Mind Over Matter

thing. Using these, it’s possible to determine chance and what goes beyond chance. That is, withtwo colors, it’s naturally a fifty-fifty proposition. If a subject hits the colors fifty percent of the time, it’s accepted as chance. If a subject hits sixty percent, then it’s ten percent over chance.”
    “It sounds relatively simple.”
    “With colors alone, yes. The shapes alter that. With, say, twenty-five cards in a run, the tester is able to determine by the number of hits, or correct answers, how much over chance the subject guessed. If the subject hits fifteen times out of twenty-five, it can be assumed the subject’s ESP abilities are highly tuned.”
    “She’s very good,” David murmured.
    “Damned right she is.” A.J. folded her arms and tried not to be annoyed. This was Clarissa’s business, and no one knew it better.
    “Could you explain how it works—for you, that is?” Alex idly shuffled the pack of cards as he spoke to her. “Do you get a feeling when a card is held up?”
    “A picture,” Clarissa corrected. “One gets a picture.”
    “Are you saying you get an actual picture of the card?”
    “An actual picture can be held in your hand.” She smiled at him patiently. “I’m sure you read a great deal, Mr. Marshall.”
    “Yes, I do.”
    “When you read, the words, the phrasings make pictures in your head. This is very similar to that.”
    “I see.” His doubt was obvious, and to David, the perfect reaction. “That’s imagination.”
    “ESP requires a control of the imagination and a sharpening of concentration.”
    “Can anyone do this?”
    “That’s something that’s still being researched. There are some who feel ESP can be learned. Others believe psychics are born. My own opinion falls in between.”
    “Can you explain?”
    “I think every one of us has certain talents or abilities, and the degree to which they’re developed and used depends on the individual. It’s possible to block these abilities. It’s more usual, I think, to simply ignore them so that they never come into question.”
    “Your abilities have been documented. We’d like to give an impromptu demonstration here, with your cooperation.”
    “Of course.”
    “This is an ordinary deck of playing cards. One of the crew purchased them this morning, and you haven’t handled them. Is that right?”
    “No, I haven’t. I’m not very clever with games.” She smiled, half apologetic, half amused, and delighted the director.
    “Now if I pick a card and hold it like this.” Alex pulled one from the middle of the deck and held its back to her. “Can you tell me what it is?”
    “No.” Her smile never faded as the director started to signal to stop the tape. “You’ll have to look at the card, Mr. Marshall, think of it, actually try to picture it in your mind.” As the tape continued to roll, Alex nodded and obliged her. “I’m afraid you’re not concentrating very hard, but it’s a red card. That’s better.” She beamed at him. “Nine of diamonds.”
    The camera caught the surprise on his face before he turned the card over. Nine of diamonds. He pulled a second card and repeated the process. When they reached the third, Clarissa stopped, frowning.
    “You’re trying to confuse me by thinking of a card other than the one in your hand. It blurs things a bit, but the ten of clubs comes through stronger.”
    “Fascinating,” Alex murmured as he turned over the ten of clubs. “Really fascinating.”
    “I’m afraid this sort of thing is often no more than a parlorgame,” Clarissa corrected. “A clever mentalist can do nearly the same thing—in a different way, of course.”
    “You’re saying it’s a trick.”
    “I’m saying it can be. I’m not good at tricks myself, so I don’t try them, but I can appreciate a good show.”
    “You started your career by reading palms.” Alex set down the cards, not entirely sure of himself.
    “A long time ago. Technically anyone can read a palm, interpret the lines.” She held hers out to him. “Lines that represent finance, emotion, length of life. A good book out of the library will tell you exactly what to look for and how to find it. A sensitive doesn’t actually read a palm so much as absorb feelings.”
    Charmed, but far from sold, Alex held out his. “I don’t quite see how you could absorb feelings by looking at the palm of my hand.”
    “You transmit them,” she told him. “Just as you transmit everything else, your