Page 3 of The Presidents Shadow

THE CCNY GRADUATION is being held at the huge open-air Corpus Field, where the grand old Yankee Stadium once stood many, many decades ago.

The graduation sky this afternoon is dark, depressing, not quite raining, but ready to start at any minute. The gloomy weather matches the family’s mood. Rain would only make it worse, but it might be more fitting.

I watch the happy, excited people surrounding me and try to force myself to join them emotionally.

But even for someone with the powers of mind control, it’s impossible, and that only makes me more angry.

Maddy deserves better. She deserves to have my full attention.

When the Right Reverend Lanata Hooper is introduced, the audience erupts with a loud clash of both boos and cheers.

Margo and Jessica join the chorus of boos.

Then Jessica turns toward me. “Don’t even consider it,” she warns me.

I smile, some positive emotion welling at the thought of how wise she is, how well she knows me.

“You want to do one of your mind-control interferences,” she says. “But this is Maddy’s day. We can’t go spoiling it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I say. Still… I need to do something. After doing nothing as I watched Jericho die, I need to take action.

A few misty drops fall from the sky as Lanata Hooper rattles on and on about the “bright future ahead, in a land where wise people take control over the weak and foolish, a future of fine worldly goods…”

I can’t stand the vile philosophy any longer.

I call upon my powers, and suddenly the graduation speaker stops speaking.

Both Margo and Jessica turn their heads toward me. They know something’s up.

Jessica is angry. “Lamont, you promised… ”

I nod, and the speaker resumes her speech. But suddenly it takes a completely unexpected turn.

“Now I would like to ask for a minute of silence,” Hooper says. Her voice is gentle, serious, and calm. “I would like us all to dedicate this time to remember and honor our academic friends who perished so tragically earlier today in Kyoto, Japan.”

The huge crowd falls silent. We all bow our heads. Then the rain begins to fall.