Leoh leaned back on the deep couch and told Hector every detail of both parts of the duel.
“Six Odals,” Hector muttered soberly, leaning back against the doorframe. “Six against one.”
“That’s what he did. It’s easy to see how a man expecting a polite, formal duel can be completely shattered by the viciousness of such an attack. And the machine amplifies every impulse, every sensation.”
“But how does he do it?” Hector asked, his voice suddenly loud and demanding.
“I’ve been asking myself the same question. We’ve checked over the dueling machine time and again. There is no possible way for Odal to plug in five helpers ... unless—”
“Unless?”
Leoh hesitated, seemingly debating with himself. Finally he nodded his head sharply, and answered, “Unless Odal is a telepath.”
“Telepath? But—”
“I know it sounds farfetched. But there have been well-documented cases of telepathy for centuries throughout the Commonwealth.”
Hector frowned. “Sure, everybody’s heard about it ... natural telepaths ... but they’re so unpredictable ... I don’t see how—”