Acceptable Risk

17

Saturday, October 1, 1994

Kim pulled herself from the depths of a minor stupor caused by the Xanax. Once again she was surprised she’d slept as long as she had. It was almost nine.

After showering and dressing, Kim took Sheba outside. Feeling guilty that she’d been denying the animal her normal wandering, Kim was patient with the cat and allowed her to go wherever she wanted. Sheba chose to go around the house. Kim followed.

As Kim rounded the back of the house she suddenly stopped, angrily put her hands on her hips, and let out an expletive. She had discovered she’d been targeted by the vandals or the animal which the police had warned her about. Both her trash containers had been tipped over and emptied. The trash had been strewn around the yard.

Ignoring Sheba for the moment, Kim righted the two plastic garbage cans. As she did so she discovered that both had been torn at their top edges, presumably when their covers had been forcibly removed.

“What a pain!” Kim exclaimed as she carried the two containers back to where they normally stood next to the house. Looking at them more closely, she realized that she’d have to replace them since their covers would no longer be secure.

Kim rescued Sheba just before she was about to take off into the woods, and carried her back into the house. Remembering that the police had asked to be called if she had any trouble, Kim called the station. To her surprise they insisted on sending someone out.

Using a pair of gardening gloves, Kim went back outside and spent a half hour picking up all the trash. Temporarily she put it back into the two broken containers. She was just finishing when the Salem police car arrived.

It was a single officer this time who Kim thought looked about her age. His name was Tom Malick. He was a serious fellow and asked to see the crime scene. Kim thought he was making more of the incident than it deserved, but took him around behind the house and showed him the containers. She had to explain that she’d just finished picking everything up.

“It would have been better if you left everything the way you found it until we’d seen it,” Tom said.

“I’m sorry,” Kim said. She couldn’t imagine what difference it would have made.

“Your situation here fits the same scenario that we’ve been seeing in the general area,” Tom said. He squatted down next to the containers and examined them carefully. Then he looked at the lids.

Kim watched him with mild impatience.

He stood up. “This was done by the animal or animals,” he said. “It wasn’t the kids. I believe there are teethmarks along the lips of the covers. Do you want to see?”

“I suppose,” Kim said.

Tom lifted up one of the covers and pointed to a series of parallel grooves.

“I think you should get more secure containers,” Tom said.

“I was planning on replacing them,” Kim said. “I’ll see what’s available.”

“You might have to go out to Burlington to find them,” Tom said. “There’s been a run on them in town.”

“It sounds like this is developing into a real problem,” Kim said.

“You’d better believe it,” Tom said. “The town is in an uproar. Didn’t you watch the local news this morning?”

“No, I didn’t,” Kim said.

“Up until last night the only deaths we’ve had with this affair have been dogs and cats,” Tom said. “This morning we found our first human victim.”

“That’s awful,” Kim said, catching her breath. “Who was it?”

“He was a vagrant who was fairly well known in town,” Tom said. “His name was John Mullins. He was found not far from here, near the Kernwood Bridge. The gruesome thing was that he’d been partially eaten.”

Kim’s mouth went dry as her mind unwillingly called up the horrid image of Buffer lying in the grass.

“John did have an ungodly blood alcohol level,” Tom said, “so he might have been dead before the animal got to him, but we’ll know more after a report from the medical examiner. The body went to Boston in hopes that we can get a lead on what kind of animal we’re dealing with from toothmarks on bones.”

“It sounds horrible,” Kim said with a shudder. “I didn’t realize how serious this was.”

“Initially we were thinking about a raccoon,” Tom said. “But with this human victim, and the amount of vandalism going on, we’re thinking of a bigger animal, like a bear. There’s been a marked increase in the bear population of New Hampshire so it’s not out of the question. But whatever it is, it’s got our Salem witch industry loving it. Of course they’re saying it’s the devil and all that kind of nonsense, trying to get people to think it’s 1692 all over again. Trouble is, they’re doing a pretty good job, and their business is brisk. So is ours.”

After a strong warning for Kim to be careful because of all the forest land on her property which could certainly conceal a bear, Tom left.

Before going all the way to Burlington, Kim went into the house and called the hardware store in Salem where she did most of her business. Contrary to what Tom had said, they assured her they had a full selection of trash containers available since they’d just gotten a shipment the day before.

