29.
Noël is blocking the passage in the cellar.
‘Let me through!’ I yell.
I’m worn out and my fists that are banging on his chest don’t have more strength than those of a baby. Noël grabs my hands and drops them.
‘Manon, they’re performing an operation on him. There’s nothing you can do.’
‘Why?’ My voice cracks and the tears roll over my cheeks. ‘Why?’
‘Come,’ Noël softly says.
He takes me to his office and puts me down on a chair, where he squats down in front of me.
‘It was his own choice, Manon.’
I look enraged at him. ‘No, it wasn’t! You guys have kidnapped him!’
‘No, we haven’t. He came with us voluntary and he was only too happy to be with Selena.’
‘Liar! She has hypnotized him!’
I want to raise my hand to slap him right in his face, but I can barely lift my arm.
‘Manon, vampires can’t hypnotize each other. It only works with other kinds and humans,’ he answers patiently. ‘He fully knew what he was doing.’
‘But…’
‘You thought he loved you? After only a few dates?’
Of course I didn’t think that! Nah well, I was somewhere hoping it.
‘No,’ I say.
‘He only wanted you for your blood. That’s just the way vampires are.’
No! I don’t want to believe that! Noël wasn’t there when we made love several times. He didn’t see how Lucas looked at me, how soft his hands touched my skin.
‘Someone will miss him and go looking for him,’ I say combatively.
‘No, Manon. We’ve checked whether he still has living family members or good friends. The few family members we found all live abroad and Lucas doesn’t have contact with them anymore.’
‘What are you going to do with him?’
‘Put him in a tube. There’s nothing else to do. Now he has seen you…’
‘But you did that on purpose!’ I cry out. ‘Selena left her door open so I had to see him!’
‘Yes, and with that you signed his death warrant. You should be thankful to me.’
‘Thankful? Thankful?! How dare you!’
‘Selena wanted to kill him, but I decided he was too important and thanks to me he’ll stay alive.’
Noël lays a hand on my upper leg. I’m horrified by it, but I don’t have the strength to hit him away.
‘Come, let’s have breakfast.’
Noël gets up and takes a seat at his desk. It wasn’t until now I saw the croissants, fresh orange juice and a pot of coffee. As if I can even eat right now! I can only think about poor Lucas who’ll disappear in a tube more dead than alive. Okay, he may have voluntary chosen for Selena’s bed, but it wasn’t the case that we had a real relationship. It hurts me, of course it hurts me tremendously, but I still can’t lay claim on him or blame him for something. Besides, even if he would have cheated on me he still doesn’t deserve to end up in tube!
‘Help yourself,’ Noël says cheerfully, as if nothing has happened.
‘I’m not hungry,’ I say with clenched cheeks.
‘Tut-tut-tut, that isn’t healthy. You have to eat, surely if you want to be ready for the marriage tomorrow.’
Noël takes a croissant and butters the underside.
‘Even if you tie me up or keep me covered. I’ll never say the words ‘Yes, I do’. Never!’
‘Don’t be so sure about that.’ Then Noël looks so frightful at me I feel an ice-cold shiver run over my spine. ‘Unless you don’t want your little friend to survive.’
‘He’s dead when he’s put in a tube. His life is almost over then.’
‘The choice is up to you.’
He takes a tasteful bite from the croissant. ‘Hm, perfectly baked.’
I feel like pushing that croissant in his ass and empty out the pot of the coffee on the other side.
Call me naïve, but I don’t think they’re going to kill Lucas. I think he’s more precious in a tube, whatever they do with it. Lucas is an otherkind, just like the previous victims. Maybe Noël has some kind of sick hobby in the form of collecting otherkinds. But what’s the use of the scalped heads then?
As if he can read my mind, Noël says: ‘If you marry me, I’ll answer all your question and I promise we’ll release Lucas.’
I don’t believe a word he’s saying, his smile comes across too false.
‘You don’t believe me? Why not? Have I ever gone back on my words?’
With his little finger in the air, he takes a sip of his coffee.
