"I won." "What do you mean, you won?" "You did not." "I did too." "The old man can still beat him." " Oh, come on, Dad." "You saw it, didn't you?" "I won." " Close." "Really close." " Yeah." " All right." "If it was close, let's go again." "We'll go..." "Wait a minute." "How many times do I have to beat you?" " You beat me?" " Yeah, I beat you." " Hey." "Hey!" " All right!" "Listen, you won!" "Leave your father alone." "All this exercise is making me hungry." "Come on, Dad." "All right, you won." "No, no." "You won." " No, you won." " No, no." "You won." " No, you won." " Mr. Childress?" "Telephone for you, sir, on the terrace." "Better get here as soon as you can." "I'll tell Peter." "Hey, what will living in the States be like, Dad?" "I don't know." "You've been away a long time." "Yeah, it's been since Mom died." "Yeah." "Why Chicago?" "Good school for you." "The best." " You could go out for football." " What, and give up soccer?" "Well, football's more popular in the States." "Football players are more popular with the girls." "Dad." "I don't know." "School and sports, all that stuff" "I just won't fit in there." "Feel like some kind of freak." " What is this?" " I don't know." "Maybe if I knew what was wrong with me." "There's nothing wrong with you." "Well, I might do okay in a zoo." "Now, what the hell are you doing?" "Feeling sorry for yourself?" "Okay, you have a talent that would shock the hell out of people, but it's a talent that also can be put to good use." " Dad..." " It's nothing to be ashamed of." "Now, Childress understands this." "That's why he wants you to go to this school in Chicago." "You'll meet other kids that are..." "that are special like you." "Robin, I'll be with you all the way." "If it doesn't work out, we'll do something else." "Robin." "Do me a favor." "I want to talk to your father alone one minute." "Sure." "I'll be on the terrace, Dad." "Okay." "Peter, you've gotta give me the telephone number... of that dame from the antique shop." "Nothing antique about her." "Everything works." "Gonna miss you." "Well, I'm not gonna miss you." "Twenty years together in the same agency is more than enough." "You taught me a lot." " No, you did." " Look, if this is gonna be a teary farewell, get your ass out of here." "No tears." "All laughs." "Right." "I'll say good-bye to your son over there." "Waiter." "Regular luncheon for two." "My dad!" "Get Robin out of here!" " Dad." " Robin, your father's all right." "He's a professional." "They're after my dad." "Robin, they're after all of us." "For Christ's sakes." "Dad?" "They killed my dad." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "They killed my dad." "It's all right." "Robertson, where the hell are you?" "Give me the gun!" "I'm gonna find out who broke that security." " I'll check on it." " No!" "Get this boy out of here." " Come on, Robin." "Move." "Let's go." "Into the car." " Get him out of here." " Let's go." "Hurry." "Come on!" " It'll be all right, Robin." "It'll be all right." " I'm sorry, sir." " It's all right, Jonathan." "You did a very good job." " Thank you." " I'm proud of you." " Up by the road." "Go on." " Sure." "Give me the film." "That's the great Johnny Dunbar." "In Chicago it's already 87 degrees this morning, 13 minutes after 10:00." "So I said, "Mother, what do you want from me?"" "I mean, you got this terrific job." "You're all over the world." "I mean, I get to see you maybe once a month, if I'm lucky, right?" ""Okay, I'm happy for you." "I really am."" "But I said, "Just don't try and run my life..."" "when you happen to be around the house for a few days..." ""and feel like playing mom."" "I know." "They just..." "They just don't know how to let go, and they get so hurt when you try to explain to them." "Really." "Anyway, let's see if you know this junk." "January 10, 1946." "That was the first United Nations General Assembly... that was held in London, right?" " Good." " See, I told you." "I never forget dates." "All right." "Who was elected president of the assembly?" "It's names I have trouble with." " LaRue, don't tell me." " I didn't say anything." "Yes, you did." "You said "Raymond." I heard you." "I did not." "Raymond?" "His name wasn't Raymond." "It was..." "Raymond Dunwoodie." "Who was Raymond Dunwoodie?" "I don't know." "It's just..." "That-That name just came into my head." "I don't know." "So what was the right answer?" "Paul-Henri Spaak of Belgium." "Oh, yes, Paul-Henri Spaak." "Okay." "Next." "I always get that one wrong." ""The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are?"" "The United States, Russia..." "I know." "Let's just forget the whole thing." "Forget it?" "Are you crazy?" "We've got a final." "LaRue, I know this stuff." " We have a final at 2:00." " I know, and I'm gonna pass with flying colors." "I promise you." " Hey, guess what." " What?" "We got a buddy." "Oh, my God." "What a..." "What a creep." "He's walking backwards now." " Should we give him money?" " No!" "God, what do you take me for?" "I don't know." "Oh, he's not gonna bother us." " I hope we pass." " Sure!" " Here." " Two popcorns, please." " Hello?" " Mr. Johnson?" "Yes?" "It's Raymond Dunwoodie." "What is it, Raymond?" "Now, look, I haven't changed my mind." "I mean, there's nothing I can do for you personally, but I may have somebody to locate your son." "You'd better not be wasting my time." "No, no." "I'm at the beach, and I made a contact." "She's a kid... m-maybe 17..." "and she's psychic." "Are you sure?" "That's right, she's psychic." "Bring her here." "I don't have her yet, but I could get her." "Now, look, Mr. Johnson?" "This is gonna cost." "How much?" "I don't mean 50 or 100 bucks." "Not for this girl." "How much, Raymond?" "$1,000." "I don't have that kind of money." "Oh, that's a sad story, Mr. J." "Almost as sad as the story you told me about your boy." "Dunwoodie paid off for us." "We've completed the trace." "He's talking to Sandza at the Plymouth Hotel." "Step inside, off the street." "Yes, sir." "Is