The Good Doctor's Tales Folio Five (6 page)

“Oh, no!”
Polly was all warm sympathy.
“I thought you had things under control.”

“Well
…
”
Ginny paused for a long moment.  “Unfortunately, last Sunday, someone decided to publish the fact that Mike was a Transform
,
in the local newspaper.  It was a big headline.  ‘Local Pediatrician Victim of Transform Sickness.’ 
M
ost mothers don’t want to take their kids to a Transform doctor.  His whole practice folded up overnight.”

“Oh, no,” Polly
said
.  “How bad?” 

“Pretty bad,” Ginny said. 
H
er voice
quavered, hinting
at tears.  “He was bringing in a quarter of my whole household’s income.  Now it’s gone.  And…”  She swore under her breath as she tried to bring herself back under control.  “…our home
went
bad.  We
might
possibly
be able to
cope if we didn’t
need
to move.  But I can’t move the juice any more.  The headaches are so bad I can’t even think straight.  If we don’t move…if we don’t…if we don’t move,” her voice had gone high as she forced the words out, “I’m going to
need to
start cutting people out of my household.  I can’t support everyone.”
The term ‘cutting out’ was an old Focus euphemism for abandoning Transforms by the curbside to die.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Polly
said
.  “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Ginny said.  “We can’t afford
our next move, or the location
. 
Still, w
e
have to
move.  I shouldn’t have even come here, but I’d already made the down payment on the bus rental, and I thought
that
if
I
just
got
rid of the headache for a little while, I
would be able to
think of something.”

“What about going gypsy?” Polly
said
.
“Emily Cottsfield took her household gypsy
a couple of months ago, and she’s doing better now
.”
  Cottsfield had ruined her people, making them nearly unfit for
gainful employment
,
because she followed Wini’s advice about how to run a household.

“
W
e don’t
possess
any o
f the necessary skills.  If I had a hint this
was coming,
I might...
  I…oh, damn.  I’m sorry,” she said, as the tears threatened again.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to come in here and do this.  I’m sorry.  Just leave me alone for a minute.  I’ll be all right.”

“Oh, Ginny, if there’s anything I can do…”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Ginny said, her voice hoarse with tears.  “
L
eave me alone
, please
.  I’ll be all right by the time the meeting starts again.  Just leave me alone.”

Polly came out of the bedroom
and Tonya stayed silent
, thinking and still pretending
to
rest. 
She
wondered if Ginny would figure out some honest way of staying afloat, or if she would finally cross that line she
ha
d been avoiding for so long.

A
colder thought
swam up from the depths of Tonya’s mind
.  Who told the newspapers about Ginny’s pediatrician?  Ginny didn’t follow the party line
at times,
and she was too honest to be controlled. 
Boxed into a corner,
Ginny
would
be forced
to
sell her soul to
one of the
older Focus
es
to keep her household alive
.

Tonya didn’t know who was behind Ginny’s troubles.  She knew
better than
to ask, but she wondered.  Some of the first Focuses were far over the line between legal and illegal, and they didn’t tolerate opposition.

Gilgamesh Talks To Sinclair

The wind rattled the door of the phone booth as it whistled off the bay and around Candlestick Park.  The Stick stood forlorn, waiting for spring, and the Giants, and the first crack of the baseball bat, while
Gilgamesh ran through his list of phone numbers for the peripatetic Sinclair.  Someone not Sinclair picked up the phone on the
call to
phone booth
number
4,
more
quarters into the trash.  Sinclair himself picked up when Gilgamesh rang phone booth 7.

“Me,” Sinclair said.  His voice was barely audible, and not from a bad connection.
  With the rattle of the phone booth and whistling of the wind, no one but a Crow could have heard him.

“You found her,” Gilgamesh said.

“Yes.  Your Tiamat’s in the CDC’s Virginia complex, about the worst place imaginable as far as gristle dross is concerned.”

“
T
hat bad?”

“No,
the place is
actually worse,” Sinclair said
, annoyed
.  “If the Arm spends any amount of time
there
, she’s going to come out damaged.”

