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she was with him, she'd make every effort to open his eyes to

people reality as opposed to physicist reality, whatever that was. Over a

hundred dollars for lunch! No wonder this entropy thing kept growing! It was

being fueled by the very physicists who discovered it.

The waiter brought some croissants and their wine, pouring a small amount out

for Tyber, who tasted it and nodded. After he finished pouring their wine, the

waiter left them to their conversation. Zanita picked up her glass and relaxed

back in her chair.

"Do you think we'll survive all those hours of intense healing today?" Zanita

smiled at Tyber, at ease once again now that they were back onto a subject she

was comfortable with.

"We can only hope. Remind me to bring an extra blanket in the truck tonight—it's

going to be cold in that shack in the woods, and probably damp as well. I heard

the weather report earlier and they're forecasting a cold rain tonight, with

frost in some low-lying areas. I don't want you getting sick again."

Just the thought of the cold made Zanita shiver. Until she remembered how well

he had kept her warm last night at the cabin. "Will you promise to keep me warm

like you did last night?"

The corners of his mouth twitched. "As long as you promise not to pinch my thigh

again under the blankets. You almost got me in a relevant area."

"Don't be silly; I pinched you just above your knee."

He raised his eyebrow arrogantly.

"You wish," she scoffed.

He grinned back at her.

"Do we have a plan for this evening?" she asked. "Do you know what we're looking

for?" The waiter brought their meal.

Tyber tasted his lobster pie, pausing to answer her. "Yes, we do. I think he'll

take us through some more of those exercises of his during the day, getting us

all to open up some more—although I suspect that our happy fellow campers at the

cabin have already done just that."

Zanita's eyes opened wide; she leaned forward in her seat. "Do you really think

so? Like who?" She unconsciously sipped her wine. "You know, this wine is really

good," she murmured distractedly, her mind more on the lurid details of partner

exchanging than the bouquet of the drink.

A dimple popped into his cheek. He regarded her for a moment as if she were the

answer to an equation he had just written. "You'll see when we get there. I have

a feeling that tonight will be the night he does something—what I don't know

yet—to cinch the hefty donations he's trying to get for this weekend."

"Donations?" Zanita slapped her forehead. She hadn't thought about donations.

"Do you think we can get out of that by snowing him—you know, sound like we

offer him the chance of more money in the future, etc.?"

"I doubt it. Never kid a kidder and all that. That's not a problem; don't worry

about it. I have to admit I'm curious to see just what he comes up with. After

all, neither the FBI nor local authorities have been able to get anything on

this guy that will stick."

"You think it will be tonight, huh? Not tomorrow?"

"No. Definitely tonight. In the darkness of night, when people have a tendency

to suspend some of their hard and fast beliefs."

When they arrived at the cabin, everyone was eager to start the day's session.

Zanita was fascinated by the sudden closeness between Kim and John. Apparently,

not having succeeded with her and Tyber, they had consoled each other during the

night. She turned to catch Tyber's eye, trying very hard not to stick her tongue

out at him when he gave her a look that indicated he was not in the least

surprised.

LaLeche began the session, adopting the mien of a man who has a great deal of

serious knowledge to impart. Once again, Tyber was right. He led them quickly

through exercise after exercise, breaking down the barriers between them as he

coaxed them to reveal their innermost thoughts and fears. It was not an easy

thing to participate in the session while still maintaining a separateness.

Zanita tried to temper her responses, hoping she wasn't revealing too much of

herself, while at the same time making it appear as if she were totally engaged

in the experience. It seemed Tyber was more successful at it than she was; it

was difficult for her to tell when he was being honest and when he was baffling

the group with B.S. At one point, during a brief break, he leaned over to

whisper a warning in her ear.

"Be careful what you reveal to him of yourself; he will use it against you at a

later time. You don't want to give him any power over you."

"I know, I already thought of that; I'll try to be more careful. Did you really

read The Importance Of Being Earnest when you were three years old?" She

whispered back.

Tyber contemplated her from beneath lowered lids, choosing not to respond. It

was one of the traits that both infuriated and fascinated her about him; he knew

exactly how to yank her chain. She unconsciously hunched her shoulders in

annoyance, missing the flash of roguish amusement which lit his eyes.

"Now, I want everyone to sit in a circle again." LaLeche sat down Indian style

in the middle of the ring they were forming. A cold drizzle was already falling

in the dreary late afternoon.

LaLeche instructed Eric and Ralph to cover the two small windows with some

blankets to block out what was left of waning daylight. Well, Zanita marveled,

Tyber had foreseen that tactic as well; it seemed LaLeche wanted to get them

into inhibition-freeing darkness as quickly as possible.

When everyone was settled, LaLeche inserted a cassette into the tape player.

Chirping birds and gurgling water issued forth amidst the tuneless meditation

music. Zanita instantly relaxed to the point of drowsiness. She felt Tyber's

elbow jab her in the side.

"No snoozing on the job," he mouthed in her ear.

"Everyone join hands; we're going to have a meditation circle. I want you all to

take a deep breath just like I taught you this morning. Breathe into your

stomach, to your center of power. Hold… feel your breath… release. Again. Now

close your eyes and relax each muscle of your body starting with the top of your

head and working