this man registered here?" "I don't know." "I just came on a half hour ago myself." "We think he's been here a few days." "You ain't the police, is you?" "Oh, well, I'm what you'd consider well-traveled, but I don't believe I ever heard of you gentlemen." "We don't spend a dime on public relations." "Yeah, well, that would be Mr. R.V. Johnson, Room 512, just down the hall to your left." "Hey, government man." "Don't bust my door down, please." "Use the pass key." "Chase 1 to Chase 2..." "He's loose." "Do you copy?" "He's loose." "Do you copy?" "Chase 1 to Chase 2." "He's loose." "Do you copy?" "Gunmen of the Hanafi Muslim sect... continue their siege of three Washington buildings." "Damn it." "Did you hear that, Vivian?" "Now, that's what I'm talking about!" "Them bozos in Washington are mugging the whole damn country." "They got every court in the land helping 'em make it legal." "Yeah, well, if you ask me what happened to the milk of human kindness," "I'd have to tell you, frankly, that the whole world has dried up at the tit." "You can say that again, pal." "I swear to hell, I don't know where..." "Vivian!" "Yes, Mother Nuckells." "I'm coming." "Couldn't you just once manage to go potty by yourself?" "Somebody's in my room!" "All right, now." "Nobody's going to get hurt." "I just want some clothes." "He came in my window." "Do you know who he is?" "I told you we should've moved to Melrose Park." "Harry, this wouldn't be happening if we lived in Melrose Park." "You want clothes." "Old clothes." "Anything you've got." "You can see, I need clothes." "I can't go anywhere like this." "Just... the clothes." "Yes." "Oh, I had to leave the hotel in a hurry, so could you spare a couple of dollars?" "I knew it." "This is a graphic example of biofeedback." "We're converting the very low-voltage alpha-wave energy... into electricity to run that train." "And that train will only run when my friend Hester... is in alpha." "Now, as you may have hoped, there are more practical applications to biofeedback training." "If you can learn to regulate your brain waves, you can gain control of your heart rate, blood pressure, headaches, backaches, even, ladies, cold feet." "Now, I work at the Paragon Institute, where we study the phenomena of extrasensory perception." "And we are using biofeedback techniques... to tap the almost limitless resources of the human mind..." "And I am speaking now of such things as thought transmissions, commonly known as telepathy." "Now, that machine is called a magnetometer, and it records the fluctuations... of the human electromagnetic field... during our experiments, and I guess Hester's had it." "Thank you, Hester." "I want to stress that no particular talent is needed to achieve this." "Anybody can achieve alpha, with a little patience." " Want to try?" " Sure." "Try to remember... that "alpha" is another word for "passive."" "Right." "Visualize sitting in an empty theater... in front of a blank screen, and let that screen fill your mind." " Okay." " Okay?" "Gillian?" "Hey, hey, hey." "Are you all right?" "What is she doing?" "I have no idea." "Don't mind about them." "It's okay." "You all right?" "Creep." "I'd say I'm pretty sound, considering the ravages of time." "For instance, I don't have the use of any more... than one of my limbs or vital organs." "Good thing the Lord God Jehovah... built in so many spare parts." "But when the old ticker gives out, well, that's it." "Ain't that the truth." "How long do you think you'll be staying?" "Oh, shut up, Vivian." "Let the boy enjoy his breakfast." "Thank you." "What is it they want you for?" "I'm a high-level security risk." "Did you get it yet?" " No." " It's been over two months!" "Would you shut up, Betsy?" "It does not." "I mean, it happens..." "Gillian, I was saving that seat for Cheryl." "Too bad." "Cheryl can sit over here." "Oh, God." "Now what am I gonna do?" "Oh, Cheryl, I'm sorry." "I tried to save a seat for you, but Gillian just took it." "Look, you can have my seat." "Hey, watch it." "Good Lord, Pam." "If you're that nervous, why don't you masturbate?" "Are you ready for that?" "Are you ready for tomorrow?" "You two are so sweet." "When are you getting married?" "See any ghosts today, Gillian?" "Cheryl, you're not very funny." "Gillian's not very funny." "I mean, there are more mature ways to get attention, don't you think, Gillian?" "Say, have you guys seen Mr. Watkins's new girlfriend?" "Oh, yeah." "Where'd he pick that chick up?" "Read my mind!" "What?" "Tell me what I'm thinking." "Come on." "Right now, read my mind." "Well, that's what they say you can do, isn't it?" "No." "I don't know how to read minds, Cheryl." "That's ridiculous." " Listen, Cheryl..." " Shut up, LaRue!" "I only want to find something out." "That's all." "All right." "Come on." "Oh, great." "Good." "Now pay attention, everybody." " Gillian's gonna perform for us." " I didn't say I..." "Cheryl, look." "I don't know anything about reading minds, all right?" "I mean, I don't even know what I'm thinking most of the time, so... get off my back." "Gillian, you're so full of shit." "Cheryl, you're an asshole." "Just shut up." "She can't help being upset." "She has to take it out on someone." "What did you say?" "Oh, Cheryl, you don't want everyone to know that you're pregnant, do you?" " What?" "I would like for you to explain that little remark!" " Cheryl..." "Just what do you think you know about me?" " I'm sorry." "I didn't..." " Come on, tell me!" " Let go, Cheryl." "Let go." " Tell me!" " Tell me." " Cheryl, please let go." " Cheryl." " Come on, tell me." " No!" "Oh, my God!" " Oh, my God!" " Oh, my God." "Oh, my God!" " Are you all right, Cheryl?" "Help me!" "Oh, God." "Oh, God!" "I put some cookies in a bag for ya." "You might get hungry later on." "Thank you." "How's your hair?" "Dry yet?" "Oh, it's fine." "Hey!" "Just fine." "That Shinola will wash right out." "I'd appreciate it if you'd wait till after M*A*S*H to let them go." "M*A*S*H?" "I'll wait till Sunrise