Marilyn Kaye - Speak No Evil

That procedure took all of two minutes. Afterwards, Dr Paley studied the images of their heads on a lighted screen.

‘Yes,’ he murmured, more to himself than to them. ‘This won’t be difficult at all.’ He addressed them. ‘I’d like to run a little test first, just to make sure I’ve pinpointed the area accurately.’ He studied them both for a moment. ‘Amanda. . you have more control over your gift than Ken does, don’t you?’

Amanda hesitated. She didn’t want to hurt Ken’s feelings. She knew that some boys could get totally unnerved if they learned a girl could do something better than they could. Fortunately, Ken wasn’t that kind of boy.

‘Totally,’ Ken said. ‘It’s hard to call a dead person. I usually have to wait for someone to contact me first. Amanda can pretty much snap her fingers and become another person.’

Amanda lowered her eyes modestly. ‘Oh, it’s not that easy, Ken. I mean, I have to concentrate. And I need to find something depressing about the person.’

Ken grinned. ‘That wasn’t too hard with Nina, was it? It must be pretty easy to feel sorry for someone that boring.’

Amanda giggled.

Dr Paley looked like he was getting impatient. ‘All right, then let’s get on with the little test. Amanda, you need to feel pity for your subject. Did you notice my secretary, Ms Callow?’

Amanda hadn’t really paid any attention to the woman in the outer office. ‘What about her?’

‘Ms Callow has a sad life,’ the doctor told her. ‘She was very much in love with a man, and they were about to get married when he was killed in an accident. In fact, this happened on the way to the wedding ceremony.’

‘How awful!’ Amanda exclaimed.

‘Now she lives in a tiny apartment with her elderly mother, who’s always nagging her.’

‘Why doesn’t she just move out?’ Amanda wanted to know.

‘Her mother is not well and requires a great deal of care.’

‘Can’t she hire someone to do it?’

Dr Paley shook his head. ‘Ms Callow cannot afford a nurse so she has to do everything herself. She takes care of her mother in the morning, works here all day, then goes home to take care of her mother. She has no social life at all. She’s never even had a holiday, since her mother can’t travel and Ms Callow can’t leave her alone.’

Amanda frowned. She thought doctors were rich. ‘Couldn’t you give her some money so she could hire someone to stay with her mother?’

Dr Paley seemed momentarily annoyed by the question, but he recovered quickly. ‘I’ve offered, of course. But she’s very proud, she won’t accept charity. So she suffers.’

It all sounded pretty grim to Amanda. That poor woman — what a depressing life she led.

Dr Paley watched her expression closely. Then he went to the door and opened it. ‘Ms Callow, could you come in here for a minute?’

For the first time, Amanda gave the secretary a long, hard look. She was attractive and her clothes were decent. Cute, even. The woman didn’t seem all that miserable. But appearances were deceptive, she knew that. Ms Callow probably put up a good front for her job. Maybe she wore that same suit every day. This image made Amanda feel even more sympathy for her.

Dr Paley spoke quietly to the secretary. ‘Please remain very still and don’t say anything. I’m running a test.’ He went to his table of instruments and picked up a thick tube with a rubbery tip. Amanda flinched as he approached her with it.

‘This won’t hurt,’ he assured her. ‘I’m only going to touch your scalp with it.’

He was telling the truth. It didn’t hurt at all — there was just a little pressure.

‘Now, Amanda, take over Ms Callow.’

‘What?’ the secretary cried out in alarm.

‘Be quiet,’ the doctor ordered. ‘Go ahead, Amanda.’

Amanda looked at the secretary and tried to imagine her daily life. All alone, except for her old mother, who probably wasn’t very good company if she was ill all the time. She pictured a dark, ugly apartment and empty wardrobes. Pity overwhelmed her.

Amanda?’

Amanda looked at the doctor in wonderment. ‘I’m still me!’

Dr Paley removed the instrument. ‘Excellent. You may leave, Ms Callow.’

The confused-looking secretary retreated and closed the door behind her.

‘I have accurately pinpointed the area we need to treat,’ the doctor said. ‘Ken, I wish I could test you, but. . Ken? Are you listening to me?’

Amanda looked at Ken. She recognized the glazed expression on her classmate’s face.

‘He’s hearing someone! Ken, is it the soap opera lady?’

Dr Paley didn’t wait for Ken’s response. He hurried over to him and pressed the rubber thing against his skull.

Ken frowned. ‘Jack. .?’ He blinked.

‘That’s his friend — the one who died after the collision,’ Amanda told Dr Paley.

‘Jack?’ Ken murmured again.

Dr Paley smiled in satisfaction and lifted the instrument. ‘I cut the connection, Ken. This is going to work very well, I have no doubts.’ He nodded towards the examining table. ‘Who wants to go first?’

Ken and Amanda looked at each other. ‘Ladies first?’ Ken suggested.

‘Oh, that’s so old-fashioned,’ Amanda said quickly.

Dr Paley smiled. ‘OK, I’ll decide. Come on, Ken, let’s show the young lady there’s nothing to be afraid of.’

Ken climbed up on to the table and lay down.

‘I’ll use the scan to pinpoint the exact spot where I’ll direct the laser beam,’ the doctor said. He wheeled the machine to the side of the table.

Amanda watched nervously, but a movement on the floor distracted her. ‘There’s a mouse!’ she cried out.

Ken sat up. ‘Where?’

Amanda couldn’t answer him. She couldn’t even speak. Before her eyes, the mouse began to expand, and its body changed form. Then it wasn’t a mouse at all.

‘Carter!’ she exclaimed.

‘His name’s Paul,’ Ken reminded her.

‘Whatever,’ Amanda replied. ‘What are you doing here?’

Dr Paley was frowning. ‘Paul, you shouldn’t be in here. Go to your room immediately.’

The boy’s mouth moved, as if he was trying to reply. The only word that came out was ‘no’.

Amanda glared at the boy. ‘I can’t believe you nibbled at my granola bar. That was so disgusting.’

Dr Paley went to the door and opened it. ‘Ms Callow, would you please call a resident assistant to escort Paul Carter back to his room?

The secretary came to the door and stared at Paul in astonishment. ‘I didn’t even see him come in!’

‘Um, he was hiding in the cupboard,’ Dr Paley told her. ‘It’s not important. Just call for a resident assistant, please.’ Ms Callow hurriedly went back out to her desk.

Paul looked at Ken. Amanda remembered how expressionless the boy usually looked. Now there was no mistaking the urgency on his face.

‘Stop,’ Paul said.

‘Stop what?’ Ken asked.

He mumbled something that sounded like ‘dun loose ya giff’.

‘We can’t understand a word you’re saying,’ Amanda snapped impatiently.

A familiar voice came from outside the door. ‘He’s saying, don’t lose your gift.’

‘You can’t go in there!’ Ms Callow yelled.

But as usual, Jenna didn’t respond well to authority figures. She stomped right into Dr Paley’s office.

‘What are you doing here?’ Ken asked.

‘If you want the procedure, you’re going to have to wait your turn,’ Amanda snapped.

Jenna wasn’t alone. The police officer, Jack Fisher, followed her into Dr Paley’s office.

The doctor was not pleased. ‘Excuse me, but we’re in the process of a medical procedure here!’

‘No one’s performing any procedures in here today,’ Officer Fisher declared. ‘This surgery has not been authorized by Harmony House officials.’