The Mindwalk Pavilion

20211116

"Bernardo Bruno has brought you all here, because each of you has some talent for what is generally termed witchcraft."

As he spoke, Iliaster scanned their faces, making eye contact if he could.

"Usually such abilities would lead to death. But he wants to use witchcraft as a weapon, and so you are here. I am tasked by him to develop your talents, and to explore what is possible. I think a useful place to begin is to find out what each of us can do."

He paused and waited to see if anyone would respond. No one did."

"Let me be clear, we are alive because it suits Master Bruno that we should be. If we fail to deliver it is a safe assumption that we will be hanged as witches, all of us, myself included. If we work together we may survive, if we don't then we will die. If you are reluctant to share, perhaps thinking this is some kind of elaborate trap then I want you start thinking in terms of self preservation. To have been noticed by Master Bruno you must already have done enough to qualify for a death sentence, you have nothing to gain by not cooperating."

He let that sink home. Iacopo raised a hand. Iliaster inclined his head towards him.

"I sometimes see colours surrounding people. They seem to tell me something about those people."

Iliaster was disappointed, this did not sound a promising start, as it was hard to envision such an ability being used against anyone.

"Did you tell someone about this?" He asked.

"My sister. She spread it around that I was a witch."

"I saved my fellow priests from a fire. The flames seem to shrink from me and did not burn me. The priests were going to hang me for it. The majority of people are terrified of witches and will betray them, or kill them without a qualm."

Iacopo said

"Yes that is true Master Iliaster."

Saskia spoke next, hesitantly as if expecting to be silenced at any moment.

"I saw spirits Master, in the woods. beautiful tree spirits, and once I saw the spirits of a river. They tried to talk to me, but I was scared and ran away, but I spoke to one of the tree spirits and she said that they are called dryads, but someone heard me and then I was beaten and then brought to Rome."

Iliaster recalled his own mistreatments at the hands of his fellows, how they had dowsed him with freezing cold water every hour believing him to be a demon who could command fire.

"What about you Gianetta? What can you do?"

"People said that I have the evil-eye."

Iliaster had heard of this, and it sounded a little more promising.

"And do you?" He asked.

"No Master Iliaster, but sometimes when I get angry, when someone has been horrible to me, then sometimes bad things happen to that person."

"Thank you Gianetta."

"I can do this."

Iliaster heard the woman's voice inside his head. His eyes widened in surprise. Looking around the table he concluded quickly that all but one of them had heard it too. Catalina looked very pleased with herself.

Such a thing had never occurred to Iliaster for he had never had anyone to communicate with in such a manner. He wondered for a moment how Catalina had learned that she could speak in the mind. For a moment he considered whether she could read minds as well, but concluded it was unlikely.

"That was unexpected Catalina. That is something we shall definitely have to explore. Can you do other things too?"

"I can protect myself from the thoughts of others, and I can give someone a headache."

Catalina was interrupted by a loud bang, that made everyone jump.

"That wasn't me." She immediately said.

A timid voice from the end of the table said quietly,

"It was me, I am haunted."

"What do you mean Hélène, how are you haunted?" Iliaster asked gently.

"There are ghosts that make noises around me, like that bang. Sometimes they throw things about, they broke Mama's cup. Once they threw me out of bed. They are cruel ghosts Master."

"Will will have to consider your ghosts carefully Hélène, perhaps they will prove helpful."

"I do not think that they will Master Iliaster, they are very mean to me."

Iliaster felt distinctly more cheerful. It seemed there were things here that he could study, maybe exploit to serve Bruno as he required.

Only Rafael had not spoken, so Iliaster addressed him next.

"Do you have something to contribute Rafael?"

"Nothing like that Master. I have some very strange dreams."

This drew Iliaster's attention, for his own dreams could also be described as very strange. Often they seemed real in some way that he couldn't put into words.

"Perhaps you will share some with us Rafael."

"If you wish Master."

"For myself, I have also had unusual dreams. When my life was in danger from a fire, I was able to somehow hold back the flames, so that we could make our escape. Sometimes a spirit speaks to me, and guides me, I have come to trust him, for he has never served me ill. One other thing, many strange coincidences happen to me, or around me. Often they are of no consequence, but they are noticeable because of their great frequency."

Iliaster added his own experiences to those of the others. He hoped that this would emphasize their commonality.

"Who amongst you can read?" He then asked.

Rafael and Catalina indicated that they could, none of the rest could. This did not greatly surprise Iliaster. Education was rarely expended on women, and the poor could not afford it whatever their gender.

