Well, nothing useful from Ruth's prof after all. I'm glad I didn't mention that IM to Becky. That stuff about the Russians and the CIA would probably bug her. It bugs me just thinking about it! I'm sure glad that what happened to me had nothing to do with that kinda stuff. I looked at my watch. Ahh. Ginny should be down now. I can head up without interrupting the ritual.

"Hi Becky, I talked with Ruth this afternoon, and she can come home again this weekend, and stay through Monday morning."

"That’s good Bill. That session went better than I expected, and I liked Dr. Wong more than I expected too."

"That's good to hear. Can you tell me anything about what happened? I don't seem to remember anything between when she started talking about the forest, and when things were over?"

"Well, she talked, and asked if you were there, and when you said yes, she asked you to describe it. Only, what you described was nothing like what I' would have expected from her leading. You talked about a tall stone tower with no doors and a little room at the top. She'd take you out, and try to get you back. Must have been three or four times and then suddenly you acted like you were more relaxed and you were able to describe a forest like I pictured based on her description. Once that happened, she took you half way out, and then sent you back several times, each time asking where you were. And then she brought you all the way up."

I shook my head. "That's strange. You know how little I like castles! That's why I mentioned it."

"So you've said over the years, but you never said why you don't like them. I mean, there certainly aren’t many castles around here."

"True, now that you mention it, I don't recall any castle pictures in my folks photo albums either! I do wonder where it came from. Maybe from some movie I saw once. You're not suggesting I went through all this before are you?

"I don't know what to think Bill. If we accept what Dr. Wong said, you reacted as if you had. Though, I'm not prepared to suggest when this might have happened. I mean, unless it was done without your parent's knowledge, they're either really good actors in pretending nothing happened or they don't remember either, both of which I'm sure you'll agree are more disturbing yet."

"Umm Yea. But, I still think I'm an alien changeling. The tower is the space ship that's all."

Becky laughed at that. No Bill. You're not getting off that easily. You look too much like your parents, and so do the kids! You have to be related to them."

"Okay, you've got me on that one. Well, I certainly can't think of anything else. What say we call it a night?"

"If you look out the window, you'll find it is." She said jokingly.

Friday afternoon

"Well, how has your week been Mr. Wyman?"

"It's been interesting, that's for sure! Dr. Wong accepted the observer thing, and I had my first session 'under the influence' as it were."

"How did that go?"

"From my point of view, apparently well. But Dr. Wong seemed to think things were a bit strange. She even suggested that I'd been through this kind of therapy before."

"Why is that?"

"Well, she said, and Becky backs her up, that when I was being sent to a forest glade as a safety spot, I'd end up in a stone tower instead. And, this is way out of character for me, 'cause I really don't like castles!"

"What did you think of all of this?"

"I don't know what to think. By itself, I'd probably have called it a fluke. But, with Dr. Johanson's evidence, it sounds more ominous!"

"I see. Are you going to continue with this? Or do you think you should leave things as they stand?"

"Well, as Becky and I said last week, I think it's kinda important to find out. If only to make sure it's not happening to kids today."

"I see. Have you taken any other steps?"

"Besides calling the school and seeing my folks, which I think I mentioned Monday morning, I don't think so."

"And, how about dreams?"

"I've been keeping that log like you asked, and have not seen anything unusual."

"Well, as you move further with the memory exercises, it may be more important. So, I believe it's a good thing you've started now. Most folks find it easier to keep to something like that once started." She paused. "Is there anything else we need to discuss this week?"

"I don't think so; next week could be more interesting. I've a session with Dr. Wong Monday morning, and I'll be going to the Board of Ed Tuesday. Not sure what else the week will bring, but that'll get something I hope!"

"All right, I'll see you next week then Mr. Wyman."

Saturday afternoon

"Hi Ruth. Thanks for being willing to take time off occasionally."

"Dad, you know I'm just doing it for my project! I get a chance to ask questions to someone in the field. Totally selfish of me."

"Right and I'm the Prince of Wales."

"Really? Does mom know?"

"You're too quick for me this afternoon. So what is this project about really?"

"Well, you knew I was taking a course on the Cold War, right?" At my nod, she continued. "Well, we have to do a research paper on some aspect of shadow operations during the Cold War." Then, becoming more animated, "In chatting with my Prof at the Halloween party, I thought about how the soviets seemed to be able to come up with any weapon we did after a few years. Then, I thought about how I'd read about the soviets doing a bunch of research into things like psionics, and added my profs comments about the training program. What I came up with was did we do programs like that too? And my ultimate topic is to summarize the soviet program, and then look for hints and stuff for similar programs here. I'll be looking through journal publications and, for declassified docs made available through the freedom of information act."

