A Slice of Unkindness Page 8

  “That’s what the drones like her are for,” Judith said jabbing a thumb in Edgar’s direction.

  The youngest one called Mabel approached Edgar’s casket and looked searchingly at her through the glass. Then she smiled.

  “I think I have a new bet for you,” she said, as her smile grew.

  Judith shook her head. “You do know you got dumped on this god-forsaken lump of smoking rock because of your gambling, right?”

  Mabel’s smile only grew. “Someone sounds scared!” she teased.

  “Your father said no more betting,” the other woman scolded.

  “Oh, poppycock!” Mabel protested. “He’s not here right now, is he? And admit it, you both are guilty of making a wager now and then. I have the proof right here.”

  She waved the cash clasped in a delicate, white lace glove in their faces. “Here’s your chance to win it back before your parents find out,” she taunted.

  Judith rolled her eyes and caved. “What’s the wager?” she asked with a resigned sigh.

  “Our little, mute friend here,” Mabel said caressing the glass of Edgar’s casket.

  They looked doubtfully at Edgar and both frowned.

  “What about it?” muttered Judith.

  “Would you say she is a real fox or a clockwork fox?” posed Mabel.

  The women looked at each other and laughed.

  “She’s a drone,” Judith retorted. “She’s been brought here to work and die. That is her only function. End of story.”

  “But I disagree,” Mabel said. “I think she’s a real fox.”

  Judith tossed her perfectly coiffed head in scorn.

  “Only because you always back the long shot, which is why you’re always broke, which is why you’re on Castor 5 in the first place,” she reasoned.

  The third woman came over to Edgar’s casket and read the label.

  “Mabel, you’re a fool and here’s the proof,” she said. “It’s to be delivered to Dr. Mutter’s lab.”

  Judith laughed. Mabel looked confused.

  “I don’t know what that means,” she said.

  The third woman laughed and patted the casket. “Nice knowing you, drone. It’s a shame you won’t be around much longer.”

  Judith shook her head. “I know you’re new to this world so let me explain this to you. Dr. Mutter is a certain greasy, weasel of a scientist with a penchant for doing experiments on living subjects that aren’t allowed on other, more civilized worlds. Isn’t that right, Eleanor?”

  The third woman called Eleanor gave an overly dramatic nod. “Oh yes,” she said and then she aimed her next comment to Edgar. “If he tells you his whole life story and all his deepest, darkest secrets… it means he plans on killing you. He gets quite lonely and frequently has no one to talk to because he is so disrespectful to Her Royal Highness. Likes to call her Queen Vicky, I believe.”

  Mabel gasped in horrified disbelief. “You’re joking! Of all the gall! How dare he do such a thing!”

  Eleanor nodded. “Improper upbringing, I believe. No manners whatsoever. Probably raised by wolves, as they would say on Victoria Prime.”

  Judith’s expression became pained and insulted all at once. “Well, he was originally from the planet New Philly, which, as everyone knows, was colonized by Americans and they were always a rude and rather coarse breed. So that explains it even if it does not excuse his behavior. What could you expect from that place?”

  “Anyway,” Eleanor continued, obviously enjoying herself. “He’s so insanely impolite, that the only people he can talk to are his patients. And since they can’t run away, they’re quite literally his captive audience.”

  Edgar must have let her feelings show because they seemed amused by her reaction.

  “I give her a week before he does her in,” Judith said.

  Eleanor bugged her eyes. “Really? That long? You’re being quite generous.”

  “It all depends how much fun he has with this one,” Judith said.

  “I think,” interrupted Mabel, “she’ll survive her encounter with the infamous Dr. Mutter.”

  This brought peals of laughter from the other two women.

  “Impossible!” chortled Judith.

  “Inconceivable!” guffawed Eleanor.

  “So it’s worth a wager?” Mabel posed smiling.

  “If you’d like me to lighten your purse, you have but to ask,” Judith chuckled.

