"That's all a little deep for me."

He ran his hand gently over her hair before he bent down to hook up cables.

The gesture, the simple gentleness of it, loosened every muscle in her body.

"Have you ever been hypnotized?"

Just as that question tightened all her muscles up again. "No. Why?"

He glanced back at her. Briefly, casually. "I'd like to try it. I'm licensed."

"You didn't do that weird stuff with Nell."

"I'll ignore the wordweird . No, I didn't use hypnosis with Nell. I didn't want to push it. But you and I have a different relationship and, I like to think, a different level of trust. I wouldn't hurt you."

"I know that. It probably wouldn't work on me, anyway."

"That's part of what I'd like to see. It's a simple process, based on relaxation techniques, and perfectly safe."

"I'm not afraid-"

"Good. Why don't you lie down?"

"Just wait." Panic ticked at her throat. "How come you can't just follow the same routine you did downstairs with Nell before dinner?"

"I could. I'd like to add a few tests, if you're willing. First, I'm interested in seeing if your gift makes you more, or less, susceptible to hypnosis. And if you can be hypnotized, if you're able to demonstrate power in that state."

"Have you considered that in that state I might not have perfect control?"

He nodded absently while he nudged her back on the bed. "That would be interesting, wouldn't it?"

"Interesting. Jesus. You'll recall that Mia fried one of your toys when she was a little miffed."

"That was cool. But she didn't hurt me," he reminded Ripley. "And neither will you. I'm just going to hook you up now. I explained what the machines are for."

"Yeah, yeah."

"You need to lose the sweater."

She glanced toward the camera, smirked. "So do you and your fellow geeks watch these tapes at stag parties?"

"Absolutely. Nothing like watching a video of a half-naked woman to break up the tedium of lab work." He kissed her forehead before affixing the first electrode. "But I'll keep this one in my private collection."

He took her through the same steps as he had Nell. Casual questions, monitoring and recording her resting vital signs. There was a slight shift when he asked her to do a small, basic spell. Anxiety, he noted. She wasn't completely comfortable opening herself to power.

But she obliged, and the lights in the adjoining bath switched off and on rapidly.

"I used to do that when Zack was in the shower, when we were kids," she said. "Just to piss him off."

"Give me something bigger, more demanding." Her heart rate was up more than Nell's had been. Anxiety again, he decided. But the brain-wave patterns were remarkably similar.

She cupped her hands, lifted them. He saw the ball of light glow, then shoot up to the ceiling. Another followed, still another. As he watched them take position, he grinned.

"It's a baseball field. Infield, outfield, nine players."

"Batter up," she said and sent another light into her batter's box. "I used to do this as a kid, too." And had missed it, she realized. "When I couldn't sleep, or didn't want to. Let's see how he likes a fastball."

Another light, small and blue, shot out from the pitcher's mound. There was a snap of sound, a burst of streaming light. "Yes! Base hit, deep right field. Let's stretch it into a triple."

Forgetting his machines, Mac sat on the foot of the bed and watched, marvelously entertained, as she played through an entire inning.

"Keep it going," he urged. "How old were you when you first recognized and used your gift?"

"I don't know. It just always seemed to be there. Double play, smooth as silk."

"Do you ever play on a terrestrial field?"

"Sure. Hot corner-I've got great hands. You?"

"No. Too clumsy. Divide eighty-four by twelve."

"Struck him out! And the side retires. Divide what? That's math. I hate math." Her brow furrowed. "You didn't say there was going to be a quiz."

"Give it a shot," he told her and rose again to check the readings.

"Twelve's one of the sucky ones. Hanging curveball, low and outside. It's six, no, wait. Damn it. Seven, seven times two is fourteen, and carry the deal to the other deal. Seven. So what?"

Excitement trickled through him, but all that showed in his voice was amusement. "So you strained your left brain a bit, but maintained the pattern."

She breezed through the backward alphabet. He wasn't entirely sure what that said about her mind or her personality, but her readings remained high and steady. "Okay, close the spell."

"But I've got a man out and a man on."

"We'll pick it up later."

"This is starting to feel like school," she complained, but opened her hands again and drew the lights down, extinguished them.

"I need you to relax again. Breathe in through your nose, out gently through your mouth. Slow, deep breaths."

Ready to pout about the game delay, she looked over at him. And saw what Nell had seen. Cool, calm control. "I'm relaxed enough."

"Breathe, Ripley. Count the beats. Slow, deep, easy."

He sat on the side of the bed with her, checked her pulse with his fingers. "Relax your toes."

"My what?"

"Your toes. Let your toes relax, let all the tension slide out."