Semester." "Might as well just leave 'em there." "They ain't got anything to say I want to hear." "I've heard it all before." "Peter." "That your real name?" "That's right." "Can't see a reason why you'd make up lies to tell me." "I don't matter anyhow." "I wouldn't lie to you, Mother Nuckells." "You know that." "And I hope you find your son." "If he's alive, I'll find him." "And if the feds get in your way, shoot 'em." "Just shoot 'em." "It's all they deserve." "Yeah." "There's so many of 'em." "They just keep coming." "Kill 'em." "Kill 'em." "Now, don't overwork yourself, Mother Nuckells." "Remember, it's bad for the old ticker?" "Thank you." "You want to get us out of here now?" "Come on, Mother." "Oh, please!" "Please." "♪ I've been walkin' around ♪" "♪ Tryin' to find a place to rest my head ♪" "Listen, I got a good deal." "Lucy and her supposed to be down at the auditorium, so let's go check that out instead." "Hey, well, you know, that's all the way down, you know." "Okay, man." "I dig." "All the way down." "Hey, man, check out pops." "Let's see what the old man got in the bag." "Stationary clear." "Do you copy?" "Okay, pops, let's have the bag." "Watch it." "Got a gun." "♪ Gotta find a place to run my life ♪" "♪ I've been drinkin' I've been walkin' downtown with nothin' but a headache ♪" "♪ Oh, yes, so tired ♪" "I know you're not goin' back there." "Come on." "I want to go home." " Home with you?" " Home with me, yeah." "I'll never run home with you." "Come on." " You wanna stay out all night?" " I don't want to go home." "I want to go home right now." "Hey, come on." "Hey, how's that for a horn?" "What..." "What if I want to go home?" "But listen to that stereo." "I mean, you ever heard better fucking stereo sound in your life?" "How can you be sure it's Sandza?" "He had to be in the neighborhood." "All we had to do was wait." "I trained with him." "I know his style." "What's he doing now?" "Over." "Looks like off-duty cops in that Cadillac ahead of us." "There's nothing he can do now." " Can I help you, pop?" " You're under arrest." "What?" "You're under arrest for impersonating police officers." "Hey, hey, hey, hey, look out!" "What the hell!" "He's got a piece." "It's in my armpit." "All right." "What do you want me to do?" "Drive down that alley." "Fast." "Crazy son of a bitch!" "Take a right." "Head for Lower River Drive." "Faster." "Damn!" "Holy shit!" "Should I drive a little faster?" " No." "Slower." " Slower?" "Right now, you're the only two people in the world I feel safe with." "I want to enjoy your company." "Yeah, okay." "Sure." "Sure." "Why not?" "We'll..." "We'll just cruise around a little bit." "Maybe after a while, you'll want to talk." "Yeah." "What's your name?" " Peter." " I'm Marty O'Brien." "Is that gun too uncomfortable in your armpit?" "Oh, no, no, no." "I want you to meet my partner, Officer Eggleston." "Hi, hi, Peter." "Why don't you call me Bob?" "Hi, Bob." "Nice car." "Yeah." "It's brand-new." "I just picked it up about a half hour ago." "I... sure wouldn't want anything to happen to it." "Don't blame you." "That shoe polish in your hair, Peter?" "Yes, it is." "It's a disguise." " It's a pretty clever disguise." " Yeah." "Didn't work though." "They were waiting for me." "Must've been waiting all day." "I gotta give that Childress a lot of credit, the son of a bitch." "Somebody's after you." "Is that it?" "What do you suppose he's telling those cops?" "Whatever it is, they won't believe him." "I worked for a government agency you never heard of." "They took my son away from me." "They needed him, so they just took him." "Keep your hand in your lap, Marty." "It's a frightening power these people have." "They can make anybody disappear anytime." "Somebody's gotta stop 'em." "Yeah, well, that's right, and if you don't mind my making a suggestion, maybe we can help." "Yeah." "You see, Peter, Marty and myself... have had a lot of experience dealing with... you know..." " People who like kicking other people around." " Yeah, harassing them." " I got an idea." " Hey, that's a terrific idea, Marty." " Why don't we stop for some coffee?" " Don't stop!" "Let's get the hell off this drive!" "We're like sitting ducks down here!" "All right." "Easy, man, easy." "We're on your side." "We're just trying to help." "Chase 1 to Top Guy 1." "We've got him on the lower drive." "Do you copy?" "Chase 1, copy." "We're right above you." "Two sedans have been following us." "Standard government issue." "He's right about that." "They..." "Bob." " Yes, sir?" " I want you to lose those cars." " Lose?" " That's right." "Well how do you suppose I should go about it?" "There's a construction site other side of the bridge." "When we get there, I want you to follow my instructions exactly, understand?" "Bob, if they can make me disappear, they can make you disappear too." "Chase cars, pull up alongside the Cadillac." "Let's find out what Peter has in mind." "Something's going on here." "Look like feds to you?" "Who knows?" "Peter, I'm worried about that gun going off, you know, by accident, if we hit a few bumps." "You got something to worry about there." "You say across the bridge when the light changes?" "We're not gonna wait for the lights to change, Bob." "We're not?" "Go!" "Oh, God." "Please, God, don't let anything happen to my new car." "Chase 1 to Top Guy 1." "He's crossing bridge into fog." "Losing visual contact." "Over." "They're finished." "Let's go home." "That son of a bitch." "Hey, watch where you're going." "I can't see anything in this soup." " Which way?" " I don't know." " You go straight, and I'll go left." " All right." "Now what?" "Don't know." "Hear anything?" "I don't know." " Do you?" " Yeah." "I definitely hear something." "Chase 1, Chase 1." "We're in pursuit of the Caddy." "I see him." "I see him." "He's over there." "Around to the right!" "Jesus." "How the hell was I suppo..." "There they are." "Come on!" "Go on!" "Get moving!" "All right." "Get out, both of you." "Leave the motor