Unobtainium 1: Kate on a Hot Tin Roof

by Niall Teasdale

  ‘I realise that you feel responsible for every foul act perpetrated using the metal, but–’

  ‘Kate has been subjected to such ungodly things that listing them in front of Georgina would be ungentlemanly, Father. It is our duty to help her. Without our company, and the produce thereof, she would not be in the state she is in, and I will not hear of turning her away when she needs our help. If your duty does not sway you, the girl is a scientific miracle and I may learn much which can further increase the yearly profits during my attempts to cure her.’

  One could almost hear the sound of cash registers ringing up sales in Alexander’s head. When Hunter Hall had died, the Unobtainium Company had stagnated until Charles had taken over research and development. Charles was the future of the company and Alexander knew it.

  It was, however, Georgina who spoke, because she had a love of wealth which left Alexander’s in the shade. ‘I am sure that she will be a welcome addition to our little family,’ she said with a beaming smile.

  The Animal Within

  Rhidorroch, 31st May 1920.

  ‘This,’ Charles said, holding up a small, hexagonal bottle with a waxed cork stopper and a colourless liquid inside, ‘is what I’ve been working on.’

  ‘And he’s very proud of it,’ Antonia added.

  Kate peered at the bottle and the label which decorated one face. ‘Katheros?’ she read.

  ‘It’s something of a bastardisation of the Greek,’ Charles said, ‘for “clean.” This chemical, injected into the blood, neutralises radioactive particles and allows them to be flushed naturally from the body. If my chemistry is correct, it should work on a number of heavy metals.’

  ‘The Unobtainium in me?’ Kate asked, sounding as though she was trying not to be hopeful. She, rightly, assumed that if that were likely, Charles would have already tried it.

  ‘You are not afflicted in the same manner as those Katheros was designed to treat. The metal, a few atoms of it anyway, is somehow bonded within your cells, within the very nucleus of your cells. Miraculous though Katheros is, it cannot work a sufficient miracle to cure you. In a way, that is unsurprising since it was derived from your blood with its remarkable ability to shed accumulated radiation.’

  Kate smiled. ‘So you may not be able to cure me yet, but your research into my nature has allowed you to cure others. I am… extremely pleased.’ Kate’s language skills and vocabulary had increased markedly in the thirteen months she had been at Rhidorroch. Her voice still carried the same husky, sensuous quality it had had when Charles had found her, which would likely forever preclude her from some circles of society, but she spoke with the confidence of an educated young woman now even if she was, technically, only six.

  She looked far older, perhaps eighteen. As predicted, she had grown another few inches, but that seemed to have finally stopped at almost precisely six feet in height. It still put her head and shoulders over most women and taller than many men. Her chest and hips had filled out as well, but her waist had remained narrow. She had allowed her hair to grow out; it was now past shoulder length and she habitually wore it pulled back into a ponytail, the fringe arranged artfully around her face. Kate had grown into a beautiful woman, and Charles had no end of worries over the virtue of his ward.

  She was, in fact, now his ward. Guardianship had been granted to him in May of the previous year, the day after Alfred Cooper had been sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. There had been a move to have him hanged, but there was insufficient evidence that he had played a sufficient part in the demise of Helen Brighton, and Charles himself had urged leniency hoping that Cooper might be persuaded to finally tell all about his experiments on Kate. On Katherine, according to the law; Kate had been registered with Somerset House under the name Katherine Felix, a reference to her cat-like eyes, which she found amusing.

  ‘I hoped you would be,’ Charles went on, smiling, ‘but there is one other thing which may make it more pleasing. When we create something new like this we register it using something called a “patent.”’

  ‘I know what a patent is, Sharles. Sir Barstow-Hall mentions them frequently. Often at dinner.’ She still called him ‘Sharles.’ He was absolutely sure that she could say his name correctly now, but she retained the affectation. Once when she had been apologising for pronouncing his name incorrectly he had told her that he rather liked the way she said it, and he was sure that that was her reason for continuing to do so.

