Part 22 (1/2)
”Yes,” he said, still trying to grasp where this conversation was going.
”We don't have that kind of science. Something happened here to make us develop differently.”
”What?”
”I can't give you a history lesson right now. The important point is that a lot of people have more psychic powers than in your world. Some of us have... psychic jobs.”
”Like what?”
”Like running machinery. The way Haig did with that oven. But psychic powers are also used as weapons. That's how everything turned into such a mess. People like Falcone wanted to rule, so they got groups of psychics together to fight each other.”
She stopped abruptly, watching his face. ”That's the truth. But it looks like you don't believe me.”
”It's hard to take in. You said something about a change. Are you saying there's a specific time when your world changed?”
”After 1893,” she said promptly.
”Jesus! You have the same dates we do?”
”Yes.”
”And you can pinpoint it that accurately?”
She nodded. ”Our historians can.”
”What happened in 1893?”
”Eric Carfoli started the psychic revolution.”
”Okay,” he answered, since there was. no way to prove the a.s.sertion either way. He was sure as h.e.l.l going to dig up more information about this Eric Carfoli. But the present was more important at the moment. ”I haven't seen any evidence of... psychic wars,” he challenged. ”The soldiers who have come after us seem like ordinary guys.”
”A lot of the psychics killed each other off. Which is why most of the fighting is done by conventional troops these days. The men you saw are Falcone's private army. A few of them would have talents, though. Like communications officers who can relay messages over long distances. Or men who could sense the presence of an enemy.”
He looked from her to the store of clothing. ”And Falcone is bringing them into my world?”
”Yes. Haig never wanted to believe that there were portals to other worlds. But I read a lot about it... in the vaults at Sun Acres. Scholars debated about it, and I wanted to believe it. I looked for ways to prove it. And I found them. First we saw the monster, Boralas, in your world. Then I showed Haig that there were ways for people to cross from one... time continuum... to the other.”
”What were you doing in my world when you found me in the trap?” he asked.
He saw her features tighten. ”I was looking for a place to hide from Falcone. I thought he didn't know how to open a portal. But he must have figured it out. Or, more likely, one of his advisers did-maybe Avery. Falcone knows this is a horrible place to live. He's thinking he can set up an outpost in your world, then conquer your people and enslave them.”
”Aren't you making a lot of a.s.sumptions?”
”I've known him for a long time. I never underestimate his power-or his greed.”
She was about to say more when they both heard a noise on the upper level.
Rinna sucked in a sharp breath. ”They found us.”
He wanted to deny it, but as troops crossed the floor above, he was pretty sure she was right.