running." "I can't believe it." "Not a scratch." "Throw your pieces in the lake." "What are you gonna do now, Peter?" "When you see Childress, ask him if it was worth his arm." "What happened to his arm, Peter?" "I killed it, with a machine gun." " Hey, Peter, now, wait." " Tell Childress to follow me!" "I want him to follow me this time!" "Not in my car, man." " Watch out, Bob!" " Hey." "Wait." "No, Peter!" "Let's talk about this!" "Gillian, I know you're upset, but it's silly." "I was told Cheryl has a history of nosebleeds." "An ice pack stopped the bleeding in five minutes." "But what I'm trying to tell you is I made it happen." "Oh, that's impossible." "Look, now, Mother, what about when you started bleeding?" "Remember, a couple of weeks ago?" "I mean, you said yourself that cut was healed, and it opened right up." "I mean..." "Don't!" "Why not?" "'Cause it could happen to you." "Gillian, I've had a long flight, and I'm very tired." "And I want you to stop carrying on like this." "Don't be mad at me." "Sweetheart, I'm not." "I always thought we could tell each other anything." "Anything, no matter what." "We can." "Mother, I love you, but I'm afraid." "Afraid to let me touch you?" "Yes." "Honey, I'm home, and I'll stay here just as long as you need me." "I promise." "But what we really should do now is talk to someone." "And Steve Brenneman has had wonderful success working with therapy..." "Mother, I'm not going to a psychiatrist." "Hello?" "Oh, it's you." "Oh, that was a good one." "Really passionate." "I..." "I need..." "I'm..." "Listen, I'm a nurse, and if my phone's tied up... and they can't get hold of me..." "So maybe you could breathe for someone else tonight." "I..." "I need..." "I need..." "I..." "I need your body, baby!" "Come on, baby, it's me!" "Oh." "Oh, my God." "Why do we always have to meet in this van?" "Couldn't we go to my place just this once?" "Too dangerous." "Well, for the sake of argument, let's assume that everybody at the institute... has their phones tapped." "But nobody's watching me, for heaven's sakes." "They're always watching." "Raymond Dunwoodie was a psychic, and if he'd had enough time, he'd have found Robin for me." "But Childress was watching him." "How else you think they got to me?" "Why are you so afraid of this guy?" "I'm not afraid of Childress." "He's afraid of me." "He knows I'll get my son back." "Now, what about those files?" "I'm nobody." "I just work there." "I don't have access to any vital secrets." "You mean you didn't get a chance to examine the files at Paragon?" " Yes, I did." " And?" "Robin is..." "Well, he's..." "Dead." " According to the records..." " Of course that's what the records say." "Childress keeps the records." "What if it's true?" "Hester, look at me." "I'm proof-proof that my son is alive, or else why would Childress be so anxious to put me away?" "Well, thank God I'm somewhere." "You're the only one who can help me." "How long did you follow me around... before taking a chance on me?" "Too long." "Well, thanks." "Thanks for picking me." "You know what, Hester?" "You don't realize how beautiful you really are." "Somewhere, they're doing a hell of a lot of research... much more complicated than Paragon." "God only knows what they're doing to my son." "Peter, if Robin is still..." "Well, I promise I'll do everything I can to help find Robin." "But you take too much for granted." "You trust too many people." "Paragon Institute." "Sounds like a haven for quacks." "But their references are good." "Hey, it's right up there on the left." "Gil, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced... this is not an appropriate course of action." "Mother, I like Dr. Lindstrom." "Anyway, I'm old enough to know what I'm doing." "Well, I don't intend to let you stay here... until they've answered a lot of questions," " and I mean that, Gillian." " Okay." " Hi, Gillian." " Hi." " Mrs. Bellaver." " Yes." "I'm Ellen Lindstrom." "How do you do?" " Please come in." " Thank you." "Dr. McKeever is busy monitoring a test, but he should be with us shortly." "Maybe you'd like to look around." "Thank you." "I've been here before." "This was Babe Gifford's house." "Yes." "We bought the house from the Giffords." "It was so beautifully furnished." "We tried to make as few alterations as possible." "As a matter of fact, Gillian's suite is particularly attractive." "I don't understand why you want Gillian to stay here." "That was my idea, Mrs. Bellaver." "Gillian and Catherine Bellaver," " this is our director, Jim McKeever." " Mrs. Bellaver." "How do you do?" " Gillian." " Hi." "We have young people staying with us all the time while they help with our evaluation program." "Thanks, Ellie." "We can do a better job of judging psychic ability... if there's a minimum of distractions." "Of course, it's not all work and no play." "There's a good library right here and a game room down the hall." "Do you play backgammon, Gillian?" " Yeah." " Good." "And our housekeeper is the best Irish cook in Chicago," "I'm sorry to say." "I'd like to know what kind of program you're talking about, Doctor." "Oh, certainly." "Why don't we have a look at one of our workshops?" "Telepathy is a timeless form of communication." "Now, my five-year-old daughter was very good at this." "But the older and more sophisticated we become, the more we rationalize what our senses try to tell us." "Is this all Gillian will be doing?" "Yes." "This and similar tests under my personal supervision." "We'll take very good care of her, Mrs. Bellaver." "I'll be fine." "Don't worry." "And I'll see you in a couple of weeks, okay?" "Well, all right, but I'll call you the minute I get to Paris." " And you know where I'm staying in case you change your mind." " Mother, I'll be fine." "Good-bye." "Good-bye." "Good-bye, Mrs. Bellaver." "Nice meeting you." "Good-bye, Gillian." "Have a good trip." "Oh, my God." "It's beautiful." "Do you like it?" "Geez, look at this." "It's great!" "I got my own stereo." "I'll start