Witchmoor Edge by Mike Crowson Page B

the counter top and
went into the living room, where she sat down in an armchair.
    Millicent recalled the little incident at HQ
that afternoon, when she had the sudden flash of insight. The
actual correctness of the idea was yet to be tested, but these ...
whatever you called them ... these ideas had been right before. How
did these sudden flashes square with what she had been listening to
and seeing tonight? Clearly the human mind had access to
information it didn't have at a conscious level. Her thoughts were
interrupted by the ringing of the front door bell.
    Millicent let in Tobias N'Dibe and he entered
the sitting room politely and sat down on the settee when
invited.
    "Tea or coffee?"
    "Tea I think. I have to ration myself to
coffee, the caffeine is bad for me."
    "I have de-caff."
    "Then coffee will be most welcome."
    Millicent went into the kitchen and switched
the kettle on before returning to the living room.
    "You are concerned about something?" N'Dibe
said. "I detected it earlier, during the meal, but it was not at
the front of your mind then."
    "It was something trivial that happened at a
briefing session in the incident room," Millie said, and described
what happened.
    N'Dibe nodded slowly. "What you described
could almost be your training as a detective coming through.
Millicent started to object that it was a flash of knowing but
N'Dibe held up a hand to silence her.
    "I did not say that it was such a thing," he
said, "Only that could almost be that. At the stone circle last
week you described what I felt was an involuntary psychism. Tonight
you displayed considerable natural talent in dowsing. I suspect
that your training as a detective exerts some control over your
talent."
    "For twenty two years the American military
and the Stanford Research Institute cooperated in an experiment in
remote viewing, some of which was spectacularly successful. They
had remote viewers who had no more than a well-defined target and a
lead in period of relaxation before a project. I usually use a
process of relaxing an individual then raising their thought until
they are in contact with their own higher self. In your case it may
be in order just to relax and view."
    "Where did you learn all this?" Millicent
asked.
    N'Dibe smiled. "Some things are just a matter
of reading - many books over many years," he said. "I also belong
to the SRIA".
    "SRIA?"
    "It stands for Societas Rosicruciana in
Anglia. They are what you might call Masonic Rosicrucians. They are
the body to which the original founders of the Order of the Golden
Dawn belonged first. The SRIA is Masonic and does not initiate
women, so many members are involved with other organisations which
do."
    "It sounds like black magic or
something."
    N'Dibe smiled again. "The SRIA requires
members to be Christians as well as Masons," he said. "Now I think
I can help you with your ... err ... insights. Call me when you
really need to know something. Using your talent to order will help
to control it."
    N'Dibe handed her a business card. "You have
e-mail?" he asked.
    "Both at Police HQ and here, though I don't
use it much here."
    "Then you can contact me easily. Here is my
e-mail address." He passed her a business card.
    Millicent glanced at it, and then put it in
her handbag, which was on the floor beside the chair.
    "Now, N’Dibe continued, tell me, have you
ever taken drugs recreationally?"
    "No. Why?"
    "Probably a little cannabis does no harm, but
the consciousness changing drugs bring on the kind of very
undesirable uncontrolled psychism I mentioned. Other hard drugs
change the personality completely. We would not wish to work with
anyone who has partaken,"
    "I see," Millicent said. "I'm a pretty awful
hostess. I boiled the kettle without making the drinks,"
    She got up and went back into the kitchen,
switched the kettle on again, made the coffee and carried a tray
into the living room where N'Dibe was checking something in a
pocket diary.
    "The Monday just gone was the new moon,"