Frankenstein Theory (22 page)

The sound of laughter wafted from the kitchen.

Elizabeth and Johann. My creature, seated at my table…with
my
wife.

A fragment of my ego demanded I storm into the too-familiar coupling of spirits and demand Johann leave the house immediately. I knew, however, that Elizabeth would object to me making such irrational requests. The desire also begged the question,
Am I finished with my creation?

Instead, I continued my ascension up the grand staircase and to the bedroom, where I could change my attire to something suitable for meeting the Maestro of the symphony.

Before dressing, I dabbed at my wound to check for seepage. The last thing I needed was to ooze onto a freshly washed and pressed shirt. I took my time with the task at hand, hoping Elizabeth would appear so that we could discuss my growing paranoia at length.

I had no such luck.

I dressed. The second my cravat was in place, I silently slunk downstairs to the front door of the castle. I paused to focus on the hushed whispers spilling from the kitchen. I couldn’t make out a single word. The continued lyrical laughter from Elizabeth and Johann shot bolts of jealous anger through my skull and into my heart.

As the door swung open, the brilliant late-morning sun penetrated my eyelids and threatened to dry up the orbs within.

The passing thought of eyeballs returned the memory of the previous night’s dream.

I shuddered, wondering if the string of nightmares were attempting to tell me a story from the great beyond. Dare I listen to the conscious coupling of reality and fiction, I might as well admit myself to the local asylum and live out my remaining days a ward of the city, adrift on a cocktail of psychotropic drugs sure to render me incapable of higher thought.

I had no choice but to ignore the darkness. What I
could
do, however, was rid myself of Johann, before doubt and paranoia tore me asunder.

The brisk morning air woke my body and mind. My spirit caught up as the sound of laughter tickled my eardrums. This time…children playing in the streets. Games. Delight. Innocence. Life was best lived when accompanied by joy.

A bright red ball rolled into my path. I stopped it with my foot and scooped it up. A child, presumably the owner of the toy, raced to me, hands extended to accept the stray ball. He looked up and laid eyes on my mangled face. Without a word, a sound, or an expression of distaste or fright, he turned and ran…as simple as that. No thought was given to the matter. He saw something frightening and he raced away. Children could be, when given the chance, highly logical creatures.

The exchange was a punch to the gut and a kick to the heart. Thanks to a chance encounter with a prostitute, my countenance was now hideous enough to frighten children.

“
Go, young lad. Tell your friends of the monster,” I whispered. “Tell your friends of the gruesome, loathsome man wandering the streets of Geneva. Or, better still, just be gone.”

I continued on until I stood before the Geneva Symphony Hall. All of a sudden, my own personal doubt crept into the moment. Would the maestro look upon me and flee, as had the child? Or would he overlook my deformity and discuss the matter at hand?

Before my heart could talk my mind out of the situation, I grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open. The sound of various instruments greeted me. I stood in the lobby and basked in the brilliant distraction until I realized the time was now.

I marched through the lobby and into the theater house. On the stage, the orchestra was warming up…tuning to the concert master’s violin. The conductor, il Maestro, was bent over his stand, studying a score. I approached the stage slowly. With a marked and polite subtlety, I cleared my throat. The Maestro turned as if to bellow to his assistant, but caught the boiling anger before it parted his lips.

“
Herr Frankenstein!” il Maestro said, his arms open wide. I approached him with a reverence I only ever offered to peers…which he was not. And yet…and yet…there he was, posing as if his art rivaled the sciences. “We’re about ready to begin rehearsals. Would you like to listen in?”

I stepped out of the shadows and il Maestro flinched. “Doctor Frankenstein, what on Earth happened to…” He pointed to my face.

I turned my face just enough such that the scar was tucked back into the shadows. “I fought a fir tree.”

“
And lost, it would seem.”

We shared a quick laugh.

“
Are you here to listen?”

“
Actually, sir, I have a business proposal for you.”

The smile on the conductor brightened the room…his weakness for business my advantage. He turned to the concert master. “Lead them through the first movement, won’t you?”

The violinist nodded, stood, and took command of the musicians. As the Maestro and I strolled back up the aisle, the symphony came to life with the glorious sounds of Bach.

We arrived in the lobby.

“
So, Doctor, your proposal?”

“
It concerns Johann Grimm.”

“
The pianist?”

I had his attention.

“
The man is genius.”

His undivided attention.

“
I would like to have him placed as resident pianist for the symphony.”

The Maestro laughed. “Would that I could, Herr Doctor. Unfortunately for all of Geneva, we already have a resident pianist.”

“
Yes.” I nodded. “Who happens to be inferior to Johann on every conceivable level.”

Maestro agreed. “Be that as it may, that is not how the symphony works. We are guided by rigid standards and traditions. To break with those could signal the downfall of our craft.”

“
I’ll pay his full salary for the year,” I added. “On top of my already generous donations.”

My proposition caught the Maestro off-guard. “Herr Frankenstein…th-that is unprecedented.”

“
As is Herr Grimm’s skill. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“
Indeed I would, Doctor.”

I could practically see the wheels turning behind the conductor’s eyes. He leaned into me and whispered with care, “I’ll endeavor to make the position available immediately. You deliver Grimm to me tomorrow and I’ll have him filling the halls of this building with his overwhelming skills. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

The Maestro made to leave. I stopped him with my voice.

“
There is one more thing.”

He turned back to me, his smile drifting downward. “Yes?”