unpacking." " You just look around, make yourself comfortable." " This is beautiful." ""Paragon." That's the best there is, right?" "Something that can't be equaled, like the incredible power of the human mind." "We hope you'll learn to use that power to develop your gift." "It's not a gift." "It's more like having a bad tooth and never knowing when it's gonna hurt." "That's because a part of the mind you've never used before... becomes sensitized." "Sensitized to what?" "The bioplasmic universe." "Come again?" "The bioplasmic universe." "And in that universe is a record... of every human impulse, word and deed... of lives past and lives to come." "Occasionally, you make a... a connection... between the timeless world... and the physical world." "You have what clairvoyants call "a vision."" "Yeah, but it's never about me though." "I mean, I never see anything about me." "So I'm glad I don't." "Which one is me?" "Mine just keeps drifting along." "Hester!" "Quit shooting me." "This is great." "I've been thinking." "We should have a little treat." "Just for ourselves." " Like what?" " Hot fudge sundaes." "Vanilla and chocolate ice cream." " Hester." " Bananas, maraschino cherries." "Coconut, strawberry topping." " Whipped cream all over the top." " No." "Stop." "Ta-da!" "Oh, my God." "You guys!" "If I don't finish these tests pretty soon," "I'm gonna get so fat you're gonna have to roll me out of here." " Well, have fun." " Thanks." "Come on." "You've earned it." "You're right." "What the..." "Besides, what are you talking about?" "You look terrific." "Not after this." " You have a boyfriend?" " No." "No one special." "What about you?" "Pretty slim pickings around here." "Yeah, Paragon is just a job." "Well, do you have a boyfriend?" "Have I got a boyfriend!" "What is he like?" "Well, he's very charming." "He swept me right off my feet, in the park." "In the park?" "Yeah." "He picked me up in the park." "What was his line?" "H-He said he needed help." "Some line." "What are you talking about?" "It worked." "True." "What does he do?" "Do?" "Oh, he-he travels around a lot." "Where?" "Oh, all over." "You know." "Oh, when he comes to town, we go to... parties." "He loves people." "He takes me out dancing, buys me presents." "Oh, he dresses beautifully, and he's a good dancer." "Yeah?" "The only trouble is, he's very hard to get hold of." "Oh, come on." "Let's dig in." "You mean gross out." "Look at this." "And when I was your age, I had one great ambition." " What?" " To be Fred Astaire." "Oh, my God." "As you can see, I failed miserably." "Well, I took dance for a couple of years." "Yes." "My mother insisted." "You see, she didn't think I was any too graceful." "Don't-Don't touch me anymore." "Please don't touch me." "Oh, God!" "God!" "What happened?" "Tomorrow, we do some real testing, make things as challenging as possible for Gillian." "Nelson, as soon as Gillian begins to demonstrate her psychometric talents," "I want complete audio and videotape records of the tests." "Will she be working in the Faraday cage?" "No, no, no." "This girl's not a cheat." "She's the real thing." "Now, do we have any bleeders in the group?" "No." "Anyone who's had even minor surgery in the past three months?" "No, sir." "How about ulcers?" "Hester, Kristen, Lorraine, if you girls are into your monthlies, I don't want you around when Gillian is testing." "Are you serious?" "I'm very serious." "Gillian's power to psychometrize is spontaneous." "She creates an enormously powerful electromagnetic field." "Almost everyone exposed to it will bleed." "Some will bleed a little, some a lot." "What is this kid, a vampire?" "Do you want to continue working here?" "Then I don't want to hear any more funny remarks like that!" "How do you account for it?" "We can't account for it." "Not yet." "Gillian, can you hear me?" "Jim, it takes a few moments for the Evapil to take effect." "Ellie, please." "Gillian, what did you see on the stairs?" "A boy." "Robin." "Have you seen him before?" "Yeah." "I have." "Gillian and Robin were in touch telepathically." "Think of what we would accomplish if Robin were alive." " I'm sending her home." " Jim." "Why?" "Because I don't want to be responsible for Gillian Bellaver." " I don't think you mean..." " Ellie, I don't want to talk about it anymore!" "It's late." "And we're both overexcited." "Listen, I don't understand something." "This is a marvelous opportunity for us." "We only had Robin for a few days, but I think that Gillian really wants to work with us, and she is the best subject for psychic research I have ever seen." "Ellie, even the most backward tribes, the most primitive cultures on earth, would welcome the birth of a Robin Sandza." "And in time, he'd become their magician, their prophet, their great healer." "But there is no place for these kids in our culture... because they're so superior to what we hold sacred." "And what a culture can't assimilate, it destroys." "Jim, what really happened to Robin Sandza?" "He was running on the steps, taking them... two or three at a time, and he... slipped, went through the window." "But why was he running?" "I don't know, Ellie." "I wasn't here." "Jim." "Why don't you come up to my place?" "I mean, I'll scramble some eggs..." "No." "I'm..." "I'm gonna finish this." "Then I'm gonna... stretch out on the couch for a couple of hours." "What time is it?" "My watch has stopped." "It's a quarter after 4:00." "Excuse me." "It's later than I thought." "Thanks, Ellie." "Well," "good night, Jim." "Morning." "What do you want?" "My arm hurts." "It's dead." "Why should it still hurt?" "You're the brain expert, so tell me." "Is it all in my head, Doctor?" "That's an oversimplification, but there's nothing I can do." "That's not why I came here." "Tell me about Gillian Bellaver." "My people always know what's going on here, even if you're slow to keep me informed." "Will the girl be another Robin Sandza?" " No." " Really?" "Poor Peter." "If he only knew that Robin doesn't care anymore... doesn't