Happy to have an errand that took her to town, Kim left as soon as she’d had something to eat. She drove straight to the hardware store. The clerk told her she was wise to have come directly. Since he’d spoken with her an hour previously, they’d sold a good portion of the trash container shipment.

“This animal really gets around,” Kim said.

“You’d better believe it,” the clerk said. “They’re starting to have the same problems over in Beverly. Everybody’s talking about what kind of animal it is. There’s even odds in case you want to bet some money. But it’s been great for us. Not only have we been selling a ton of garbage cans; there’s been a fire sale on ammo and rifles in our sporting goods section.”

While Kim was waiting by the register to pay for her purchases, she could hear other customers talking about the same subject. There was excitement in the air that was almost palpable.

Leaving the store, Kim had an uncomfortable feeling. She was worried that if hysteria broke out about this creature now that a human death was involved, innocent people could get hurt. She shuddered to think of trigger-happy people hiding behind their curtains just waiting to hear something or somebody toying with their trash. Since kids were apparently getting involved, it could easily turn into a tragedy.

Back at the house, Kim transferred the trash from the damaged containers to the new ones with their lids secured by an ingenious compression mechanism. She put the old ones in the back of the shed to use for collecting leaves. As she worked, she longed for the city, nostalgically remembering life there as being simple in comparison. She’d had to worry about muggers but not bears.

With the garbage problem taken care of, Kim walked across the field to the lab. She wasn’t excited about going, but with this new development of her garbage being ransacked and a body being found nearby she felt she had no choice.

Before she went inside she checked the bins where the lab’s garbage was stored. They were two heavy industrial-sized steel boxes that were lifted by the garbage truck. The lids were heavy. Kim could barely push them up. Looking inside, she could see that the lab’s trash had been undisturbed.

At the front door Kim hesitated, trying to think up an excuse to use in case she was waylaid by the congenial researchers. Lunch was the only thing she could think of. She also girded herself to bring up the subject of the dirt being tracked into the castle.

Kim passed through the reception area and entered the lab proper. Once again she was surprised. On her last visit it had been a celebration, this time it was an impromptu meeting that had to be about something important. The gay, festive atmosphere that she was learning to expect at the lab was gone. In its place was a solemnity that was almost funereal.

“I’m terribly sorry if I’m interrupting,” Kim said.

“It’s quite all right,” Edward said. “Did you want something in particular?”

Kim told them about the problem with her garbage and the visit by the police. She then asked if anybody heard or saw anything out of the ordinary during the night.

Everyone looked at each other expectantly. No one responded at first, then they all shook their heads.

“I sleep so soundly I doubt I’d hear an earthquake,” Curt said.

“You sound like an earthquake,” David joked. “But you’re right, I sleep equally as soundly.”

Kim glanced around at the faces of the researchers. The somber mood she’d detected when she’d first entered already seemed to be improving. She then told them that the police thought the culprit might be a rabid bear, but that kids had been taking advantage of the situation in the name of fun. She also described the excitement that bordered on hysteria that gripped the town.

“Only in Salem could something like this get so blown out of proportion,” Edward said with a chuckle. “This town is never going to recover completely from 1692.”

“Some of their concern is justified,” Kim said. “The problem has recently taken on a new dimension. A dead man was found this morning not too far away from here, and his body had been gnawed.”

Gloria blanched. “How grotesque!” she exclaimed.

“Have they determined how the man died?” Edward asked.

“Not exactly,” Kim said. “They’ve sent the body to Boston to be examined. There’s a question about whether or not the man had been dead prior to being attacked by the animal.”

“Then the animal would have been only acting as a scavenger,” Edward said.

“That’s true,” Kim said. “But I still thought it was important to warn you all. I know that you walk late at night. Maybe you should drive the short distance to the castle until this problem has been taken care of. Meanwhile, keep your eye out for either a rabid animal or teenagers.”

“Thanks for warning us,” Edward said.

“One other thing,” Kim said, forcing herself to switch subjects. “There’s been a minor problem at the castle. There’s been some dirt tracked in through the entrances to the wings. I wanted to ask that you all wipe your feet.”