  “You’re mad!” Eleanor insisted.

  But Mabel was grinning ear to ear like a Cheshire cat.

  “Five thousand royal crowns says she makes it,” she challenged.

  “That’s half your future dowry!” Eleanor gasped.

  “No one survives Mutter’s lab,” Judith responded.

  “Five thousand royal credits,” Mabel sang teasingly, nearly dancing with delight at the prospect.

  “Done!” they both said at once.

  Edgar felt insulted and revolted all at once. She could say or do nothing in her defense. The women discussed the terms while she felt sick to her stomach at the heartless depravity of it all.

  Suddenly Judith’s smug face was pressed against the glass.

  “Hey drone,” she said to Edgar in a threatening tone. “I just bet a fortune on you lasting a whole week before you croak so listen up. The Doc will take off your restraints and muzzle but he’ll still cage you. You wanna live longer? Keep him talking. I know it’s well above your pay grade and possibly beyond your ability but try to sound a little smart. He can’t resist intelligent conversation. He may just keep you alive longer and only scan your brain to find out how all those big words got in there. So make him say a lot. If you don’t and I lose this bet… I just might have to kill you twice. Understand?”

  Edgar could only give her a venomous glare in response. She wanted to wring Judith’s prim and proper, little neck! She never knew she could learn to despise someone so quickly but this enabled, spawn of a deka had taught her the error of such thoughts.

  Where was Warren? Where was Morris? Were they safe? She had no way of knowing.

  The train rumbled nearer its destination.

  * * *

  The engine way at the front of the train squealed loudly and came to a hissing, steam-spouting stop. People disembarked including the three irritating young women. Edgar was almost relieved to be out of their company.

  Then men, dressed in drone attire, began to unload the cargo in her carriage. It took a while for them to move enough stuff to where they could adequately maneuver the dolly she was strapped to. It was obvious to anyone that the woman in the casket was alive and conscious but they all treated her as if she was some inanimate thing, just luggage to be carted about. She tried desperately to signal someone with her eyes and struggled against her restraints. But no one looked her in the eye. No one noticed her at all. In fact it seemed all the workers were doing anything they could to avoid meeting her eyes or reacting to her frantic pleas for help.

  She was wheeled out of the train, down a ramp, onto the boarding area and placed with the rest of the cargo and luggage which was assembled. Then the workers just left her there.

  Presently a couple of new workers turned up and began to sort through the stuff that was unloaded from the train. They also did everything to avoid noticing the living breathing person in the glass casket. Someone eventually took charge of the casket and again she was on the move.

  This time she was delivered to a person awaiting her. He, she assumed it was a he, spoke softly with one of the cargo workers from behind her. This person had an interesting tone of voice, musical like a woodwind being played underwater. Her casket was unloaded from the dolly, laid flat and placed upon a levitation table which hummed when it was switched on. Then she was raised to about waist height.

  She finally got a good look at the person who had picked up her casket. She thought to herself that he couldn’t be Dr. Mutter. His appearance just didn’t fit the image she had in her head.

  First of all, she wasn�
�t sure if this person was male or female. It seemed androgynous in appearance or a weird combination of both sexes if that was even possible.

  The person was tall, willowy and impossibly thin and angular in appearance. The skin had a strange, bluish gray hue to it. Its face seemed to be folded like a paper envelope, not round at all like a human. The hair was dark black and seemed like wet scales lying flat against his head. A strange, wrinkled scar behind the curve of his jawbone on each side met ears that seemed to melt into the sides of his head. But those eyes were the most odd. They defied any description at all other than round, large and black. They just weren’t… human. And the person rarely blinked.

  This person looked down upon her and it seemed he tried to smile. He tapped a particular spot on the glass and a window opened over Edgar’s face.

  He held a finger to his lips, signaling secrecy.

  “Tell no one I can speak,” his words gurgled softly like a bubbling fountain in her ears. “As far as you know, I am mute. Be good and I will remove your gag. No screaming, now.”