  Charles decided not to comment upon his father’s habit of discussing business at the dinner table. ‘Well, good. I don’t have to explain what your name being on the patent beside mine means then.’

  Kate frowned. ‘Sir Barstow-Hall’s comments led me to believe that the patent was necessary for earnings to be made for an invention.’

  ‘Indeed. This will give you a small income for every bottle of Katheros sold. It will be modest, but it will be your own. I intend to do the same for any other invention I derive from studying you. I believe the most promising of those could very well provide you with a quite worthy income, if I can bring it to market.’

  Kate’s face lit up. Her smile still made Charles’s heart skip a beat or two. ‘Thank you, Sharles. This is most generous. Would my guardian accept a kiss on the cheek as, inadequate, recompense for this great kindness?’

  ‘I believe propriety would allow such a gesture, Charles,’ Antonia said, her smile just a little mischievous.

  ‘I… will accept your gracious offer, Miss Felix,’ Charles said, knowing his cheeks were colouring. He got to his feet as Kate did, but she still had to bend a little to place a chaste kiss on his left cheek.

  ‘Thank you, Sharles,’ she said, her voice low and quite serious. ‘You did not have to do this and I am too grateful for words for your generosity.’

  ‘You know Charles dotes on you, child,’ Antonia said, ‘and it was your blood which provided the source for this concoction, which, I believe, gives hope to unfortunate people who could look forward only to a lingering death. That you receive some recompense for your part in its creation, and their salvation, is only proper.’

  Kate bowed her head to Antonia, and then the smile was gone, replaced by concern. ‘There is… still no news?’

  ‘None, I am afraid. The authorities have given up hope. I, myself, cannot quite do so, but I must practically admit that David is gone even though I entertain a lingering belief that he may walk through the door at any moment.’

  David Wooster had been missing for almost nine months. He had taken a ship to Bermuda on business which required speed and had insisted that his wife not expose herself to the harsh conditions on the ship he had found able to get him across the Atlantic. When a distress call heard by other shipping had gone out, a search had been started. Charles had hired an airship to take Antonia out to overlook the area and they had tried for over ten days to find any trace of the vessel. All their efforts had been in vain.

  Kate nodded. ‘Anything I say would sound like empty platitude. Under the circumstances, I am told that silence is the better option.’

  Antonia smiled, if a little bleakly, as Kate returned to her seat. ‘Mrs Morton has done an excellent job in educating you in the manners of a lady.’

  ‘Everyone has been most patient with my shortcomings and generous with their advice,’ Kate replied, smiling.

  ‘What my ward means to say,’ Charles said wearily, ‘is that Mrs Morton has, indeed, done a most commendable job, and my step-mother and her daughter have assisted by pointing out where Kate errs whenever she might do so in their presence.’ Antonia gave Charles a glance which stated that she was fully aware that such remarks said more about the unladylike behaviour of his relatives than those of his ward. ‘In the meantime, Kate has learned to ride, Master Sun is most happy with her progress and has said that she is “most promising,” which I took to mean he was surprised with her capabilities, she can cook, dance respectably, play the pianoforte, sing, and her knowledge of our Empire’s history is no
w quite acceptable.’

  Antonia gave a soft chuckle. ‘David remarked upon her accurate use of a rifle as well. Tell me, Kate, are the breathing exercises and similar techniques helping you control your more… basic side?’

  ‘I have not had an episode of… atavistic outpouring for some months, Mrs Wooster. Though recently… Recently there have been some periods when I have grown restive. I find a long walk usually makes me feel better for a time. I love walking in the hills around the estate.’

  ‘I believe I would appreciate a turn out myself this afternoon. Perhaps we could go together. The Highlands of Scotland are far removed from the dense jungles of the Congo, but the air here is less stifling and the weather is due to be most pleasant. Will you join us, Charles?’