“We’re terribly sorry,” François said. “It’s dark when we get there and dark when we leave. We’ll have to be more careful.”

“I’m sure you will,” Kim said. “Well, that’s all I had. Sorry to bother you.”

“No problem at all,” Edward said. He accompanied her to the door. “You be careful too,” he told her. “And watch out for Sheba.”

Edward walked back to the group after seeing Kim off. He looked at each face in turn. They were all concerned.

“A human body puts this all in a different perspective,” Gloria said.

“I agree,” Eleanor said.

There was silence for a few minutes while everyone thought about the situation. David finally spoke: “I guess we have to face the fact that we could be responsible for some of the problems in the area.”

“I still think the idea is absurd,” Edward said. “It flies in the face of reason.”

“How do you explain my T-shirt?” Curt said. He pulled it from a drawer where he’d stuffed it when Kim had suddenly arrived. It was torn and stained. “I ran a test spot of one of these stains. It’s blood.”

“But it was your blood,” Edward said.

“True. But still,” Curt said, “how did it happen? I mean, I don’t remember.”

“It’s also hard to explain the cuts and bruises we have on our bodies when we wake up in the morning,” François said. “There were even sticks and dead leaves strewn about my floor.”

“We must be sleepwalking or the equivalent,” David said. “I know we don’t want to admit it.”

“Well, I haven’t been sleepwalking,” Edward said. He glared at the others. “I’m not entirely sure this isn’t some elaborate practical joke after all the playing around you guys have been doing.”

“This is no joke,” Curt said as he folded up his damaged shirt.

“We’ve seen nothing with any of the experimental animals that would even suggest a reaction like you’re suggesting,” Edward said belligerently. “It doesn’t make scientific sense. There’d be some corollary. That’s why we do animal studies.”

“I agree,” Eleanor said. “I’ve not found anything in my room nor do I have any cuts or bruises.”

“Well, I’m not hallucinating,” David said. “I’ve got real cuts here.” He stuck out his hands so everybody could see them all. “As Curt says, this is no joke.”

“I haven’t had any cuts, but I’ve awakened with my hands all dirty,” Gloria said. “And I don’t have a nail worth mentioning left. They’ve all broken off.”

“There’s something wrong despite the fact it hasn’t shown up with the animals,” David insisted. “I know that no one wants to suggest the obvious, but I will! It must be the Ultra.”

Edward’s jaws visibly tightened and his hands closed into fists.

“It’s taken me a couple of days to admit it even to myself,” David continued. “But it’s pretty clear I’ve been out at night without any recollection of going. Nor do I know what I’ve been up to, except that I’m filthy in the morning when I wake up. And I assure you, I’ve never done anything like this in my life.”

“Are you suggesting that it’s not an animal that has been causing problems around the neighborhood?” Gloria asked timidly.

“Oh, be serious,” Edward complained. “Let’s not let our imaginations go haywire.”

“I’m not suggesting anything other than I’ve been out and I don’t know what I’ve been doing,” David said.

A ripple of fear spread through the group as they began to face the reality of the situation. But it became immediately apparent there were two groups. Edward and Eleanor feared for the future of the project while the others feared for their well-being.

“We have to think about this rationally,” Edward said.

“Without doubt,” David agreed.

“The drug has been so perfect,” Edward said. “We’ve had nothing but good responses. We’ve reason to believe it’s a natural substance, or close to a natural substance, that already exists in our brains. The monkeys have shown no tendency toward somnambulism. And I personally like the way I feel on Ultra.”

Everyone immediately agreed.

“In fact, I think it is a tribute to what Ultra can do that allows us to even think rationally under these circumstances,” Edward said.

“You’re probably right,” Gloria said. “A minute ago I was beside myself with worry and disgust. I already feel more composed.”

“That’s exactly my point,” Edward said. “This is a fantastic drug.”

“But we still have a problem,” David said. “If the sleepwalking we’ve suggested is occurring, and if it is caused by the drug, which I think is the only explanation, it has to be a side effect that we couldn’t possibly have anticipated. It has to be doing something in our brains that is unique.”

“Let me get my PET scans,” François said suddenly. He went down to his cluttered workspace but quickly returned. He began laying out a series of brain scans of a monkey that had been given radioactively tagged Ultra.

