Part 26 (2/2)
”Yes, she knew how to accept what you can't change, as the old saying goes.”
”Right.” Josh gestured towards the pub. ”You want another drink, or something to eat?”
”Maybe at the motorway services.”
It was quite a drive to the Reading service area, but he a.s.sumed she knew that.
”You want to start heading back?”
”Let's do that. You're OK to drive, clearly.”
He held open the pa.s.senger door for her, then got in behind the steering wheel, inserted the key, slid his phone into its console slot, reached for the ignition b.u.t.ton then stopped.
”I was p.i.s.sed off,” he said, ”when I entered the car park. Now I'm not.”
”You look more relaxed.”
”Yeah... You're quite the witch, aren't you?”
Suzanne's smile was enchanting. ”Possibly my ancestors practiced voodoo.”
”Mine painted themselves with blue dye and mud, but you don't see me doing it.”
”Hmm... You know I can make you laugh, right?”
Josh looked at her.
”I'm feeling better, but not that m”
She touched his arm and he tipped his head back, laughter bubbling up inside him.
”Jesus,” he was able to say finally. ”How did you do that?”
”Like this.”
Another touch, and a paroxysm took hold, matched by Suzanne's laughter. Soon he was laughing so hard that the tears were coming. At last, she settled back in her seat, giving a final giggle.
”That,” said Josh, ”was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced.”
”Voodoo.”
”With the greatest respect, bulls.h.i.+t. How did you do it?”
”That spot I touched on your arm. That exact spot?”
”I don't see”
But she merely stared at the spot, and he laughed. Her gaze went back to his face, releasing him.
”Hypnotism?” he asked.
”Simpler than that. In Petra and Yukiko's flat, I created an a.s.sociation between pressure on your arm exactly there and laughter, between the gesture and the mood. All I did was press that point when you were laughing at their jokes. You never noticed.”
”You're kidding me.”
”Maybe I'm jos.h.i.+ng you.”
”Oh, please...”
”Honestly, it's that easy.” Her chestnut eyes seemed to deepen to chocolate. ”But the timing has to be perfect, at the height of the mood. It's one-shot learning, and it's a physical skill to create the a.s.sociative link.”
It seemed impossible; but his own reaction was compelling proof.
”This stuff happens unconsciously?”
”Very much so. Most of what happens inside our heads is below conscious awareness. There are sixty muscles in your arm, and you're not aware of orchestrating their movements when you put the car key in the slot.”
”Yes, but”
”What's three times three?” she asked.
”Nine.”
”How do you know?”
”Er...”Suzanne smiled. ”Right then, you could have gone into trance with a little encouragement during that search for internal meaning we call a duh duh moment.” moment.”
”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.”
”You can know an answer without knowing how you retrieve it. Every conscious decision you think you make, your brain started to create that thought three hundred milliseconds earlier. At least. End of lecture.”
”Jesus Christ.”
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