I raised my eyes. The doctor was standing before us. With a gesture he
bade Foulet go to him. I watched beneath lowered lids. Thank God he
had called Foulet first. Foulet had dabbled in the psychology of
insanity. Foulet would know how to act, and I would ape him. Coldly,
mechanically Doctor Semple ran him through a few tests. I watched with
bated breath. The doctor nodded. Foulet had passed!
It was my turn. I did exactly as Foulet had done--and succeeded! I
had to turn away swiftly so that the doctor wouldn't see the gleam of
triumph in my supposedly mad eyes.
He motioned to Brice. But just as Brice stepped forward the door
opened and Fraser came into the room. For an instant everything
reeled. We were gone! But even in that terrible instant of despair I
remembered to keep my eyes blank. No trace of expression must appear
or we were lost. I stretched my lips in that travesty of a smile I had
seen the others use. Fraser stared at us, one after the other. He
nodded.
"It is well," he said slowly and distinctly as if he were talking to
small children. "Your names will still be as they were." We stared at
him blankly and again he nodded. "You have forgotten your names--ah!
Yours," he pointed to me, "was Ainslee, and it still is. And you are
Monsieur Foulet. But Brice--" he paused. My heart hung in my breast,
suspended there with terror. What was the matter with Brice? What did
Fraser suspect--or know? He turned to the doctor. "You will give
Inspector Brice another injection," he said. "The Inspector has a
strong mind, and a clever one. A normal injection would not be
enough."
It seemed to me that my blood froze. In that terrible instant it ran,
like tingling ice, through my veins. Brice! The brainiest man in
Scotland Yard! For Fraser was right. Brice had more brains than Foulet
and I together. And in another half hour Brice would be no better than
an idiot! For I didn't fool myself. Even Brice couldn't outwit Doctor
Semple twice.
"You will follow me," said Fraser, turning to Foulet and me. "I will
put you under the nourishment ray while Doctor Semple attends to
Brice." Obediently, with slightly shuffling, gait and vacant eyes we
followed him into an adjoining room, leaving Brice behind. I didn't
even trust myself to glance at him as we left. But my heart was in my
boots. When would we see him again? And what would he be?
* * * * *
The room we entered was dark, but instantly Fraser switched on a
mellow, orange-colored light, that flooded the room with a deep, warm
glow.
"Strip yourselves and sit down," he said, pointing to deep lounging
chairs that filled the room. "You will do nothing. Relax and allow the
light to bathe you. In half an hour I will come back with
instructions."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account