“I wanted to show everybody something that I just noted this morning,” he said. “I really haven’t had time to think too much about it, and I wouldn’t have noticed it except the computer picked it up when these images were in digital form. If you look carefully, the concentration of the Ultra in the hindbrain, midbrain, and limbic system slowly builds from the first dose, then, when it gets to a certain level, the concentration goes up markedly, meaning there’s no steady state reached.”

Everyone bent over the photographs.

“Maybe the point where the concentration increases markedly is at the point that the enzymatic system that metabolizes it is overwhelmed,” Gloria suggested.

“I think you are right,” François said.

“That means we should look at the key that tells us how much Ultra each of us has been taking,” Gloria said.

They all looked at Edward.

“Seems reasonable,” Edward said. He walked over to his desk and removed a small locked box. Inside was a three-by-five card with the code that matched dosages.

The group quickly learned that Curt was on the highest dose followed by David on the next highest. On the other end of the scale, Eleanor had the lowest with Edward just behind her.

After a lengthy, rational discussion, they came up with a theory of what was happening. They reasoned that when the concentration of Ultra got to a certain point, it progressively blocked the normal variation of serotonin levels that occurred during sleep, ironing them out and altering sleep patterns.

It was Gloria who suggested that when the concentration got even higher, perhaps to the point where the sharp upward swing of the curve occurred, then the Ultra blocked the radiations from the lower, or reptilian, brain to the higher centers in the cerebral hemispheres. Sleep, like other autonomous function, was regulated by the lower brain areas where the Ultra was massing.

The group was quiet for a time while everyone pondered this hypothesis. Despite their emotional recovery, they all found this idea disturbing.

“If this were the case,” David said, “what would happen if we were to wake up while this blockage was in place?”

“It would be as if we’d experienced retroevolution,” Curt said. “We’d be functioning on our lower-brain centers alone. We’d be like carnivorous reptiles!”

The shock of this statement quieted everyone with its horrid connotations.

“Wait a minute, everybody,” Edward said, trying to cheer himself as well as the others. “We’re jumping to conclusions that are not based on fact. This is all complete supposition. We have to remember that we’ve seen no problems with the monkeys, who we all agree have cerebral hemispheres, although smaller than humans’, at least most humans.”

Everyone except Gloria smiled at Edward’s humor.

“Even if there is a problem with Ultra,” Edward reminded them, “we have to take into consideration the good side of the drug, and how it has positively affected our emotions, mental abilities, acuity of our senses, and even long-term memory. Perhaps we have been taking too much of the drug and we should cut down. Maybe we should cut down to Eleanor’s level since all she’s experienced are the positive psychological effects.”

“I’m not cutting back,” Gloria said defiantly. “I’m stopping as of this minute. It horrifies me to think of the possibility of some primitive creature lurking inside my body without my even being aware and sneaking out to forage in the night.”

“Very colorfully said,” Edward remarked. “You are welcome to stop the drug. That goes without saying. No one is going to force anyone to do anything they don’t want to do. You all know that. Each person can decide whether to continue taking the drug or not, and here’s what I suggest: for an added cushion of safety I think we should halve Eleanor’s dose and use that as an upper limit, dropping subsequent doses in one-hundred-milligram steps.”

“That sounds reasonable and safe to me,” David said.

“To me as well,” Curt said.

“And me,” François said.

“Good,” Edward said. “I’m absolutely confident that if the problem is as we’ve theorized, it has to be dose related, and there has to be a point where the chances of causing the problem is an acceptable risk.”

“I’m not taking it,” Gloria restated.

“No problem,” Edward said.

“You won’t be irritated with me?” Gloria asked.

“Not in the slightest,” Edward said.

“I’ll be able to be a control,” Gloria said. “Plus I’ll be able to watch over the others at night.”

“Excellent idea,” Edward said.

“I have a suggestion,” François said. “Perhaps we should all take radioactively tagged Ultra so I can follow the buildup and chart concentrations in our brains. The ultimate dose of Ultra might be that dose which merely maintains a specific level of Ultra without continually increasing it.”

“I’d agree to that idea,” Curt said.

“One other thing,” Edward said. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind all you professionals, but this meeting must be kept secret from everyone, including your families.”

