference room.

 

               Richard stood up and motioned for Tabitha to do the same.  She tentatively rose from her chair and took a deep breath as she looked over all the faces that gazed in her direction.  “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you so much for coming. Particularly if you have come from out of town, as I have.  We are here today to discuss the intentions of the school I intend to establish – the school I cannot establish without your assistance.  I understand that you are all rather well-versed in the particularities of students who experience both exceptional ability as well as difficulty. The primary mission statement of Silva Academy is to give these youth a place where their abilities will receive the proper reinforcement for their growth, and their difficulties will be accommodated for.  I am sure that you have all heard of Dr. Tabitha Morgenstern, who has written several books on the, ah, care and feeding, so to speak - of such young people,” Richard said as he motioned towards Tabitha.  Tabitha gave the crowd a gentle smile and a slow nod as she held one hand to her sweater-clad chest.  “She has agreed to help us with this endeavor.”

 

               The rest of the individuals at the table clapped. Brian applauded as well, though his was more subdued than that of the other guests.  Richard moved away from his seat and made his way in front of the large window in the conference room, where everyone could see him clearly.

 

               “There is no denying that these young people require an environment that suits their needs.  This becomes even more evident as our world changes… As our world opens up to another world, a life beyond the strictly material…”  He swayed a bit on his feet as he spoke, and his eyes tipped towards the ceiling.

 

               Most of the crowd nodded, while a few of them shot quizzical glances at one another.

 

               “It is clear to me that these students we call ‘twice-exceptional’ are naturally tapped in to worlds beyond our own.  It is of utmost importance that we give them a safe space to develop this sensitivity, as our world is slated to collide with such another world very soon.  Otherwise, we may not survive this merge.  There are, of course, a select few in existence who have already dedicated their lives to communicating these other worlds and developing the ability to guide others through such changes.  There is even a Conduit among us – my very own daughter, as some of you may know – a being born into human flesh with the capacities of these extradimensionals. However, I have determined that, while their role will be central, they cannot carry us through this singlehandedly. I believe that by nurturing the ‘twice-exceptional’, the chances of our survival in this new age will increase thousand-fold.  They hold the future within them.  With the proper support, they will be able to make near-effortless peace with those from the world to come!  They will be our Conduit’s most convincing evangelists.”

 

               Richard was met mostly with rapt attention and focused looks, but his attention was seized by the few blank stares in the audience and he felt a twinge of anger rise up in him.  He turned to Tabitha.  Her expression was beyond blank – hers was one of abject disgust and fear. She slunk into the corner of the room and motioned for Richard to join her.

 

               “Ah, excuse me for one moment,” Richard stammered as he followed the woman.

 

               “Why didn’t you tell me it was something like this? This reeks of eugenics.  How could you possibly think that’s what I’m about? You’re absolutely out of your mind, do you realize that?” Tabitha hissed under her breath as she stared up at Richard with a toothy, tense-cheeked snarl on her face.  “Find somebody else to help you out - I will not be involved in cult activity for any reason or any amount of money, do you hear me?”

 

Richard grabbed her firmly by the wrists.  “Come with me.  Now.”

 

Tabitha’s face went pale, and she nodded weakly.  “Okay,” she said in a ragged whisper.

 

Richard turned to the conference attendees one last time, maintaining his calm and collected air as best as he could.  “Pardon the interruption.  This should not take more than a few minutes. In the meantime, please talk amongst yourselves.”  The distinct hum of disorganized chatter immediately filled the air as Richard led Tabitha out of the conference hall and into his hotel room.

 

“Have a seat, Morgenstern,” Richard said, his voice devoid of hospitality.  

 

Tabitha sucked on her lower lip as she sat down on Richard’s bed.  Her face was still pale, and her breath shook in her chest as she inhaled and exhaled.  

 

“You are nervous, I can see.  You know you have a lot on the line here, don’t you?” Richard asked, staring Tabitha in the face.  She avoided eye contact as best as she could, but she felt no less intimidated for it. “You know it would be rather audacious of you to turn against me.”

 

“What do you know about me?  There has to be some reason why you picked me to help you with this, when you knew no sensible person with my sorts of credentials would ever go along with it,” Tabitha seethed through gritted teeth.  

 

“Well, I know you’re the only one knowledgeable enough about the matter at hand to manage evaluations and admissions, whether you believe in that beyond the physical or not.  We’ve no room for mistakes,” Richard said with a smarmy grin.

