odge has a purpose,
and you'll act a lot more sensibly if you know it."

"You," he said to me. "Are a TK."

"You," I yelled right back. "Are a liar!"

He ignored me completely. "We can't afford to have you gambling and
cheating Normals," he went on. "One of the Lodge's fundamental rules is
that no psi may use his powers to the detriment of Normals. Lefty's big
scene at Nick's fixed it so you won't be welcome in a big-time poker game
anywhere in town. We did that deliberately. And we're telling you to quit
gambling, as of this minute."

"You say you are a TK," I interrupted.

"Somewhat," he said. "I have psi powers, but I'm not mainly a
TK."

"Whatever your powers are," I said. "They don't make you supermen
immune from the laws of libel. If you or anybody I can catch
breathes one false word about my being a snake, you'll be on the
receiving end of the roughest lawsuit you ever heard of!"

"The silliness of that statement will occur to you in a while,"
he said dryly. "And truth is a defense against a claim of libel.
But to get back to purpose. Our second purpose tonight is to get
it through your thick head, Mr. Robertson, that the Lodge insists
on its right to control your actions insofar as they involve the
use of your psi powers. We mean business, Mr. Robertson, and
before you are through with our heartless Mr. Bupp tonight,
you'll know it. That's all that's behind our little charade."

He came to a stop and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to make one statement and rest on it," I said, trying
to keep my voice calm and level.

He shrugged. "Your turn," he said.

"I'm a Normal," I said. "I flatly deny that I have the slightest
shred of psi power. I accuse that freckled snake over there of
lying deliberately. I'll make him pay for it, and he'll be lucky
if it isn't with his blood."

"That's all?"

"Isn't it enough?"

He laughed harshly and grinned over at Lefty. "Some of you
maverick psis scream like a gelded porker," he said. "I figgered
you'd tell me we'd cost you a fortune in prospective poker
winnings, to say the least."

My stomach dropped. I hadn't thought of that, not as much as I
should have. It was my only income! "Something a darn sight more
important than money is involved," I said.

"Maybe you aren't such a bad guy," he decided. He looked over at
the woman standing silently in her slip beside his desk, her bare
arms folded over her ample bosom.

"How about it, Milly?" he asked her.

S