Chapter 10

Since I had to wait for Helmut to take me home, I sat down outside on a shady bench next to the brook. He would certainly spot me there whenever he was ready. I would have a little talk with Alfred in the meantime. He answered my call instantly.

"Alfred, a full download please. There is not much time and we must act immediately."

"Sure, Bert, prepare yourself, think English."

As before, the download was quick and painful, much worse than ever before. However, Alfred had the full picture and spotted the problem at once.

"You are worried about the doctor. What shall we do about him? Surely, that's not his name, is it?"

"No, Alfred, it's a deliberate insult plus a nasty play on words. Problem is, he won't let me near Karla again. He now wears one of your discs. Can you do something, together with Jake? In the line of what we did with the CareWell crowd? No deaths this time, of course. He just needs to be straightened out and brought back into the folds of humanity. This has to happen now, before he can start any serious ill-treatment of Karla."

Alfred laughed happily.

"Hey, Bert, this is good. Jake is pestering me all the time. He needs action and Sabreena begged me to find some harmless adventure for him. This will do nicely.

"Look, Helmut will still be a while in there. So let's have a council now, on the Island. I will move you."

Move me he did. Jake was already there, happy as can be. Grinning, he told me that it was high time for a spot of excitement, that his life was getting quite mundane lately. We filled him in on the whole affair, and he was ready to ask his questions.

"Bert, this guy Helmut, is he on the level normally? If violence remains his sole answer to his problems, we won't accomplish anything worthwhile by fixing that doctor and Karla."

"No, Jake, he is a decent man, I quite like him. He just could not handle the manipulative woman he happens to love. I already did some work on him and he regrets his actions. He should be fine.

"But I have a question for both of you. This Heavy Matter: is it just my imagination or does it get stronger, sharper all the time? You never mentioned anything, but I think you have to come clean now, don't you agree?"

Alfred and Jake looked at each other and broke out laughing at the same time.

"Alfred, you owe me now, heavily. – Bert, we had a bet going about how long it would take you to cotton on. Fact is, he cheated. He continues to refine his damned program – and pushes me to produce stronger, more concentrated Heavy Matter. We are getting closer to ESP with every improvement he makes. The degree varies with the user. I cannot read as much as Alfred. He claims I am too self-centred. You, however, must be at his level, at least, to have found out all that through the short discussions you had with the doctors. Helmut? That's something else. Apart from your empathy, there's sympathy as well, you are biased in his favour. Reading him becomes that much easier, I believe.

"We have talked enough for now. We must eat and drink. Look what Sabreena has contributed."

Sabreena had indeed done her usual best. A lovely leg of lamb, crusty and sizzling, with a stunning aroma. Easy on the greenery.

I know myself. I think best whilst I am stuffing myself with excellent food. Good plonk further eases the effort. Over Jake's after-dinner drinks I mentioned to them that it was high time they visited Germany, especially a certain doctor, with me.

"Let's go over together. Alfred should have some time with Karla, Jake and I to tackle the quack. Afterwards we can surprise Elise. How about it, my friends?"

They were underwhelmed at first. Worried about not being prepared, not being dressed properly, for Christ's sake. And that from Jake, who has always been the epitome of casual.

"That is the point exactly, Jake. You don't speak German, so you won't speak at all. Just wear a suit and tie. I shall introduce you as a controller from the Medical Board, USofA. Look threatening. A grey eminence. Walk around, touch things, show contempt. Make funny, meaningless noises, be a proper nuisance. Alfred will be the foreign expert. Also threatening but in a more subtle way. He will hint at dubious qualifications from questionable universities, simplistic perceptions coupled to outdated treatment methods and so on. We should be able to put the fear of God into that man. I still have four spare discs. What do you think of that?"

Jake, who thought the scheme entirely harebrained, was much in favour of it. Alfred, after some consideration, said he would go along but should dress up for the part. Provide some refined contrast to us bumpkins.

He left with Jake for a few minutes to reappear spiffed up in a medium-grey pin-striped double-breasted suit, immaculate white shirt, Harvard tie, gold cuff links with intricate greek letter symbols, cute gold-rimmed half-glasses. His Budapester brogues were polished to a high gloss. And Jake looked like a new fifty cents too. Splendid, they had taken out much time for this.

"Lexa sends her regards. She wonders whether she should want to know what we are up to. – You will refer to me as Mister. Specialists drop the 'doctor' in our world. Act deferential all the time. You, Bert, stay in your misfit role, it suits you."

Even though we could have, we didn't dawdle on the Island. I, the unwashed, neatened up myself as far as possible. They did not need my discs, they came prepared with their own. Alfred rechecked the clinic's coordinates and off we went.

Touch-down was in the same spot from where he had picked me up. Suddenly there were three elderly gentlemen enjoying the afternoon sun. Nobody seemed to notice and nobody seemed to have missed me for the last five minutes. The cameras would provide some conflicting evidence of course, should someone have cause to check.

We quickly made our way past the reception, aided by a time switch, and walked up to the doctor's offices.

"What is the meaning of this? I told you to get out. Stay out. – Who are these people?"

"Doctor Theben, I don't care what you may have told me. Meet mr. Alfred Richter, eminent neurologist and psychiatrist from the USA. I called on him for his expertise. You will consult with him before you are allowed to continue treating Karla. The gentleman next to him, dr. Jacob Harris, is a controller with the US Medical Board. He is here in his private capacity, but will monitor proceedings nonetheless. He is extremely well-connected and his influence is widespread. He doesn't speak German, he will just observe and take notes. If you object, Helmut will agree that we transfer Karla to a clinic of our choice. What is it going to be?"

His quandary was obvious. He dared not upset his highly-placed visitors but didn't want me around him at all. His dislike had turned to outright hatred. Shame.

He decided to ignore me.

"This is my clinic. – So, mr. Richter, if you would show me some credentials? You, too, dr. Harris."

Trust Alfred to come prepared. With a surpassingly arrogant gesture he handed over an immaculate visiting card as well as accrediting documents. All of that and a beautiful fake Letter of Appointment for Jake. He had me stunned there for a moment. I recognised Jake's handmade paper immediately, but wondered how they could have had the foresight and means to produce these. They were impressive enough to have the good doctor apologise profusely.