"Shortly I am to have access to books that may help us. I do not know if this access will extend to you two, but I shall ask." He told Rafael and Catalina. "I am hoping that I shall find much to help us."

"What will we do in the meantime?" asked Catalina.

"Can you teach us to speak as you did?"

"I can try."

"How did you learn to do that anyway." Iliaster was keen to learn this.

Catalina's face darkened and she looked down at the table as she spoke flatly.

"I had a twin sister. We spoke like that all the time, it was our secret."

"What happened?" asked Gianetta.

"She died." There was a catch in Catalina's voice as she said this.

Sensing that this was an area too intimate for immediate exploration, Iliaster decided to steer the conversation back to practicalities.

"I believe all of us heard you speak, is that so?"

He looked around the table, and all of them confirmed that this was so.

"Which suggests that we can all communicate that way if we try."

"No, don't try." Catalina's dark eyes held his. "You have to know that you can, to believe that. If you try then you are admitting the possibility that you cannot."

Iliaster saw the sense of this. Actually he was sure that he would be able to project his own voice. It was a gut feeling, but based on having heard Spirit voices that had sounded very similar to Catalina's voice. He was sure that he wasn't hearing the words with his ears. In some way that he couldn't describe, the hearing took place insides of him.

He could see that she had recovered her composure, so he fired off another question.

"Do you have to be close to the person you speak to, or can it be done at a distance."

"We could do it at a a great distance apart."

Again he heard the stress in her voice. Somehow he had strayed back onto sensitive ground.

"That could be very useful."

"Yes." Catalina's voice was tightly controlled and devoid of emotion this time.

"Have any of you ever heard a spirit speak insides you?"

No one had. It seemed Iliaster was unique in this respect.

"I can speak to just one person. It doesn't have to be everyone."

Again Iliaster had the strange feeling of a voice heard inside him.

"I'm sure that will prove helpful, we should not assume that all we say aloud here is private."

The words had flowed easily, and Iliaster could see from the slight stiffening of her body, that Catalina had heard his response.

"Ye Gods, that was fast. I'm impressed."

"Thank you Catalina."

Aloud he said,

"Would any of you care to try." He stopped and mentally corrected himself.

"Would any of you care to join the conversation?"

Watching he saw that each of them appeared to be working on this.

"You can give someone a headache? How do you do that?" He addressed Catalina whilst waiting to hear from any of the others.

"In some ways its the same as this, I just somehow know that they will get a headache, because I want them to. Then I forget about it, because I know it will happen, I don't have to try."

Saskia's voice suddenly joined them.

"Uh, I just remembered that when the dryads spoke with me they didn't speak aloud, they spoke like this, and I was able to answer."

"Welcome to the conversation Saskia."

He saw the shy woman smile with pleasure.

"I don't think I can do this Master." said Iacopo

"I think it will come Iacopo, after all, you have only just learned that such a thing is possible."

Iacopo looked glum.

"Can you hear this Saskia?" Iliaster asked Catalina, testing to see if they could still have a private conversation."

Catalina looked confused, "I am Catalina, are you getting confused?"

Iliaster explained what he was trying, and that the manner of asking was such that if the conversation was no longer private, Saskia would not feel he was trying to exclude her.

"I have an idea. Try speaking to the others, except Saskia, one to one. It may help them."

Catalina replied that she would.

"Can you hear this Saskia?" This time Iliaster tried addressing Saskia privately.

"Yes I can Master Iliaster."

"Very good, we will be able to converse in private should the need arise."

He could see that Saskia looked pleased at this.

"This is exciting Master. I have never done anything like this before, done things deliberately."

Catalina advised him that she had tried speaking to the others, and that she was pretty sure everyone could hear, but no one had been able to reply.

Iliaster tried to speak to everyone, as Catalina had earlier. He was not sure how it worked, but it was like ordinary conversation, the intent seemed to determine the recipient or recipients.

"Can you all hear me. Respond in kind please."

"Yes." He heard Saskia and Catalina separately, but simultaneously.

"I can hear you, but you don't seem to hear me, I wonder why not."

"I can hear you Rafael, Welcome to the conversation."

Rafael broke into a big smile.

"Alright, I think we have made some progress here. Do not get disheartened if you haven't managed it yet, I am sure that everyone here can do this. We will work on it."



(NOTE HAVE Hélène ABLE TO SEND A FETCH)

Word count 1,883