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.She could see exactly what had happened to John.He'd lost the reasoning part of his brain during the SHIFT flight, leaving him open to religion and politics and the unscrupulous manipulation of others intent on using his name to forward their own political ambitions.John was nothing but a pawn in their hands.Nick disagreed."Look," he said, putting his handheld down."If he were a pawn, the campaign team would have had him back on those hotel steps within minutes explaining how he misheard the question.The fact they didn't tells me that not only does he believe what he said but his handlers can't persuade him to back down.""But that's not John!" She felt like she was banging her head against a brick wall.Nick didn't know the real John; the media didn't know the real John.But she did!"Could he have been split in two?" she asked."Could the good bit have gone into Pendennis and left the bad bit behind.""Next you'll be saying that Mr.Hyde is standing for the President of the United States.""Well, is he?"Nick sat up."No.Mr.Hyde is a Victorian concept.We're not composed of two selves—one good, one evil—locked in a fight for dominion over our soul.We're far more complex than that.""But you said part of his personality could have been ripped from his brain during the SHIFT flight.""And it could.But it wouldn't be entirely good or entirely evil.It would be part of a sub-personality.Maybe an entire sub-personality."Louise was confused.Personalities, sub-personalities, personas.Weren't they all describing the same thing?"So he lost the sub-personality that controls reason?" she asked.Nick took a deep breath."I see I'm going to have to explain this." He shuffled closer to the edge of the bed and rested both hands on his knees."Think back to your childhood.I bet you were a different girl with your friends than you were with your parents."Louise nodded."That's because you, like most children, learned to adopt different personae according to where you were and who you were interacting with.Now, as you get older these sub-personalities change.Some fade away, others appear.You flit between roles: mother, wife, lover, friend, child, colleague, boss and however many other personae your lifestyle demands.Now, John spent most of his adult life in the forces.Maybe, and I'm using retrospective psychoanalysis here, maybe that led to him developing a sub-personality to cope with a highly structured, disciplined regime.Moving to NASA and the SHIFT program would have accentuated that.The same discipline but this time extended into his off-duty hours.He'd be a twenty-four hour ambassador.For NASA, for SHIFT, for his country.The first man chosen to fly to the stars couldn't be seen behaving badly."So, over the years John's work persona assumes the dominant role in his life.But what happens if that persona—the highly disciplined, professional John Bruce that made up say 75% of his life—is suddenly ripped away.He wouldn't turn evil but his other sub-personalities would suddenly be forced to cope with the unexpected exposure.And how would they react? Wouldn't they feel freed? Maybe even reborn.All that rigid discipline and constraint suddenly removed.Which could explain the new John.He's lost the rational straitjacket and become reacquainted with the child, the friend and all the other sub-personalities that he'd been repressing all these years.Which is why when someone asks if it's a good idea to nuke China he'll answer off the cuff.Well, yeah, it's gotta be an option.""So I was right," said Louise."He's lost his reasoning sub-personality.""No, he's still reasoning but employing a different set of priorities.His 'work' personality would place a high priority on behaving well at all times.His 'friend' personality would care more about being popular.They'd both employ reason but with different goals.""But isn't that dangerous?""Only if he gets elected which he won't.You heard the news.His campaign's finished.""But what about John? Shouldn't someone tell him he needs therapy or something?"Nick smiled."And be accused of orchestrating another dirty tricks campaign? How many more murders do you want me accused of?"Chapter ThirteenKaren clapped her hands together, even with her thick mittens the cold penetrated.There'd be a frost tonight.A heavy one
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