didn’t answer at
first. “I’m doing fine.” he lied, after what felt like a long
while.
“Good.”
The doctor answered, drawing closer, but not too close, to
him. His gaze never strayed from Geoffrey’s hands (both of which
were trembling by this time). “Now, I’m going to ask you a few
questions. It is very important, extremely important, that you answer
me completely and honestly. Do you understand?”
Geoffrey’s lips trembled
as he answered, “I do understand and I promise I’ll tell you
whatever you want to know.” Lieutenant Dan’s formidable presence
was a powerful motivation to speak the truth.
The doctor continued in
slow, measured words, as if he could afford to take no chance of
his terrified subject mishearing him. “Did you touch the meteorite
fragment?” he asked.
“No, no I did not.”
Geoffrey answered quickly.
“Did you touch that man,”
he pointed to Mr. Reynolds, “ at all , after he touched the
fragment?”
“I didn’t…I hit him with
the shovel, really hard I think, but only because I didn’t know
what else to do, but I didn’t touch him at all after that.”
Geoffrey answered.
The doctor exhaled slowly.
He seemed to speak with considerably less anxiety after this. He
carefully took Geoffrey’s still trembling hands in his own and
examined them, turning them over, moving them this way and that,
until he was satisfied. He then pulled up a chair and asked
Geoffrey to tell him everything that happened from the moment he
spotted the fragment to the moment that he and the astronomer were
carted off in the chopper.
The doctor leaned close
and looked intently into Geoffrey’s face. “You need to tell me
everything that happened. I warn you to not omit the smallest
detail. I need to know everything.”
Geoffrey obliged, telling
the doctor absolutely everything there was to know, even about the
plot the other astronomers had forged against him. No one in the
room seemed too concerned with the affairs or the hypocrisy of the
other scientists, but as Geoffrey recounted things pertaining to
the fragment and Mr. Reynolds’s subsequent reaction to it all eyes
were intent upon him.
At last, Geoffrey finished
his account. The doctor sat up in the chair and rubbed his lower
lip, absorbed in deep thought. Lieutenant Dan, looming behind him,
frowned as if considering something important. After a while, it
seemed like the both men had completely forgotten that Geoffrey was
in the room. He looked around. It was painfully obvious that he
wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Perhaps, he would never see the
light of the day in the free world again. If he was ever going to
get any answers, it was probably now or never.
“Excuse me,” he said, or,
more accurately, whispered, his voice was so low. He cleared his
throat and tried again, this time a little louder. “Excuse me.”
Lieutenant Dan was the first to break out of his daze.
“Yes, Mr. Summons? What is
it?” asked the lieutenant general.
“Well, actually,” began
Geoffrey, with more than a small measure of cautious reserve “I was
wondering…what’s going on? Obviously, that fragment is more
important than I know, but why?” he wanted to ask more, but as
everything thing else seemed to be tied to this one inquiry, he
waited to see what, if anything, would be answered. Amazingly, the
doctor was yet in his daze. Lieutenant Dan tapped his shoulder and
he started back to reality.
“What is it, Lieutenant?”
the doctor asked.
“Mr. Summons wants to know
what’s going on. What do you think?” Lieutenant Dan didn’t sound
like he was making a genuine inquiry as much as simply jesting. The
doctor, however, must’ve not known that, because the tone in which
he answered was, indeed, sincere.
“My vote is we tell him.”
He answered. Suddenly, Geoffrey wasn’t so sure that he wanted to
know anymore. That didn’t matter of course, because the doctor
continued, “First chance I get, I’m going to call my ex-wife
first. “I’m doing fine.” he lied, after what felt like a long
while.
“Good.”
The doctor answered, drawing closer, but not too close, to
him. His gaze never strayed from Geoffrey’s hands (both of which
were trembling by this time). “Now, I’m going to ask you a few
questions. It is very important, extremely important, that you answer
me completely and honestly. Do you understand?”
Geoffrey’s lips trembled
as he answered, “I do understand and I promise I’ll tell you
whatever you want to know.” Lieutenant Dan’s formidable presence
was a powerful motivation to speak the truth.
The doctor continued in
slow, measured words, as if he could afford to take no chance of
his terrified subject mishearing him. “Did you touch the meteorite
fragment?” he asked.
“No, no I did not.”
Geoffrey answered quickly.
“Did you touch that man,”
he pointed to Mr. Reynolds, “ at all , after he touched the
fragment?”
“I didn’t…I hit him with
the shovel, really hard I think, but only because I didn’t know
what else to do, but I didn’t touch him at all after that.”
Geoffrey answered.
The doctor exhaled slowly.
He seemed to speak with considerably less anxiety after this. He
carefully took Geoffrey’s still trembling hands in his own and
examined them, turning them over, moving them this way and that,
until he was satisfied. He then pulled up a chair and asked
Geoffrey to tell him everything that happened from the moment he
spotted the fragment to the moment that he and the astronomer were
carted off in the chopper.
The doctor leaned close
and looked intently into Geoffrey’s face. “You need to tell me
everything that happened. I warn you to not omit the smallest
detail. I need to know everything.”
Geoffrey obliged, telling
the doctor absolutely everything there was to know, even about the
plot the other astronomers had forged against him. No one in the
room seemed too concerned with the affairs or the hypocrisy of the
other scientists, but as Geoffrey recounted things pertaining to
the fragment and Mr. Reynolds’s subsequent reaction to it all eyes
were intent upon him.
At last, Geoffrey finished
his account. The doctor sat up in the chair and rubbed his lower
lip, absorbed in deep thought. Lieutenant Dan, looming behind him,
frowned as if considering something important. After a while, it
seemed like the both men had completely forgotten that Geoffrey was
in the room. He looked around. It was painfully obvious that he
wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Perhaps, he would never see the
light of the day in the free world again. If he was ever going to
get any answers, it was probably now or never.
“Excuse me,” he said, or,
more accurately, whispered, his voice was so low. He cleared his
throat and tried again, this time a little louder. “Excuse me.”
Lieutenant Dan was the first to break out of his daze.
“Yes, Mr. Summons? What is
it?” asked the lieutenant general.
“Well, actually,” began
Geoffrey, with more than a small measure of cautious reserve “I was
wondering…what’s going on? Obviously, that fragment is more
important than I know, but why?” he wanted to ask more, but as
everything thing else seemed to be tied to this one inquiry, he
waited to see what, if anything, would be answered. Amazingly, the
doctor was yet in his daze. Lieutenant Dan tapped his shoulder and
he started back to reality.
“What is it, Lieutenant?”
the doctor asked.
“Mr. Summons wants to know
what’s going on. What do you think?” Lieutenant Dan didn’t sound
like he was making a genuine inquiry as much as simply jesting. The
doctor, however, must’ve not known that, because the tone in which
he answered was, indeed, sincere.
“My vote is we tell him.”
He answered. Suddenly, Geoffrey wasn’t so sure that he wanted to
know anymore. That didn’t matter of course, because the doctor
continued, “First chance I get, I’m going to call my ex-wife
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