 

“That wasn’t what I meant, Silva, and you know it.  I’m not looking for flattery, I’m looking for answers.”  She stood up and stared directly up into Richard’s face, refusing to feel intimidated by his height.  “There’s something else you know.”

 

Richard chuckled under his breath.  “It wasn’t too difficult of a secret to uncover, at least not with the sorts of connections I have.  As a college student, you assisted con artists and drug dealers for some easy money. You were a typical self-entitled young girl – everyone always told you how brilliant you were, so you never felt like you had to actually put forth any effort into proving it with actual experience - you just up and bought your own private practice and you bribed your way into book deals.  You figured money was a substitute for real experience, and it turns out you were right.”

 

Tabitha crossed her arms and sulked, but retained her confident, level-headed tone.  “Wise words from someone who just up and started his own alternative health practice with his family’s money,” she scoffed.  “I respected what you did, well, for the most part… and I thought you really were up to something good.  Funny how quickly things can change with just a few words, huh?”

 

“Well, do you want the world to know or not?  Personally, I believe your work is legitimate and that your recognition is well deserved, even if your means of achieving recognition were less than honest. But, we can’t be certain your clients and their families would feel the same way.”

 

Tabitha balled her fists.

 

“Calm down, there, Ms. Morgenstern.  Listen, perhaps this would all be easier for you to swallow if you met my daughter, the Conduit.  If you could see the things she can do, perhaps we could see eye to eye.”

 

“You’re clearly unhinged.  I regret even agreeing to meet with you,” Tabitha stammered.  Her glasses began to fog with sweat and tears of fear and rage.

 

“Listen – how does this sound?  You go along with the Silva Academy project until I can introduce you to my daughter, and I will not expose your past.  If you are still not swayed by then, I will let you out of the project without any repercussions.”

Tabitha swallowed and took a deep breath as she struggled not to grind her teeth. “It’d be nice if I could get this in writing, but considering the circumstances…”

 

Richard chuckled under his breath.   “Don’t worry.  You’ll see.”

 

Tabitha inhaled deeply.  “When will I get to meet her?”

 

“Arrange to close your office for a few days.  You can come back to Pennsylvania with me and I will introduce you to her.  If you fail to see where I am coming from with all this talk about spirituality and the twice-exceptional, I will simply let you go and find someone almost as capable as you at serving these youth – one who’s already on my level.”

 

“I’m not so good with spur-of-the-moment travel,” she huffed.

 

“Oh, I understand completely and feel entirely the same way.  But what’s worse?  A spontaneous trip a few states away or the risk of losing your credibility? This could be a huge loss or a huge win. It’s all up to you,” Richard lilted in a stern sing-song.

Tabitha squeezed her eyes shut.  “Fine.  I’ll go. But if you fail to hold up your end of the deal, I have my own ways of ruining your life.”

 

“Understood.  See? This is why I like you.  This is why I’d rather work with you than anyone else,” Richard said with a grin.  

 

   *****

               “God, my fucking head,” Meredith growled through clenched teeth while sitting slumped over the small round table in Alina’s living room.   An untouched glass of ice water sat by Meredith’s elbow.  Alina placed a hand on top of Meredith’s head, careful not to apply too much pressure. Her eyes widened and she gave a firm nod as she noticed four small, yet distinct knots on Meredith’s scalp.  She applied the slightest bit more pressure and felt sharp ridges under the skin, but when she noticed Meredith’s body tensing up, she withdrew her hand immediately.  

 

               “You are aware of the way Zelishem look, correct?” Alina asked as she took a step back.

 

               Meredith leaned back in her seat, nodding slowly as her mouth dropped open slightly.  “The horns.”

 

               “Well, they are not so much horns as ah… What is it the insect use to feel…”

 

               “Antennae?”

 

               “Yes.  With their growth, the telekinetic and telepathic abilities will become perfected. Will not be much longer before they come out.  I say few months.”

 

               “So those abilities will be easier to control, then?” Meredith asked with a twinge of hope, despite the fact that she was once again slumped over the table with her pale hands wrapped around her forehead.

 

               Alina smiled sadly.  “No, will be even more sensitive, more difficult to control.  Unless you learn how to.  Remember why I am here.”

 

               “That buzzing, tingling feeling that’s always in my head… I need to force it into my hands instead.  Right?” Meredith intoned.

