Amateur

Armand took off his blindfold and the audience applauded loud and long. The absorbed enthusiasm for his performance replenished his confidence. All doubts about his work as a performing artist melted away. He kept reliving the end of last week's performance. It felt good to be back in the show. Hopefully tonight's show would be just as good.

One thing kept troubling his mind. The nightmare he'd had last night made it hard for him to concentrate. Getting up to use the restroom as everyone else had was even more disturbing. And who was this “Nepal” he was going to meet?

The nightmare began simply as an ocean voyage to some tropical island. It promised to be a good dream, but as soon as the sail was up, the sky turned dark and the waves began to crash. It was horrible from that moment on. Nepal kept asking, “how do you steer this?” Armand had never sailed in his life, but in this dream he knew all about sailing. He tried to explain it to Nepal, but the waves kept knocking him over and the wind made talking ineffective.

The dream was clear enough to him. Nepal was someone he was to meet with and teach. The rest of it was as clear as his blindfold. Well, if this is going to happen, I'd best get in touch with him. Armand pulled out an old board with peg inserts. He picked them out and closed his eyes. He focused on the holes and inserted pegs as quickly as he could find them without looking. When he was done, he felt satisfied his mind was clear enough for the task ahead.

“Nepal,” he said aloud. “Calling Nepal.” He felt absurd every time he did this, but it usually worked with the image of them in his mind .

A faint almost audible buzzing at the back of his imagination got louder. It built in strength and a voice came through so loud he covered his ears, as if that would block out a loud voice that was only in his head. “Hello? Who is this?” asked the booming voice.

Armand got the impression the guy on the other end was thinking he was on a telephone. That's when he realized at he had to get this guy some help. “Why do I get the amateurs?”

Nepal asked, “what?”

“Hi Nepal. Do you know who I am?”

Armand felt a pressure in his mind. An intruder. Nepal was clumsily rummaging around for Armand's identity. “My name is Armand. Would you like some help finding it in there?”

Another pressure, this one more precise and not at all clumsy, penetrated his psyche. It was almost painful, but it soon stopped.

“Armand, I am Etten,” came a second mind. “Sorry for the intrusion, but you contacted us.”

“I was trying to help...”

“Yes, you were. And I would appreciate it if you would meet us in person.”

As soon as Armand agreed, the air shimmered and he found himself in a different room surrounded by people he did not recognize save Nepal. “I'm here. What can I do you for?” Armand tried to sound pleasant.

“Your timing is incredible,” Dru said. His voice suspicious.

“Not anymore incredible than what you just did,” Armand was looking about the room. This was real. He was transported to this place. Who knows where?

“You've trained new psychics, and now you are looking for Nepal?” Etten asked.

“That's it in a nutshell,” Armand admitted.

“How?” Nepal asked. “How'd you know I needed training?”

Armand considered the question. It was something he got used to doing. He'd get a feeling and a dream. The next thing he'd be doing is showing someone else how to tap into their potential. “It was meant to be,” he said. It was lame, but what else could he say? “I've been at this for years. It happens two or three times a year, and I help the new guys and gals get used the underworld.”

“Underworld?” Dru scoffed. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“No offense, but the world we live in isn't exactly on top,” Armand defended his remark.

Jueqel interrupted before Dru could speak. “Semantics. Drop it. We have more pressing thing to get done.” He turned to Etten and said, “I don't like the idea of you bringing in psychics off the street. We've compromised enough already.”

“Hey,” Armand objected. “I'm not some street psychic. I'm a trainer.”

Jueqel cut him off and went clinical, “excuse me. No offense was meant. Street psychics is a term we use for your kind. You refer to yourself as a Trainer, did you say?”

Armand did take offense, and told them as much.

“Semantics!” Dru snapped, “I do not live in the underworld.”

Well, they had him there. “I get your point. I'm here to help. Nepal, this is unusual. I'm used to someone with a little less strength behind their abilities.”

“Can we speed this along?” Dru said impatient.

Jueqel put up his hand and said, “you're right. We have to go.”

Nepal cried out, “aren't I going with you?”

Jueqel laughed, “no. I don't think you can be of much use just yet. You're still learning. This man here will show you the ropes. Take it slow, but I'm sure you will learn quickly. The longer we put this off the more people are going to get hurt.”

Armand was alarmed at these words, “people are getting hurt? What do you guys do around here? You are pretending to be superheros or anything like that, are you?”

Jueqel rolled his eyes, “this is House Thero.”

This was unexpected, and Armand hoped it didn't show on his face, but it did, he knew. “I see.”

Jueqel pointed to Sherry, “she is in charge here.”

Sherry squeaked.

Jueqel had always wanted to do that to her. “She can help you find a place to safely show Nepal what he needs.”

Armand was more concerned about getting back home. He didn't want to miss tonight's show, and if at all possible he didn't want to be in this house. “How do I get back home?”

Everyone was ignoring him by this time, except for Sherry and Nepal. “Come this way, please,” Sherry said. “I'm sure they will get you home when they get back.”

“Why isn't anyone worried I might be a danger here?” Armand asked.

Sherry looked at him with eyes anyone would get lost in, “I would have seen it, if you were a danger.” She blushed, “besides, everyone here is far more dangerous than you are, I expect.” She blushed even more this time. “Here's a good place to start,” she directed his attention to a set of double doors.

The doors opened into a large room with mats on the floor and padding on the walls. “Expecting violence?” Armand asked, but then regretted asking.

Luckily, she didn't answer.

Nepal seemed eager enough, “let's get started.”

Armand said, “yes,” and took out his cue cards.