  He did as he had promised. His hands were rubbery feeling but gentle.

  Edgar swallowed with relief at having the gag removed. Then she looked up at the strange creature above her who had taken possession of her casket and was now piloting it toward a dubious destination.

  “Are you friend or foe?” she whispered up at him.

  He waggled his head. “Yet to be determined,” was his reply.

  “You are not Dr. Mutter,” Edgar stated.

  “No,” he replied. “I am charged with taking you to him, though…”

  They fell into an uncomfortable silence.

  “Might I know your name?” she asked.

  He hesitated. “Dan… Daniel,” he eventually said.

  She nodded. “Danny?” she suggested.

  “Daniel only, please,” he recommended.

  “I am…” she began.

  “I know who you are,” he interrupted, “…Professor.”

  She paused.

  “You don’t have to take me to Dr. Mutter,” she suggested.

  “Actually, yes I do,” he responded.

  “I think I like you, Daniel,” she said softly. “Or at least… I’d like to like you. Don’t do this.”

  He looked down upon her as they made their way along.

  “I have no choice,” was his reply.

  “What’s this Dr. Mutter got over you?” Edgar asked.

  For the next few steps Daniel said nothing.

  “He knows where my children are,” he revealed at last. “He’s the only one who knows what became of them. I have to find them.”

  Edgar nodded and was silent a moment. “I understand a little of how you feel,” she told him. “I’m also looking for my son. Maybe we could help each other?”

  He was silent.

  “Daniel, save me,” she whispered.

  He said nothing for a long time and did not look at her.

  “I’ll see,” was his only response.

  Her eyes searched his face, pleading with her expression. He caught this look and turned away.

  He shook his head once. “I’ll think about it, Professor. I will. I promise.” He told her and she sensed the topic was closed for discussion.

  Daniel then pressed a button on the side of her casket.

  “I’m putting you to sleep now,” he explained. “You’ll wake up later. Try not to worry. It will only make things worse.”

  She tried to protest but gas was already filling her casket.

  “Please understand,” Daniel told her. “I have no choice in the matter.”

  Chapter 8

  “Tormented by the minion of an entangle”

  Edgar woke up some time later in a chair, her neck stiff from her head having fallen forward onto her chest. The gag and all restraints were gone.

  She felt slightly nauseous from the gas. Her vision was blurry but it was clearing fast. Her throat and lips were dry. Classical music was playing. It sounded depressing.

  As her vision cleared she found she was in a large, circular room. It was set up like a laboratory with medical equipment all along the walls. A harsh bright light hung directly over her chair.

  Across from her, standing against the wall was Daniel, dressed in a white lab coat. Again he held a long, blue finger to his lips signally secrecy between them. His eyes then motioned to the side.

  She turned and looked in the direction he motioned. There was a surgery table on her right. A curious looking individual in a surgery apron was bent over the table. His long, messy hair fell down his shoulders and was shot through with gray. Spectacles were perched on the very end of his sharp nose with several other little, round, magnifying lenses which could be folded to the side. All the smaller lenses were positioned directly in front of his eyes right now and he was squinting at the subject who lay supine and unmoving on the surgery table before him.

  Edgar recognized the body at once.

  “Warren!” she exclaimed and made as if to bolt out of the chair. But the second there was no pressure on the seat, volts of electricity shot out of the chair and into her body. She cringed and slumped back down with a gasp and a groan.

  “Please remain seated,” the doctor’s bent figure said calmly without even looking up. “The chair… bites. Do that again and it will bite harder.”

  Edgar took a deep breath and glanced at Daniel. He had taken a step forward as if to aide her then stopped. His face had suddenly become blank and devoid of emotion.

  “Dr. Mutter, I presume,” she said a little breathlessly.

  “Hmmm,” was his only answer.

  “What are you doing to him?” she demanded.

  The doctor was deftly working on the off side of Warren’s neck where she couldn’t see, with some delicate instruments.

