Science, Eternal Life, and a Traveling Circus 2

Chapter Ten

Pallis began his day with a cup of tea in his bedroom suite, slumped in his green velvet armchair with classical musical spinning on a record player nearby. He blankly regarded the tobacco farm outside his window, lost in thought. Drew's behaviour toward him the previous day had left him perturbed. He'd been injured at first, but after deciding on the solution of removing Drew's so-called father from the equation, he'd thought the problem to be resolved. It hadn't been his intention to greatly disturb the balance between him and his brother; his intention had been to restore it. After all, there was eternal life ahead of them, and they'd barely started out.

The boy wasn't smiling now. It felt strange to him, enough so that in his glum contemplation of his and his brother's predicament, he touched his slack cheeks in half-conscious puzzlement.

He pressed the chip on his ear. "Bella, I want my schedule cleared for the morning and afternoon."

The reply was, as usual, remarkably instantaneous, "Sir?"

"I'll take that as a confirmation," Pallis said.

"Sir, remember that you were out all afternoon and evening yesterday. You have a full schedule."

"Really?" Pallis rubbed his temples and sighed irritably. He set down his tea and assumed a kinder tone. "Miss Bella, you are a very capable assistant, and you know me very well. I trust you to do what I would do in any work-related circumstance. If there is too much on your plate, find someone to assist you. But again, my morning and afternoon are to be cleared. If anything is extremely pressing, I'll see to it later in the day."

There was a pause. "Yes, sir."

"Thanks, doll."

He released the device and stood up to tidy himself in the mirror. He tucked in his shirt, fastened his tie and combed his hair. Then he smiled, and afterwards frowned. He touched his teeth in his reflection. "Yellow," he remarked under his breath. The color was just beginning to stain around his gums.

He touched his chip. "Also, have whitening strips brought to my room, Bella. That is all."

He shrugged on his uniform jacket, buttoned it up, and stuck his morning cigarette between his teeth. There was personal business to tend to.

***

The haunting sound of lifeless machines clicked all around. Computer keys tapped with the input of codes from the scientists as they recorded his vitals as if the record mattered. Multicolored lights flashed on panels in his peripheral vision, met by a snaking cluster of wires bound in tape which ran along the cold tiles and disappeared into his chair. The head doctor scurried across his vision in a blur and vanished behind him. He couldn't move his head. It pounded against an iron restraint, the throbbing of his blood loud in his ears and unbearable in his temples.

His wrists were tense under thick leather bands that laced his flesh with iron teeth.

Theodore felt ill, his bleary eyes shifting over the familiar room like an old enemy, swollen and puffy, his mouth dry and cottony.

The door to his chamber opened, permitting entrance of a short, slender figure in green. Theodore jolted awake, his ears drawing back in alert. His eyes focused, clarifying the figure's identity. Goosebumps raised up his arms. The doctor and scientists promptly withdrew.

Lord Pallis waited patiently for the door to close before he took the cigarette from his teeth and gave his most captivating grin. "Good morning, one-one-eight-five."

The damned smile always seemed to return, no matter what happened. After he had verbally assaulted the boy the previous night, degraded him and scoffed at his ability to care for Drew, and attempted to slit his throat with an IV needle, he had expected that the teenager would be fuming. In fact, Theodore wanted the teenager to be fuming, to be out of control. It would have given him something normal to cling to. But Pallis neatly clasped his hands and greeted him politely. He had been out of control last night, and avoided making the same mistakes twice.