“
I have heard rumor you have housing for some of your, dare I say, less fortunate employees. Is there any truth to that?”

The Maestro hesitantly nodded.

“
That being the case, would you be willing to offer Herr Grimm room and board for his efforts?”

The man’s patience was wearing thin. “Doctor Frankenstein, we are not a charity. Our meager apartments are already full. Though I can pull off ridding the symphony of the current pianist, I cannot put another musician on the streets to fend for themselves. Please don’t ask that of me.”

I bowed my head and said with a certain force, “I must.”

The Maestro’s eyes dimmed and his lips pursed. “I’m very sorry, Herr Frankenstein. I will appoint Johann as pianist, but I cannot provide him room and board. Please understand, on this matter my hands are tied. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my orchestra.”

The Maestro spun on his heels and sped back into the theater just as the first movement of the piece came to a thunderous conclusion. The entrance was grand, one sure to feed the already inflated ego of the conductor.

I had to find a way to get Johann out of Castle Frankenstein…at any and all cost.

xXx

The Lionshead held the same fog of gloom from my previous visit. Nary a beam of sunlight managed to cut through the thickness of smoke, stench, and dread. No matter how welcoming or ordinary, I’d always hated wandering the shadows of such establishments for fear a knife or bullet would penetrate my dermis to bring a premature conclusion to the life I’d grown to love.

I pressed my revulsion down deep and threaded my way through the thick crowd until I spotted Igor seated at a corner table. Much to my chagrin, the man was not alone. Much to my surprise, he was accompanied by a pair of sultry women.

“
Doctor,” Igor spoke up. I cut him off before he could vocalize my full name. He smiled and nodded his understanding. “What brings you here?”

I shot my gaze from one woman to the other. Igor picked up on my non-verbal suggestion and nodded. He pulled a few bills from his pocket and slapped them down on the table. “Ladies, get us all a round of drinks.”

The woman to Igor’s right snatched up the bills, and both women slipped from behind the table.

“
Have a seat, Doctor.”

I glanced over both shoulders and, once satisfied no one had spotted me, sat beside my one-time assistant.

“
I’m certain you didn’t come here for the companionship, Doctor. What can I do for you?”

“
In my efforts to rid the castle of Johann, I have come up against a challenge best suited for your…”

Igor leaned in. “My what?”

“
Type of profession.”

“
Good save, Doctor. I’m intrigued…but why, might I ask, are you so keen on evicting your creation?”

“
Let’s just say he and my wife are growing a bit too fond of one another.”

Igor shook his head. “You cannot mean that, Doctor. Johann isn’t capable of such…”

“
He is, Igor, fully. Trust me on this. I am not suffering from paranoid or delusional fantasies. My wife and creation have taken to fancy one another.”

“
That would be reason enough for me to inquire further, Doctor. So, what do you need done?”

“
Johann is about to replace the current pianist with the Geneva Symphonic Orchestra. The only hitch in my plan is that the orchestra has no room to house him. He must be removed from my wife and my house. I need you to find out what members live within the provided housing and for you to exfiltrate one…by whatever means you must take.”

Igor’s eyes opened curiously wide. “You want me to murder a member of the orchestra? That is not only illegal, but profoundly wrong. To take the life of an artist is like denying the existence of God.”

“
Wait, I thought you were a non-believer?”

Igor unleashed a high-pitched belly laugh. “I had you going there for a moment, didn’t I? That was rich.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Of course. Consider it done.”

I pulled a small fold of bills from my pocket and placed them on the table. “This should cover your costs?”

Igor nodded slowly. “It most certainly should, Doctor.” He pocketed the cash. “May I ask, do you have a preference?”

“
What do you mean?”

A menacing smile sliced across Igor’s face. “Brass? Strings? Percussion? Who would you prefer to be stolen away into the thick of night?”

I hadn’t bothered to think the plan through to that depth. The orchestra was a particular pleasure of mine, and so I had no desire to see it lose a precious member—outside of a certain pianist. “Consider a non-musician…a staff member; someone not essential to the creation of art.”

“
Understood, Doctor.” Igor grabbed my sleeve and pulled me in close. “At what point will you be paying for the favor to rid Geneva of your creation?”

I snatched my arm away. “Don’t presume to understand the entire situation, Mr. Fishka.”

“
Nor should you presume, Doctor, to underestimate my grasp of human emotion. At some point, jealousy will overpower all rational thought.” Igor winked. “I speak in jest, Doctor. I am at your service and will complete your request without question or failure.”

“
That is precisely why I sought you out, Igor.”

“
Really? Are you certain your procurement of my services isn’t because I am the only lout you know to court?”

“
Don’t fool yourself, young man. Drop a coin anywhere in Geneva and a host of baser men will crawl from the shadows.”

Igor slowly shook his head. “Indeed, Doctor. Indeed.”

The ladies of the night returned, drinks in hand. I stood and nodded.

“
Oh, don’t leave now.” Igor laughed. “This celebration is only just beginning.”

“
For you, maybe. As for me, it’s a bit too early in the day for drink.”

One of the ladies wrapped her arm around my waist and whispered seductively in my ear. “It’s never too early for fun.”

Her voice, her smell…too similar. My hands wanted to rise to another devilish occasion and end her life in the same fashion as her colleague from the previous sexual excursion. I leaned in to her and returned the whisper. “My penchant for fun would turn your heart black.” I nodded and said, “Good day, Mr. Fishka. Good day, ladies.”