battered wood.
“I have waited so long to show you this, Maura.” He pushed the door open.
Sound blasted her. She covered one ear with her left hand, tried to tuck the other into her shoulder as he pulled her inside. Machines crowded the small room, lined up around a rectangular glass booth. They threw their multicolored lights across the glass, in blinding counterpoint to the racket. Thick soundproofing wrapped every inch of the room.
“Isn’t it magnificent?” Her head snapped around at the fervor edging his light voice. Dr. Lang set his cane against the booth, caressed its bubbled surface like the face of a lover. “I never thought I’d be able to test it. Volunteers don’t walk in off the street for unproven relativity experiments!”
Her heart lurched—and the easy grip on her wrist became a shackle when she tried to free herself. “Let me go—”
“I was afraid your reaction might be less than enthusiastic.” He sighed, sounding disappointed. “I wanted to give you a wonderful experience—the chance of a lifetime. I didn’t want this to be necessary.” He reached into his jacket and produced a syringe, liquid glistening on the end of the thick needle. Maura jerked out of his grip, no longer caring if she hurt him.
Faster than she thought possible he caught her hand and yanked her forward. “You can’t deny me now, Maura. From the moment you walked into my lab I knew you were the one. This is preordained.”
“Like hell it is.” She twisted away from him, gasping as the needle gouged the top of her right hand. When he came after her she swung her overstuffed bag off her shoulder and slammed it into his chest. The heavy bag knocked him backward. She stumbled from the impact, falling against the doorframe.
“ NO! You can’t leave me, Maura—you’re mine!”
The rage piercing his voice shoved her off the doorframe and into the chaos of the lab. She used her bag to clear a path, heading for the noise, the freedom of the corridor.
The whoosh of displaced air warned her almost too late.
She spun. The cane struck her right shoulder instead of her skull, threw her into the nearest table. She let out a cry as pain ripped through her.
Dr. Lang braced himself against the table behind him and raised the cane again.
Maura jerked sideways. Mahogany splintered against the table edge where she had just been, wood vibrating under her hand. Move—
She obeyed, her shoulder throbbing as she darted around the last table.
The ugly sculpture appeared in front of her. Skidding on the linoleum, she tried to stop. The thing seemed to leap at her and they collided, her right leg slamming into the raw edges. She lost her balance and the sculpture took her down.
“Look what you’ve done.” Dr. Lang knelt beside her, pulled her left leg out of the crumpled sphere, bruised and smarting. “You shouldn’t have run from me, Maura. To be my chronicler, to see what our future holds, and go where I can only dream—it is the greatest honor I can give you.”
Clutching her right leg, he began an excruciating tug of war to free her. The sculpture refused to give her up. Jagged bronze tightened its grip with every jerk, sawing through her silk skirt and into bared skin. Maura caught the sleeve of his jacket, desperate to stop the agony grinding her leg.
“Dr. Lang—”
“Keep still, and keep quiet. I’ve almost got you free.” He leaned in, his breath hot on her cheek. “If anyone comes through that door because of you, I will be forced to harm them.”
Swallowing, she nodded, let him go, pressed her hands against the floor. She bit her lip—and arched off the floor when a final, vicious yank pulled her clear.
When she could see again, she found him hovering over her, an open first aid kit beside him. In too much pain to stop him, she endured his invasive touch, sucked in her breath as he peeled the skirt off her leg. He dug a small bottle out of the kit and poured its contents on a gauze pad.
“This
“I have waited so long to show you this, Maura.” He pushed the door open.
Sound blasted her. She covered one ear with her left hand, tried to tuck the other into her shoulder as he pulled her inside. Machines crowded the small room, lined up around a rectangular glass booth. They threw their multicolored lights across the glass, in blinding counterpoint to the racket. Thick soundproofing wrapped every inch of the room.
“Isn’t it magnificent?” Her head snapped around at the fervor edging his light voice. Dr. Lang set his cane against the booth, caressed its bubbled surface like the face of a lover. “I never thought I’d be able to test it. Volunteers don’t walk in off the street for unproven relativity experiments!”
Her heart lurched—and the easy grip on her wrist became a shackle when she tried to free herself. “Let me go—”
“I was afraid your reaction might be less than enthusiastic.” He sighed, sounding disappointed. “I wanted to give you a wonderful experience—the chance of a lifetime. I didn’t want this to be necessary.” He reached into his jacket and produced a syringe, liquid glistening on the end of the thick needle. Maura jerked out of his grip, no longer caring if she hurt him.
Faster than she thought possible he caught her hand and yanked her forward. “You can’t deny me now, Maura. From the moment you walked into my lab I knew you were the one. This is preordained.”
“Like hell it is.” She twisted away from him, gasping as the needle gouged the top of her right hand. When he came after her she swung her overstuffed bag off her shoulder and slammed it into his chest. The heavy bag knocked him backward. She stumbled from the impact, falling against the doorframe.
“ NO! You can’t leave me, Maura—you’re mine!”
The rage piercing his voice shoved her off the doorframe and into the chaos of the lab. She used her bag to clear a path, heading for the noise, the freedom of the corridor.
The whoosh of displaced air warned her almost too late.
She spun. The cane struck her right shoulder instead of her skull, threw her into the nearest table. She let out a cry as pain ripped through her.
Dr. Lang braced himself against the table behind him and raised the cane again.
Maura jerked sideways. Mahogany splintered against the table edge where she had just been, wood vibrating under her hand. Move—
She obeyed, her shoulder throbbing as she darted around the last table.
The ugly sculpture appeared in front of her. Skidding on the linoleum, she tried to stop. The thing seemed to leap at her and they collided, her right leg slamming into the raw edges. She lost her balance and the sculpture took her down.
“Look what you’ve done.” Dr. Lang knelt beside her, pulled her left leg out of the crumpled sphere, bruised and smarting. “You shouldn’t have run from me, Maura. To be my chronicler, to see what our future holds, and go where I can only dream—it is the greatest honor I can give you.”
Clutching her right leg, he began an excruciating tug of war to free her. The sculpture refused to give her up. Jagged bronze tightened its grip with every jerk, sawing through her silk skirt and into bared skin. Maura caught the sleeve of his jacket, desperate to stop the agony grinding her leg.
“Dr. Lang—”
“Keep still, and keep quiet. I’ve almost got you free.” He leaned in, his breath hot on her cheek. “If anyone comes through that door because of you, I will be forced to harm them.”
Swallowing, she nodded, let him go, pressed her hands against the floor. She bit her lip—and arched off the floor when a final, vicious yank pulled her clear.
When she could see again, she found him hovering over her, an open first aid kit beside him. In too much pain to stop him, she endured his invasive touch, sucked in her breath as he peeled the skirt off her leg. He dug a small bottle out of the kit and poured its contents on a gauze pad.
“This
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