The Link Read Online Free Page A

physicist Dr. Alexander Robertson, her mother a well-known psychologist-author, her older brother also a physicist who works with her father.
    “I’m impressed,” he says. “You must have to go some to live up to that.”
    A faint expression on her face betrays the truth of that.
    We learn, as Robert casually speaks of some minute “trivia” fact about the plane, that he is the author of three well-selling books entitled THINGS EXPLAINED, MORE THINGS EXPLAINED and OTHER THINGS EXPLAINED.
    “My father loves those books!” enthuses Cathy. “He’s forever reading them in the loo.”
    Robert chuckles, taking that for praise.
    “So that’s the genesis of THINGS WITHOUT EXPLANATION,” she observes. He nods. “Of course we both know everything can be explained with proper knowledge,” she adds.
    He shrugs. “Assuming that the proper knowledge shows up,” he responds.
    By the time they reach New York they have become quite friendly with each other; it is a given that, both good looking, they are attracted to each other physically. When the plane lands, Robert walks her into the terminal where the mood is dispelled by HARRY GRAVES waiting there to pick her up; he, of course, bears not the faintest resemblance to Robert’s mini-fantasy, a pleasant-looking man in his late thirties, wearing casual clothes.
    He shakes hands with Robert as they meet, explaining, when Robert mentions it, that he is on a brief vacation from his teaching duties, visiting Cathy “in the Colonies.” Robert smiles and nods.
    Then they are gone and Robert walks to his parked car. He drives to Connecticut and picks up Bart who is a wriggling testimony to joy at seeing his master. Amelia tells him that he might keep an eye on Bart’s breathing; it’s a little strained at times.
    At home, Robert finds two messages on his answering machine; one from his literary agent asking him to call and tell him about the trip, the other from his father. Sighing, Robert hesitates, then dials his father’s number.
    “Have you reconsidered?” asks his father stiffly. “This is quite important, Robert.
Quite
important.”
    “I’m sorry, Dad, I really can’t,” he says. “I have too many—”
    “Your decision, of course,” his father interrupts. “You’re making a mistake however. What you don’t—” he hangs up.
    “Oh, God,” Robert groans and, unaware of it, removes the bio-feedback control from his jacket pocket, holds it to his left ear.
    It howls.

    Early morning. Robert getting up. His aching back, the left arm. Lousy water pressure in the bathroom. Stretching exercises. Running with Bart who wheezes on their return. Robert sitting by the dog, his arm around him. “What’s the matter, pal? You getting old?
You?
Not you, Bart. You’re a young guy. Sure you are.” The thumping tail, the black face nuzzling his.
    Later. Robert at his desk, dictating, CAMERA MOVING IN ON the words appearing on the processor screen.
    “Following the events at Hydesville, physical phenomena began to sweep the country.”
    We see it as his voice narrates. “Table tiltings. Séance rooms replete with rappings, thumpings, even spirit voices. By 1853, it was estimated that there were 40,000 spiritualists in New York alone.
    “But it was not professional mediums who popularized the cause at first. Table turning at home became the rage in all parts of the country as well as in England and on the Continent. Tables would rotate and make other movements without visible control, all the movements accepted as the answering of questions from ‘Beyond’.
    “A wave of fascination spread across the western world, the number of adherents to the new faith mounting to more than ten million.
    “The first great psychic to appear upon this active scene was Daniel Dunglas Home.”
    We see Home sitting with various notables, a young man of striking appearance, face shaven except for a mustache, hair bushy and curly.
    “Among those who had sittings with the young Scotch