Chimera - Part 2 by Vivien Teasdale

 

Alicia, when she returned from her holiday, was naturally upset at the loss of her pet, but soon settled back into her work routine and shortly afterwards the pair found they were expecting their first child.  Gideon was ecstatic.  He took the greatest care of his wife throughout the pregnancy and willingly agreed to his father-in-law’s suggestion that the girl should return once again to their country estate, where the baby would be born.  Gideon and William visited as often as they could.’ Holmes glanced across at his friend, who was listening intently to the tale. ‘As a doctor, you might not have agreed with keeping the girl in the middle of the jungle, but it seems she thrived. And her father had studied medicine for a while, so it was felt that he could cope. However, it was during one of William’s visits that the tragedy happened.’ 

Holmes stopped, staring for a while into the flames of the fire, but after a few minutes he shrugged, leaned forward and continued. ‘I will finish what I’ve started, Watson, but you may not wish to write all this down.’  He sat back in his chair, and pressed his fingers together against his lips whilst he considered his next words.

‘The baby was born prematurely. All the servants had been given the evening off to attend a wedding in a nearby village and only William was there to help. He did his best but was unable to save its life. Afterwards, he told Gideon that it had been deformed which was why he thought it best to have it buried immediately in the family plot on the estate, before Alicia could ask to see it. Distraught, Gideon returned to his work and Alicia stayed at the country house, unable to drag herself away from the little grave. Gradually they drifted apart, Gideon only going up into the hills perhaps once a month or so, Alicia never leaving to visit him or working in the laboratory again.

The visits grew less until they almost ceased. About five years later, when Gideon hadn’t seen his wife for almost a year, he suddenly decided to go up into the hills. Arriving unexpectedly, he walked, unannounced, into the house, to where he could hear voices in the parlour. Gideon recognised his wife’s rather high-pitched voice and also his father-in-law’s deeper tones. There was another voice, too, giggling and squealing in the way young children do. Gideon pushed open the parlour door, stepped inside and was transfixed in horror.’

‘But, Holmes, are you saying it was his own child? Was she so deformed, then?’

‘Listen. A five-year-old girl stood there, staring back at him with eyes that matched his own bright blue. The child’s hair was the same dark, shining colour that had first attracted him to Alicia. Though small, with delicate limbs, she was obviously healthy. There was a mischievous laughter in her eyes. Everything admirable about a child, you might say. But, Watson, around her nose and mouth grew long whiskers that were twitching as she sniffed inquisitively at the newcomer.  She stretched out a hand, its long, narrow fingers and sharp little nails beckoning to Gideon.’

Watson’s eyes grew round, horror forming in their centre. ‘Holmes, are you saying ..?’

            ‘Yes. It was, so Gideon said, his father-in-law who moved first. “Come in, Gideon,” he said, “I see we need to talk.”. Gideon couldn’t move. He stayed by the door, staring at his daughter. “What have you done?” he asked.

William’s excuse was that his wife had died of Dengue fever, just as Gideon’s mother had. “We have been trying to find a cure.  We didn’t realise it might have this effect.” was his explanation, pleading with his son-in-law for understanding.

But Gideon didn’t see it that way. “You were playing God. We were playing God.  What have we done!” he cried. Then his wife jumped to her feet and pushed past her father. “Stop it!’ she shouted. “It was my decision, my right…”.

Gideon thrust her away and she fell, clutching her stomach in pain.  A dark shape sprang forwards from behind the couch, biting at Gideon’s arm and scrabbling to reach his throat, before Gideon managed wrench it from his shoulder and flung it across the room where it tumbled onto an armchair, falling over against the oil lamp, which crashed to the floor.  Flames spread across the rug and flickered up the side of the chair.

Gideon turned, ran out of the house, leapt to his horse and galloped away.  Behind him the flames spread throughout the wooden building and black smoke thickened the air.’

‘But, Holmes, why has none of this been reported?’

‘Gideon returned to the coast.  It was night by the time he got back.  He went aboard the Matilda Brigg and destroyed all the work. Every paper, every animal. Then he set fire to the ship. It sank within minutes. He was lucky to escape himself. The fire at the country house destroyed everything there. Only the bodies of his father-in-law and his little girl were ever found. William had obviously carried the girl out into the garden then gone back for his daughter. He was found in the doorway, with the body of a giant rat at his throat.  But there was no trace of anyone else.’

‘And what happened to Gideon?’

‘He inherited all his wife’s wealth, which he used to set up a hospital near Medan. As far as I know he is still there.’

‘So that’s the end of the story, Holmes.’

‘I think you have missed the point, Watson.  Two bodies were recovered from the country house.  What happened to Alicia?’

‘But surely, the fire obliterated her body.  If she had survived, wouldn’t have she come forward, claimed her inheritance?’

‘It is her inheritance that Gideon believed kept her away. Away somewhere that he cannot find her.  Her inheritance from her father.’

‘Which is?’

Her father’s work. You see, the reason Gideon rejected her so forcefully was not just his shock at understanding what his daughter had been. It was not just that Kim, the giant rat was there, protecting his beloved mistress. It was the fact that Alicia was pregnant again. And Gideon knew he had played no part in that.