Read Online The Merlin Effect by T. A. Barron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: T. A. Barron
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whales were still friendly. Not frightened. The crew of the
Resurreccíon
was even saved, according to legend, by whales who were swimming nearby.”
“You’re kidding.”
“That’s the legend. There’s the old ballad that I translated for your father. It talks about that, and a few other things just as strange.”
Kate moved closer. “Isabella, would you sing it for me? The whole thing?”
She glanced at the timer on the incubator. “I suppose so. We still have a few minutes left, eh?” She waved away some rebellious hairs. “It goes on forever, but lucky for you, I can’t remember it all.”
An ancient ship, the pride of Spain
, she began, her lilting voice describing the ship’s fateful journey. Only occasionally did she pause, muttering a few Spanish phrases to herself before continuing. All the while Kate listened, engrossed.
As the tale concluded, Isabella intoned:
And so today the ship’s at rest,
Removed from ocean gales,
Surrounded by a circle strange
Of ever-singing whales.
A prophesy clings to the ship
Like barnacles to wood.
Its origins remain unknown,
Its words not understood:
One day the sun will fail to rise,
The dead will die,
And then
For Merlin’s Horn to find its home,
The ship must sail again.
“Magnifico!”
Kate clapped heartily.
“Magnifico!”
Isabella bowed in return.
“Can you do that last part again? The part with the prophesy.”
She obliged.
One day the sun will fail to rise,
The dead will die,
And then
For Merlin’s Horn to find its home,
The ship must sail again.
“Thanks,” said Kate. “Leaves you wondering, doesn’t it?”
“A good ballad can do that.” Isabella turned to the incubator. “Time to check on our little Christmas present.”
“It couldn’t look any worse than that fish itself.”
On went the sterilized masks and rubber gloves. Carefully removing the petri dish from the incubator, Isabella took a small sample and heated it in a water solution. She then carefullymixed it with a substance labeled
radioactive precursor.
Allowing the mixture to cool, she started draining it through a glass column, injecting new chemicals from time to time.
Seeing Kate’s puzzled expression, Isabella explained, “Controlling the ion concentration.”
“That helps a lot.”
At last, she connected a small meter attached to a photoelectric cell to the glass column. Instantly, the arm of the meter began to quiver, pulsing with a subtle rhythm.
“What does that mean?” asked Kate through her mask.
Isabella did not answer. Seemingly oblivious to everything else, she drew a diagram of a spiraling strand of DNA in her journal, making several notations beside it. Then, meticulously, she cleaned and sterilized her equipment. After that she repeated the entire procedure.
When the meter began bouncing again, recording its invisible quarry, Isabella inspected it closely. Shaking her head, she declared, “This can’t be right.”
As Kate looked on, the woman cleaned every piece of equipment once more. Methodically, she retraced her steps. For the third time, she connected the meter.
It bounced again.
Isabella grabbed her journal and moved to the computer. There she started entering data until the screen filled with letters, numbers, and symbols Kate could not recognize. Her concentration unshakable, Isabella manipulated the information for some time.
At length, she turned an expressionless face toward Kate. Her voice as calm as the lagoon at dawn, she said simply, “That fish is even more amazing than I thought.”
VIII
O NE O UT OF T HREE B ILLION
C an’t this wait, Isabella?” Jim rubbed his unshaven cheek. “We’re almost ready to try another picture. With any luck at all—”
“Luck has nothing to do with it,” interrupted Terry, standing in a wilderness of cables sprouting from the back of his computer terminal. He glanced toward the tent flap and pushed his thick glasses higher on his nose. “But we’ll never finish if people
Resurreccíon
was even saved, according to legend, by whales who were swimming nearby.”
“You’re kidding.”
“That’s the legend. There’s the old ballad that I translated for your father. It talks about that, and a few other things just as strange.”
Kate moved closer. “Isabella, would you sing it for me? The whole thing?”
She glanced at the timer on the incubator. “I suppose so. We still have a few minutes left, eh?” She waved away some rebellious hairs. “It goes on forever, but lucky for you, I can’t remember it all.”
An ancient ship, the pride of Spain
, she began, her lilting voice describing the ship’s fateful journey. Only occasionally did she pause, muttering a few Spanish phrases to herself before continuing. All the while Kate listened, engrossed.
As the tale concluded, Isabella intoned:
And so today the ship’s at rest,
Removed from ocean gales,
Surrounded by a circle strange
Of ever-singing whales.
A prophesy clings to the ship
Like barnacles to wood.
Its origins remain unknown,
Its words not understood:
One day the sun will fail to rise,
The dead will die,
And then
For Merlin’s Horn to find its home,
The ship must sail again.
“Magnifico!”
Kate clapped heartily.
“Magnifico!”
Isabella bowed in return.
“Can you do that last part again? The part with the prophesy.”
She obliged.
One day the sun will fail to rise,
The dead will die,
And then
For Merlin’s Horn to find its home,
The ship must sail again.
“Thanks,” said Kate. “Leaves you wondering, doesn’t it?”
“A good ballad can do that.” Isabella turned to the incubator. “Time to check on our little Christmas present.”
“It couldn’t look any worse than that fish itself.”
On went the sterilized masks and rubber gloves. Carefully removing the petri dish from the incubator, Isabella took a small sample and heated it in a water solution. She then carefullymixed it with a substance labeled
radioactive precursor.
Allowing the mixture to cool, she started draining it through a glass column, injecting new chemicals from time to time.
Seeing Kate’s puzzled expression, Isabella explained, “Controlling the ion concentration.”
“That helps a lot.”
At last, she connected a small meter attached to a photoelectric cell to the glass column. Instantly, the arm of the meter began to quiver, pulsing with a subtle rhythm.
“What does that mean?” asked Kate through her mask.
Isabella did not answer. Seemingly oblivious to everything else, she drew a diagram of a spiraling strand of DNA in her journal, making several notations beside it. Then, meticulously, she cleaned and sterilized her equipment. After that she repeated the entire procedure.
When the meter began bouncing again, recording its invisible quarry, Isabella inspected it closely. Shaking her head, she declared, “This can’t be right.”
As Kate looked on, the woman cleaned every piece of equipment once more. Methodically, she retraced her steps. For the third time, she connected the meter.
It bounced again.
Isabella grabbed her journal and moved to the computer. There she started entering data until the screen filled with letters, numbers, and symbols Kate could not recognize. Her concentration unshakable, Isabella manipulated the information for some time.
At length, she turned an expressionless face toward Kate. Her voice as calm as the lagoon at dawn, she said simply, “That fish is even more amazing than I thought.”
VIII
O NE O UT OF T HREE B ILLION
C an’t this wait, Isabella?” Jim rubbed his unshaven cheek. “We’re almost ready to try another picture. With any luck at all—”
“Luck has nothing to do with it,” interrupted Terry, standing in a wilderness of cables sprouting from the back of his computer terminal. He glanced toward the tent flap and pushed his thick glasses higher on his nose. “But we’ll never finish if people
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