Widderkin - 9. Chapter 9

5

Chapter 9.

 

Mr B was waiting near the entrance to the College car park and, after a wave, he followed and caught up while Tan parked in a nearby vacant space. His reaction when Rhys got out of the car was expected but still confronting.

"Tan, it's kind of you to run Woorawa round like this. Are you and your friend coming with us while we introduce him to College and his lecturers?"

Tan nodded then looked to Kieran who was meant to be doing all the talking.

"Um ... Mr B, can we go to your office and talk there?"

"Of course. You've got me very intrigued by this mysterious topic you couldn't tell me about over the phone ... But aren't you going to introduce Tan’s friend?"

He didn't have a skerrick of recognition and Kieran wondered why. Tan and Rhys had both had a reaction.

"We'll introduce him when you’re sitting down, Mr B. He's the reason we've come early."

"Curiouser and curiouser, as someone said. Is he new to College and wants to be part of today's little tour? ... Sitting down? That almost sounds serious."

"It is serious, but it's good serious."

Mr B's gaze went from Kieran to Rhys and then quickly back again.

"Serious business? All right, let's get on with it."

There were only three seats in the office so they went to the next-door classroom instead.

"This isn't a counselling matter is it, Kieran? One-on-one would be better for that."

"No, we’re all involved ... Mr B, who am I?"

"… I'm not sure how you want me to answer that, Kieran. It almost sounds philosophical."

"Just tell us some of the things you know about me."

"Just? That sounds like a command? Well, you are a top student with a good attitude and a special aptitude for maths. You’re adventurous and you like helping people ... Is this the kind of answer you are looking for?"

"Which people have I helped?"

"Woorawa. You’ve given him a place at your house and you’re helping him with his move to College. And there’s Tan of course."

"Anyone else? ... With maths coaching?"

"Yes, you’ll be helping a selection of people when you start your tutoring this semester."

"What about last semester? Who did I tutor then?"

"I don't know, Kieran. Your scholarship hadn't started so anything you did then would have been a personal arrangement."

"It was, but it was you who arranged it."

"I don’t know what gives you that idea. You must be confusing me with another lecturer … and what's the point of all this? I feel like I’m being interrogated."

"Sorry, Mr B. I didn't mean to come across like that. You’re not going to believe me but your memory has definitely been changed and I'm trying to work out how much."

"… What a strange thing to say. There’s nothing wrong with my memory."

"Tell us about the Medusa look then? Three of us have seen how well you can fight against it."

Mr B took in the assenting looks from Woorawa and Rhys before shaking his head.

"You sounded serious when we spoke on the phone but this feels like some prank you've cooked up for the start of semester. I think we should take Woorawa to meet his IT lecturer."

"Mr B, look at me. I can prove we’re not pranking. Look at me for a few seconds then tell me what happens."

With a ‘let's get this nonsense over with’ air, Mr B looked, and waited. Kieran sent a short but very sharp dose of the Medusa look. Mr B recoiled, horrified, and his hands reflexively warded the attack while he recovered his wits.

"What happened? I felt awful. How did you do that?"

"That's the Medusa look, Mr B. I can do it any time I want."

"Kieran, that's not possible."

"Yes it is. You want me to do it again?"

Mr B gestured strongly against that.

"No thanks. I'll take your word, though I've never heard of anything like it. Is this the serious thing you want to talk about?"

"It's part of it. Have a look at this."

Kieran held out the opal and all four of them watched Mr B’s astonishment and then wonder.

"It's beautiful, Kieran. Where did you get?"

"If the artefact from Alice Springs."

"No it's not. The artefact’s an old stone we decided to give to the professor."

"It was baked clay really, and Burrimul told us to break it open last night. This was inside. It's the real artefact and it's amazing. Watch this. I'm going to use it to turn Woorawa's head blue."

Mr B didn't say anything till Woorawa's head had been glowing for about ten seconds, glowing brightly because Kieran had turned the strength up for effect.

"Now I know it's a prank. You've got laser lights set up somewhere."