  “Installing a ‘volume dial’ if you will, on his psychic powers,” he explained quietly. “And then setting it to zero.”

  He sighed and straightened up, nodding in satisfaction. He moved his smaller lenses to the side and then looked up over his spectacles, regarding her critically.

  “Do you know what we have here?” he said as he removed his surgical gloves. “The most powerful psychic the world has ever known, possibly the most powerful psychic ever known to man. This boy is strong enough to turn the brains of people on the other side of this planet into mush. He could possibly control the minds of the captains on all the ships surrounding this planet. That’s something my employers are extremely concerned about. He must be leashed.”

  “I don’t give a damn about that,” Edgar said with some heat. “He’s my son and I want him back unharmed and unchanged.”

  At this Dr. Mutter began to chuckle. “Your son?” he jeered. “Not exactly. He’s not a direct blood match to you, at least. Your nephew? Definitely! But, of course, you must have suspected that.”

  The doctor sighed again and considered her for a long moment.

  “Professor Edgar A.P.” He said her name slowly. “What an interesting moniker you’ve given yourself. I suppose you fancy yourself a long lost relation of Edgar Allan Poe, that sad writer with the string of perpetual bad luck.”

  Edgar shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”

  He nodded. “Yes, they certainly have. I know we have never met but I believe in doing my research. I’ve been following your career for quite some time. I knew one day our paths would cross. Although I never dreamed you would be in my electric chair. I am very pleased at this turn of events. I finally have you all to myself to interrogate… or dissect… whichever I choose.”

  He sighed again and frowned as he considered his options. “I do believe I will do both.”

  This revelation did nothing to assuage her concerns.

  “I hear you want to leave us,” Dr. Mutter commented. “Now why would you want to do that? This planet is a treasure chest of opportunities for one with the mind to make use of it. You have that sort of mind, I believe.”

  But E
dgar only huffed in scorn. “This planet is more like Pandora’s box!” she fumed. “And someone closed the lid before the one good thing could escape.”

  Dr. Mutter smiled. “Oh but there’s where you’re wrong,” he assured. “To one with the correct mental capacity and utter lack of moral compass… like myself… Castor 5 is a virtual paradise! I can do all the experimentation I like without having to worry about tripping over pesky ethical boundaries. I have a ready supply of human lab rats.”

  Edgar followed his glance to Warren. She then looked at Daniel. She felt him struggling to remain emotionless.

  She ground her teeth and clenched the arms of the chair until her knuckles were white.

  “I can even perform tests in human eugenics and nobody would dare raise a finger to stop me. Why? Because this is a planet populated by human misfits. Nobody cares what happens to them, to any of them. ‘Good riddance,’ most people would even say. Make sure the rest of civilization never has to worry about them ever again. After all, they’re just criminals. Whatever bad thing I do to them they probably had coming anyway. Drone or deka, none of it matters. No one is leaving this place.”

  He cocked his head to the side like a curious dog as he considered her a moment.

  “And then there’s people like you, people who defy description, who only occupy the corners, neither drone nor deka, those who don’t fit conveniently in any classification. What shall we do with those like you?”

  He mulled over his thoughts as Edgar sat there and fumed silently.

  “Do you know what your sin is, my dear?” he asked. “You refuse to conform to the norms of society. That makes you rather dangerous to certain people in power. You’re an independent thinker. And you’ve spread this sickness to the boy, making him less pliable to political subversion, therefore the need for the psychic leash. So much of your influence we have to undo, or at least curb. You’ve made a lot of work for us.”

  He put away his surgery instruments with a small clatter. And then he reached down and flicked some sort of control below his waistline she could not see. There was a clicking sound followed by a hiss and a buzz like a thousand angry bees as some mechanical device fired up. He seemed to turn about in a jerky manner and then smoothly sped around the corner of the surgery table. Edgar saw that he was seated in a chair which was steam powered. She could not see either of his legs. But his torso seemed to be built into the chair.