“That goes without saying,” David said. “The last thing any of us wants to do is compromise Ultra’s future. We might have a little growing pains here and there, but it’s still going to be the drug of the century.”

Kim had intended to spend some time in the castle during the morning, but when she got back to the cottage she realized it was already lunchtime. While she was eating, the phone rang. To her surprise it was Katherine Sturburg, the archivist at Harvard who had a particular interest in Increase Mather.

“I might have some potentially good news for you,” Katherine said. “I’ve just found a reference to a work by Rachel Bingham!”

“That’s marvelous,” Kim said. “I’d given up hope of help from Harvard.”

“We do the best we can,” Katherine said.

“How did you happen to find it?” Kim asked.

“That’s the best part,” Katherine said. “What I did was go back and reread the letter you let us copy from Increase Mather. Because of his reference to a law school, I accessed the Law School library data bank, and the name popped up. Why it’s not cross-referenced in our main data bank I have yet to figure out. But the good news is the work seemed to have survived the 1764 fire.”

“I thought everything was burned,” Kim said.

“Just about everything,” Katherine said. “Fortunately for us, about two hundred books out of the five-thousand-volume library survived because they were out on loan. So someone must have been reading the book you are looking for. At any rate, the reference I found indicated that it was transferred to the Law School from the main library in Harvard Hall in 1818, a year after the Law School was founded.”

“Did you find the book itself?” Kim asked excitedly.

“No, I haven’t had time,” Katherine said. “Besides, I think it would be better if you took it from here. What I recommend is that you give Helen Arnold a call. She’s an archivist at the Law School. I’ll call her first thing Monday morning so that she’ll expect a call or a visit.”

“I’ll go right after work on Monday,” Kim said eagerly. “I get off at three.”

“I’m sure that will be fine,” Katherine said. “I’ll let Helen know.”

Kim thanked Katherine before they disconnected.

Kim felt ecstatic. She’d totally given up hope that Elizabeth’s book had survived the Harvard fire. Then Kim questioned why Katherine had been so sure it was a book. Had it said as much on the reference?

Kim went back to the phone and tried to call Katherine right back. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to reach her. A secretary said that Katherine had rushed out to a luncheon meeting and wouldn’t be back to the office until Monday.

Kim hung up the phone. She was disappointed but didn’t remain so for long. The idea that on Monday afternoon she would finally learn the nature of the evidence used against Elizabeth was a source of great satisfaction. Whether it was a book or not did not matter.

Despite this good news, Kim still went to the castle to work. In fact, she attacked the jumble of papers with new enthusiasm.

Halfway through the afternoon she paused long enough to try to estimate how much longer she thought it would take for her to finish sorting the material. After counting all the remaining trunks and boxes and assuming about the same number existed in the wine cellar, she figured out it would take another week if she were to work for eight hours a day.

The reality of that fact robbed Kim of some of her enthusiasm. Now that she was about to start back to work at the hospital, it wasn’t going to be so easy to find the time. She was about to give up for the afternoon when she surprised herself by pulling off a stunt reminiscent of Kinnard’s. She opened a drawer at random and pulled out a letter addressed to Ronald!

Sitting on a trunk by a window, Kim took the letter from its envelope. It was another letter from Samuel Sewall. Looking at the date, Kim could tell that it had been sent just days before Elizabeth’s execution.

15th July 1692

BostonSir,

I have come from a comfortable supper with the most Reverend Cotton Mather and we did indeed discours upon the sorry plight of your wife and we are much in troubled spirit for you and your children. In a most gracious way Reverend Mather agreed to accept your distracted wife into his household to cure her as he most successfully did with the much afflicted Goodwin girl if only Elizabeth will confess and repent in publique the covenant she’d entered with the Prince of Lies. Reverend Mather is strongly convinced that Elizabeth can furnish with evidence and argument as a critical eye witness to confute the sadducism of this troubled age. Failing that Reverend Mather cannot and will not intervene in carrying out of the sentence of the court. Be advised that there is no time to waste. Reverend Mather is eager and believes that your wife can teach us all about matters of the invisible world that doth threaten our country. God bless your endeavors and I remain

Your Friend, Samuel Sewall.