“Then I’d better get working on getting her rescued,” Gilgamesh said.  “The Skinner left town last night, to go hunt, and I slid my letter under her door when she was out of range.”  He had waited a half hour after, of course, making sure
her trip
wasn’t a short
one
.  She
had
t
aken
her
hunting and body disposal equipment with her, but the Skinner took those with her whenever she left home without a disguise.  “She hasn’t returned and seen my letter yet.”  He had also stripped as much dross from her place as he could.

“I’m not sure I understand,” Sinclair said.  “Why go to all this effort?  Why risk so much?”

“I
must
,” Gilgamesh said.  His meager funds nearly depleted, he still tossed in quarters to fund phone booth long distance telephone call
s
.  He had grown too dependent on Tiamat’s handouts…which wasn’t Crow-like. 
He wished
he had the time to finish the correspondence course on television and radio repair
.

Gilgamesh took a deep breath.  “I realized I
had
been doing nothing but reacting to life’s challenges.  I thought I
was
making decisions, but, realistically, I
wasn’t
.  I
decided to
stop allowing myself to be carried where life leads me.  I’m striking out on my own and carving my own path, now.”

If he made even the slightest effort to see Tiamat rescued, he would
be
going against the nebulous ‘this is how things are done’
philosophy
rul
ing
most if not all Crows.  Helping Tiamat would also be dangerous.  The obvious next step for him to take
, helping on an actual rescue attempt,
made him sick with fear.

“Shadow does
know
how to pick his Crows,” Sinclair said, his voice dropping to a breathy whisper.  “Guru Shadow and Guru Innocence both do. 
We all
have causes, be it helping Transforms, like myself, Occum and his Beasts, and Ezekiel with his worries about civilization. 
Looks like y
ou found your cause, Gilgamesh
.  A
t least it isn’t as politically catastrophic as Midgard’s
.”

Midgard
had taken on the cause of helping other Crows survive, and it had
so far
netted him visits from representatives of Chevalier and
another important senior Crow by the name of
Snow, and a more kindly personal visit from Thomas the Dreamer, all imploring him to cease and desist.  Chevalier’s representative, Echo,
had
told Midgard none of the Crows west of the Mississippi would offer him aid of any kind, because of what he did.

“Thank you,” Gilgamesh said.
  He had no choice.  He had to help Tiamat.  He would learn to be adventurous.  Adventurous for a Crow, at least.  He needed to talk to Sky.

“I have a different question, and I might be presumptuous in asking it, but I think I
must
,” Sinclair said.  “Tiamat is a murderous predator and would probably kill
you
or enslave you if
you
weren’t taking precautions. 
Was Tiamat’s capture such a
terrible thing?”

Gilgamesh opened his mouth
to bark
, shocked at the question
, but he held his temper in check
.  The answers seemed so obvious to him. 
N
ot to Sinclair,
though
, so Gilgamesh pushed the remnants of panic and irrationality down.

“Well, an Arm is the only thing capable of opposing a Beast Man. 
After
she graduated and left the Skinner, Tiamat’s murderous rages against
the
normals diminished.  Not gone away, mind you, but diminished.  I was making progress with my contacts with her.  She
understands, now, that
Crows aren’t useful juice sources.  She knows we can be of help.”  He paused.  “I like Tiamat, at least when she’s not scaring the crap out of me. 
She’s intelligent, witty, and, dam
m
it, fun to talk to. 
Also
, as you well know,
Arm dross is the best.  I’ve been living off of her kills for so long I almost feel like I owe her for them.  From a dispassionate and pragmatic
perspective
, at least in her time in Chicago, I believe she
’
s saving more lives than she
’
s taking.  Psychos and Monsters are dangerous, Sinclair.”

“Yes,” Sinclair said.  “
Monsters and Psychos do kill
unwary Crows.  Your logic is impeccable, but only if your data is correct.  Some still think Tiamat
is
the one hunting Crows.  I don’t think so personally, but
some
Crows
still
do.”

“I
understand
,” Gilgamesh said. 
A sudden burst of wind opened the door of the phone booth.  He leaned against it to shut it again. 
“
M
y decision
comes from more
than distant logic
and my personal connection to Tiamat
.  You
remember
what young Crows are like, Sinclair.  I
remember
what I was like when I live
d
without her.  The fact I
’m not a pathetic young Crow
is because of her.”

