Part 5 (1/2)
”But if I give you a command now when you are asleep, you will obey it when I allow you to awaken?”
”What you command when I am asleep, I will do when you let me be awake!”
”You followed me to-day?”
”I followed you.”
”You will forget that?”
No answer came from the sleeper. The crucial test had come. The contest of wills. The Doctor, however, was determined to succeed.
Success meant a great deal to him, for he must either kill this man, or else control him. He did not consider the first expedient. Murder was not even in his thought. He stepped up to Barnes and took his two hands.
”You will forget that you followed me?”
Still no reply. The Doctor gently closed the open eyes of the sleeper, and rubbed them with a rotary movement of the thumb. Again he ventured:
”You will forget that you followed me?
You--will--forget--that--you--followed--Dr. Medjora?” A pause, a quiver of the released eyelids, which opened slowly, allowing the eyes to gaze at the Doctor; then the lids closed again, a s.h.i.+ver pa.s.sed over the sleeper's body, and the voice spoke:
”I will obey! I will forget!”
”You will forget that you followed me?”
”I will forget!”
”Repeat what I say. You will forget that you followed me?”
”I will forget that I followed you!”
”You will forget that you saw me and heard me speaking to a woman?”
”I will forget that you were speaking to a woman!”
”You will forget that there was a fire?”
”I will forget the fire!”
”You will forget the secret staircase?”
”I will forget the staircase!”
”The secret staircase!” The Doctor was determined to take no risk.
”I will forget the secret staircase!” said the sleeper.
”You will forget this room?”
”I will forget this room!”
”Finally, you will forget that you have been asleep?”