care if his father's alive or dead." "What the hell have you done to that boy?" "Oh, he's being treated like a prince." "He is." "He's royalty." "Unique." "Chinese don't have one." "Soviets don't have one." "In all the world, there's no one quite like Robin Sandza... unless it's this girl." "How can you hold him against his will and get any kind of results?" "Against his will?" "You don't understand Robin's needs." "We do." "Are you testing the girl today?" "She's... failed every test." "She's a fake." "I'm sending her home." "I don't have time to waste on people..." "Don't do that to me, Doctor." "Don't ever try lying to me." "For God's sakes, she's just a child." "She doesn't know anything." "She has no control over what she's doing." "Robin had no control when he came here." "Just raw ability." "Doctor, I wish you could see him now." "For God's sakes." "I want you to get yourself together." "Stop fudging your responsibilities." "This girl is important to me." "I'm assigning extra security." "Why?" "If I know Peter, he penetrated your security weeks ago." "He probably knows I have Gillian Bellaver." "I don't know who his confederate is, but I'm looking into it." "She's all right." "Try that one." "I will, I will." "Kristen, where's Dr. McKeever?" "Oh, he's down at Medtronics, checking out the new testing equipment." "Do you know when he'll be back?" "He said not before dinner." "Where's Gillian?" "Having breakfast." "I could use a cup of coffee myself." "A club." "Good morning, Gillian." "You're not eating much." "I'm not very hungry." "Did you hear what happened yesterday?" "Dr. McKeever's hand started bleeding." "Yes, I do know about that." "Well, what are you gonna do about it?" "I mean, it's why I'm here, isn't it?" "I mean, can't anybody help me?" "Gillian, we have to work together." "Gillian, do you remember much of what we talked about last night?" "Last night?" " Were you here last night, Dr. Lindstrom?" " That's right." "While you were with Dr. McKeever, you had some sort of vision that upset you." "You were in a fugue state for a while." "We gave you something to help you relax, and I made the suggestion that you consciously forget whatever was troubling you." "And, apparently, it worked better than I thought." "So, you don't remember anything about Robin Sandza?" "No." "Who's Robin Sandza?" "He's a boy your age... with powers like yours." "Like me?" "Well, where is he?" "I mean, do you think I could talk to him?" "Do you know him?" "I feel like I do." "What can you tell me about him?" "He's..." "It's not very clear." "He's..." "He's, like, dreaming or... not... awake yet." "Drugged." "Stop!" "Just relax, Robin." "Relax." "It's gonna be okay." "Gillian, where are you?" "Get that light off him." "Disturbance in the magnetic field on the last P.K." "Trial was to cast a character with a parametrical resonance on a frequency of five cycles." "We'll go for a magnetometer check now." "The infrared area scanning system is operational." "With this trial, we want a two-dimensional view of the field potentials." "We have a mild electrostatic field fluctuation." "We have differentiation between the "P" and "T" waves." "Heart action slightly arrhythmic." "Let me have that electrogram reading again, please." "Pulse, 66." "Pressure, 114 over 92." "Pulse steady at 67." "Pressure, 115 over 94." "Robin, we're going to show you a film." "Now, there's nothing in there that can possibly harm you, but you must keep watching, okay?" "Pulse beginning to rise, 73." "Pressure, 115 over 94." "Magnetometer holding at 640." "Pulse is 78." "Pressure, 129 over 111." "No." "Keep watching." "Keep watching." "We have a mild electrostatic field fluctuation." "Body temperature, 89.59." "Pulse steady at 65." "Robin, please, keep watching." "Heartbeat, brain, relative to force field fluctuation in ratio." "No!" "No!" "Robin, please, for God's sake, watch the screen." " Gillian!" " Slight increase in activity..." "Gillian!" "Where is Robin now, Gillian?" "My dad!" "They're after my dad!" "Dad!" "No!" "Hester!" "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God, listen." "I need to talk to my mother." "Do you think I could call my mother?" "You can talk to your mom in a little while, but you've had an awful shock, and you need to rest." " Here." " What..." "What is that?" "It's a sedative." "It's like aspirin." "You take aspirin, don't you?" "Here's some water." "Drink plenty of water." "Oh, that's a good girl." " I need to see Dr. McKeever." " Sure." "I have to know what happened to Ellen." "They'll be here in a little while." "Just..." "I'll stay here with you." "Just lie down and-and relax." "No, no." "I gotta get out of here." " I gotta go... home." " It's all right, Gillian." "Everything will be all right." "We'll take good care of you." "Now don't worry." "Ellen's X-rays were encouraging." "She's beginning to show signs of consciousness." "It had to be a cerebral hemorrhage, something in the brain." "She's a fake." "You were gonna send her home." "Is that the kind of cooperation I can expect, Doctor?" "I want Gillian Bellaver at the P.S. I. Facility tomorrow." "Do we let her mother know?" "She's wealthy." "She has powerful friends." "Gillian can't just dis..." "Peter, it's impossible." "I'll never be able to get that girl out of that place." "I'll blow it." "Getting out of Paragon is a hell of a lot easier than getting in." "What do I say to Gillian?" "Tell her everything." "Tell her what they did to Robin." "They'll do the same thing to her." " What if she won't listen to me?" " Look, I don't have much time." "That girl can lead me to Robin." "Well, she was doped the last time I saw her." " Everything is set for tomorrow." " Tomorrow?" "I need your help." "Please." "You feel all right, Robin?" "You know, that wasn't a very smart thing to do." "You could've been very badly hurt." "Why were you running away?" "I mean, you didn't have to use the window." "There is a door." "Yeah." "Like they'd really let me just walk out the