Heiser-The-Facade - Sparkling Eyes

chair."Easy, Andrew!" Neil beckoned, and restrained him. "She isn't being hurt; it onlylooks bad because she tried to resist.""Listen to yourself!" the priest scolded him angrily. The commotion did notappear to faze Adam in the least."Look!" Melissa tried to get Andrew's attention. He turned just in time to seeDeidre's body relax, a sorrowful but calm look on her face. A tear trickled down hercheek. She nodded in agreement to an unheard question."Thank you," Deidre said unconsciously in a subdued voice. A few of the room'soccupants exchanged bewildered glances. The confusion was not missed by the creature,which suddenly turned his attention to the opposite side of the table, briefly scanningMark and Neil, both of whom made every attempt to submit to the process. It wasn't clearwhether there was any intercourse between either of them and Adam, for the latterquickly moved on to Father Benedict, who was an altogether different kind of subject."Where do you come from?" the priest asked aloud for all to hear. Adam gazed atthe elderly face for a few seconds. Father Benedict's face took on a troubled appearance,creases of anxiety stretching across his brow. "How old are you? What is love? How didyou get here? Who is your God?" the priest unhesitatingly peppered him. Brian wasstruck by Father Benedict's seemingly fragmented line of questioning. He watched theold man's face carefully for some hint of emotion, some disclosure of what was goingthrough either his mind or Adam's, but there was nothing. The encounter ended withAdam simply turning aside, as though he'd lost interest.Brian watched with a weird mixture of horror and exhilaration as Adam divertedhis gaze to himself and Melissa. For several seconds the gray being glanced from one tothe other, then inexplicably looked back over his shoulder at the Colonel, who offered novisible response.Melissa abruptly let out a startled gasp and grabbed the arms of her chair. Adamwas reading her, though his vision was still directed at the Colonel. Melissa graduallyrelaxed, a serene expression forming on her face. She seemed at peace, almost enjoyingthe experience. Again, there was no hint of conversation.Brian suddenly felt Adam's mind probing his own, filling his consciousness withflashes of his past, things long forgotten as well as things unforgettable. He had thesensation of falling, but could still feel his physical surroundings. He closed his eyes;somehow doing so helped ease the sensation. The presence in his skull was benign, notthreatening; inquisitive, but not invasive; intense, but not sinister. Then a voicepenetrated the inner silence.Do not be afraid.I'm not, Brian thought back.Your arm—are you in pain?Sometimes . . . not now.How was it injured?Rather than use words, Brian tried to recreate the events of the attack in his mindas best he could, following the Colonel's advice. Adam remained completely passive,apparently unmoved by the gruesome, violent event. Then, as quickly as his mind hadbeen seized, it was released. Brian slowly opened his eyes and found himself face to facewith Adam, his eerie countenance only inches from his own, having advanced to where258