"Okay! Pick anything in the room and I’ll make it glow."

Mr B looked around, searching for some unlikely object.

"Um ... The inside of that rubbish bin."

Kieran gathered the glow from round Woorawa and, for a show, turned it purple then floated it across the room to the bin. He settled it inside and started it cycling through the colours of the rainbow.

"I can't believe what I am seeing. How is that happening?"

"I don't know how. I just tell the glow to start and it does."

"How do you change the colours?"

"The same way. What colour do you want to see?"

"Turn the back wall blue."

"All of it?"

"If you can."

That was way more than Kieran had tried so far and he wondered what would happen. He floated the rainbow glow from the rubbish bin to the wall and told it to spread and turn blue. It worked, but the brightness level dimmed and by the time half the area was covered the glow could hardly be seen. Kieran squeezed the opal and told the glow to get stronger and cover the rest of the wall. It was spectacular but after about twenty seconds he turned it off.

"Leave it on. It looks unreal."

"I felt like it was time to stop, Rhys. I think I might need practice."

"Could you do two walls? Or even all of them?"

"I don't know."

"Try it, and tell the opal to help you."

"Not now, Woorawa. We’re here to help Mr B, not to do experiments."

"Do you really believe a gemstone let you make that glow, Kieran? … And what do you mean about helping me?"

"You already know the artefact can do things because you've seen it yourself but you’ve forgotten, and getting your memory back is how we want to help."

"Why do you keep insisting my memory isn’t working?"

"Because it's not, and we can prove it. You don't even remember Rhys."

"Rhys? I do remember there was a Rhys at College last semester but I think he moved to the city campus."

"Mr B, Rhys is my best friend and he’s here right now. We've done all sorts of things together and you don't even recognise him."

"Here? You mean Tan’s friend?"

"He’s your friend too. Look at these photos."

Woorawa held out his cell phone and started to flick through photos they'd chosen which showed both Rhys and Mr B. Mr B’s puzzled frown lasted for three pictures then he shook his head and pushed the phone away.

"Not now, Kieran. I think we should take Woorawa on his tour."

"And you’ve suddenly got a headache."

"I am feeling a bit off, but that won't stop us from helping Woorawa."

"Mr B, your headache’s going to get worse unless we get rid of it."

"It won't get worse. It's just a tension headache and it will go away when I relax."

"Remember at the Fortress when Rhys zapped me?

“What about the mummy curse and the green toothpaste?

“Think of the Valley of Eagles when Rhys wrestled with me and Woorawa."

“Stop! Stop!"

"Why?"

"Because ..."

Mr B went quiet and stared at Kieran.

"How can you know that asking me strange questions will make my headache worse?"

"I know because the same thing happened to me. Every time you have to focus your mind on Rhys you’ll feel bad."

Mr B looked at Woorawa and Tan, then after a rapid kind of peripheral glance at Rhys, focused on Kieran again.

"You had headaches?"

"Yes, and Woorawa helped me get rid of them and we can do the same for you."

Kieran's spirits lifted when the faintest of grins pushed its way through Mr B’s frown.

"Well, Dr Kieran. How do you think you can do that?"

"It's easy. All I need is a cooperative patient. Will you trust me?"

"Is the treatment painful?"

"Awful! It's my way of getting back at slave driving lecturers. Do you think you can cope with a neck massage?"

"I've never had one, but I guess it makes sense for a tension headache."

"You'd better sit on the chair because it might send you to sleep."

Mr B looked dubious about that but he complied because a chair was a sensible place to receive a neck massage anyway.

"Close your eyes and relax. Your whole body’s going to tingle and you'll feel good all over."

Mr B closed his eyes then opened them again.

"This sounds like a hypnotism routine."

"Close them ... And see what happens."

Rhys moved behind Mr B and started the massage while Kieran used the opal the same way he'd used it to help Rhys and Tan. Mr B started smiling and said,

"Oh my, that is nice. I'll have ..."