door." "Why didn't you come to me?" "'Cause you're one of them." "I just wanna get out of here." "I hate this place." "Hate these doctors and the tests." "Driving me crazy." "I can't even sleep." "And you want to get away from me too." "Is that it?" "Well, what do you care?" "I care very much." "What's the matter, Robin?" "Don't you trust me anymore?" "I-I don't know." "But you do want to get out of here, don't you?" "Yeah." "All right." "Then we'll go together." " Go where?" " Gillian." "Well, I have this place in the country, north of Chicago in Lakeview." "Gillian?" "You can do whatever you like." "You don't have to see anybody." "You don't have to talk to anybody... not even me." "Really?" "Yes, really." "Would you like to do that?" "Sure." "Gillian?" "Hi, Hester." "I've been looking everywhere for you." "This was Robin's room when he was here." "Yes, it was." "He's in terrible trouble now." "Those people, they should be trying to help him." "What people?" "Where Robin is." "But they won't leave him alone." "I mean, it was like they were deliberately trying to hurt him." " Hester." "Don't!" " Wait, wait." "Come here." "It's okay." "It's okay." "I'm not bleeding." " You know where Robin is?" " Yeah, I do." "Would you like to see him?" "I need to see him." "Well, I think we can work that out." "How?" "Well, Dr. McKeever says I'm supposed to give these to you... to keep you happy and harmless." "Do you know what I mean?" " No." "What..." " So you'll have to pretend that you took them... because I have to get you out of here tomorrow." "Otherwise, you could be in terrible trouble yourself." "What are you saying?" "What is going on?" "Honey, I've got so much to tell you." "Would you like a drink?" "You look tired." "I am tired." "How's our boy wonder?" "Those films of his father's death have unleashed an incredible emotional force." "Why, he's developing the power of an atomic reactor." "Or an atomic bomb." "What are you giving him to calm him down?" "Every day, he has 3,000 milligrams of phenobarbital... and 1,000 milligrams of Prolixin..." "What the hell are you telling me?" "That's enough to kill him." "Drugs no longer have any effect on him." "We've pushed him too far." "He's quite unstable." "He flies into rages over nothing." "He could be dangerous." "What's he trying to prove?" "Mentally, Robin has developed this perfect psychotronic relationship... with all kinds of machines." "And so, naturally, he's trying to do the same thing now with his body." "Except that, physically, he's just adequate, and when he fails, he's intolerable." "How is he performing in bed?" "Robin wants to please me." "That's the main thing, isn't it?" "He needs a rest." "No more tests for at least a month." "Sorry." "He's been under tremendous pressure." "We plan to get away, just the two of us." "No." "We almost lost him once, Susan." "I promised." "I promised him we'd get away together." "All right." "Take him into the city, show him the sights, but get him back here in 24 hours." "Well, there you are." "Who are they?" "These are friends of mine from the institute." "Are you planning on seeing them later?" "No, Robin." "I'm with you." "Remember?" "And which one are you gonna screw first?" "Robin, come here." "Come on." " Get away from me." " Robin, please." "Oh, my God!" "Top Guy 2, this is Top Guy 1." "Do you have any coffee left?" "Top Guy 1, that's an affirmative." "I've got about a cup of lukewarm coffee left." "You wanna negotiate a trade?" "Top Guy 2, I have one Hershey bar to trade." "Top Guy 1, I read you." "Is that with or without almonds?" "All right, Asshole 1 and Asshole 2, stop cluttering up this frequency." "Isn't Dr. McKeever back yet?" "Oh, I'm afraid not, Hester." "He's still at the hospital with Ellen." "Can I help?" "Dr. McKeever prescribed medication for Gillian this morning, but we're all out of it." "He was very specific about using a non-barbiturate." "So, I guess I'd better go down to the drugstore." "Fine." "Hey." " Are these ready to be mailed yet?" " Yeah, why?" "I could take them down to the post office for you." "That would be terrific." "Oh, I'd really appreciate that, Hester." "Here, these go in." "These have to be stamped." "And that stuff." "Whoops." "Here comes the pony express!" "Oh, hi." "Will you be gone long?" "Oh, no." "I have to go..." "I have to whiz to the drugstore." "I have to whiz to the post office." "I have so many things to do, I'll never get through the day." "Oh, I'm silly." "I can't go without the card." "Door card." "Where is that card?" "I haven't the vaguest idea." "How's Gillian?" "She's doing just fine." "That's good." "Gillian?" "How about a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich?" " Okay." " Good girl." "Oh, damn." "Oh, I'll give you a hand." " Don't bother." "Don't bother." " It's no bother." "I can take care of it." "It's okay." "Oh, for God's sake, move your ass." "Oh, I'll get that, Gillian." "Here's some more, Hester." "I killed her." "I knew I would the first time I said hello." "I conned her into helping me." "She would have done anything for me." "Hey, you better get some sleep." "Don't stop." "Please keep talking." "I'm afraid to close my eyes, afraid of what I'll see." " Sip this." " I don't want it." "Sip it." "You'll feel better." "It's the best thing in the world for a toothache." "Tell me about Robin." "You tell me." "It's just that... sometimes I know what's happening to him," "what he's... thinking, what he's feeling." "I'm..." "like a receiver, and-and Robin sends me pictures." "Jesus, that's amazing." "Like twins." "He's a good-looking kid." "You know, you're the kind of girl Robin would like." "I raised him myself." "His mother died at childbirth." "How come you didn't marry again?" "Just hasn't been anybody." "Hester?" "Yeah." "Hester." "I'm s..." "Hey." "Hey, when was the last time you saw Robin?" "Oh, about 11 months." "He's been growing up so fast." "You know, I'm a good athlete, but he's better." "The last at the club, we raced in the pool