"Sounds like you have your work cut out for you."

"I think it's going to be fun too, Dad. And, if your doctor is willing to be a resource, I may be able to find out more stuff or at least find it faster!"

"That's my girl, always thinking about all the options."

"Always, Dad. I learned it from two great teachers!"

"Being a diplomat now too are we?"

"That I learned from you. But seriously, I really hope your Doctor will be able to help me on this. It sounds, from the bits you've told me, that her work is related to some of the techniques used by the Russians."

"You'll just have to ask her. If she's not busy after our session, maybe you can chat a while about your project."

"That'd be great. Even if she can't give me time tomorrow, maybe there's another way I can talk to her. I'll find out Monday."

Sunday afternoon

I stopped, as I was coming into the kitchen and saw my two girls sitting at the table with their backs to me. It looked like Ruth was helping Ginny with something again. What a big sister!

"Ruth, how come you're always going off with dad to talk the last few weeks? You never used to?"

"Oh, it's a buncha different things really Ginny. Like, tomorrow morning, I'm going to see a Psychiatrist dad knows so I can do some research on my course paper for my Cold War course. Have they covered the Cold War in any of your classes yet?" I wasn't surprised to hear Ruth telling the truth, but her skill at turning the question around and leaving some of what Ginny was after out was more than I'd expected.

"Cold war? Are wars cold?"

"Well Ginny, that's a reference to a shooting war being a hot war, so a war where they don't shoot is a cold one."

"How can you have a war where they don't shoot?"

"Well, it wasn't a war in the usual sense. I mean there weren't our soldiers and their soldiers fighting. But, we were competing, and sometimes our friends would fight their friends and we'd help our friends and they'd help their friends. The Vietnam War was like that. Remember last summer, when we went to the Mall in Washington DC?"

"Yea?"

"Well, there were several war memorials to help people remember those that died in those wars. One of them was to the Vietnam War."

"Okay. But what makes that a cold war? Didn't a lot of people die?"

"Yes they did Ginny. But, since we were not directly fighting our enemy, they didn't consider us at war with them. Strange isn't it?"

"Oh yea. Are we still fighting that cold war?"

"No, the cold war was against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. That's also called the USSR or the Soviet Union. Well, that country fell apart about 20 years ago when their people wanted more freedom. Once the country was gone, the Cold War was over."

"Wow. That's neat Ruth. How'd you learn all that?

"Here and there. Some in classes, some reading stuff on the internet and even some talking to mom and dad. They were alive for a big bunch of the Cold War, specially the end of it! Grandpa and grandma were around for more of it."

Ginny laughed at that. "They've been around forever!"

"Not really Ginny, but I used to think that too. Do you remember Aunt Rachel?"

"No. I thought dad only had a brother, and mom didn't have any brothers or sisters."

"Aunt Rachel is dad's Aunt. I think she's grandpa's big sister or something. She is older than they are anyway. Well Aunt Rachel tells some really funny stories about World War II and the Depression. You'll get to study those in a few years when you get to the middle school. Anyway, she was talking once about stuff she heard from her parents about how they moved here to get away from Russia when the Soviet Union formed. They sounded a bit scary... About people riding around on horses and shooting guns and such, and the old Czar and such. That's like a king. It was really fun." She looked up about then, and either saw my reflection or something. "Oh Hi, Dad. Ginny and I were taking a short break. She was having some problems with her science."

"So, she's got you explaining stuff now. How's it going Gin?"

"Okay, Dad, Ruth explains stuff really good for me. I wish she could be home more."

"Well, she may be, if that Doctor I know has information or can help her get information on her course paper."

"Oh really! That'd be really great! When will you know?"

"Well, after she meets her in the morning, I'll have to get her back to the Uni for her afternoon class. But I should be able to let you know when I see you after school. How does that sound?"

"Oh really? I've really missed you Ruth." At this point, Ginny jumped up and gave Ruth a big hug, and I smiled at this. Ginny usually tries to hid how much she's been missing her big sister since she went off to the Uni a few years ago, but every now and this it slips out.

"Now Ginny, it won't be every weekend. She does still have to get her school work done!"

"I know. But it'll be nice having her here more, Dad! Craig's no fun!"

"Okay, okay. Enough. You finished studying, or do you two need to get back to work?"

"Ginny, we'd best finish answering the study questions. She's got a test on Tuesday, Dad."

"Aww Ruth!" "Really?" We said at the same time.

"Yes to both of you. Later's, Dad, come on Ginny it won't take us long."

With that, I grabbed a soda and left the room thinking that they were both such wonderful daughters. I did realize I'd need to be a bit more careful though. It was obvious from Ginny's question at the beginning that she was more like her sister Ruth than Becky or I had realized.