“I’ve been telling everyone who will listen that I’m not an oracle talent,” Olivia said patiently. “But according to Harmony there is a long history of crystal talents in my family. I got the ability, but it remained latent until the camera came into my hands.”

“Huh.” Victor’s brows scrunched together. He was clearly not convinced, but he didn’t argue. “Spode initially assumed he could work the camera. He discovered eventually that he could not break the psychic signature. He had to find someone who could unlock the device. He assumed he needed a true oracle. You were the obvious choice, but you showed no signs of having that sort of talent.”

“He spent months trying to tune the camera to his own vibe before he gave up and turned to Gwendolyn Swan and her sister,” Lucas said. “He knew they were the granddaughters of Aurora Winston, and he had already realized he was going to need their help with the formula, because the serum was failing. In the end they concluded Olivia was their only hope. It was obvious she responded to the psychic signature of the camera. They all decided she must have inherited her grandmother’s talent.”

“I’m not an oracle,” Olivia said, “and neither was my grandmother or my mother.”

Everyone in the room looked at her. Victor cleared his throat, but no one spoke.

“I can prove it,” Olivia said.

Victor’s eyes narrowed. “How?”

“Think about it,” she said. “I only do the oracle thing when I am in close proximity to the camera. It’s true I recognize and resonate with my grandmother’s signature, so I can summon the images and pick up the warnings attached to them. I can also sense the words my mother recorded. But I’m seeing and hearing what they locked into the camera. I have never once experienced the compulsion to proclaim a new prophecy. I rest my case.”

“Huh.” Victor rubbed his jaw, looking thoughtful. “We could probably test that hypothesis in one of the Foundation labs. What do you think, Lucas?”

Lucas raised a shoulder in an elegant shrug. “Doesn’t sound too difficult. We could set up a series of experiments—”

“Forget it,” Olivia said. “I know the truth, and that’s all the proof I need. I am not going to let you conduct experiments on me.”

Harlan looked at her. “The ability to resonate with crystals is linked to the dreamstate. So is the oracle talent. The two can look very similar, but they are different.”

Victor glared. “You sure about that, Rancourt?”

“Yes,” Harlan said.

“What about the oracle imagery in the paintings?” Victor said.