Chapter Eighteen

Dani may have trouble with impulse control but she’s learned the hard way that charging in without a plan is inevitably a bad idea.  Michael’s offer to stay with her is prompted by as much self-preservation as apology.  He knows that if he lets her disappear, he risks being left behind.  But he’s also genuinely curious about her life and wants to make up for being so harsh earlier.

Bernie is being subjected to the Zener test for determining psychic ability.  The tester looks at a card which can have one of five symbols (star, square, circle, cross, wavy lines) and the subject must say which card it is.  Any results over 20% success is considered significant.

It is a little frightening to realize how vulnerable we all are to false records.  Even clearing up a simple clerical error can take months or years.  Identity theft can take decades.  Changing someone’s history can have a profound impact on their reputation and prospects.  This is demonstrated every time we find out something unsavory about a celebrity’s past.  Who we think they are becomes rewritten.