Deadly Weakness (Gray Spear Society) by Alex Siegel

on some of the conversations. In a way the experience was better than actually being there. Norbert could be as nosy as he wanted without being rude.
    There was a camera in the chapel, of course. He had witnessed the surprising romantic interlude between Smythe and Odelia. When the scene had started to look like a porn movie, Norbert had turned off that feed.
    Thinking about sex made him look over at the twins. They were sleeping on a mattress on the floor, their slim bodies pressed together. It was sometimes easy to forget they were two separate people. They never strayed far apart. Just being in separate rooms made them uneasy.
    Norbert turned back to the monitors. While the twins slept, he was the lone watchman on duty. It was a staggering responsibility. Many important people were depending on him for their safety. If there was an attack, it was Norbert's job to sound the alarm. He was standing to make sure he didn't accidently fall asleep.
    Aaron's orders were to "watch for trouble and report any suspicious behavior." Norbert had just seen behavior that bordered on suspicious. Xavier, the commander of Houston, had come out of his room and had looked at the lake for a while. Then, he had visited a storage shed.
    These actions could be explained by insomnia, paranoia, and curiosity. Members of the Society, especially senior members, tended to possess all three traits. Xavier hadn't made any threatening moves. He had stayed away from other people.
    Norbert considered notifying Aaron anyway. Norbert could see Aaron and Marina sleeping in a cabin on one of the feeds. Aaron's phone was right beside his head.
    No, Norbert thought. I'll let him sleep. It isn't that important.
    He walked around to check the monitors on Leanna's workstation. These also showed surveillance feeds, but they were coming from a different summer camp. The second camp was similar to the first in size and geography, but it was completely uninhabited. Lights on timers created the illusion that people were in the buildings. Cardboard cutouts cast human silhouettes on the curtains.
    Norbert still didn't understand why Aaron had insisted on two separate sites for the convention. Everybody was at the first, and it didn't seem like the second would get used at all. Norbert's only theory was that Aaron had wanted a backup site in case the primary one had to be abandoned for some reason. But why did the twins hack the phones? Norbert thought. And why make it look like people are staying there?
    He walked around to look at the first set of monitors again. Watching people sleep was boring, but it was better than watching a lot of empty rooms.
    A window popped up on a monitor. It contained the words, "zero: hello, norbert."
    Norbert looked around. Only Aaron and Marina knew where Norbert was hiding, and they were asleep.
    More words appeared, "zero: talk. I'll hear you."
    "You can hear me?" Norbert said out loud. "Who are you?"
    Suddenly fearful, he checked the room again. One day the huge space would be his new headquarters. At the moment it was just a big, dark, empty box. There was no sign of movement.
    "zero: I am the number that comes before all others, the point at the center of every real line. I am the Identity."
    Norbert's eyes opened wide. "You're God. Is this how You talk to the twins?"
    "zero: yes."
    "What do you want me to do?" Norbert said in a quavering voice. "Should I kneel and bow my head? Should I prostrate myself before You?"
    "zero: if you want."
    "You don't care?"
    "zero: no."
    Norbert swallowed. This wasn't the first time he had encountered God. Personal visitations by the Almighty seemed to be one of the perks of being a Spear. Still, Norbert was so nervous he was shaking. He didn't know what was expected of him.
    "zero: I just came to thank you. you're doing a great job with Bethany and Leanna. they've never been happier or healthier."
    "Thank you, Sir," Norbert said softly, "but it's not the most interesting assignment. Sometimes I feel like