His head lolled forward and Kieran and Tan both leapt unsuccessfully to catch Rhys as he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Kieran's first thought was alarm but it disappeared when Tan put a backpack under Rhys's head and arranged him more comfortably on the floor.

"This is exactly what happened with you and Rhys, Kieran. Watch Mr B to make sure he doesn't fall off the chair."

So this was what zapping looked like. Kieran steadied Mr B who'd started a slow slump forward.

"Tan, do you think we should put him on the floor?"

"Just hold him. If he's like Rhys he'll wake up in a few moments."

Kieran looked at Woorawa. Why was he smiling?

"What?"

"You’ve done it again, Kieran. Mr B’s going to remember everything."

Kieran thought so too, but they'd know soon enough.

"Was I smiling like that when I was zapped?"

It wasn't exactly a smile but the impression from both Rhys and Mr B was close to it.

"Yes, the whole time you were asleep you looked kind of happy. We all wondered if you were dreaming."

"I don't think so, Tan. I usually ..."

Rhys stirred and Kieran felt his brow. His eyes opened and a smile spread across his face.

"Cheat, Kieran. You zapped me without even touching me. Is Mr B okay?"

"We think so. Why?"

"It's the first time he's been zapped. Have I been asleep for long?"

"Not even a minute."

Rhys got up and moved in front of Mr B.

"Really? That's the shortest ever. I wonder if I'm getting used to it?"

Woorawa shook his head.

"I don't think so. I think it mightn't have been as strong because you weren't touching Kieran. I think Mr B won't sleep long either. Why don't we try and wake him up with the opal, Kieran? It's the kind of thing that might work."

Kieran started to think about it but there was no chance because Mr B’s head lifted, and when his eyes opened they immediately tracked to Rhys.

"Rhys!"

Everyone smiled at the tone of recognition.

"Mr B. You’re back with us."

"I was asleep wasn't I? What happened to you?"

"Ask Kieran. No, ask Woorawa because he's the only one who didn't forget things."

Kieran watched Mr B gather his thoughts.

"This is very strange, Rhys. I had no idea who you were. I feel like I'm waking from a dream."

"It was the same for all of us. Tell him, Woorawa."

"When I arrived at the airport Rhys wasn't in the car and Kieran hardly knew who he was and didn't remember what happened at the Valley of the Eagles. Then when the Opal fixed him he knew where Rhys was. Tan drove us and when we found Rhys he was so bad he couldn't even look at Kieran without getting a headache. The Opal fixed that too, so we took him back to the share house and talked everything over."

After a great deal of explanation and excited discussion Mr B checked his watch and jumped to his feet.

"Quick, we'll talk later. The head of TAFE was expecting us ten minutes ago and he must be wondering where we are. The professor will be there too, as he wants to welcome Woorawa and talk to him about a few things."

"The professor? I thought that wasn't till tomorrow afternoon."

"It still is. This is extra."

It was a pity they were now rushing as Woorawa's head was turning in every direction to try and take in every room and feature they passed. Well, he'd know it all soon.

The TAFE section was in a different building but the hurry meant it only took a few minutes to get there.

"There you are. We thought you must have gone walkabout."

Kieran winced inwardly at the head of TAFE's comment and checked Woorawa's reactions. He just reached for the proffered hand and smiled as he repeated the action with the beaming professor.

"Welcome, Woorawa. You look like you've recovered from your long trip and I'm pleased to see you with such a capable group of friends. Kieran and Tan are your new housemates aren't they?"

"And Rhys. There are four of us."

The professor’s nod was accompanied by a rather blank look. Another altered memory? Kieran wondered how far it went.

"Very good. Well, before you meet your new teachers I want to let you know that the College has decided to provide you with a scholarship covering all your fees and materials. It's a mark of respect for the help your people gave our group in Alice Springs and the offer of an ongoing association with our College."

Woorawa was stunned.

"All my fees! That's ... That's wonderful. My uncle, Burrimul, will be amazed."

"I'm sure he’ll be pleased, but he won't be amazed because I discussed it with him just before we left Alice Springs and he knew I was going to approach the College about it."

