"One person has the so called ability, with support from a few others."
"It's imperative you continue to restrict everything connected to this ability to as few as possible. Is it unique or might others perform likewise?"
"We believe it to be unique."
"Are you able to maximize the use of this ability?"
Part of me was hesitant to answer but something in the old man's voice gave me confidence he possessed no untoward ambitions. "No," I answered. "Unfortunately, life gets in the way a fair amount of the time."
"This life; is it more important to each you than what you are accomplishing with this ability?"
We'd discussed this point among ourselves numerous times over the past months. I despised my employment and Howie was unemployed. While Betsy loved her position, she was far more enchanted with our success and would adopt it as a full time venture in a minute. Quinn could poke around with his experiments on his own time as he'd done all summer. He, of our group, was the most difficult to read. While he went along with our decisions, we were never sure he totally agreed. Teaching classes was unexciting to him and Martha recently told me his summer plant testing project was a major disappointment. I thought he would jump at a chance to devote more time to experimentation even if it wasn't as broad as he wished. That left Martha. While she truly loved nursing, she too reveled in our accomplishments, second only to her unborn child.
I answered his question with one of my own. "Say you're a world class swimmer and spot a drowning man. If you rescue him, you'll be late for a movie, or a ballgame or dinner. Would anyone not jump in anyway?"
"You're saying you don't have a choice."
"What could possibly be more important to us than saving lives?"
"Would any of you truly miss your everyday lives?"
"Not insurmountably."
"I'd like to eliminate your handicap of life's tribulations and fund you."
I was startled. "You don't know anything about us."
"I don't have to and frankly, I don't want to be in possession of any details. I applaud your anonymity. Embrace it like a new born child. It shows me you have some inkling of the importance of this gift you possess and the dire consequences of it falling into the wrong hands. Never let go of that privacy or be lax with your security." Then he asked, "Are you ever wrong?"
"Not so far, but all we offer is tips. Proving their accuracy is up to the authorities. We've convinced ourselves we're absolutely correct but we don't demand that of others."