Frankenstein Theory (24 page)

Elizabeth leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Oh, Victor. This will all be for the best. I promise you everything will turn out just fine.”

“
No, you idiot, it won’t!” I shouted. “My hands are my life. What am I to do now? Leave behind the very thing that defines me? What would you do with me? Set me aside for your new plaything?”

Instinct took hold of Elizabeth’s’ resolve and she slapped me, full force, across the face. The act took an immediate toll on both of us. Elizabeth’s face flushed, her eyes flowed with tears of remorse, and she left the room with a banshee’s wail following close behind.

Alone…as I deserved to be. My head dropped down onto the rough pillow, the sting burning the skin and meat of my face a shadow of the suffering within my chest.

“
What have I done?” I asked again. I knew the answer to the question…but refused to vocalize the thought. Shame was never an emotion I could handle. What I wanted to do was dash my hand onto the metal railing of the bed until the damage extended beyond two fingers.

Thankfully logic managed to remind me that I still had two fingers and a thumb with which to work. It might take some time to retrain my right hand…but it could work. I glanced back up into the mirror above the bed. My face had been bandaged, so I had no idea how the scarring looked now. If I peeled away the bandages, what kind of monster would look back?

ACT FIVE

Prometheus Bound and Unbound

T W E N T Y - S I X

Igor handed me the hammer. “Are you certain this is the right thing to do, Doctor?”

“
I do not pay you to question my motives or designs.” With a few gentle taps, the pin was lodged into place and the truss’ joint complete. I slipped the device over my hand, inserted the index finger and pinky into the exoskeleton framework, and held my hand up to Igor. “Tighten the cam over my wrist and wind the leather strap up my forearm. In order for this to work, it requires a great deal of tension.”

Igor did as requested. “What is the purpose of this…what did you call it?”

“
Exoskeleton. This device will very slowly stretch my fingers back into place. It is done via numerous cogs and leaf springs such that the process will occur in micro-adjustments at set intervals. Theoretically, I should feel no pain.”

“
Theory has not been your friend of late, Victor.” Igor laughed. I didn’t share the humor. The moment he realized I had no intention of joining his bout of jocularity, he fell silent and bowed his head.

“
Besides, I am currently imbibing a moderate dosage of laudanum. Pain shall be, from this point forward, irrelevant.”

The exoskeleton clicked and whirred. Igor and I stared down at the mechanisms to watch both twisted fingers move, ever-so-slightly, toward their destination. I felt the lightest tug against the underlying ligaments, but there was no accompanying pain.

“
Genius,” Igor whispered, then glanced up to me with a black-toothed smile. “By the way, you should be hearing from the orchestra today.”

“
To what end, my dear man?”

“
It seems there was a rather unfortunate accident last night as il Maestro’s assistant was making her way back home from an establishment of ill-repute. Rumor has it she was accosted and swept away…never to be heard of again. I know this to be true…” Igor leaned into me until his hot, sour breath burned my nostrils. “I witnessed the event, first-hand.” Igor glanced down at the exoskeleton and laughed.

“
Excellent, Igor. I should accompany Johann to the orchestra today and make sure he is given the assistant’s accommodations before il Maestro hires another and hands the room to her.”

“
Is there anything else I can do for you, Doctor?”

I drew in a deep breath of chilled air before replying. “I wish to begin my work anew. Johann proved my experiment to be viable. It’s now time to test the limits of the Frankenstein Theory.”

“
How, Doctor?”

I grabbed Igor’s hand with the exoskeleton. The weight of the device, coupled with the kinetic force of my movement, brought about a yelp from the man. I ignored his cry and answered, “I need multiple bodies. I don’t care how long they’ve been deceased…with one exception. Whatever body is to donate the brain must be brought in alive.”

Igor slipped his hand from mine. “I don’t understand, Doctor.” The tone of his voice bled purest fear.

I slammed my weighted hand onto the table. The crashing blow sent a spiderweb of cracks across the wooden top. “It is not your place to understand, Mr. Fishka. I only pay you to comply with my orders. If you feel you cannot do what I’ve asked, I am certain there are plenty of your ilk roaming the streets of Geneva who would willingly undertake this task for the handsome sum I offer.”

Igor shut his eyes and nodded. “I understand, sir. I will gladly do your bidding. It may take some time to gather enough cast-offs to fill your need…”

I cut across Igor’s woeful preface. “Either you bring me the bodies within the two evenings, or the job goes to the next lout in line.”

“
Fine…sir.” Igor stood. “I will fill your laboratory with the dead.”

“
I will escort Elizabeth to the symphony tonight. Mother hardly leaves her room of late, so you may come and go as you please.”

With that, Igor took his leave. I retrieved Father’s book from the safe and, with great care, flipped through the pages in search of new inspiration.

xXx

“
Victor,” Elizabeth turned to me to lace her dress. I awkwardly grasped the clasp with my thumb and second finger. “Must you wear that hideous contraption tonight?”

“
My dear, you know to remove this would nullify any chance I had of returning my fingers to their normal positions. This is tantamount to bringing the Frankenstein name back to its former glory.”

“
Just promise me you’ll make this evening all about Johann. Tonight’s performance will be his first as resident pianist.”

“
Yes, dear. Speaking of Johann, I do believe the orchestra will be offering him permanent residence.”

Elizabeth turned to me as she slipped her arm into a glistening satin glove. “Of course, Victor. He’s their resident pianist.”

I grabbed her gloved hand and pressed my lips to the exquisite cloth. “You misunderstand, my love. The orchestra will be offering him an apartment where he can live.”

