Free Mind Games by Teri Terry Page B

stuck to silver hacking only. Your mother was particularly skilled in both silver and traditional world manipulation. It’s a surprise they left her alone as long as they did.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Nothing. Look, I’ve got to go. Remember: you promised not to tell anyone, right?’
    He gets up and takes off as if something is after him, leaving the hoodie I’m sitting on behind.
    Well. What does all this mean? I shake my head. This can’t be for real. If he is delusional or making things up about the other stuff, everything he says must be suspect.
    It must be.
    But my guts clench cold, inside.
    It’s a surprise they left her alone as long as they did…

11
    ‘Hello, everyone. I’m Dr Rafferty.’ He smiles at the assembled students, eyes twinkling below a shock of white hair. Despite my usual mistrust of doctors, there is something about him that makes me smile back.
    ‘Some students get a little stressed about the testing, so I’ve been assigned by HealthCo to look after you. I’ll be meeting with a few of you for a chat this afternoon. If any others have worries or questions, you can also make an appointment to see me. But don’t ask me about the test itself; that I can’t tell you. And not just because I shouldn’t: I don’t know a thing about it. But here is someone who does.’ And he introduces Langdon, a test official from PareCo.
    Langdon steps up to the stage. Is he an evil mastermind, manipulating test results, installing force fields, and setting Implant suggestions so strong even a Hacker can’t see through them? He just looks like a geek, not much older than we are.
    He smiles nervously at everyone. ‘Hi,’ he says. Then looks at a card in his hand, and reads it out. ‘Big congratulations to each and every one of you! Your IQ test results show you’ve been graced with intelligence. But do you have the ability to handle your gift? In many ways this is far more important. The RQ test on Thursday will determine this. Until then you will be assigned to groups and prepare for the test together. In a moment you will each receive a folder with instructions, and you will meet with your group at dinner.’
    Then they hand out folders to each of us. Mine has a sticker on top: meet with Dr Rafferty at 2 p.m. Any imagined liking I had for him before vanishes.
    ‘Hi, Luna, come in,’ he says, and holds the door.
    I step reluctantly into his office; it swings shut behind me.
    ‘Have a seat,’ he says. ‘And stop looking so worried.’
    ‘Sorry, I’m not worried,’ I lie. ‘I’m confused. Why am I here? Do I look stressed out to you?’
    He laughs. ‘Perhaps a little, but that isn’t why you’re here. There were reports of an episode the evening of the formal dinner, and I wanted to talk to you about it.’
    An episode . That’s what they call it when Nanna flips out. I’m properly worried now.
    ‘Thank you, but what if I don’t?’ And I know I’m being stupid; I’m pushing him, and there is no logical reason to do that, and any number of reasons why it could be a bad idea.
    He laughs again. ‘Please relax; you’re not in any sort of trouble here. This is purely for your benefit, and completely confidential. Just between us,’ he adds.
    ‘I do know what confidential means.’
    ‘I’m sure. Your IQ test suggests you’re rather bright. So do you want to tell me what happened?’
    I stay silent, and he looks down at some notes. ‘Here goes. You came to the dinner in the same colours as your school, but declined to sit with your classmates and instead joined a Hacker friend. Hex, I believe?’
    I nod. ‘But they’re not my classmates. I mean, we’re not in any classes together. Because I’m a Refuser.’ I say it defiantly.
    He nods. ‘That is also noted on your records.’ He looks down again. ‘Then after dinner, you left abruptly, had words with a girl from your school, ran out—’
    ‘—and fell over in a highly embarrassing fashion in front of