  ‘I would gladly do so, Mrs Wooster, but there are details I need to discuss with my father and I would rather have those chores out of the way as soon as is possible.’

  ~~~

  ‘The Navy has already placed an order for a thousand units of Katheros,’ Alexander said, ‘for use by the engine room staff on the Empress of the World.’

  ‘There has always been a problem of exposure on that vessel,’ Charles said. ‘I believe when it is seen how effective Katheros is, we will see further orders.’

  ‘Well and good. An exemplary piece of work, Charles. Exemplary… However, there is another matter your step-mother and I wish to discuss.’

  Charles had known when he had seen Georgina sitting there with her sewing that this was coming. He managed to restrain himself from sighing. About once a month Georgina had new objections to Kate’s presence. Charles had avoided the issue for the last few months because he had spent so much of his time in London with the clinical trials of his new drug and the analysis of the results. That probably meant she would have stored up a number of objections ready for this meeting.

  ‘She can’t stay, Charles,’ Georgina began. ‘Her outbursts of feral nature unsettle the staff, and there is the matter of this Oriental gentleman you had brought here.’

  ‘Master Sun’s teachings, along with the marksmanship classes of Mister and Mrs Wooster, have assisted in suppressing Kate’s atavistic episodes. That is the reason he is here. And I might add that he is sufficiently happy with her progress that he will be returning to London when I do. He believes that Kate is quite capable of practising on her own.’

  ‘Well, the practice is part of the problem! She is out there every morning and evening, dressed in… in pyjamas!’

  ‘Mrs Reid is not a woman who takes these things lightly,’ Charles replied, speaking of the housekeeper. ‘The sight of a bare ankle is anathema to her, and yet she has allowed that the “pyjamas” you speak of are fully decorous and practical given the nature of the exercises. Far from unsettling the staff, they all like her. She treats them with the respect they deserve and does not ask of them more than she deserves.’

  ‘She swims in the lake at night!’ Georgina squeaked. ‘After everyone else has gone to their bed, she leaves the house to swim in the lake. Naked!’

  There was a small sound from Alexander, and Charles allowed himself to glance at his father. The older Barstow-Hall was holding his face in his hand as though wondering how he had managed to marry a woman who allowed herself to fall into her own traps. Of course, Charles knew exactly why the marriage had happened, and he could never fathom how a man so intelligent had fallen into such a trap himself.

  ‘After dark?’ Charles asked.

  ‘Yes, quite late when any gentlewoman should be abed.’

  ‘Then how would you be aware of it, Georgina?’

  ‘I… have been suffering from bouts of insomnia. I observed her from my bedroom window.’

  ‘In the dark? From a window which faces west and does not directly overlook the lake for the express reason that you claim it affects your constitution?’ There was a pause as Georgina tried to come up with a reply and then Charles displayed his gentlemanly qualities to the best. ‘I will speak with her on the matter. Are we concluded?’

  ‘There is one other matter, Charles,’ Alexander said, and the fact that it was him saying it gave his son pause. ‘Twice now in the past few months your ward has been… restive. She often takes long walks to clear her head, for which I commend her, but when she is around others she acts in a manner which is disturbing. It is almost as if she stalks them. I’ve seen her following some of the grooms around the stable.’

  ‘You believe she is dangerous?’

  ‘I… believe she is unsure why she is doing it herself.’

  ‘It’s unbecoming,’ Georgina stated.

  ‘I am quite sure that Kate would agree with that,’ Charles replied.

  ~~~

  ‘The first time it happened,’ Kate said as she walked beside Antonia up into the hills above the lake, ‘I simply felt uncomfortable. I had some… odd dreams and I felt restive, unsettled.’

  ‘Might I ask what happened in these dreams?’

  ‘I… remember nothing clearly.’

  ‘I see. Please continue.’