For a few minutes Kim stared out the window. The day had started cloudless and blue, but now dark clouds were blowing in from the west. From where she was sitting she could see the cottage sitting among its birch trees whose leaves had become bright yellow. The combination of the old house and the letter transported Kim back three hundred years, and she could feel the utter panic brought on by the impending reality of Elizabeth’s execution. Although the letter she’d just read had been to Ronald rather than from him, she got the impression it was a response from a letter Ronald had written in desperation to save his wife’s life.

Kim’s eyes filled up with tears. It was hard for her to imagine the agony Ronald must have experienced. It made Kim feel guilty that she’d had suspicions of Ronald back when she’d first started to learn the truth about Elizabeth.

Kim finally got up. Replacing the letter in its envelope, she carried it downstairs to the wine cellar and deposited it with the other material in the Bible box. Then she left the castle and started back toward the cottage.

Kim got halfway and slowed her pace. Glancing toward the lab, she stopped walking. She looked at her watch. It was not quite four. All at once the idea occurred to her that it would be a nice gesture to make an attempt at improving the researchers’ diet. They’d seemed depressed when she’d stopped in that morning, and she imagined they must be sick of pizza. Kim reasoned she could easily repeat the steak-and-fish dinner she’d made somewhat less than a fortnight previously.

With this thought in mind, Kim changed her direction and headed for the lab. As she passed through the reception area she felt mild apprehension since she never quite knew what to expect. Entering the lab proper, Kim let the door close behind her. No one came running over to greet her.

Kim set off toward Edward’s area. She passed David, who greeted her pleasantly but with hardly the buoyancy he had a few days previously. Kim said hello to Gloria, who, like David, immediately turned her attention back to her work.

Kim continued on her way, but she felt progressively wary. Although David’s and Gloria’s behavior was probably the most normal Kim had experienced since they had arrived, it represented another change.

Edward was so engrossed in his work that Kim had to tap his shoulder twice to get his attention. She noticed that he was making new Ultra capsules.

“Is there a problem?” he asked. He smiled and acted reasonably happy to see her.

“I wanted to make you and the others an offer,” Kim said. “How about a repeat of the dinner that we had a few weeks ago. I’d be happy to run into town and get the food.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Edward said. “But not tonight. We can’t take the time. We’ll just order in some pizza.”

“I promise you wouldn’t have to take much time,” Kim said.

“I said no!” Edward hissed between clenched teeth, causing Kim to take a step back. But Edward immediately regained his composure and smiled again. “Pizza will do just fine.”

“If that’s how you feel,” Kim said with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. It had been as if Edward had momentarily teetered on the edge of control for a few seconds. “Are you all right?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yes!” he snapped, but then quickly smiled again. “We’re all a little preoccupied. We had a minor setback but it’s under control.”

Kim took several more steps backward. “Well, if you change your mind in the next hour or so I can still go into town,” she said. “I’ll be at the cottage. Just call.”

“We’re really much too busy,” Edward said. “You go ahead and eat, but thanks for offering. I’ll let everyone know you were thinking of them.”

As Kim departed, none of the researchers acknowledged her or even looked up from their work. When she got outside she sighed and shook her head. She was amazed at how changeable the atmosphere in the lab was and wondered how the people could live with themselves. Kim was coming to the conclusion that she had little in common with the scientific personality.

After dinner there was still plenty of light to go back to the castle, but Kim couldn’t get herself to return. Instead she vegetated in front of the TV. She’d hoped that watching several mindless sitcoms would get the experience in the lab out of her mind, but the more she thought about her interaction with Edward and the others, the more disturbed she became.

Kim tried to read, but she couldn’t concentrate. Instead she found herself wishing she’d been able to follow up that afternoon on the lead involving the Law School. Feeling progressively more nervous as the evening dragged on, Kim began to think about Kinnard. She wondered who he was with and what he was doing. She also wondered if he ever thought about her.

Kim awakened with a start despite having again taken a Xanax to slow her churning mind. It was pitch black in her bedroom, and a glance at her clock told her she’d been asleep only for a short time. Settling back into her pillow, she listened to the night sounds of the house, trying to decide what could have awakened her so abruptly.

Then she heard several dull thumps coming from the back of the house that sounded like her new rubberized trash cans hitting up against the clapboard. Kim stiffened as she thought of a black bear or a rabid raccoon trying to get at her garbage, which she knew contained chicken skin and bones.

