Jenny Plague-Bringer: (Jenny Pox #4) (18 page)

“
To the future,” Barrett said, raising the glass.  Juliana and Sebastian joined the
toast, though they weren’t sure exactly what he meant by it, and then they drank. 
The Canadian whiskey had bite, but was much smoother than most of the liquor she’d
tasted, like moonshine and bathtub gin.  She tried not to let the men see her shudder
as the whiskey kicked her in the stomach.

“
Mr. Barrett, what is it that you do?” Sebastian asked, looking around the office,
which was an odd mix of bland accounting décor and African safari.

“
For work?  Just tedious things.  Farming, banking, shipping.  The grunt work of civilization,
really, but it must be done.  I won’t bore valued guests with such talk.” He puffed
his cigar and stood, looking out over the sill of one of the room’s high windows,
which left the lower half of the room in shadow. “Egyptology is not my only avocation,
nor is it my primary one.  I do share with the pharaohs an interest in legacy, a desire
to leave a sizable mark on the world before I pass on.  My own little piece of immortality.

“
That town down the hill is my playground.  My family has been here since the beginning. 
Soon, we’ll have paved roads and a modern water system.  We’re even digging a reservoir,
with a little pocket money from the Roosevelt administration.  The town will grow
into a city.  It’s well-positioned, right at the crossing of two of the busiest roads
in the area.  People have been meeting and trading here for two centuries.  Now the
telegraph line from Charleston runs right through Fallen Oak and on to Columbia, where
it hooks into the main New York-New Orleans line.  Add that to our railroad spur and
our cotton exchange, and we’re looking at a prosperous future.”

He sat down, facing them again, and had more whiskey. “But that’s small-time, isn’t
it?  Just a little personal project of mine, this town.  I’m involved in much larger
things.  Have you ever heard of the International Human Evolution Congress?”

Juliana and Sebastian shook their heads.

“
I have the quarterly newsletter here somewhere,” Barrett said, but he made no move
to find it among the stacks of papers on his desk. “It’s an organization of men influential
in academia and the sciences, as well as simple business folk like me.  We are committed
to improvement of the human species.  Already, our research has led to public health
policies implemented by states like Virginia and California.  The recently elected
government in Germany has embraced our work enthusiastically, and is committed to
funding and advancing our research.”

Juliana just nodded.  She and Sebastian had little idea of what was happening in a
place as exotic and distant as Europe.  Or even California, for that matter.

“
What kind of policies?” Sebastian asked. “In Virginia and California?”

“
Most of our work focuses on identifying and combating genetic disorders,” Barrett
told them. “For the benefit of posterity.  On the other end of the spectrum, though,
is the truly interesting work, and that’s where the two of you fit in.  We are constantly
searching for those who possess, not disorders, but supernormal DNA.  Those at the
forward edge of human evolution.  We want to encourage the progress of humanity.”

“
Encourage how?” Juliana asked.  She sipped the whiskey again.  Her head was starting
to grow cloudy with the rum and whiskey, but the liquor also emboldened her to talk
and ask questions.

“
First, through research.  We must understand how humanity is evolving and what new
abilities might be emerging.  The many talented scientists in our organization would
be eager to study the two of you...provided that your powers are genuine, and my detective
has not simply been fooled by your carnival tricks.”

“You want to know if we’re genuine?” Juliana smirked drunkenly and stripped the ratty
cotton glove from her left hand.  The open air felt cool on her sweaty fingers. “Watch
me.”

As Barrett watched, Juliana summoned up the demon plague within her, causing blisters
and welts to erupt all over her exposed hand.  They dripped blood and pus onto Barrett’s
petrified desk.

“Does that look genuine to you?” Juliana asked him, her voice sharp and challenging. 
The drink had her riled up, and she was ready to fight with someone.

“It appears genuine, of course,” Barrett replied.

“I can infect you, if you like.” Juliana reached across the desk toward him.

“Juliana, don’t!” Sebastian pulled her back.

