Drayl cleared his throat to draw Kandryl's attention. Kandryl looked up and frowned. He did not disapprove of the interruption, but it was obvious by Drayl’s bearing that he bore bad news. Kandryl was never in the mood for bad news. He leaned back in his chair and looked steadily at Drayl and the doctor whom the former had brought with him.
“Sir,” began Drayl, “it’s about the young Komislavian on whom we tested the mind drug.”
“Yes?” said Kandryl impatiently.
“As I told you,” continued Drayl, “it was over-effective: it not only killed his rebellious nature, but it also seemed to destroy his will entirely. He no longer seems to care about anything.”
“Yes,” said Kandryl again, more impatiently. “You told me this some time ago, and I said that the drug was obviously too strong for Komislavians. We’ll not use it.”
Drayl looked at the doctor, and the latter picked up the thread.
“Well, sir,” said the doctor nervously, “it may be too late to decide that. It seems that the situation is worsening. The subject no longer reacts to any stimulus whatsoever. He still refuses even to eat or drink. It’s as though he no longer cares whether he lives or dies, or as though he's dead already.”
Kandryl frowned. "I believe that I made it clear that you were to have ceased using the drug eight days ago," he said in a low, dangerous voice.
"We did," said Drayl. "He has not been given any since then."
"That’s the strangest part of it, sir,” said the doctor. “As master Drayl says, the boy has had only three doses. Those were so effective that we gave him no more. Even those had been completely washed out of his system six days after they were administered, and yet he still has not recovered. We’ve been forced to feed him intravenously, but at this point, I don’t know how much longer he may live. We have no idea as to what is wrong with him, so we do not know what to do in order to treat him. It's as though his mind has stopped working entirely, and we don't know how to make it start again.”
"The brain is still functioning, but the patterns are highly irregular," said Drayl. "We've tried numerous drugs, but his brain patterns refuse to return to normal. The brain activity in total has been decreasing steadily for the last five days. If he continues like this, his brain will die within another seven days, and there will be nothing that we can do to stop it. In another four days, he'll be beyond recall."
Kandryl was quiet for a moment, thinking. This was upsetting news, to say the least. It would not do to have any of the boys die before the trial period was over. No, they all ought to be both alive and healthy, even the prisoners. If one died or suffered permanent injury, there would be questions. And in the case of this one, the answers might be less than satisfactory. No, the boy needed to be kept alive and well, if possible. But was it possible? Kandryl looked up at Drayl and frowned.
"I put you in charge of this," he said in a low, menacing voice. "I expected you to be better able to handle it."
"I am a master of torture," replied Drayl, bristling somewhat himself, though he did his best to hide it. "My speciality is the infliction of damage, not the healing of it."
“One of the boy's friends visited him today,” the doctor interposed quickly. “The counselor, I think. Even he was unable to produce any change in the boy.”
Kandryl looked at the doctor sharply. Just how had Wysire been able to go down there and visit the boys? On what authority did he enter the cells? How did he even know where to find them? These questions would have to be answered later. For now, the interview between the two might prove helpful. Regardless, it was obvious that Drayl and his doctor-assistant would not. Kandryl dismissed both of them, saying that he would be in contact with them soon.
Once the two were gone, Kandryl accessed the security recording of Faquire’s cell. It did not take long to find the visit. He listened closely to the exchange between the two boys, or rather to Wysire’s monologue. Seeing Kiacyl there answered Kandryl’s earlier questions. Something might need to be done involving that score, but not at this time. At the moment there were more important matters that needed attention. But as to the interview providing any answers regarding Faquire, it served only to show that even Wysire, the master of the Komislavian mind, had little or no hope for the sick boy.
Kandryl leaned back, closed his eyes, and considered. The boy must not die if there was any way to keep him alive. Quite apart from the experiment itself, Kandryl saw now from watching the interview in the cells that Faquire's death might well have severe ill-effects on the other boys who were now working willingly. At some point in time, it might be beneficial to see what the effect of losing a comrade would be on a group of boys, but he had no desire to try such an experiment with this group. Perhaps the next, or the one after that, would serve. Given all of this, however, how could Faquire be restored to health? The doctors had done all that they could. Eriane might be summoned, KandrylVukasovian doctors? Kandryl doubted it. And if he were allowed to try but failed, all of the other free boys would very quickly find out about it, and that would not be pleasant if there was no cure forthcoming. No, there must be another answer.
Slowly Kandryl opened his eyes as a new idea came to him. There was one who might know exactly what to do; one whose intellect seemed to know no bounds. True, he was no physician, but that would be of little consequence. There were yet three days before Faquire would be beyond recall, and that would surely be enough time for him to find a solution. Of course, the situation would have to be handled delicately. Kandryl would not want him to know that even the Vukasovians did not know what to do.
Kandryl's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as a guard entered. The guard came to attention before the desk at which Kandryl sat. Kandryl acknowledged his presence and awaited the guard’s explanation for this intrusion.
“Sir,” the guard began, “the Komislavian Djaisiuk has left his quarters.”
Kandryl’s eyebrows rose before he could catch himself. He sat forward slowly, considering his words before speaking.
“Where has he gone?” he asked.
“He appears to be heading to the Detu section, sir,” the guard replied.
He’s going to see his friends, thought Kandryl. Why today? Was it possible that he knew of the state of Faquire? Certainly not. How could he? This could work to Kandryl's advantage however, he realized. He would watch this meeting carefully as it progressed. Wysire was sure to speak of Faquire’s condition. How might Djaisiuk react? Would he react at all? And even if Djaisiuk did not, what might the other boys say on the subject? Perhaps one or more of them would have some suggestions. This seemed unlikely though, considering the hopelessness of the counselor. No, it was most likely that his last idea would have to be utilized.
With this thought, Kandryl began what few preparations would be needed as he carefully watched the ongoing security monitoring of a certain rather large table in the main eating room of the second level of the Detu section.
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