After switching on her bedside light, Kim got out of bed. She put on her robe and slipped her feet into her slippers. She gave Sheba a reassuring pat. Kim was thankful she’d been keeping the animal inside.

Hearing the thumping yet again, Kim hurried through the short hall into Edward’s room. Switching on the light, she discovered that Edward’s bed was empty. Thinking he must still be in the lab, and concerned about his walking back in the dark, Kim went back into her bedroom and dialed the lab number. After ten rings she gave up.

Kim took out the flashlight she kept in her bedside table and started down the stairs. Her intention was to shine the light out the kitchen window where the trash cans were stored, hoping to scare away whatever animal was out there.

As Kim rounded the turn in the stairs, giving her a view of the foyer, she froze. She saw something that made her blood run cold. The front door was wide open.

At first Kim could not move. She was paralyzed with the terrorizing thought that the creature, whatever it was, had come into her house and was that moment stalking her through the darkness.

Kim listened intently, but all she could hear was the chorus of the last tree frogs of the season. A cool wet breeze wafted in through the open doorway and swirled around Kim’s bare legs. Outside, a light rain was falling.

The house was deathly silent, giving her the hope that the animal had not come in. Kim descended the steps one at a time. After each step she hesitated and strained to hear some telltale sound of an animal intruder. But the house remained quiet.

Kim reached the open door and grasped the knob. Looking back and forth from the darkened dining room to the parlor, she began to close the door. She was fearful of moving too quickly lest she provoke an attack. She had the door almost closed when she glanced outside. She gasped.

Sheba was sitting about twenty feet away from the front of the house in the middle of the flagstone walkway. She was blissfully ignoring the drizzle while calmly licking her paw and rubbing it over the top of her head.

At first Kim could not believe her eyes since she thought she’d just seen the cat on her bed. Obviously Sheba had sensed the front door was open while Kim was checking on Edward, and had come down to take advantage of the opportunity to get outside.

Kim took several deep breaths to try to rid herself of the heavy, drugged feeling that clouded her brain. Terrified about what was possibly lurking in the nearby shadows, she was reluctant to call out to the animal, who probably would have ignored her anyway.

Sensing she had little choice, Kim slipped through the door. After a quick scan of the immediate area, she dashed to the cat, snatched it from the ground, and turned, only to see the front door closing.

Screaming a silent “no,” Kim lunged for the door, but she was too late. It shut with a heavy thud followed by a sharp metallic click of the bolt engaging the striker plate.

Kim vainly tried the handle. It was locked as she’d expected. She pushed the door ineffectually with her shoulder, but it was of no use.

Hunching her shoulders against the cold rain, Kim slowly turned to face the blackness of the night. She shivered with fear and cold, marveling at her desperate circumstance. She was in her robe and pajamas, locked out of her house on a rainy night with a disgruntled cat in one hand and an ineffectual flashlight in the other, facing an unknown nocturnal creature lurking somewhere in the shrubbery.

Sheba struggled to be put down and audibly complained. Kim shushed her. Stepping away from the house, Kim scanned the front casement windows, but all were shut. She knew they were locked. Turning around, she gauged the distance to the lab, where the lights were finally off. Then she looked at the castle. The castle was farther away, but she knew the doors to the wings were unlocked. She didn’t know about the door to the lab.

Suddenly Kim heard the sound of a large creature moving in the gravel along the right side of the house. Knowing she could not stay where she was, she ran in the opposite direction, going around the left side of the house, away from the approaching bear or whatever animal had been at her new trash containers.

Desperately Kim tried the kitchen door. But it was locked, as she was sure it would be. Using her shoulder, she hit it several times, but it was no use. All she managed to do was make the cat howl.

Turning from the house, she spied the shed. Clutching the cat closer to her chest and holding the flashlight like a club, Kim ran as quickly as her backless mules would allow. When she got to the shed, she undid the hook that held the door closed, opened it, and squeezed into the shed’s inner blackness.

Kim pulled the door shut behind her. Just to the right of the door was a tiny, dirty window that afforded a meager view of the yard behind the cottage. The only illumination came from a pool of light spilling from her bedroom window and the luminous glow of the low swirling cloud cover.

