"You can control minds... with a flashlight."

"Yeah, I... I mean, you saw what it did to that mugger."

The young woman blinked. "Mugger? Oh, the one with the knife who—"

"—wanted my money, yes." The man in the long coat nodded. "I guess it's not safe to be out at night."

"I'm sure not used to that, but I suppose just meeting people I don't personally already know is unusual enough for me." Lessia smiled. "I come from a very small world."

"I can't imagine. Honestly. I was born in the big city, always been there, and, well, I live for The Order so I'm not likely to go elsewhere." Darryl shrugged.

"What's The Order?" Lessia was genuinely interested.

"It's..." Darryl paused. "Uh, it's... a... You know, I've..."

"Never thought about it?" Lessia smiled. "Think someone used one of those things on you?"

Darryl frowned. "No, The Order wouldn't do that."

The woman laughed, a pretty, energetic sound. "Why wouldn't they do that?"

"Because that's not who they—who we are."

"You call yourselves 'The Order.' That's the name of an all-controlling evil organization if I ever heard one."

"Evil?" It was Darryl's turn to laugh. "If there's something we're not, it's evil."

"You control minds with a flashlight," Lessia pointed out. "I'll bet you're thinking of converting me to your way of seeing things."

"What?"

She moved a little closer. "You want to put that light in my eyes and make me stand around muttering 'I live for The Order.'"

Darryl swallowed. "That's not... it's not evil to..."

Her hand was on his arm, the arm he would need to lift the foot-long black implement. "Not evil at all. Which is why you wouldn't think for a second to let me use that and find out what's on your mind."

A shiver ran through him. "What do you..."

Lessia was beside him now. "You think you're the only mind controller here?" she whispered in his ear.

He felt a weight come away from his hand. "I..."

He stared into a bright, harsh light.