"Can't argue with that."

"Tyber, quit it! You're making me laugh."

"Allow me to demonstrate. I'll need a volunteer." Several hands went up in the audience. "You there"-he pointed in their direction-"the one with the polka-dot shirt."

"Me?" Zanita squeaked.

"Yes, you. Come on up! I want to demonstrate the difference between spiritual and sexual ecstasy."

Tyber immediately stood up. "Now just a minute-"

"I assure you, sir, it's perfectly safe ecstasy." He gave Tyber a smarmy smile. The audience laughed at the double entendre.

"It's okay, Tyber." Zanita stood next to him. "Don't worry, he's not going to do anything too weird on the stage. Try and remember, we're supposed to like this guy."

Tyber wasn't convinced. He clasped her shoulders. "I don't know if I want you going up there. Who knows what he might do? I don't want him putting his hands on you."

"Will you listen to yourself!" She leaned into his chest, speaking quietly. "You sound like a... you know."

He looked perplexed. "A uno?"

"A boyfriend!" she gritted out.

Tyber dropped his hands from her shoulders. "Oh. Sorry." Zanita turned, walking jauntily up to the stage. Regardless of what I sound like, if he puts his hands on you, baby, he's dead meat.

"Hi, there." LaLeche held out his hand to her. "What's your name?"

"Zanita."

"Pretty name for a pretty lady. Tell me, Zanita, do you meditate often?"

"Um... every month."

Tyber winced at her response, but LaLeche seemed very understanding. Too understanding to Tyber's way of thinking.

"I know; sometimes it's hard to find the time in our busy days for the really important things. Now Zanita-have a seat-I want you to close your eyes and think of a white light. Do you see it?"

"Yes."

"It surrounds you. Embrace the white light."

"I thought you weren't supposed to do that."

"Whyever not, my dear?"

"In that movie, Poltergeist, they kept saying, 'Stay away from the light, Carol Ann. Stay away from the light.' " The audience laughed, thinking she was joking. LaLeche was caught off guard for a minute.

Tyber, recognizing the Zanita touch, smirked. Just wait, buddy, it's only the beginning.

"Yes, well, that was Hollywood and this is reality. You can trust me; let the light surround you."

"Okay; I'm surrounded."

"Er... good. Now I want you to meditate on scenes involving outer and inner self. When you breathe in, say inside; when you breathe out, say outside. This will help you to focus, to image."

"Okay. Inside. Outside..." Zanita performed the exercise, her breathing getting deeper, her voice breathy. "... inside... outside..."

Tyber looked around the audience, particularly at the male members, noticing that some of them were beginning to sweat. He crossed his arms and stared at the stage, watching LaLeche like a hawk.

"You see, sometimes an attunement can be as erotic as an actual sexual experience."

"Inside... outside..."

LaLeche put his hand on her shoulder. "That's fine, my dear. You can go back to your seat now."

When she reached Tyber's side, he noted that several men were watching her with speculative looks in their eyes. The pirate captain in him impaled them one by one with an appropriately icy glare. Their attentions skittered away like bilge rats.

"That was pretty impressive." He put his arm around her shoulders. "Fine piece of acting up there, Curls."

"Who was acting?" She fanned herself. "I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof!"

He grinned. "You wanna go outside? Pick-up's got an eight-foot bed."

"Cut it out. Next time you're the guinea pig. So what do you think so far? Genuine or not?"

"Not."

"Because you don't think there's anything to this healing stuff?"

"No, actually I think there might be something to psychic healing. But not this guy."

"Why?"

"He's too slimy."

Chapter Six.

"The audience seemed pretty impressed with him."

"He has an impressive stage presence; but then, most charlatans do."

They were once again in Big Red, making the long drive back to Tyber's house. Unfortunately, it was through dark back-country roads.

"I'm glad you're driving; I'm beat." Zanita yawned.

"Long day."

"Long night." She yawned again.

"If you noticed-his topics were very general in this seminar. On the handout they gave us, it says he'll be appearing next Friday at the South Town meeting center. Much smaller room. I have the feeling that performance won't be advertised."

"How come?"

"I think he filters through his audience until he gets the group he's looking for. On Friday, you'll see another gleaning."

"Looking for the most devoted?"

"That; and the most malleable."

"How'd you get to be so smart?" She playfully pulled a hank of his hair.

"I ate my vegetables when I was a little boy."

She peered disbelievingly at him in the dark confines of the truck's cab. "You were once a little boy?"

"Well, not really."

"I didn't think so."

"After he separates the next group out, you'll probably see something like an 'invitation only' demonstration."

"Think we'll make the break?"

"Yup."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Two reasons: first, he liked you." He threw her a slightly disgruntled look. "A lot."

"How do you know that?"

Tyber sighed deeply. "I know."

"What, is this like a man thing?" Zanita folded her arms across her chest, put out by the ridiculous assertion.

"Yes. Believe me; he liked you."

"Uh-huh. What's the second reason?"

"He recognized me."

Zanita sat forward in her seat. "How can you be sure?"

"I had my suspicions when his glance strayed my way once too often; I knew it for sure the instant he chose you from the audience."

She exhaled. "Does this blow our cover?"

"Not completely. He has no reason to be suspicious of you; as far as he's concerned you were just with me. He's probably as curious as hell as to why I was there."

"What are we going to say?"

"At the next meeting, when he contrives to meet with us, I'll tell him the truth-that I'm very interested in all aspects of psychic healing."

"What makes you think that will be enough to get an invitation to these inner circle meetings?"

"He won't be able to resist the bait. My name in any connection with his would instantly give him mainstream credibility. He will do everything in his power to lure me."

"God, you make him sound like a vampire or something."

"He is. But instead of blood, he sucks the hope, the money, and the spirit out of people who believe in him. People go to him with a pure desire to enhance their spirit; instead, he drains it away. I want to nail him, Zanita."

She knew how Tyber felt; she had felt the same way when she found out about Mrs. Haverhill. She put her hand on his shoulder. "We will."

"Are you cold, baby? Should I put the heat on?"

"A little." She yawned again, stretching her now bare feet to the heater under the dash. "Mmmm, that feels good."

"Only another ninety minutes to go; we should be home about one-thirty. I wonder what kind of sandwiches Blooey left us. I'm hungry now-how about you?"

Somehow he wasn't surprised when he received no response. Zanita had, of course, already fallen asleep.

Blooey had left the porch light on for them.

Tyber made his way around the truck to Zanita's side, gently lifting her out of the cab.

"Mgphm..."

"Shh. It's okay." Tyber carried her up the stairs onto the porch.

When he inserted his key into the lock, she sleepily asked, "What is it? The Hogs?"

What was this with the hogs? "No, baby, go back to sleep."

He grabbed a sandwich off the kitchen table with one hand, holding Zanita with the other. He devoured it as he climbed the stairs with her. Once in his bedroom, he quickly undressed them both, put her into bed, put himself into bed, took her in his arms... and immediately fell asleep.

He was already inside her when he woke up.

He didn't remember how it had happened, but he had a pretty good idea. Zanita had done something to him from the minute he laid eyes on her. He knew it; and his subconscious knew it, too. How would she react? He decided to tip the scales in his favor.

Zanita's eyelids were just fluttering open in confusion as Tyber lowered his head, joining their mouths as well.

"Good morning." His eyes sparkled slumberously down on hers as he readjusted his fit in her.