"What does materials mean, professor? Does it cover textbooks?"

“It certainly does, Kieran, both digital and hardcopy, as well as a living allowance equivalent to the cost of staying in one of the residentioal units.”

This was wonderful news. Kieran knew from Woorawa that supporting his College education was a big commitment for his people.

“It’s not just the College being generous, Woorawa. Burrimul said I could ask for regular consultations with you and he even suggested you’d be happy to give talks to my study groups.”

Woorawa’s teeth flashed with a big smile.

“Uncle Burrimul has put me in for this without even telling me. Well, of course. I’ll do what I can but I’m only young and I’ll have to talk with him about what to say.”

"Excellent. Let's meet your teachers. I had a meeting with them this morning to explain your situation."

***

"I can definitely feel a tingle. It's not very strong but it's quite pleasant. I can't understand why it doesn't do something for you, Woorawa. It seems to me that it should if it's been a First Australian artefact for so long."

Mr B had been holding the opal for nearly five minutes now and all the group could see his growing fascination. After the talks with Woorawa's teachers they'd gone back to Mr B's office to discuss all the weird things and, at Mr B's prompting, everyone had taken a turn at holding the opal to see if anyone apart from Kieran could sense any kind of reaction from it.

"I don't think so. It's warm but we've all been holding it so that's what you'd expect. I definitely didn't feel the tingle that Kieran passes on when he's holding it."

Rhys laughed and Mr B gave him a questioning look.

"He can pass on a lot more than a tingle. He's learnt how to control it now, but the first time he did it to us he made us all feel super horny."

"Super ... Does that mean that I think it means?"

"Probably. He practised with me till he knew what to do because he was nervous it would happen when he helped you get your memory back."

"I see. Well I'm glad you did the practice. Did you take much time to learn?"

Kieran and Rhys looked at each other and both Woorawa and Tan laughed.

"Kieran told us it would only take a few minutes but they were in the bedroom practising for nearly an hour."

"Too much information, Woorawa, but I'm glad they got it under control. Does the opal make a difference when you talk to animals, Kieran?"

"We haven't tried that yet. There’ve been too many other things happening."

"And the Medusa look? Does that get stronger?"

"I don't think so. I’ve only tried it once with Tan and once with you, and it felt the same as usual. Glowing’s the only thing I've really practised with it."

"It helped you with the blue light to track for Rhys didn't it?"

"Um ... It might have, but I think I can do that by myself."

"Have you tried tracking anyone else?"

"There wasn't any point. Rhys is the only one I needed to find."

"Are you sure? There could easily be gaps in your memory you don't know about."

Kieran thought for a moment then turned to Woorawa.

"Do you think there's someone else? You're the only one of us who hasn't lost memories and if we did mention someone you'd be the only person who might know."

"No. There's no one. But how do you know my memory hasn't been affected?"

That was a startling thought and the whole group puzzled over it till Mr B spoke.

"I think we can count that out, Woorawa. It seems as if someone, or something, wanted to get rid of Rhys and it would have worked perfectly if you hadn't turned up with all your memories intact. It wouldn't make sense to change some of your memories and not the ones that allow you to spoil everything else they've done."

"Why would anyone want to get rid of me. I'm no one."

Kieran looked at Rhys in disbelief. Woorawa and Tan stared and Mr B laughed outright.

"Don't be silly, Rhys. How can you say that?"

"Um ... I didn't mean just no one. I mean I'm just an ordinary person, so what's the point?"

Kieran grabbed Rhys's shoulders and gave him a gentle remonstrating shake.

"That's not right, Rhys. None of us think you’re ordinary. You’re our friend and we all think you're special … and I think you're the best person in the world."

Woorawa joined in by grabbing Rhys's neck and giving it a squeeze.

"If it wasn't for you and Kieran I'd still be blind so you can't say you're not special."

Mr B and Tan were nodding their agreement and Rhys squirmed under the twin grip with slight embarrassment. His smile said it was important to him.

