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pregnancy would disrupt. Both of us off our tracks would create chaos here. We engaged in detailed negotiations before setting our plan.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    Hargu nodded to her hairstylist as the woman finished and got to her feet. She calmly walked over to a table, and suddenly, three servers were in place setting down platters and eating utensils.
    “My nails are still curing, Transport Specialist. Will you assist me?”
    “Of course.” Gaze was at her side in a moment. “Call me Gaze or Gwyn if you prefer.”
    “Gaze then. A serving of that one, please.” Hargu pointed with one of her elegant nails and smiled.
    Gaze put a helping of the pickled salad on Hargu’s plate and followed her directions for a few minutes with suggestions for her own selections. Once her host was eating, Gaze joined in.
    Hargu gave her the rundown of how to behave and where to stand during the ceremony. It was a crash course in etiquette, and Gaze was a rapt pupil.

Chapter Five
     
     
    “So, when General Korwait found you and your parents...”
    “The ban against psychics was in full force when the imperium put its foot down and sent us help. The purge was in full force, and it took almost a decade to extract them to a planet of their own.” Hargu blew on her nails though they were already dry.
    Gaze was fascinated. “What happened next?”
    “With the oppression of the purge off world or underground, the wave of psychics began to fight for power. It was a shock when empaths began to rise to the top of the governing bodies. Apparently, ours was the least threatening of the psychic talents out in the worlds. Our government began to be run by empaths and healers, and it took off in a strange and popular surge once the fear was eradicated by a coalition of empaths working night and day to unify the emotional stability of the people.”
    “Do you still have that coalition?”
    “There are three on duty and one in power, constantly monitoring the moods of the population. We know when they are hungry, we know when there is strife and we act accordingly.”
    Gaze thought about all of the privacy movements back on earth. “What do you do with those who don’t want to be spied on?”
    “There is a southern continent. Lovely weather and several deflectors living along the coastline. They create a bubble of privacy for those who truly want it. Most move back to the normal cities within a few years. They miss the social life and the harmony. For us, lack of privacy brought us peace and removed the fear and panic of the previous regime.”
    Gaze caught on to something. “You are reducing your effect, aren’t you?”
    Hargu grinned. “It was something that General Korwait taught in his lectures for the new class of governors. Keep them calm and help them to help themselves. No one thrives in an atmosphere of fear. In another decade, the politicians will be elected and a good mix of psychics and standards. I hope that my children will grow up in a different world from the one I remember.”
    Gaze exhaled in a gust. “I can honestly say that I hope it for you too. I understand a little of having a painful childhood, but my life was never in danger because of my difference. Well, not directly.”
    “Would you tell me about it? With the ceremony closer, I am eager for a distraction.” Hargu looked nervous for the first time.
    Gaze twisted her lips. “What would you like to know?”
    “Why can’t I get any feedback from you? I mean, I can feel you, but it as if the energy I project simply skims along your edges.”
    Gaze snorted. “That is an easy one. I work on a different frequency than you do. It is common in alien species.”
    “What was your childhood like?”
    Gaze looked at Hargu and saw the tight grip on the arms of her chair, the white bracket forming around her eyes and mouth, and she decided to blow protocol.
    “My childhood was dark. I had eyes, but they did not work. I lived and moved around with no visual cues