“Good answer,” Sinclair said.  “I just hope you understand what you’re getting into by doing this.”

Gilgamesh grunted. 
Sinclair understood his biggest worry
.  He had no idea where his new path would lead, save for one thing.

Right here, right now, his path led him to the Skinner.

The Cost of Giving Up Monsters
(1964)

Lake Pigeon State Park, just off exit 8A on the New Jersey turnpike, was literally half way between Tonya’s household and Polly’s household.  Not just symbolism, but a necessary compromise to allow Polly to agree to meet with Tonya.  Considering what Tonya was going to be offering, she would be damned if she would beg, and the negotiations on where to meet had gotten test
y
.  The necessary excuse they finally came up with was a Saturday picnic, allowing the households to socialize together, just like in the good old days.

The meet would also give Tonya a little time alone with Polly, in hopes she
might be able to
patch things up between them.

Thus, the touch football game between the men of each household.

“So, who’s your new quarterback
?
” Polly said, between mouthfuls of a sandwich.
  They sat together on an old flannel blanket, carefully left alone by both households.

“Him?  Danny Seymore?” Tonya said, and pointed.  Polly nodded.  “He’s new.  The government bureaucrats in the Transform placement office
got
cooperative after our Bronx hunt.  I asked them for a couple of young athletic Transforms, and they actually hit all the Transform Detention Centers this side of the Mississippi for me.  I ended up having to go to Cleveland for him, but I think he’s going to be worth
the trip
.”  Not only young and athletic, and with a portable skill (car repair) but he had a wonderful personality and was more than willing to dive into bodyguard training.

“I was meaning to talk to you about
your
little episode,” Polly said.  “I thought your news conference afterwards was a bit too public.  I know you’re our region’s official Focus celebrity, but holding up a severed
M
onster head struck me as a tad showy.”

Tonya allowed herself to blush.  “If I’d been in my right mind, I would have never held th
e
news conference.  Unfortunately, my people woke me up from my healing trance and told me they couldn’t cope with the reporters, and asked me to do something about them.  I’m afraid I don’t even remember what I said to the press.”  She repressed a grin.  “I can definitely say
I don’t recommend
talking to a gaggle of reporters when you
’
re half-zombie from a healing trance.”

“I
understand
,” Polly said. 
She turned away, sympathy token at best. 
“I’m sure
this
will enhance your position with the Council regarding the Council President position, though.  I’m not sure what I can offer the Council to match
your
escapade.”

Much to Tonya’s surprise, Polly was about to concede defeat before Tonya ma
d
e her offer.  For a bare moment, Tonya considered changing her plan.

“If you don’t mind me saying so, this topic is why I wanted to talk to you today,” Tonya said.

“I understand.  I’m willing to drop my bid, but there’s a favor I would like to ask of you in return,” Polly said.  Her former close friend sounded like she was chewing on ashes.  “President Adkins’ ‘successful Focus tax’
has become
a bit
too onerous over the last year. 
Her tax is
close to killing off my business.”

Interesting.  “So you would support me as Council President if I would drop th
is
piece of nonsense or reduce it to a more reasonable level?”

Polly nodded.  Tonya
sensed
how difficult this was for Polly – her former friend’s iron self-control wasn’t
enough
to keep her hands from shaking as she snacked and watched the touch football game.

Oh, th
e offer
was tempting – but
it
went against all the decisions Tonya had made over the past week.  Not anywhere near tempting enough.

“So,” Tonya said, “What would you say if I told you I was going to drop Monster hunting?”

Polly frowned, and stole a moment to think through an answer by grabbing a napkin and daubing at some invisible crumbs.
“
Your Monster hunting is
the basis of your celebrit
y
hood –
our other
M
onster-hunting
Focuses aren’t nearly as successful,” Polly said, after a half minute of thought.  “Most of them are lucky to bag a single Monster a year. 
The hunting is
also the
main
source of your household’s income, if I read th
e numbers
correctly.  Tonya, I don’t think you c
an
hold the Council Presidency without
your Monster hunting
.  Or are you thinking about using a different lever, once you get the Presidency?  Wini
is taking
her lever with her,
when she retires
.”