“What?  You can just heal him,” Juliana said.

“I’d rather not be the test monkey for this one, thank you,” Barrett replied.  He
walked past them, cracked open the door, and whispered to someone outside—the older
male servant, Juliana assumed.  Barrett returned to his seat and smiled at Juliana,
saying nothing.

After a minute, the servant led the detective into the study.

“Good,” Barrett said. “Now, don’t open that door again until I specifically call for
you.  Understand?” 

The older man nodded and quickly left again, closing the door.

“What’s the problem?” the detective asked.

“No problem yet, Emil,” Barrett told him. “Roll up your sleeve and hold out your hand.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Just a quick test,” Barrett replied, nodding at Juliana.

The detective shook his head, moving out of Juliana’s reach. “Not me.  Test her on
one of your Negroes!”

“And have them whispering about sorcery and witchcraft for years to come?  I don’t
believe I will.  Hold out your hand,” Barrett insisted again. “If they’re just grifters,
she won’t hurt you.  And if they’re truly supernormal, the boy will heal you right
away.  You’re risking nothing.  And I insist that you do it.  On behalf of the entire
association.”

The detective glared at him. “This will cost you extra.”

“I assumed that much,” Barrett replied.

The detective looked among them.  Gritting his teeth, he shrugged off his coat and
rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, then he looked at Juliana.

“Can you keep it small?” the detective asked her. “Don’t turn me into a leper like
you did the preacher.  I’ve heard the horror stories from people who were there.”

“I’ll keep it small.” Juliana giggled drunkenly.  She reached her bare hand toward
him, then touched her index finger to his forearm.  She dragged her finger down toward
his wrist, and dark sores opened in the wake of her touch.

The detective shouted and jerked his arm away from her. “It’s real,” he told Barrett.
“Oh, God, it’s real.  You!  Fix it!” He held his diseased arm in Sebastian’s face.

“Wait,” Barrett said.  He stood and leaned over his desk, reaching cautiously toward
the infected arm. “Is it contagious?”

“Only if you touch me.” Juliana gave him an intoxicated smile and offered her hand.
“Want to try?”

“No, thank you.” Barrett inspected the sores on the detective’s arm, then looked at
Sebastian and nodded.  Sebastian made all the sores vanish with a sweep of his hand,
and the detective sighed, his eyes half-closing in pleasure at the sensation of being
healed.  Then he shook his head, as if coming to his senses, and glared at Barrett.

“Are we done?” the detective asked.

“Remarkable,” Barrett said. “But it could still be a trick.”

“It’s no trick.  That hurt,” the detective told him. “Like my arm was on fire.”

“Good.  But before I can recommend them for our research program, I’ll need to try
just one more test.” Barrett opened his desk drawer and took out a revolver.

“Hell, no!” The detective hurried toward the door as Barrett raised the gun and fired. 
The bullet struck the detective in the left shoulder, and the man howled and tumbled
to his knees.  He leaned against the wall, screaming and bleeding.

Barrett turned to Sebastian, grinning as he pointed the smoking gun at him. “Well? 
Are you going to do anything about it?”

Sebastian rose from his chair, looking warily at the gun in Barrett’s hand, and walked
backwards holding up his hands until he reached the suffering detective crumpled in
the corner.  He touched the man’s head and closed his eyes.  The detective stopped
screaming and gave another contented sigh as the healing energy flowed through him. 

The detective stood up, looking healthier than they’d ever seen him, with a kind of
golden glow to his flesh.  Sebastian had touched him long enough to heal him fully—not
just the immediate damage to his arm, but any other health problems the man might
have possessed, down to the slightest headache.  The detective gave Sebastian a big,
goofy smile, which looked completely out of place on the gruff man.

“Congratulations, Emil,” Barrett told the detective. “It seems you’ve found two supernormals
for us.  As agreed, that’s a hundred-dollar bonus for each.”

“Good.” The detective looked Sebastian over again before turning to Barrett. “Now
you’re done with me, Mr. Barrett?”