Elizabeth snapped her hand from my grasp. “That isn’t necessary, Victor. This is Johann’s home, and I will not stand for him being sent away.”

Anger boiled in my gut. I heard the click and whir of the exoskeleton which was followed by the slight twinge of my fingers stretching. Sweat collected at the nape of my neck and my vision blurred slightly.

“
Wife,” I said calmly. “What is the name of this castle?”

Elizabeth’s cheeks flushed and her chest rose and fell. “I don’t understand, husband.”

I drew in close enough that I could smell the tang of Elizabeth’s breath. “The crest above the mantle downstairs…what family does that represent?”

“
Frankenstein,” Elizabeth answered timidly.

“
And how did you come about that name?”

Her breath caught and tripped the words as they spilled from her mouth. “Why, Victor, do you ask such hurtful things?”

“
Answer the question, wife!” I shouted loud enough to cause Elizabeth to shrink away.

“
Marriage. I came about the name when I married you, Victor. You know this.”

I continued my line of questions. “And what is Johann’s last name?”

Elizabeth wept and answered with defeat. “Grimm.”

“
Exactly. I am the rightful heir to this castle. You and Johann are nothing but guests at my whim. Don’t think for a moment that I would bat an eye at kicking either of you to the streets.”

“
Where is this coming from, Victor?”

I raised my caged hand above my head as if to bring it down on Elizabeth’s head. The second I realized what I’d done, I dropped my arm and fled the room. My pulse raced and my breath shortened. I lumbered down the grand staircase and fled into the cold, black night. My legs grew hot and weary as they sped me toward the hedgerow. When I reached the chest-high foliage, I stopped and knelt as a fresh fountain of bile broke across the dam of my lips. The bitter liquid spilled in a hot rush to splash down at my feet.

Against the backdrop of my eyelids, the image of a frightened Elizabeth looped. Each time her terror-filled eyes opened wide, another flood of vomit was ejected from my mouth.

What had I just done? What kind of man would threaten violence against the woman with whom he shared his bed?

“
I am no man.” My whisper faded to silence, its only audience the night.

The sound of a carriage pulled me from my mournful reverie. I stood to see two horses and a driver stepping down from his perch. Even though my heart begged the universe, and all of its moments, to stop…it dared continue on. No matter how far I pressed into the infinite void of truth, the results were always the same.

I was not a god.

“
Victor,” Elizabeth called out from the castle entryway. I turned to see her waving me back to the house. The lump of pride and shame made its way back into the pit of my stomach and I stood tall. There was only one directive I dared follow at the moment—beg and plead with Elizabeth to forgive me.

I reached the steps and opened my mouth to begin the long, arduous process of making things right when she pointed toward the coach. “We must be off now, or miss the opening of the concert.”

For whatever reason, I’d hoped for a great reckoning of rage; for my wife to emasculate and castigate me. Yet, her primary concern was for Johann…not for me. I dove my gaze deep into her familiar eyes. I expected connection; what I received was emptiness. Elizabeth’s eyes were hollow.

I took in a deep breath to lash out against the punishing void of her stare, but thought better and remained silent. Digging my heels in for another argument would only make matters far, far worse. So instead, I nodded and turned toward the carriage.

Without a single word, I climbed aboard and awaited Elizabeth’s arrival. When it came, she glared at me, her eyes no longer empty. In the place of the cold nothingness…a twinkle of intolerance.

I’d hoped we would discuss the situation on the way to the symphony. Based on her telling gaze, I was very, very wrong.

We traveled in complete silence. I wanted desperately to speak. Every time I opened my mouth, I’d catch a glimpse of her tight lips and narrowed eyes and knew my time was better served with my lips sealed tight.

xXx

The concert hall was bristling with an energy I hadn’t experienced since the ‘birth’ of Johann. Upon careful consideration, it was clear this was a second birth for the man. He was given life, and now he would be given the gift of
true
life.

The lights faded and the room filled with a warm, respectful applause. As il Maestro stepped out onto the stage, the applause rose in both decibel and vigor. A few random ‘bravos’ were tossed out with the utmost sincerity.

The Maestro took his spot on the podium and then gestured back toward the wings of the theater. It was then that Johann emerged, and the attending crowd leaped to their feet and filled the hall with a thunderous applause that threatened to tear down the walls.

Johann stopped, midway to the piano, and turned to take the first of many bows. He blew a kiss into the audience and a woman in the front row fainted. Gasps rose from the crowd as a man next to the weakened female helped her back into a seat. I tossed a sidelong glance at Elizabeth, only to see her enthralled by the man on the stage.

I so desperately wanted to make an exit from our box above the crowd. I knew, however, this would be my last chance with Elizabeth. I dared not leave her side, else suffer a very tragic and very real consequence.

Johann finally made it to the piano and, with an overplayed grace, took his seat.

A magical hush fell over the audience.

The conductor raised his baton in a glorious sweeping motion and then brought it down sharply to begin the first movement of the evening.

The opening strains of Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto number eleven in D rose from the stage. Like a slap across the face, I realized the piece had to have been chosen in honor of my Elizabeth. She adored Haydn—especially his works for piano.

A dramatic pause in the music. From my hand I heard the faint whir and click of the exoskeleton.

I fought back the urge to speak…to address the obvious.

To my surprise, I won the fight and remained silent. Deep within my chest, however, a war raged on. No matter her attitude toward the situation, guilt was etched on Elizabeth’s face. She was clearly enamored of Johann and he of her. She had to know how poorly they’d been hiding their lover’s duet.