The Golden Telescope

4 - EAVES DROPPING

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

"And why am I supposed to care?" Ethan asked, glaring indignantly at the man standing in the doorway, posing as his father. "This has nothing to do with me," he turned his attention to the glowing blue ring on the man's right hand.

"That's where you're wrong, son. It has everything to do with you," Thaddeus crossed the room to sit on the bed next to the angry thirteen-year-old.

Thaddeus O'Brien could see so much of himself in this kid. Tall for his age and muscular, with thick, wavy, black hair he wore almost down to his shoulders. His piercing sapphire-blue eyes were framed by long lashes that any woman would envy. He was self-confident and defiant, with no respect for authority. Amazing that the boy wasn't his biological child. Because Ethan seemed, in so many ways, like a chip off the old block.

And that was part of what worried him.

Thaddeus knew what a handful he, himself, had been as a teenager, and he didn't have the powers and abilities that Ethan had.

It was into this scene that Arthur materialized, invisible to Ethan and Thaddeus. He stood, quietly observing the two, from his position in the far corner of the room.

"I don't give a rat's tail about some stupid cult who wants to use my abilities to their advantage," Ethan picked up a cell phone from the nightstand and began swiping his finger across the screen.

"You should give a rat's tail," countered Thaddeus. "These people have immense power and influence in the world. They can get you things. Things that most regular people don't even dream of."

Thaddeus watched the boy pause over his phone. They both knew that Ethan's abilities would not be easily bought, and though Ethan would not name a price, curiosity is what led him to glance up.

"What kind of things?" Ethan asked, his voice deceptively light.

Thaddeus smiled. "Anything you can imagine, really. Cars, clothes, houses, boats, jewels, which means girls. Whatever you want." Thaddeus tried to keep from sounding like he was bribing the kid.

"Yeah, ok, that sounds all nice and good. But," He looked up again, suspiciously squinting his eyes in the older man's direction, "what do they want from me in return? What do I have to do for them?"

Thaddeus paused, licking his lips, allowing his gaze to wander across the bedspread.

"Not that much, really..." He finally said —it was a white lie. "They want to consult with you from time to time. Have you peek into a few specific individual's thoughts and provide certain insights. That's pretty much it." With each word spoken, he watched Ethan's face to see how he would respond.

Hard, cold, unfeeling. That's how he responded.

Ethan sat there, his piercing gaze looking right through Thaddeus for at least a full minute before speaking.

"So, let's say I was interested...I need more details before I'd be willing to sell my soul to the devil, you know. How does this work?" Ethan stood and walked to the window, overlooking a large, well-manicured lawn.

"I will make contact and let them know you want to learn more." Thaddeus spoke to Ethan's back. "They will then schedule a visit, and you, your mother, and I would make the trip to Sweden. They will wine you and dine you and show you the kind of lifestyle they can provide. By the time a week or so goes by, you will be free to decide for yourself whether you want to participate or not."

There was a moment of silence before Ethan responded.

"That guy down there wants to punch his best friend in the face. He found out he's been secretly dating his girlfriend," Ethan said almost absent-mindedly, then turned around to face his uncle once again. "Sometimes, I really hate that I can read people's thoughts. So, what if I decide I don't want to participate—what then? Are you trying to tell me these freaks with all this power won't mind if I don't go along with their plans? Doesn't seem bloody likely to me."