“Don’t leave just yet,” Barrett told him. “You can wait in the library, or the parlor,
or the music room.  Have my colored girls play piano for you, they know an extraordinary
range of songs.  They listen to all the newest phonographs.  Are you a jazz man?”

“I’ll find my way.” The detective tipped his hat as he left.

Barrett smiled at Juliana and Sebastian, who simply gaped at him in shock, Juliana
gripping the arms of her chair, Sebastian frozen in the corner.  After a moment, Barrett
seemed to notice the revolver still in his hand, and he put it away in his desk drawer
as he returned to his high-backed chair.

“Sebastian, feel free to join us,” Barrett said, gesturing at the empty chair. “I
am sorry for all the drama, but I had to be sure before I could send you on.”

“Send us on to where?” Juliana asked, while Sebastian cautiously sat beside her again.

“Tell me something.  Have you ever wished to understand your powers?  To gain greater
control of them?” Barrett asked. “What about you, Juliana?”

“That’s why I went to the revival,” Juliana said. “I thought the preacher could heal
me.  I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“But he couldn’t heal you,” Barrett said.

“No, it was Sebastian that had the healing touch, even though he was just the assistant.
And he couldn’t heal me.  But his power protects him, so he’s the only person who
can touch me without getting infected.” She took Sebastian’s hand.

“Isn’t that a pity?” Barrett asked. “A pretty girl like you should be free to touch
anyone she likes.”

“That’s all I want,” Juliana said. “I want to know how to make it stop, so I don’t
hurt anybody.  Unless I need to hurt them.”

Barrett laughed. “And that’s what I’m offering you.  The chance to finally have your
abilities studied scientifically.  To give you both the greatest possible understanding
and control.”

“You’re saying I’ll be able to go through life without infecting anyone?” Juliana
asked.

“I’m saying that you have the opportunity to be studied by the finest scientific minds
in Europe.  Physicians, biologists, geneticists, even physicists.  You will never
again have a chance like this.  If it is possible for you to turn off your ability,
Juliana, they will discover the means.”

Juliana felt her heart pounding.  It was exactly what she’d been searching for all
her life.  She looked at Sebastian, but he didn’t seem so excited.

“Europe?” Sebastian asked.

“If you agree, I will send the both of you to Berlin, where some of today’s greatest
scientists live.  I mentioned that the German government is now sponsoring research
programs in collaboration with the International Human Evolution Congress, as many
high German officials are already members of our group.  They will provide comfortable
accommodations and all living expenses.  And they will apply modern science to understanding
your supernormal abilities.”

“I don’t know.  I’m not sure I want to be studied like that.  It could be...strange.”
Sebastian shook his head.

“Sebastian.” Juliana squeezed his hand tightly. “You don’t understand what it’s like
for me.  Your touch is good for people.  Mine...I can’t continue living like this,
avoiding everyone, always afraid of killing anyone who comes near me.  My whole life
has been a nightmare.  If this could end all of it, then I need to do it, Sebastian.”

She and Barrett both looked at Sebastian, but he seemed at a loss for words.

“The girl’s right,” Barrett said. “This is a necessity for her.”

“And I don’t want to go all the way to Europe without you,” Juliana said. “Please. 
I need you.”

Sebastian looked at the floor and rubbed his temple, as if thinking it over was a
strain on him.

“You don’t have to decide immediately, of course,” Barrett said. “Take the day to
think it over.  You can stay here, eat, drink, listen to music, walk the gardens,
and let me know your answer in the morning.  If you decide not to do it, we can have
you working at the carnival again by tomorrow night.  If that’s what you’d rather
do with your life.” He reached for the telephone. “Now, I have some of that boring
old bank business to cope with.  Make yourselves at home.  I’ll have the staff prepare
rooms for you upstairs.  If you see the detective, tell him he can go.  We’ll make
other arrangements if you decide to rejoin the freak show tomorrow.”  Barrett placed
the earpiece of the phone by his head and began talking to the operator.