Coming Into His Own Ch. 05

Thomas nodded silently, awed by the efficiency the solicitor showed in handling Thomas' affairs, as well as the level of knowledge the firm seemed to have about his other legal arrangements. The monitor flickered for a moment as it was switched from DVD to video conferencing, and soon Big Jim's face filled the screen.

"Good morning, Mr. Carnahan. I trust that you have had ample opportunity to review the financials for the elder Mr. Crawford's estate?"

Jim nodded to Mr. Browne, then turned his attention to Thomas. "Son, I think I'm going to have to increase my fees after looking at these numbers!" Jim chuckled at Thomas' expression, then continued. "You remember how you were surprised at the numbers I showed you? Well, to put it mildly, son, 'You ain't seen nothing yet!' As to the accuracy of the financials, I had our auditors go over everything with a fine-toothed comb, and it is legitimate. I won't steal Mr. Browne's thunder, so I'm going to go back to bed for a while, and dream about my increase in retainer." Jim winked at Thomas to let him know that he was kidding about the additional fees, then signed off the video conference.

Mr. Browne turned to Thomas. "If you wish to go over all the details of the financial report, dear boy, we can do so. It would add considerably to the length of the meeting, as your grandfather's holdings were ... substantial ... to say the least. On the other hand, if you are willing to take Mr. Carnahan's evaluation as accurate, we can get past the specifics, and move on to the main portion of Ethan's legacy."

Thomas trusted Big Jim implicitly, so he felt no need to go over the intricate details. "I think we can bypass the accounting class. The main reason I made the trip was to learn more about this ring, about my grandfather, and about thisVálasztottthing. I've been getting migraines, and really strange things have been happening. Grandpa's note to me said that you would be able to help me with all this, so please, help me before I lose my mind."

Mr. Browne glanced at Harry, who nodded in response, then turned his attention back to Thomas. "I understand that you asked that Angelica be permitted to stay with you while we discussed Ethan's estate. I presume, from the way she referred to you as Master, that there have been some significant changes that have happened to her since meeting you." Thomas nodded his agreement, wanting to learn what he could about these changes. "I also presume that some of these changes have come as a shock to you. That is not surprising at all. Ethan had hoped that you would have been better prepared for this, but many things prevented him from being able to see to that preparation personally."

"Let me start with an explanation of the termVálasztott. The word is Hungarian in origin, and quite simply means 'Chosen'. It is a term that has been used to refer to men and women throughout the ages that have displayed great intellect coupled with great power. These people are often called polymaths by those that do not understand the power that lies within these individuals. While it is true that many polymaths, or Renaissance men, have beenVálasztott, there are many more that were simply men of great knowledge without the accompaniment of power. There have always been a handful ofVálasztottthroughout the ages, and as the population of the world increased, so did the number ofVálasztott. In time, they began to seek each other out for companionship, as people of like interests and abilities have always done."

Mr. Browne paused for a moment to look at Thomas. "As these small communities began to appear, it was only natural that families would form. After a few generations, some of these families began to see that their children all possessed a degree of power. In earlier centuries, the birth of aVálasztottwas a rare and unpredictable thing; now it was a matter of the bloodline. Your family is one of the ones where each new generation had a newVálasztott. With abilities that would frighten many of the leaders of the world, the early communities agreed that it was wisest to limit the size of families to a single child. This would ensure that the resources of the community to educate and guide the next generation would not be overburdened."

"The powers that aVálasztottpossesses vary in intensity, depending on their bloodline. You have already noticed that you are able to influence others with your thoughts. That influence is one of the primary abilities that aVálasztotthas. Another is being able to learn things quickly, and retain that information, much akin to what is called eidetic memory. The ability that is currently giving you the most trouble -- the reason for your migraines -- is the ability to hear the thoughts of others. The ring that your grandfather gave you awakened your dormant abilities, and it also shielded you from being bombarded by every random thought of every person around you. Many untrainedVálasztott, primarily in older generations, either went insane, or were believed to be insane, because of all the 'voices in their head'. It has been the duty of the older generation to instruct each newVálasztotton how to shield their minds from receiving every thought around them, and learn to tune in on only those thoughts they wish to hear."

"As your grandfather is not able to provide you that training, and your father rejected his birthright and would not teach you, it falls to me to give you the instruction you should have gotten years before your abilities were awakened. I want you to reach out with your thoughts to me, as you did to Harry on the ride from the airport, and tell me that you are ready to learn."

Thomas sat, rather dumbfounded, having absorbed the knowledge from Mr. Browne's speech, but still adjusting to all the implications and emotions that it imparted. All of what he had heard so far was well beyond anything that Thomas could have imagined.Well, at least I know I'm not going crazy. OK, Alex, I'm as ready as I'll ever be to find out what's going on with me.As soon as that thought was formed, Thomas felt as though someone had opened the floodgates to his mind, as images and concepts poured into him. He felt and saw generation after generation of children being taught how to shield their minds, how to reach out with a thought and listen to the mind of another, and how to craft an idea to implant in another's mind. Thomas felt ill as he saw how his heavy-handed thoughts had imprinted on Angie, how her mind had taken his influence and incorporated it in the only way she could. As the flow of information slowed and stopped, Thomas reached out mentally to Angie, testing what he had just learned.

Thomas found her thoughts, and began to scan through them, trying to see what he had done to her, and if he could correct it.Angie, I want you to think back to before you met me, and show me what your life was like.The images that Thomas began to see from Angie's thoughts were ones of devotion and submission, being a servant to a shadowy, imposing figure of power, being used for the sexual gratification of another and finding joy in that use. He wasn't positive, but Thomas believed that these represented fantasies that Angie had held, and when he began to meddle with her thoughts in his inexperienced fashion, Angie's mind incorporated these fantasies into the instructions he gave her.At least that explains why she made the leap to calling me Master.

Thomas withdrew his thoughts from Angie, and looked at Mr. Browne. "Are you telling me, Alex, that this is permanent for her?"