Chapter 10: The Advice of Aristides Poloi

My frustration with my own failure to make progress was a source of concern to me. While administering her early morning beating, I found myself questioning whether the vigour with which I was laying on the tawse was for the purpose of improving Miss Voutrakis or whether it was intended to alleviate my own irritation. Such an invasion of my professional detachment, could not, of course be tolerated. I ended the session abruptly and returned a protesting Helena to her cage.

One benefit of working in the field that I do is that I am able to call on others that explore the outer fringes of the human psyche. One such is a colleague that I studied alongside at the Fritz Freleng College. Doctor Aristides Poloi was happy to make time for me when I revealed my problem.

I arrived at Poloi's surgery. He seemed happy to interrupt a treatment session but I was concerned. "Surely the young lady you are treating requires your attention first?" I said, seeing that his patient was evidently in some distress. Aristides uses shocks delivered by an electrostatic generator to help treat psycho-sexual disorders. His patient sat strapped to a solid wooden chair which was in turn bolted to the floor of Aristides's surgery. Electrodes were taped to the poor girl's head. She stared wide-eyed and seemingly panic-stricken at the mechanism to which she had been connected. A thick rubber-sheathed bar stretched across her mouth holding her head fixed against the high back of the chair and preventing her from making any meaningful communication.

"Gahk!" she squawked as Aristides turned to me.

"Do not concern yourself," Poloi said. "She will calm once the treatment begins." He twisted a number of brass keys at the base of the electrostatic generator. As he released a catch, the clockwork mechanism that drove the generator sprang to life and the amber and brass wheel that was the source of its power began to spin. The clockwork not only powered the generating wheel but also turned a series of cams which opened and closed a series of contacts which allowed the electrical impulses to be directed to the machine's electrodes. As each cam lifted, Poloi's patient twitched in response and, as he had predicted, took on a calm acceptance of her fate in strong contrast to her earlier struggles. "See," Poloi waved. "She will be content for an hour or more. We can converse."

Aristides ushered me in to an alcove where two large, well-stuffed, arm chairs awaited us and we could enjoy a measure of privacy while Aristides was still able to oversee his patient. "Tell me," he said, "about your project."

"It is rather difficult," I began. "It is rather more sensitive than my others." I could imagine that Julian Castwich would hardly be pleased at my sharing the identity of my troublesome student.

"Of course," Aristides responded. "I understand. You forget I have worked with members of our Royal Family too." He smiled at my shocked response. "Do not worry, old friend, there has been no breach of security. I was told this by one of my own charges. There are high expectations of success from your endeavours at the highest levels."