Part 18 (2/2)
”Oh, I like Midge.” Danielle sipped her sherry and considered the rows of spines. ”Did you say that man was wearing a medallion? Was it a swastika or that sort of thing?”
”No. It was something like a star in a circle. And he wore rings on every finger.”
”Wait! Kind of greasy black hair slicked back from a widow's peak to straight over his collar in back? Eyebrows curled up into points like they've been waxed?”
”That's it.”
”Ah, Mephisto!”
”Do you know him, then?”
”Not really. I've just seen him a time or two at the Equinox and a few other places. He reminds me of some ham actor playing Mephistopheles. Midge spoke to him once when we were by there, but I gather he's not part of her particular coven. Probably hadn't heard that the Equinox had closed. Never impressed me as a masher; very likely he actually did mistake you for someone.”
”Well, they do say that everyone has a double. I wonder if mine is walking somewhere about London, being mistaken for me?”
”And no doubt giving some unsuspecting cla.s.smate of yours a resounding slap on the face.”
”What if I met her suddenly?”
”Met your double-your Doppelganger? Remember William Wilson? Disaster, darling-disaster!”
*V*
There really wasn't much to it; no production at all. Lisette felt nervous, a bit silly and perhaps a touch cheated.
”I want you to relax,” Dr Magnus told her. ”All you have to do is just relax.”
That's what her gynecologist always said, too, Lisette thought with a sudden tenseness. She lay on her back on Dr Magnus's a.n.a.lyst's couch: her head on a comfortable cus.h.i.+on, legs stretched primly out on the leather upholstery (she'd deliberately worn jeans again), fingers clenched damply over her tummy. A white gown instead of jeans, and I'll be ready for my coffin, she mused uncomfortably.
”Fine. That's it. You're doing fine, Lisette. Very fine. Just relax. Yes, just relax, just like that. Fine, that's it. Relax.”
Dr Magnus's voice was a quiet monotone, monotonously repeating soothing encouragements. He spoke to her tirelessly, patiently, slowly dissolving her anxiety.
”You feel sleepy, Lisette. Relaxed and sleepy. Your breathing is slow and relaxed, slow and relaxed. Think about your breathing now, Lisette. Think how slow and sleepy and deep each breath comes. You're breathing deeper, and you're feeling sleepier. Relax and sleep, Lisette, breathe and sleep. Breathe and sleep...”
She was thinking about her breathing. She counted the breaths; the slow monotonous syllables of Dr Magnus's voice seemed to blend into her breathing like a quiet, tuneless lullaby. She was sleepy, for that matter, and it was very pleasant to relax here, listening to that dim, droning murmur while he talked on and on. How much longer until the end of the lecture...
”You are asleep now, Lisette. You are asleep, yet you can still hear my voice. Now you are falling deeper, deeper, deeper into a pleasant, relaxed sleep, Lisette. Deeper and deeper asleep. Can you still hear my voice?”
”Yes.”
”You are asleep, Lisette. In a deep, deep sleep. You will remain in this deep sleep until I shall count to three. As I count to three, you will slowly arise from your sleep until you are fully awake once again. Do you understand?”
”Yes.”
”But when you hear me say the word amber, you will again fall into a deep, deep sleep, Lisette, just as you are asleep now. Do you understand?”
”Yes.”
”Listen to me as I count, Lisette. One. Two. Three.”
Lisette opened her eyes. For a moment her expression was blank, then a sudden confusion. She looked at Dr Magnus seated beside her, then smiled ruefully. ”I was asleep, I'm afraid. Or was I...?”
”You did splendidly, Miss Seyrig.” Dr Magnus beamed rea.s.surance. ”You pa.s.sed into a simple hypnotic state, and as you can see now, there was no more cause for concern than in catching an afternoon nap.”
”But I'm sure I just dropped off.” Lisette glanced at her watch. Her appointment had been for three, and it was now almost four o'clock.
”Why not just settle back and rest some more, Miss Seyrig. That's it, relax again. All you need is to rest a bit, just a pleasant rest.” Her wrist fell back onto the cus.h.i.+ons, as her eyes fell shut. ”Amber.”
Dr Magnus studied her calm features for a moment. ”You are asleep now, Lisette. Can you hear me?”
”Yes.”
”I want you to relax, Lisette. I want you to fall deeper, deeper, deeper into sleep. Deep, deep sleep. Far, far, far into sleep.”
He listened to her breathing, then suggested: ”You are thinking of your childhood now, Lisette. You are a little girl, not even in school yet. Something is making you very happy. You remember how happy you are. Why are you so happy?”
Lisette made a childish giggle. ”It's my birthday party, and Ollie the Clown came to play with us.”
”And how old are you today?”
”I'm five.” Her right hand twitched, extended fingers and thumb. ”Go deeper now, Lisette. I want you to reach farther back. Far, far back into your memories. Go back to a time before you were a child in San Francisco. Far, farther back, Lisette. I want you to go back to the time of your dreams.”
He studied her face. She remained in a deep hypnotic trance, but her expression registered sudden anxiousness. It was as if she lay in normal sleep-reacting to some intense nightmare. She moaned.
”Deeper, Lisette. Don't be afraid to remember. Let your mind flow back to another time.”
Her features still showed distress, but she seemed less agitated as his voice urged her deeper.
”Where are you?”
”I'm... I'm not certain.” Her voice came in a well-bred English accent. ”It's quite dark. Only a few candles are burning. I'm frightened.”
”Go back to a happy moment,” Dr Magnus urged her, as her tone grew sharp with fear. ”You are happy now. Something very pleasant and wonderful is happening to you.”
Anxiety drained from her features. Her cheeks flushed; she smiled pleasurably.
”Where are you now?”
”I'm dancing. It's a grand ball to celebrate Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, and I've never seen such a throng. I'm certain Charles means to propose to me tonight, but he's ever so shy, and now he's simply fuming that Captain Stapledon has the next two dances. He's so das.h.i.+ng in his uniform. Everyone is watching us together.”
”What is your name?”
”Elisabeth Beresford.”
”Where do you live, Miss Beresford?”
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