Eye of the Beholder

lately."
    He smiled ruefully. "I know that to those who have not yet found their own touchstones of power, people like me can be a source of amusement."
    She was instantly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I never meant to imply that you were funny. I mean—"
    "It's all right." He gave her a self-deprecating grin. "I don't mind. What the heck, if the bottom ever falls out of the metaphysical business, I can always get a job as a stand-up comedian."
    Alexa relaxed slightly. "Sorry. I get a little nervous around gurus."
    Webster's smile faded. He gave her a troubled look. "I don't consider myself a guru, you know. I'm only trying to help others find some of the inner peace that I, myself, have found here in the red rock country around Avalon."
    "Sure," she said quickly.
    "But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I heard about what happened last night at the Red Canyon Country Club."
    "I'm beginning to think that there's not a single person left in town who doesn't know that I went out to dinner with Trask."
    "Please believe me when I say that I am speaking up only because I am genuinely concerned. Joanna tells me that Vivien and Lloyd Kenyon are out of town. They may not have told you that there's a history between Trask and Lloyd."
    Alexa angled her chin. "I'm well aware of what happened twelve years ago. I don't want to discuss it."
    Webster made a face. "I guess that puts me in I my place."
    "I'm sorry. I don't wish to be rude, but I really don't think that there's anything to be gained by rehashing old gossip."
    "I could not agree with you more, Alexa. Gossip is, generally speaking, an extremely negative force.
    "What worries me is that Trask may have returned to Avalon to reopen the past. It's possible he believes that he can use you to accomplish his ends."
    "I appreciate your concern," Alexa said stiffly.
    "But it's none of my business, right?" Webster gave her an oblique smile. "All right, I'll shut up about it. But please allow me to pass along an ancient bit of metaphysical wisdom."
    "What's that?"
    Webster leaned in very close and lowered his voice. "Watch your ass around Trask."
    He straightened quickly. Ignoring Alexa's widened eyes, he raised a hand in casual farewell to Dylan. Then, with a wink, he walked out the door. Alexa managed to get her mouth closed. She waited until Dylan's customers had left before she carried her copy of Living the Dimensions Way to the counter.
    "Don't tell me, let me guess." Dylan gave her a meaningful look as he took the book from her hand. "Webster gave out a little fatherly advice?"
    "How did you know?"
    "Get real." He punched in the numbers on the cash register. "Everyone knows about you and Trask at the country club last night. And about the fight between Guthrie and Trask later."
    "There was no fight. Trask chased off a couple of would-be muggers and had a few words with Guthrie. That was all there was to it." She wondered how many more times she would have to tell the story.
    "Whatever you say." Dylan gave her an assessing glance. "For what it's worth, my advice would be to steer clear of Trask."
    "I seem to be getting that advice a lot today." Alexa hesitated. "Dylan, were you living here in Avalon twelve years ago?"
    "Sure was." Dylan slipped the book into a paper sack. "I ran the bookshop up at the Institute in those days."
    "No kidding? You worked for Webster Bell?"
    "What's so strange about that? Until the resort opened, Dimensions was always the largest employer in Avalon." Dylan set the sack aside and folded his elbows on the counter. "It was Webster who encouraged me to open Spheres a few years ago. He urged me to stretch and grow both personally and professionally. I'll always be grateful to him."
    "He seems nice enough, and I'm fond of Joanna, but I've got to admit that I've been put off by the guru thing. Career-wise it's a little too close to televangelism and carnival huckstering for my taste."
    Dylan smiled. "There's always been a lot of the phony stuff going around because there's money involved in metaphysics. But with Bell it's the real thing. People respond to him. You saw some of the folks who came to buy his book today. He can touch them. He makes a difference in their lives."
    "Joanna tells me that the retreat here in Avalon has been so successful, Webster's going to open another one near Santa Fe ."
    "It's true." Dylan contemplated the shady scene out in front of his shop. "The man's got a mission. Since his wife died twenty years ago he's focused all