She stared down at the book in her hands. How had it got here? Had some irresponsible person in the year 2083 or so read it, just as James had done, and then gone around hypnotizing people at random? Perhaps he had hypnotized someone who could operate a time machine and the bewildered scientist had sent it backward in time.
She caught herself up short. Such speculations, to a practical woman like Carrie, were silly. The important thing was that here, before her, were a thousand pages of useful but dangerous information—how dangerous she could only guess. So far James had done little actual harm but let his resentment be aroused, let him want really to revenge himself on some one, and he'd be the most dangerous human being alive.
Her eyes ran down the list of chapters again. They seemed endless. Hypnotism by Gesture—Hypnotism by Mechanical Means—Hypnotism by Autosuggestion—Posthypnotic Suggestion—and finally a whose series on Erasure.
Erasure—that sounded interesting. What were you supposed to erase? There were different sub-headings—Erasure of Susceptibility—Erasure of Specific Directives—General Erasure.
She sat down and read with a concentration she had not shown in years.
Two hours later she thought she knew what to do. First she did what the book said was necessary to protect herself. Then she said, "James, look at me."
James looked and she began to erase. An hour later she decided he was safe and untied him.
Then she sat down and wrote Barbara a letter. She knew that after Barbara had read it through a few times, the first time in bewilderment, the second and third times with a feeling of obedience, she would follow her mother's instructions perfectly and end by burning the letter, just as she had burned the one James sent her.
Of those most directly affected that left only Bill. Reardon? He was all right, she thought. James had victimized him after reading no more than the first chapter or two. He hadn't yet read enough then to be really dangerous. But Bill....
She had a little talk with her husband directly after supper. It was short, it was simple, it was sweet. When she had ended Bill remembered nothing and felt fine. He was fine.