She waved her hand impatiently. "We see a little TK here in the lab right along," she said. "At least, there are those who seem to have a small genuine edge on the cards that we can explain no other way. It's small, but apparently exists. But precognition? That's not simply mechanical or kinetic, like TK. PC is something terrifyingly different." Her voice hushed as she said it. "It's a kind of sensitivity that has nothing to do with mere kinetics. It defies time!" She looked back at me. "I simply find it comical that you thought of yourself as sensitive to that degree." "So I've been a fool," I mused. "In a word, yes. You're a Normal. They suckered you, if you want the jargon." "Wait till tonight!" I seethed, beginning to feel my anger grow as my fear dwindled. "Let them try to pin the psi label on me! I'll call their bluff!" The TV-phone on Shari's desk rang, and she pressed the Accept key. "Let me speak with Tex," a familiar aggressive voice said. It didn't sound as if it would stand for much nonsense. Shari still had another look of surprise in her. "For you," she said, arching her romantic eyebrows, and turning the instrument around so I was facing the 'scope and screen. Sure enough, it was Wally Bupp. "Don't do it, Tex," he warned me. "Don't do what?" "Don't play tonight. It won't be practical. We mean business." "So do the laws of libel," I said. "One crack about my having psi powers--" "Yeah, yeah," he interrupted. "You told us about the lawsuit," he said. "You've got six more days." I could see his hand come up to cut the image. "Hey!" I said. "How'd you know where to reach me?" His sharp face split in that vicious grin. "I forgot to tell you," he said. "Maragon is a clairvoyant, too." The image faded. "See what I mean?" I said shakily to Shari. "They sure talk a good game. I didn't tell a soul I was coming here. How'd they catch me?" "Occam's razor," she said. "How many wrong numbers did they try first? Come back to earth!" "That snake Lefty still worries me," I admitted, going to the door. "Shari, I know I've acted nuts, but they nearly got me to flip! Thanks for helping me. I couldn't have stood it to know I was a snake. You got my mind back on the track again." "Not enough to keep from going right back to the poker table," she observed. There didn't seem any point to telling her how badly I needed the dough. Anyway, I had to prove a point. I was a Normal. I left. * * * * * There were already seven at the table when I got to Nick's after dinner. He didn't want to deal me in. "Seven's a full table, huh, Tex?" he said. "Not for stud, it isn't," I told him. "You can deal to ten gamblers." "Dealer's choice tonight," he protested, while some of the gamblers eyed me curiously. "Can't deal to more than seven for three-card draw." "I told you where I stood on this thing last night," I snapped.