 

               “Correct.  Unless you need to use it.  I imagine there will be times it is necessary,” she mused softly as her eyes drifted to the side.

 

               Meredith folded her arms on top of the table and placed her head on top of them.   “You know, you really should check your e-mail.  I didn’t set that account up for you for nothing.  There could be something important in there, you never know.”

 

               Alina twisted her mouth to the side, refusing to voice her exasperation with Meredith’s sudden change of topic.  

“Okay.”  She pulled a stool up to the counter and sat down in front of the laptop.  Aside from an automatic welcome message and a few incomprehensible advertisements with subject lines like “far ate rode asinine hello pill more serene” and “much blanched sheep less on hey more frog” sent by entities with equally ludicrous names, there was one e-mail from Brian Frederick.  Alina clicked on it with an apprehensive frown.

 

               “Greetings, Alina.  I hope you and Ms. Meredith are well.

               I thought the two of you should know that Richard and I are currently away on business in MA.  Brenda is under David’s supervision, yet she is doing poorly even despite Ms. Meredith’s absence.  I would advise you contact Richard as soon as you can, as it will be a few more days before we return to PA.  

               Love and Light,

               Brian F.”

 

               Alina paled and drew a ragged breath.  Meredith peered over at her from under her hands. “What is it?” she groaned.

               “Ah…I am so sorry, Miss.  Your mother’s health is failing and your father is away.  They want we should talk to them, but…”  Her eyes dropped and she clasped her hands tightly in front of her waist as she trailed off.

 

               Meredith scowled.  “Her health, but… how?  I’m over an hour away from her.”

 

               Alina offered a melancholic smile.  “I think there is not any more we can do for your mother. David is with her…”

 

               Meredith bolted upright and splayed her hands on the table.  “Don’t tell me you trust him!  Not after what I’ve told you!”

 

               “No, no, of course not, Miss.  But he knows medicines – maybe she has a chance.”

 

               “I don’t want to talk about my Mom or David anymore,” Meredith sighed, folding her arms on the table and resting her head on top of them.  

 

               Alina nodded and placed a hand on Meredith’s shoulder.  A few moments of silence passed, when Meredith spoke up again.  “So, are you going to contact my Dad?”

 

               “Do you want I should?  I think this could be good chance for us to escape their, ah… influence? We could find somewhere to go, maybe I can take you to Ukraine? This is about you.  That is how it always should have been.  We need to be free of them.”

 

               “We can’t leave.  Not now.  Not yet,” Meredith objected.

 

               “…Your mother, correct?”

 

               “I don’t want to disappear while she’s still around to suffer the stress,” Meredith explained.

 

               “I understand.  Hold on, I try to make you something for the pain.”

 

               Meredith sucked her bottom lip in and gave Alina a passive nod.  Alina returned shortly with a mug filled with a bitter-smelling tisane.  Meredith sneered as she sniffed the liquid, but sipped at it little by little, holding her breath as much as she could.  She sighed with a shudder and buried her face in her hands once she finished drinking the concoction.

 

               “Are you feeling all right, Miss?” Alina asked softly.

 

               Meredith nodded.   “The pain is subsiding, but my worries have not.”

 

               “Well,” Alina explained, “this concoction was not ever meant for such things as the worries.  What is it you are worried about?"

 

               “What have I been worried about this entire time?! Even with all your concoctions and your meditations, will I ever be safe for humans to be around? Especially in the capacity I am expected to involve myself with them.  I am growing into a monster.  I will drive them away without intending to.  This is why I wonder if they deserve the salvation I am supposed to give them.  If I come in the form of a monster, how will they trust me?”

 

               Alina’s jaw dropped as her heart wrenched on behalf of Meredith’s concerns and her perceived fate.  Though Alina’s faith was too strong to accept that fate as the most likely outcome, she did not dismiss it altogether and offered her sympathy. She took Meredith’s hands within her own and spoke evenly and softly.  “Those who matter will trust you, regardless of how you appear.  Those with pure and deserving spirits recognize holiness always, no matter what is the form it takes.”

 

               Meredith smiled and closed her eyes, remembering verses from the Bible in which the Angels who appeared to men would nearly always apologize for their formidable appearances.  However temporarily, she took solace in this.  “Thank you, Alina.  I… I am so glad I know you.”  Alina sat up straighter in her chair, preparing to thank Meredith, but Meredith had already gotten up to slink back to her room, not wanting the conversation to grow any more emotional than it had already become.

 

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