Alex in Wunderstrande: The Clairvoyance Clock [BOOK ONE]

Chapter VI: Unpleasant Dreams

"How old is he?"

"Five."

As I tiptoed down the carpeted hallway, my ears picked up on the conversation just behind a thick, mahogany door. I leaned as close as possible, barely breathing.

"This isn't a smart idea, Brody. Anyone could tell you that."

"Yes, but will he remember?" came the voice I knew belonged to Uncle. He sounded younger and more afraid. Uncertain.

After a lengthy pause, the other man shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, the floorboards squealing as he did so. "No."

"Then why is it so risky, Sheridan?"

I sunk to my knees and peered through the keyhole. Obscured by shadows, my uncle paced back and forth in a furious manner. The unfamiliar young man toyed nervously with the scarf around his neck. As the men spoke in hushed tones, they would intermittently throw tense glances toward a platform in the center of the room on which rested a small, unconscious boy.

"We're talking about vital brain functions, Brody," said Sheridan, running a hand through his curly, dark hair. "This has never been done before, especially on someone so young. He..." Sheridan's voice trailed off and he sighed deeply, a look of concern distorting his angelic facial features. "He won't be the same."

"There is no argument," Brody insisted. "You have my full consent."

Sheridan looked at the boy sadly. "I hope you are ready to reap the consequences."

Brody stared at him. "He absolutely cannot remember anything. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to spare him."

"And erasing his memory is showing him mercy?" argued Sheridan. "He's a child! He probably won't remember anyway when he becomes an adult. Please reconsider—"

"I have decided!" Brody said in finality.

My heart beat in my throat as Sheridan fitted the boy's small wrists and ankles into restraints.

"Keep him off airships," he instructed, defeated, as he placed a crown of twisted wires and metal around the boy's cranium. "Don't ever allow him to fly. The closer he gets to the heavens, the more it will all come back to him."

Brody nodded.

Sheridan flipped a switch, bringing the surrounding machinery into life. It hissed and rattled and spewed grey steam from copper tubes. "He'll be difficult to raise. If he makes it through this, he'll probably suffer from attention disorders, perhaps even post-traumatic stress."

Brody nodded again, as if mentally preparing himself for the worst.

Sheridan pressed another button, immediately causing the boy to tremble violently.