"I saw it. I'm taken off assignment and so are you. We're both shoved
out. Can't you get that straight? After all this time--and just
because they get somebody in here that gets them excited."
Harpo snorted. "So they've gone off on these spook hunts before. Where
do you think it'll take them this time? Extra-sensory powers!" The huge
man spat in disdain. "Have you ever seen anybody with extra-sensory
powers? Well, neither have I. Look, Jacques, let's face it: Schiml
would give his left arm at the shoulder to have proof of extra-sensory
powers in any form." Harpo grinned unpleasantly. "You've seen proof of
that before. He believes in it, he wants to prove it. And every now and
then he's going to have a try at it just to keep himself happy, just to
keep in form. There's no call to get excited."
"But he's got a solid prospect this time," Blackie snapped. "From the
stories I've heard the guy is a phenomenon. Hit top scores on the
cards--highest they've ever recorded here. Other things too, like
peeling the paper off the walls just by looking at them, or closing up
opened wounds in ten minutes."
"So you hear stories! Around here I don't believe anything I hear."
Harpo shifted uneasily. "If there was anything tangible, anything we
could put our hands on, I'd listen. But there's not--no proof, no
nothing but a lot of wild stories. And I've even heard better stories
in my time. You can't go around fighting stories--"
Jeff sat bolt upright, something shouting out in his brain. He grabbed
for his shoes, oblivious to the agonizing pain in his muscles, fumbled
eagerly, his mind screaming in excitement. "What kind of proof do you
want?" he growled.
Harpo stared up at him, as though seeing a ghost. "You awake!" he
gasped. And then: "Any kind of proof!"
"Then take a look at this." And Jeff tossed the crumpled card down in
the middle of the huddle.
Blackie was on her feet, her eyes eager. "Didn't know you were anywhere
near ready to wake up," she said. "You look like they really gave you
the works."
"Well, something happened, all right. I don't know whether I'm coming
or going."
Blackie nodded. "You never do, after testing. They came here for you,
and I told them you'd gone out for a stroll. But I guess they found
you." She put a cup of coffee in Jeff's hand and motioned toward the
card. "You got that out of the file without being spotted?"
Jeff's eyes met hers for the briefest instant. "That's right. And
I heard what you were talking about." He caught the little note of
warning in her eyes: the silent, helpless appeal. He shook his head
imperceptibly. He knew then that she hadn't told the others about their
battle over the dice. He pointed to the card. "I think that answers a
lot of things."