‘Does a mouse trust a snake?’ I say.
Quasi surprised he pulls up his eyebrows. ‘Is that the way you see me?’
‘A cute, fluffy bunny doesn’t really suit with your actions.’
He roars with laughter, as if I have just told a funny joke.
‘Why don’t you tell me everything? I might marry you then.’
‘Manon, Manon, little girl. I did not become this powerful and rich by a lack of intelligence.’
‘You want to steal their gifts or something? Is that the reason why they’ve got scalped heads? Do you steal their brains?’
‘Just eat something.’
He already sounds less friendly. Apparently I’ve touched a nerve or I’m coming too close to the truth.
‘Do you maybe think you’re Frankenstein?’ I go on.
‘I’ll send you to your room without food,’ he threatens.
‘How old do you think I am? Six?’
‘Maybe you’d rather like to be put in a tube yourself, than to live a luxurious life by my side.’
In the meantime he calmly eats further and in such a refined way it gets on my nerves.
‘I want to now it first! Do you steal their brains? The part where their gift is located?’
‘Who told you something like that would be possible? Brain surgery is a very young science.’
I shrug. I really wouldn’t know. But with the necessary financial means you can get everything done.
‘Besides, who can guarantee that if you transplant someone else’s brain in your head, you don’t lose your own memories and personality?’
‘You want to bore me to death with this scientific discussion?’
‘Well? You aren’t stupid. Then answer. Or don’t you dare?’ Noël looks impassive at me.
‘I’m not a brain surgeon, neither a theosophist. But what do you think?’ I ask.
Maybe by talking to him he reveals more about the intention of those tubes.
‘I think it depends on which part of the brain you take away. Still not hungry?’
I shake my head. Certainly not now we’re talking about brains. Yuck.
‘Alright, to prove to you I’m only wanting the best for you and that all of this isn’t as bad as it looks, I’ll give a hint.’
I wait patiently. The smell of the croissants is really tempting me. But if I only think about putting something in my mouth, my gag reflex already starts to work.
‘I’m doing a study here. A doctor works for me and he gets an enormous amount of money paid for it. Also for his oath of secrecy of course.’
‘Study, eh. Into otherkinds I presume?’
‘You’re right about that.’
‘And why?’
‘Because it hasn’t been investigated before and because I want to know why otherkinds developed as a side branch. Why don’t all human beings have those gifts?’
‘Why didn’t all apes develop to human beings?’
‘That’s the point. I want to know where those gifts are located in the brain.’
‘And then what?’
‘Then I know, that’s enough.’
I think he’s speaking the truth, but conceal just as much.
‘What do you inject in me every so many hours? Why can’t I transform?’
‘Good question.’
He wipes off his mouth, although I don’t see anything, crosses his hands in front of him and leans backward in the chair.
‘We’re already so far we discovered how to suppress the gifts. And that counts for all kinds. It’s actually quite simple.’
He pauses and tries my patience. Fine, I’ve got plenty of time. Like I have somewhere else to go?
Then Noël taps with his forefinger on the back of his head. ‘The hormone and neurotransmitter adrenaline.’
‘Which is released with stress, fear and anger?’
‘You’ve scored an A.’ He smiles happily, as if we’re in a classroom. ‘It’s released in the adrenal glands and the hypophysis and this last one lies near the brainstem. Adrenaline strengthens the gift of otherkind, but it doesn’t serve as a basis. With a light dose of benzodiazepine, a psychoactive drug, we suppress the adrenaline and norepinephrine.’
‘Let me guess. Our gift is arranged in the hypophysis?’
‘Almost.’ He’s clearly being pleased as Punch and grins from ear to ear.
‘The brainstem?’
‘And an A again. The brainstem is the oldest part of the brain. This part developed differently when comparing otherkinds to human beings.’
‘And you’re going to transplant that part in your head?’
Instead of giving an answer, he stands up.
‘Enough for now. I want to have a rest and after that I’ve still got work to do. We’ll see each other again this evening. A new dress is awaiting you.’