Chapter Fifteen

 

 

Krysty fell into step beside Doc. "You and I have talked about my powers before."

 

"At length upon occasion," Doc replied. "As I recall, I have evidenced more real curiosity about your abilities than you yourself. You have always appeared predisposed to accept them on faith."

 

"That's true." She gazed ahead, spotting Ryan walking point, J.B. strung out behind him a hundred yards at right flank. Watching him, so far away from her if something happened, made a chill run down her spine.

 

"I assume you have not brought up the subject simply for the prospect of idle conversation."

 

"Everything I tell you, Doc, you can't tell Ryan."

 

"That man is savagely keen, dear lady. Mayhap he'll learn just as much from what I omit as he would from what I told him."

 

"That's the way it has to be," Krysty said. "To protect him. And mebbe Dean, as well."

 

"You're sure?" Doc's face showed he was troubled, as well as intrigued.

 

Krysty reached out and took Doc's hand briefly, squeezing it to reassure him as much as herself. Then she told him about the vision she'd had down in the chasm.

 

"You believe in my powers, don't you, Doc?"

 

"Believe in them, my dear, without a doubt. My ability to understand them is lacking. Though there were definite experimental studies being done within the Totality Concept, based loosely on scientific research. I never got too close to them. Speculation you cannot adequately quantify is something I never took to very much."

 

"I have a theory."

 

"That, my dear Krysty, is a phrase every scientist loves to hear. For with the existence of such a hypothesis, a catalyst may be introduced whereby events may be suitably weighed and measured. Of course, it is possible that your theory will be disproved, putting you squarely back where you started."

 

"I have to ask myself a couple of things. First I have to ask myself if seeing them mebbe kill each other in that place was the only event that vision really showed me."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Suppose I saw them, but I couldn't do a thing about it. Couldn't stop it. Suppose my mind couldn't handle seeing such a thing and just created the parts where I went to them and talked to them."

 

"Ah, my dear, you have truly twisted this puzzle. Was the whole event a fabrication, or were parts of it? If so, which parts?"

 

It sounded worse coming from Doc.

 

"So it could be that Ryan and Dean are going to face off against each other, the one never knowing the other was there, and mebbe kill one or both," Krysty said.

 

"Or possibly you have managed to intervene in some fashion," Doc said. "Or will."

 

"It's just as possible, though," Krysty replied, "that the reason I won't be at Ryan's side when this happens later, is because I can't be." She turned and went farther up the mountain, avoiding the chasm Ryan had walked around. "It's just as possible that I could be chilled by then, and no help to him at all."

 

"I shall make you a promise, my dear," Doc stated in a gentle voice. "As long as I yet live, nothing shall harm you until we see the truth of this vision. I shall become your shield and buckler, and may all that remains holy in this accursed land keep my strength unflagging."

 

Krysty looked at him. "You're a good friend, Doc."

 

"It is simple to be a good friend," he replied smiling, "when you're in the company of good friends."

 

When Ryan went down suddenly in front of her, Krysty at first thought her lover had fallen over a piece of the broken terrain. Then the sound of a blastershot rolled over her.