"Two things stand out as being special and unique about you, Rhys, and we've just mentioned both of them. The zapping thing that happens when you and Kieran are together and your bond with him. When you weren't there Kieran had his worst migraine ever and from what he's explained to us, that was when he lost his memories of you. That would be a logical reason to separate the two of you. He forgot about the special things he can do too, so that's another reason they might have wanted to stop your magic hands from working."

"I think it's more than that. Whoever they are, I think they don't want Kieran and Rhys to be friends."

Everyone's attention lifted a notch and they looked for Tan to continue.

"Well, why did they get Rhys moved so far away? He could have stayed here, and with their memories changed they'd never have had anything to do with each other anyway."

"Hey, that's right. Even if I looked straight at Rhys I wouldn't have noticed him. This is scary. You’re right, Tan, and I think that means we should expect them to try and do it again. The more I think about this the more I'm worried. Tan’s right. They went to a lot of trouble to get Rhys moved and all our memories and the minds of staff and administration in both campuses must have been changed."

"Not necessarily, Kieran. We know we've been affected, but it would only need one person in authority here at College to arrange the move. The Admin from both campuses would carry out whatever instructions they were given. It would have to be someone high up though, at least a Head of Department. There’ll be a record of who it was so I'll check into it tomorrow morning when Administration opens."

Mr B addressed Kieran directly.

“You'll have at least one more person's memories to fix, Kieran. You'll need to be with me too, because arranging for Rhys to return to this campus might be difficult. We’ll need to meet at 8:30 when Admin opens and you might have to miss a lecture to make sure everything’s done."

There was more silence as the significance of what Mr B was saying sank in. Kieran was first to understand.

"What are you talking about? I can't help arrange anything. I'm not even sure I can help with someone's memory when I don't know them."

"I think there's a good chance you can. You put ideas into the animal's minds, like telling the little skink where the meat from Burrimul's sandwich was hidden, and this would be the same kind of thing."

"People's minds? That's pretty weird, like brainwashing."

Mr B nodded.

“It's already been happening so that makes it even more likely that you can. Practise on Rhys when you get home."

Rhys's jaw dropped.

"You want Kieran to try and brainwash me? That's not just a bit weird. It's totally weird."

"No it's not. We already know he can fix you, and you’re closer to him than anyone else, so you're the best one for him to experiment on."

After a moment's consideration Rhys burst into laughter.

"I don't trust him. If it works he'll make me think I'm one of his frogs and I'll be eating flies all day."

Kieran nodded and bumped his shoulder against Rhys.

"Sounds great! When do we start?"

Woorawa spoke up.

"Right now! You'll be so busy tomorrow with Mr B and the start of semester you won't have a chance till the afternoon when we all get home. I think you should spend the rest of today practising all the things they made you forget."

Tan added another thought.

"And using the opal too. It's what fixed you when Rhys wasn't here."

"I agree with Tan and Woorawa, Kieran, and keep the opal with you wherever you go. Try the aura thing that you use with the animals on Rhys and see if you can get him to do something."

Kieran turned to Rhys who gave him a nod. So much for not trusting him.

"What sort of thing, Mr B?"

"I don't know. Make it easy. Something simple he’s likely to do anyway. If that works you can try something harder."

"It feels strange to think of Rhys like an animal."

"We’re all animals, Kieran."

"I suppose so."

Kieran pulled the memories back into his mind of the various animals and built up the aura thing he'd used with them. He hadn't done this since the big migraine but Mr B's use of the word aura acted as another trigger and it clicked into place. You're my friend, Rhys. You’re with me now. What will we do? No, don't mind-say it. That wasn't how it worked. Feel it and put it into the aura. Kieran started but lost all concentration and sense of the aura when Rhys suddenly grabbed him in a big hug. Kieran laughed and returned the hug.

"I was right in the middle of concentrating and you..."

Kieran stared in amazement as he realised what had happened.

"What?"

"Rhys, I didn't tell you to hug me but I was thinking you're my friend and it's so good you’re back with me ... I think it worked."

"A hug? I didn't feel strange or anything."

Woorawa waved a hand for attention.

