For starters, it was obvious he was an alternate. At least there was a high chance he was, not many humans knew how a mentalist worked.

Meyer had an idea and he hoped that he had managed to keep it to himself, because if Helena knew what he was about to do, he could place a safe bet that she would kill him herself.

- Chapter 16 -

Rooms

They were sitting in Meyer’s library, he in his arm chair by the fire and Mr. Martese sitting across from him. They weren’t actually at the house of course, the whole setup was a projection in Meyer's mind, but it was nicer than another interrogation room.

“You can take me wherever you like, I will not speak to you,” Martese said.

“Why do you think you are here?”

Martese was silent, which Meyer did not appreciate. It was exhausting to keep the two images up, taking both their subconscious thoughts and making their conversation private. This interview was being held deep in Meyer's mind, hopefully somewhere that Helena's contraption wouldn't be able to get to. He was populating Mr. Martese's conscious thoughts with the mastermind interview, except now Meyer was playing both roles, controlling everything that Helena would detect. Martese would be free to talk in secret and if Meyer discovered anything pertinent to Helena, he could relay it via the Mastermind scene.

“Mr. Martese, I am trying to help you. I have been asked to interview you on behalf of the government, but for what crimes I have not been made aware of. This is your chance to speak freely,” Meyer said.

Meyer released the impulse to speak from Martese, which he must have felt as his private thoughts were once again his own.

“Why are you doing this?” Martese said.

“I don't trust the government. A feeling we share, I believe?” Meyer said.

Helena's voice called out over the tannoy in the Mastermind image. “What was his intention?”

“Mr. Martese, what was your intention?” Meyer said, back in the library image.

“I am not saying anything to you,” Martese said.

“Why did they arrest you?” Meyer said.

“I am a member of a political party that fights for freedom from the persecution of the government and the Inquisition.”

“So you are an alternate, and a member of Deliverance it would appear. You probably deserve whatever you get if you align with them, I think this private interview was a mistake. They are terrorists. Yesterday they destroyed three Inquisition safe-holds, killings hundreds of innocents, just to catch one new Inquisitor.”

“The Inquisition needs to be stopped, if we don't do something, nobody will have the strength to stand up for their freedom. We show them that the Inquisition are not untouchable.”

“Why are you here Mr. Martese?”

“We found something that will change the course of the war against suppression, information that exposes the true nature of what happens here. The government have caught and experimented on hundreds of alternates over the last six months.”

“Experimented?”

“One of our agents managed to infiltrate the department. He found information he intended to pass on to us, but we were ambushed before we could meet him. Our intention was to publish the results, let the world see what was going on.”

He needed to give Helena something.