Page 36 (1/2)

The young scientist, still cranking with one hand, pulled a sht shifted through the exsanguination ly comatose human subject on the platform next to Lord Akeldama

This man’s eyes also opened He, too, jerked and screa, and the electrical current, for Alexia sur Lord Akelda small and sunken and very old, Mr Sie scientist rushed over to the other man Dr Neebs checked his pulse and then lifted his now-closed eyelids to check his pupils, staring hard through the glassicals The an to whimper, like a child at the end of a tantru sobs left All the muscles in his body seemed to lock up, his bones stiffened, and his eyes practically bulged right out of his head The three scientists backed away but continued to watch hioes," said Mr Siemons with satisfaction

"Yes, yes" Dr Neebs nodded, slapping his hands together and rubbing "Perfect!" The gray-clad youngster busily scratched notes into his leather pad

"A much more rapid and efficient result, Dr Neebs This is coress I shall write awidely and licking his lips

Dr Neebs beaed, Mr Siee current intensity I should like to be able to direct soul transfer with even greater accuracy"

Mr Siemons looked over at Lord Akeldama "Do you think you left any behind?"

"Difficult to tell with such an ancient subject," Dr Neebs prevaricated, "but perhaps--"

He was cut off by a loud knock on the door

"Me, sir!" said a voice

"Expositus," said Mr Siemons

The automaton turned stiffly and opened the door

In caall They carried between theth of linen, looking like nothing soMiss Tarabotti, strapped to her own platforall dropped his end of the body and rushed over to her

"Good evening, Mr MacDougall," said Alexia politely "I hly of your friends here Their behavior is"--she paused delicately-- "immodest"

"Miss Tarabotti, I aether in a little ball and fluttered about her anxiously "If I had only knohat you were at the coht have prevented this I would have taken proper precautions I would have" He covered hishis head in an excess of troubled e, she thought It all," Mr Sierave;-tête "You knohat is at stake here The young lady refuses to cooperate willingly So this is how it must be You may stay to observe, but you must behave yourself and not interfere with the procedure"

"But, sir," the American protested, "shouldn’t you test the extent of her abilities first? Make some notations, formulate a hypothesis, take a more scientific approach? We know so little about this so-called preternatural state Shouldn’t you utilize caution? If she is as unique as you say, you can hardly afford to take unnecessary risks with her well-being"

Mr Sie a preliminary transfer procedure The vampires call her kind ’soulless’ If our predictions are correct, she will not require any kind of electroshock treatment for revival No soul, you see?"

"But what if it is all looked worried beyond all endurance His hands were shaking, and a sheen of sweat had appeared across his brow

Mr Siemons smiled maliciously "We had better hope, for her sake, that it is not" He turned away and issued instructions to his couination Let us analyze the true extent of this woman’s capabilities Dr Neebs, if you are finished with that subject?"

Dr Neebs nodded "For the tiress I want iing about, unhooking the two machines from each other and then from Lord Akeldama and his companion sufferer He pulled the tubes out of their respective ar hole in Lord Akeldain to close and heal itself

Then there was no more ti the machine in her direction Dr Neebs approached her ar knife He ripped away the sleeve of her gown and poked about with his fingers at the underside of her elbow, looking for a vein Mr MacDougall made nonsensicalto help her In fact, he backed tih afraid to watch Alexia struggled futilely against her restraints

Dr Neebs focused his glassicals and placed the knife into position A great crash reverberated through the roory hit the outside of the door hard enough to jar the automaton that stood in front of it

"What the hell’s that?" Dr Neebs asked, pausing with the knife resting against her skin

The door reverberated again

"It will hold," said Mr Siereat crash, the door began to split

Dr Neebs lifted the knife he had been about to use on Alexia and took up a defensive position with it instead One of the younger scientists began to screa the scientific paraphernalia littering the room

"Cecil, calm yourself!" yelled Mr Sie to convince hiall," Alexia hissed under the hubbub, "could you, perhaps, see yourself toward untying h he could not understand what she was saying