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Mehitabel sets about fixing all the preferences how she likes them. "Aelise said you might be good at helping me pick out books to read so I can learn all the things I have to know to figure out how to fix the world," she says.

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"I might!" she agrees.

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"I need to know how Gifts work and why people have wars and stuff," Mehitabel says.

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"Right to the hard stuff, huh," laughs Kers. "I'll queue up some history."

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"Thank you!"

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"History and science."

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Mehitabel nods. "How come you live up here?" she asks.

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"Because nobody thinks there is anyone living up here, which makes it a good place to hide. And the reason why I'm hiding is because I have a Gift," she says. "I'm a shield. A very, very powerful shield. So I keep my Gift covering all the people Aelise most wants protected, and I hide, because I can't cover myself."

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"I cover myself," says Mehitabel. "How do you do other people?"

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"How do you cover yourself?"

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"I didn't even know I was doing it until today."

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Kers shrugs.

"The point is, 'how' is not really a meaningful question between Gifts. No two Gifts work exactly the same way. I cover other people because that's how my Gift works, and I do it by using my Gift, and that's about as much useful detail as anybody's ever been able to get across without involving a telepath."
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"I wonder if I could do other people, though."

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"How would you test that?"

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"It would have to be somebody Chelsa wouldn't notice. Because I'm a secret," Mehitabel says, after thinking this over. "And then I would try stuff."

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"But right now, the only thing you're sure you shield against is Chelsa," Kers observes.

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"Ye-e-es. But she didn't notice me not paying attention to the morning announcements, right?"

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"Right. But how are you going to experiment on people down there, without anybody noticing, when you're up here?"

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"Would she notice if you didn't like the morning announcements anymore?" inquires Mehitabel.

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"As a matter of fact, she didn't."

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"Oh - do you already not watch them?"

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"I don't get them up here. Chelsa thinks I'm on the planet."

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"Oh. Well, then I guess I can't test on you, huh."

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"Guess not."

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Mehitabel contemplates this problem, stumped. "Maybe if I could shield you I could just tell somehow. I don't know."

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