"I think it worked too. None of the animals acted as if they were upset or knew anything was strange. Try it again, Kieran, but think of something more ... more specific."

Kieran noted how quickly the aura returned this time and realised that the more he did this the easier it would be. What to do though? It should still be something easy, but more definite. Yes, that would do.

Rhys glanced at the office window then walked over and looked at the little courtyard outside.

"Hey, Kieran, there's a magpie in the gum tree and some sparrows on the ground. Why don't you show Tan how the animals react with you? He hasn't seen it yet ... Why are you looking at me like that? You need to practise this you know."

"I wanted you to look out the window and you did. Mr B’s right. I can give you ideas."

"You told me to look out the window? I don't believe you ... Well, I do, but ... You know what I mean. Did you tell me to look for the birds as well?"

"I didn't tell you anything, Rhys. I made it a kind of feeling that it was time to look outside. The bird stuff was yours."

"It just felt natural. It could be a coincidence and we both thought about the window at the same time."

Kieran shook his head.

"It was too definite, Rhys. I sort of know it was me."

"Get me to do something else then, but tell Mr B what it is first. I'll stand here without doing anything and try to stop you."

Kieran grinned. He had a great idea.

"Good thinking! If you move you'll have to believe me."

He went to Mr B and whispered that he was going to get Woorawa to ask for the opal and hold it up to the light then suggest he might drop it and Rhys would need to protect it. While Mr B started speaking Kieran set the aura going with Woorawa.

"That was very explicit, Rhys. See if you can fight against the impulse to move."

"Um ... Can I hold the opal first, Kieran? I want to see if any changes happen while you’re zapping Rhys."

"Interesting idea, Woorawa, but I don't think it will."

Woorawa took the opal and when he held it up to the light Kieran redirected the aura. Nothing happened for a few seconds but then Rhys rushed from his position in a panic and closed his hand over the opal.

"Whoo! Careful, Woorawa. It's priceless and you nearly dropped it."

"No I didn't. I was holding it firmly."

"Yes you ...

Rhys's eyes widened and he turned to Mr B.

"I moved."

"Yes, Rhys, and unless you and Woorawa and Kieran have worked some unbelievably elaborate trick on me I’m totally convinced. Kieran told me he was going to get Woorawa to take the opal and you’d have to protect it. You can let go now."

Rhys released Woorawa's hand as if it was on fire. Woorawa stared at the opal with a similar kind of disbelief then laughed as they both looked at Kieran.

"You're a cheat! You used me to get at Rhys."

"I know. It was easy too, and kind of fun."

"Both of us at the same time? Was more than one hard? I suppose it wasn't, because you called all the frogs and that flock of corellas."

"I did you first, then when you had the opal I changed to Rhys."

"Try us all at the same time, Kieran. From what Woorawa just said you should be able to manage it."

For the next hour the group stayed together with excitement and amazement mounting with every new mind control experiment. Tan called it that after he found himself dancing his own interpretation of a sailor’s hornpipe.

Eventually Mr B had work to do and they left in Tan’s car and drove to a shopping centre to get food supplies for the next week. At home they had sandwiches for lunch then Tan and Woorawa sat down to check through Woorawa's maths course and work out areas he needed to concentrate on. Kieran and Rhys went into Rhys's room and plopped down on the bed for a talk.

"Hey, Kieran, how are going to fit our swimming in? We can't ask Tan to wait around for us five days a week."

"I know. It's a pity he doesn't like it. It’ll work though. He enjoys studying in the library and we might be able to arrange a couple of afternoons where he goes there instead of here, and we can catch a tram when he doesn't."

"Why doesn't he like swimming?"

"I don't know. I asked him once and the way he dodged the question gave me a feeling he was scared."

"Scared? ... Maybe something happened when he was young and he’s never got over it. That happened to me when I was in primary school and I didn't go in a pool for two years."

Kieran was amazed.

"You? You're a swimming freak. What happened?"