As she watched, a hulking figure rounded the house from the same direction she had come. It was a person, not an animal, but he was acting in a most peculiar fashion. Kim watched him pause to smell the wind just as an animal might do. To her dismay he turned in her direction and appeared to be staring at the shed. In the darkness she could see no features, just his dark silhouette.

Dismay turned to horror as Kim watched the figure lurch toward her with a slow, dragging gait, still sniffing the air as if following a scent. Kim held her breath and prayed the cat would be still. When the figure was a mere ten feet away, Kim shrank back into the dark recess of the shed, pushing against tools and bicycles.

She could now hear his footfalls in the gravel. They came closer, then stopped. There was an agonizing pause. Kim held her breath.

Suddenly the door was rudely yanked open. Losing control, Kim screamed. Sheba answered with her own scream and leaped from Kim’s arms. The man screamed as well.

Kim grasped the flashlight in both hands and turned it on, flashing the beam directly into the man’s face. He shielded himself from the unexpected blast of light with his hands and forearms.

Kim’s mouth clamped shut in surprised relief. She recognized it was Edward!

“Thank God,” she said, lowering the flashlight.

Scrambling from her position wedged among bikes, lawnmower, and old trash containers, Kim burst from the shed and threw her arms around Edward. The beam of her flashlight played haphazardly in the trees.

For a moment Edward did not move. He looked down on her with a blank expression.

“I can’t tell you how glad I am to see your face,” Kim said, leaning back so she could look into his dark eye sockets. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

Edward did not respond.

“Edward?” Kim asked, moving her head to try to see him better. “Are you all right?”

Edward exhaled noisily. “I’m fine,” he said at last. He was angry. “No thanks to you. What in the hell are you doing out here in the shed in the middle of the night, dressed in your robe, scaring me half out of my wits?”

Kim apologized effusively, stumbling over her words as she realized how much she must have frightened him. She explained what had happened. By the time she was finished, she could see that Edward was smiling.

“It’s not funny,” she added. But now that she was safe, she smiled too.

“I can’t believe you’d risk life and limb for that lazy old cat,” he said. “Come on! Let’s get in out of this rain.”

Kim went back into the shed and with the aid of the flashlight located Sheba. The cat was hiding in the far corner behind a row of yard tools. Kim enticed her into the open and picked her up. Then she and Edward went into the house.

“I’m freezing,” she said. “I need something hot like herbal tea. Would you like some?”

“I’ll sit with you for a moment,” Edward said.

While Kim put the water on to boil, Edward explained his side of the story. “I had intended to work all night,” he said. “But by one-thirty I had to admit it was impossible: My body is so accustomed to going to sleep around one, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. It was all I could do to walk from the lab to the cottage without lying down in the grass. When I got to the house I opened the door and then remembered I was carrying a bag full of the remains of our pizza dinner which I was supposed to put in the Dumpster at the lab. So I went around back to put it into our trash. I guess I left the door open, which I shouldn’t have done if only because of mosquitoes. Anyway, I couldn’t get the goddamn covers off the trash containers, and the harder I tried the more frustrated I became. I even hit them a couple of times.”

“They’re new,” Kim explained.

“Well, I hope they came with directions,” Edward said.

“It’s easy in the light,” Kim said.

“I finally gave up,” Edward said. “When I came back around the house, the door was closed. I also thought I smelled your cologne. Since I’ve been taking Ultra, my sense of smell has improved remarkably. I followed the scent around the house and eventually to the shed.”

Kim poured herself a mug of the hot tea. “Are you sure you don’t want any?” she asked.

“I couldn’t,” Edward said. “Just sitting here is a strain. I’ve got to go to sleep. It’s as if my body weighs five tons, including my eyelids.” Edward slipped off the stool and staggered. Kim reached out and steadied him.

“I’m okay,” he said. “When I’m this tired it takes me a second to get my bearings.”

Kim listened to him struggle up the stairs while she put away the tea and the honey. Picking up her mug, she followed him. At the head of the stairs she looked into his room. He was on his bed asleep with his clothes half off.

Kim went into the room, and with a great deal of difficulty got his pants and shirt all the way off and put him under the covers. She turned out his light. She felt jealous how easily he could fall asleep. It was such a contrast with herself.