about 10 laps, and he beat me, but I said, "I won."" "He said, "No, you didn't." I said, "I did too."" "He said, "No, you didn't!" He jumped up on the side of the pool, got into a racing dive." "He said, "All right, we'll do it again." "Twenty laps this time."" "I was..." "I was so dead I could hardly drag myself out of the water." ""All right." "You won." "You won."" "Tell me, Gillian." "How is he?" "He's okay." "Okay." "Yeah." "We're all gonna be okay." "That's a promise." "Peter!" "Stop!" "Please, let me off!" "I'm supposed to get off here!" "Peter!" " What the hell do you think you're doing?" " You were gonna leave me!" "Now, look, you got me here." "Now, stay out of this." "He's my son." "It's my fight." "My God!" "I don't know who to trust anymore!" "Look, that bus'll take you to Seattle." "I paid the driver." "You'll be safe." "You can't leave me!" "Get on that bus and stay on it!" "Peter." "But I can take you to him now." "Peter, I was lying before." "Robin's not okay." "He needs us now!" "Look, it's too dangerous." "People around me get killed." "Well, damn it!" "People around me get hurt too!" "I make them bleed!" "Robin can help me!" "Please." "Oh, Jesus!" "Why did you do that?" "You know I don't like it when you smell like this stuff, don't you?" "Could you just leave me alone for a little bit, please, Robin?" "I got tired of waiting for you!" "What's taking so long?" "I wanted to have a bath and a little privacy." "Well, you're taking too goddamn long!" "Is everything all right, Dr. Charles?" "Yes, everything's fine." "Now, when the others arrive, would you just hold them downstairs for a moment?" "I need a few minutes in here, okay?" "I'll call you." "Thank you." "Robin?" "I'm sorry." "Try to understand the strain I'm under." "I'm very worried about you." "Don't be sorry." "I didn't mean to act like that in there." "It's me." "I'm okay now, though." " I'm okay." " Good." "Well, I'm starved." "You want to have something to eat?" "Sure." "Well, this looks great." "You know, I've been thinking, Robin, maybe we should take a couple of days off, get a boat, go up to the lake or something." "What do you think?" "Why did you do that?" "So nobody could get in." "What's the matter, Robin?" "You know what's the matter." "No, I don't." "What is it?" "It's that goddamn girl!" "What girl?" "The one that's like me." "What do you mean, "like you"?" "What?" "You think I don't know she's around?" "She's right out there." " There is no girl." " That's a lie!" "No, it isn't, Robin." "She'll do everything I can do, won't she?" "And you won't miss me at all." "What are you trying to say, Robin?" "Company's coming." "Yes, you know that." "There'll be you... and me... and Dr. Ives... and Childress." "And that girl makes five." "No, only four, Robin." "You can see that the table is set just for four." "That's right." "I won't be here." "I'll be dead." "That girl's taking my place after you poison me!" " What's the matter, Susie?" " Oh, God!" " What's the matter?" " Oh, God!" "Remember?" "I told you I didn't have to touch you to hurt you." "Robin, please, stop!" "Well, I'm hurting you now!" "Stop it!" "'Cause I don't love you anymore!" "I'm tired of you!" "You're killing her!" "Stop it!" "Sto..." "Stop." "He..." "You're... kill..." "No." "Susie, get up." "I said, get up." "Robin." "God, stop." "I can make you get up." "Turn around." "Up." "R-Robin." " Up." " Oh, God, Robin." "Up." "Oh, Rob..." "Oh, please." "Turn around." "Again." "Faster." "Faster." "Faster." "Faster." "Turn." "Again." "Turn." "Faster." "Faster." "Let's do it." "Here." "Give me your hand." "Oh, geez!" "Hi, pal." "Thought I'd drop by to say hello." "Long time no see," "Looking good." "Too bad, Peter." "You almost made it." "Where's my son?" "Why don't you give up?" "Why, you..." " Oh, God!" " Shit!" "No!" " Stop!" " Hey!" "Stop!" "All right, Peter." "You said you wanted to see your son." "Go ahead and get him." "Robin?" "Can you hear me?" "Robin?" "Please answer me." "Oh, my God." "Robin!" "Where is he?" "What have they done to you?" "Son?" "I know they told you I was dead." "They wanted me out of the way." "I never gave up." "I kept looking for you all the time." "Come on, Robin." "Hey." "Don't you recognize your old man?" "Peter!" "No!" "Hang on, Robin." "Reach up with your other hand." "Come on." "Grab ahold of my jacket." "Climb over me." "That's it." "Come on." "You can do it." "That's it." "That's it." "No!" "Oh, God!" "Robin!" "All right." "Get 'em out of here." "Get 'em out of my sight." "Morning." "I made some coffee." "Would you like some?" "No?" "It's warmer by the fire." "How did you sleep?" "Okay?" "I was here most of the night." "I-I guess you don't remember." "Move a little closer to the fire." "I know what you've been going through these past couple of days." "I know how exhausted you must be." "It'll take more than one night's sleep." "I know how I feel." "Peter was my friend." "Maybe the best friend I'll ever have." "But I had to do what I did." "You saw what happened." "Peter could have saved Robin." "Instead, he let him go." "He deliberately killed his son." "I hope you don't judge me too harshly." "I can't say what I did was right or wrong." "I only know I acted, and it's done." "Robin is gone." "Peter is gone." "And you're the only one who matters now." "Yes, I know that hurts." "That hurts so bad, you want to lie down and die, but you have to survive." "You're a healthy, strong, young girl, and you must survive." "You'll begin by putting all the tragedies behind you." "I think that'll be easier if you accept my help." "All the bad things you heard about me just aren't true." "I'm not a bad man." "All I want is for you to trust me." "Time will take care of the hurting." "That's the simple truth." "Tears are good." "Don't be afraid of crying." "Tears are just what we need right now." "I'll be a good father to you, Gillian." "You can depend on that." "Gillian!" "Where are you?" "Come on!" "Come on!" "God!" "You go to hell." "Oh, God!" "No!" "No!"