"I used to get bullied and I got thrown in the deep end when I didn't know how to swim. I didn't get over it till I was at the beach one time and had so much fun in the waves I made up my mind to learn swimming properly so I could stop being scared. We'll take Tan to the beach when it's warmer and make sure he enjoys himself and that might help him."

"That's too long, Rhys. Summer’s months away so we should try something else. I wonder if he'd try out a spa bath?"

"You can't swim in a spa bath, can you? I've never even been in one."

"Neither have I but if we found one big enough for four of us we might be able to teach him to float. That would be a good start and if he learnt that much we might be able to persuade him to try the College pool."

"Hey! You could persuade him with your mind. Except it doesn't feel right. I was thinking about it on the way here in the car and it’s going to be weird. Not about Tan swimming ... When you make us do things I mean. How will we know if we’re thinking for ourselves or if it's really you? Are you going to have any rules?"

"We'll have to, Rhys. Tan and Woorawa said they’re okay with it but I'll only do things I know they'll be happy with ... and the same for you of course. I was thinking about it too, and I'll only do it when we have special practice times or when you all know it's going to happen. It makes me angry that my own mind has been changed and it would be awful if any of you felt like that about me, even if was only for a moment. Tan’s the one I want to be most careful with because he keeps things to himself more than you or Woorawa."

"Woorawa will let you try anything. He's just about obsessed with how much he wants you to practise everything, and I'm pretty amazed he's not in here now telling you different things to try."

"I know, but Tan offering to help him with all the stuff the maths lecturer was talking about made him really happy and the more help he gets the better."

"I can help him with English and Lit but not Maths, and it sounds like he knows more computer stuff than any of us."

“I’ve got it all worked out. With me and Mr B and Tan he'll get at least an hour of maths help every College night and then extra stuff on the weekends."

"I wonder how good he is at studying?"

"We'll soon find out."

"What are you going to make me do?"

"Five hundred hugs!"

"Idiot! You're going to use Woorawa's ideas aren't you?"

"Of course, and our own ideas too, and you have to fight against me as hard as you can and we've got to work out how the opal fits in as well."

A bit over an hour later Woorawa came rushing in, followed more sedately by Tan, and demanded to know what had been happening.

"Keep cool, Woorawa. Tell us what you did with Tan first and then we'll show you."

Rhys laughed.

"Yeah, we’ll show you all right. He'll have you sticking your finger up Tan’s nose and sucking the boogers."

Tan looked concerned but Woorawa didn't.

"As if ... We worked out a plan for some of the things I'm way behind in, and then he showed me the patterns he uses to solve equations. He’s ten times better than my old teacher at explaining things and he showed me where I was going wrong. Now ... What have you been practising, and did you use the opal much? I'm going to ring Burrimul tonight to tell him everything."

Kieran spoke to Tan.

"It's my turn with Woorawa tomorrow night so what topic do you reckon we should work on?"

"He needs tons more work with equations but I know where he’s up to so I think I should stay with him for that. The only graphing work he's done has all been in his head, which seems just about impossible to me, and his classwork for the next couple of weeks is about quadratics so he’ll be left behind if he doesn't understand plotting."

Kieran thought back to Mr B's clever ideas for learning graphing.

"What else? Mr B’s brilliant at graphing so he should help him with that on Tuesday."

"Just about anything. Geometry and trig are his next big topics, or he could do a catch up on surds and irrational numbers."

Rhys let out a big groan. It was false of course.

"The slave drivers are at it again, Woorawa. They'll strain your brain till you think you're on a different planet and you’ll find yourself outside screaming at the sky. Then they’ll give you two minutes to recover and start on another hour of torture. Come into my room whenever you feel like you're going crazy and we’ll have some fun."

Kieran dived at Rhys and pushed him on his back on the bed.

"Torturers hey? You'll get torture! Help me hold him down Tan and Woorawa, and we’ll make him show us what it's like to scream at the sky."

Woorawa didn't hesitate, and quiet, reserved Tan joined in when he saw how hard-pressed they were to contain Rhys's greater strength. Rhys did start screeching when the fingers dug into his stomach, and vowed that Woorawa and Tan were both dead when he got them by themself.

