Red, White and Blue (Book Two of The Powder Trail)

Chapter Forty: To Science

And for a few hours, he was happy. A little agitated, perhaps – unable to sit still, prone to standing impatiently at the window and scrutinizing every carriage that drove by, even though she couldn't possibly arrive today, if they had only just decided to admit her.

He wondered what he was going to say to her – or, worse still, what she was going to say to him. But she didn't know how to be spiteful or unfriendly or cool. All that adorable, awkward kindness would compel her to talk to him, even if she didn't want to. Oh god, that was worse, wasn't it? This was going to be a disaster.

And yet he was so happy. He had something to look forward to. For two hours, he completely failed to pour himself a drink, or light up a cigarette, or inject himself with substances of any kind. The exciting horrors of the next few days were commanding all his attention.

After lunch, Alice summoned him to the glass laboratory, and, as soon as he walked in, he began to feel the chill of dread.

She didn't look at him. She was busy arranging the glass beakers and test-tubes on the work-bench in front of her. To Jack's mind, she seemed to be arranging them so that they reflected the maximum amount of sunlight into his eyes. But, eventually, she seemed to be satisfied, and turned to him, as though she'd only just realized he was there.

"We've decided that it isn't safe for you to meet with Miss Syal, in light of your history with her. She might influence your mental state at a very crucial stage in our research."

Jack passed over the comments about his 'mental state'. The important thing with Alice was never to let her know when she was bothering you.

"Fine," he said woodenly. "Tell her not to come."

"Oh, I'm afraid that's also quite out of the question," Alice said. "The scientific arguments she puts forward are sound. We must have her to experiment on."

"Then you're getting rid of me?"

"No, Jack. We just need to neutralize your susceptibility to her."

This was where the warning bells really started to chime. He could barely hear her next sentence above them.

"Professor Carver of the Chemistry Faculty has designed an ingenious compound--"

"No," said Jack.

"--which selectively eliminates certain memories while leaving your general recollections intact."

"No," he said again.

"If we could eliminate all your memories of Miss Syal, and all your-" she rushed over the next few words, squeezing them together so they were barely distinguishable – "feelingsforMissSyal, she would cease to have the kind of effect on you which might compromise our research."

"What a pity I'm not going to take it."

Alice frowned, as though she had only just registered his reluctance. "On what grounds are you objecting?"

"This ground I'm standing on. And any other ground I happen to find beneath my feet. I'll also object at sea."

Alice crossed her arms, which had the unfortunate effect of squeezing her breasts upwards. "I don't quite understand you. Didn't she leave you? I would have thought you'd be glad to forget her. It seems she chose a prison cell over your arms, so I wouldn't have thought there was much chance of her desiring you to remember. You don't seriously think-?"

Never, ever, ever, ever, ever let her know when she's bothering you, Jack reminded himself, trying to take a deep breath without unclenching his teeth.