Wini’s lever was all the dirty details of Focus life of all the Focuses.  Where the bodies were buried, figuratively and literally.  Being a Focus, with all the problems society heaped on the Transforms, was nearly impossible without cutting more than a few legal corners.  Wini helped Focuses cut the corners, and was rather blunt about what she wanted in return.  Tonya had long ago decided that whoever won the Council Presidency would end up as a puppet of Wini and the other First Focuses.  Tonya bet the whole lot of them would still be directing traffic from behind the scene.

Tonya took a deep breath.  “Actually, Polly, I wanted to talk to you today about dropping my bid for the Council Presidency.”

“Oh?” Polly said, her face sudden stone.

“I
also believe
I c
an
’t hold the Council Presidency position without
my Monster hunting
.  However, the Bronx hunt was my last.  I’ve lost too many people over the years, and I find I’m not happy about some of the effects I’m seeing in myself.”

“Such as?”

“Well, for one thing,
the hunting has
worsened the problems between the two of us.  Every time I lose another housemember to a Monster hunt, the look in your eyes gets more severe.”

“I’ve never said anything on that subject,” Polly said.  Eyes very severe.

“You’re too polite
and civilized
to say anything,” Tonya said.  “Nevertheless,
you can’t help but think ‘
what sort of Monster is Tonya becoming, willing to sacrifice yet another of her people for a Monster bounty and another chance to preen in front of the cameras?
’
  Then there’s the name the other Focuses pinned on me, the one they don’t think I know about – Tonya, the ‘wicked witch of the east’.”

“There are other issues between us, but I admit,
the Monster hunting is
one of them,” Polly said.  Grudgingly.  “
Y
ou now agree with my assessment?”

“Yes.  I’
m
too much of a Monster myself, and I can’t live with myself any more.  I want out.”

“You’ll lose your Council seat,” Polly said.  “Unless you take on something equally noxious.  Noxious from the point of view of the other Council Focuses
, of course
.”  She turned away and watched her touch football team rack up another score.

“You think my position is shaky?” Tonya
said
.  She had Polly going down just the avenue of thoughts she wanted.  Come on, Polly, make the obvious suggestion!

“Yes
,” Polly said
. 
She
twisted her hands together, and thought.  “I won’t turn down your offer of support for the Council Presidency.  I
have
my own ideas
about
where the Council and the Focuses need to be going, and I need a strong hammer to go with my more subtle means of persuasion.  I believe I can turn the Council Presidency into
my
hammer, even without Wini’s little tricks.”

Come on, Polly.  Say it.  Tonya knew her charisma was useless against Polly – Polly’s charisma was her equal, or better.  Polly would just have to think of
the idea
herself.  If Tonya brought up
the
idea,
Polly would
never
agree to such a thing as recompense.

Polly sat and thought, while Tonya’s men took the kickoff and on the next play, tossed an interception.  Tonya groaned with the rest of her people and waited Polly out.

“
Oh, of course
,” Polly said, her face even more stony than before.  “I hope you don’t think of
this
as more of the same, but you
’
re the only one of us who’s had any sort of successful contact with Focus Monster
Keaton, the one
they’re now calling an Arm.  If the Council assigned you the job of reeling in Keaton…”

“Oh, that’s horrible, Polly.  She’s an animal.  You don’t know how impossible a job that would be.”  Tonya kept her face blank as
possible
, though inwardly, she grinned – this was exactly what she hoped Polly would offer.  “
This is
not an improvement.”

Polly turned to her and gave her an iron glare.  “I think you’d better wise up, Tonya.  I
don’t think
you’re going to be able to keep a Council seat without an onerous job on your plate. 
Accepting such a task would be in your
best interest.”  Polly accompanied her iron glare with a nearly unstoppable wave of charisma.

“Oh, all right,” Tonya said, giving in to exactly what she had been angling for.  Tonya thanked
God
this was what she wanted, because Polly and her tidal wave of charisma weren’t giving her any say in this at all.  “I guess I can give
the job
a try.”

“Great!” Polly said, with one of her fake twittery smiles.  “I hope this satisfies the other Council members.  I’m sure the
y
will try and pin
some other tasks
on you in recompense for dropping Monster hunting, but I’ll make sure none of them are as bad as Arm liaison.”

“Thank you,” Tonya said.  “One impossible job is enough.”