"That means we better make the most of it while we’ve got the chance, Woorawa. Take his runners off and tickle his feet then we’ll really hear him screech."

"Don't you dare! If you do that you're mangled for ever."

Woorawa hesitated.

"Tickling's murder. If I don't tickle you will you promise not to tickle me?"

Rhys struggled even more to get free then subsided.

"I promise! I promise!"

Conspiratorial grins passed between Kieran and Rhys and in seconds it was Woorawa restrained and helpless on his back. Tan just watched. The combined strength of Rhys and Kieran was too much and despite his desperate convulsions Woorawa screeches filled the room.

"Stop! Stop! You're a cheat, Rhys ... Stop. You promised."

"And I'm not tickling, just holding. Get his shoes, Tan. That's what he was going to do to me."

Tan was quite gentle, but a gentle stroke on the arches of Woorawa's feet was the equivalent of starting an earthquake on the bed.

The struggles raged for ten minutes or so, with gales of laughter, dire threats of diabolical murder, and further torture and rapid and unpredictable changes in strategy and alliance, till Tan moved away to collapse in Rhys's chair. Everyone else paused to look at him. Rhys called him a wimp and when Tan happily agreed Woorawa wriggled out of Kieran's neck hold.

"We come in to find out what you've been doing and we get attacked. I’m going to report this to Mr B and Uncle so there’s a rule about no more foot tickling."

There’d be no such rule because it was totally evident that he'd been loving every moment. A happy feeling crested in Kieran's mind. How lucky he was to have friends like this. Without him being conscious of starting it a soft glow covered the three of them. Kieran became the centre of attention when the three of them shared a very surprised look.

"Kieran! Control! You’re projecting."

Whoops! How did that happen? Kieran quickly turned off the erotic bit and toned down the glow.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm feeling happy and I forgot to hold it back."

Woorawa laughed and turned to Tan.

"How are we going to cope? Every time he feels happy we'll all get randy."

"I don't mind. It's better than him being unhappy."

Rhys thought that was funny.

"Don't encourage him, Tan ... I mean encourage him to be happy, but controlled happy. We want him to be happy all the time but I don't think that would be physically possible for the rest of us. Is it just because we're friends, Kieran, or do you think we’re all good looking as well?"

Why was Rhys saying this? He knew very well what Kieran thought because they'd had a light-hearted comparison talk on the way back from Alice Springs. That was another memory he'd forgotten.

"Tan and Woorawa are good looking. You’re ugly!"

Rhys crowed with delight.

"See, now we know why it happens. He's got lust in his mind for all of us."

Kieran nearly fell over with surprise but Woorawa and Tan just nodded as if this was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

"You lot, you’re all as bad as each other. One little memory lapse, that's all it was. How come you're so strong, Woorawa? It takes two of us to hold you down."

"I'm not. That was because you were tickling me. I have done lots of dancing though, so I've got a bit of endurance."

"Is dancing very different now that you can see? I can't imagine what it would be like to dance in the dark."

"It wasn't dark for me, Rhys. I put a picture in my mind and watched it carefully while I moved. You can try for yourself anytime you like just by turning the lights off or closing your eyes."

"When are you going to dance for Tan? We’re all expecting a full on ceremony with music and costumes and everything."

"You’ll have to join in then, Kieran, and let me paint you."

"Yeah! Rhys loves dancing and I can't wait to see Tan in a loincloth."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I'm not dancing. I'll look silly."

"Good, you'll look silly and the paint will hide the ugly, and you heard Woorawa. His rule is all of us or Tan will miss out, and you wouldn't do that would you?"

"Cheat, Kieran. This is old-fashioned blackmail. Control without mind control ... Hey! You can make me like the dancing till it's over."

"I could, but I won't. You wait and see, Tan. He'll like it anyway because he did at Alice Springs."

"And what did you practice, Kieran, or have you got a conspiracy not to tell me?"

"I was going to tell you ages ago, Woorawa, but you all went crazy."

***