  ‘The second time there was the same feeling of restlessness, but stronger. I spent much of my time here, in the hills, away from people. I feared that my more feral aspect might emerge. When I returned, I found myself oddly fascinated by the grooms around the stable. The scent was… I was drawn to follow them around. I felt I was stalking them, though I’ve no perception of what I would do with one if I caught him. This is hardly decorous conversation for an afternoon stroll, Mrs Wooster.’

  ‘I have told you before, Kate, but I see I must say it again, when we are not surrounded by men and those of a more nervous disposition, you will call me Antonia. I believe we are friends, are we not?’

  ‘I would certainly be honoured to be considered one of yours, Antonia.’

  ‘And despite what society determines to call your lower station, I yours, Kate. And as to the subject matter, your state of mind concerns me greatly, as it does your guardian. You have made most excellent progress from the barely understandable, might I say almost feral, child I met this year gone. Even then you showed a humility sorely lacking in much of today’s youth, but now you would grace any gentlewoman’s dinner party who would be so fortunate as to have you as a guest. If there is some strange accident of your nature which might disturb your progress, we must uncover it and do what we can to negate it. And I would much rather do so in the bright sunshine than in that stuffy house.’

  Kate giggled. ‘In which case, Antonia, I would be most grateful for your assistance in this matter.’

  ‘Then let us see what can be done. How are you feeling when these moods are not afflicting you?’

  ~~~

  ‘It has only happened twice, Doctor Barstow-Hall,’ Mrs Morton stated, ‘but there have been other changes in your young ward since these episodes began.’

  Mrs Morton was an old school friend of Georgina’s and rightly a gentlewoman. Her husband had met an untimely end some two years earlier and at that time there had come to light some irregularities in the accounts of his business which had resulted in his wife being left with barely any income. At the same time Georgina had been looking for a governess for Alicia, and so an arrangement had been made. And when Kate had needed an education in manners and etiquette, Mrs Morton had stepped up to the plate, as the Americans said.

  Thankfully, while she shared an approximate age with Georgina, the woman had a far more practical and level-headed view of the world and had adjusted to her new circumstances well. It had seemed to Charles that she rather relished the task of educating Kate. It had come as little surprise to discover that Bernard Shaw was one of her favourite playwrights.

  ‘Please elucidate, Mrs Morton,’ Charles encouraged.

  ‘Well…’ She looked upward as though trying to put into words her feelings on the matter. ‘When Kate was presented to me, she was a rough girl with few words, no education, and manners born only of a natural inclination to avoid offence. She learned voraciously. I do not believe
a child has ever grasped so rapidly all the skills she has acquired in the past year. It is true that undue stress has been known to cause her to become… less humane.’

  ‘There is no need to dissemble, Mrs Morton. I told you of Kate’s nature when I requested your assistance. We know that there are more basic elements of her brain which can gain a stronger hold upon her. Even if I succeed in curing her of her primary affliction, she may be plagued by those problems her entire life and you have done much to ensure that she is well equipped to avoid circumstances which provoke her in such a manner.’

  Mrs Morton gave a nod, accepting the compliment. ‘Since the first of these incidents, her progress has slowed. She is an intelligent girl and she still learns well, but not with the remarkable speed she has shown previously. Something about her has changed, Doctor.’

  ~~~

  ‘And these episodes last for perhaps six days?’ Antonia asked. ‘And then you return to normal?’

  ‘Aside from Mrs Morton’s disquiet at my decreased retention, yes. I feel no different now than I always have.’ Kate frowned. ‘That is not quite true. I feel…’ She paused, stopping her pace to consider and then shaking her head. ‘I cannot express it, for I have no frame of reference and no words to describe it. The world seems sharper, the scents stronger. I am stronger, I know that. There are times when I am practising Master Sun’s forms that I can feel the power within me, just as he says I should. The perfect balance of yin and yang, the taiji he calls it. I can feel that power and it scares me a little, but it also makes me feel… exhilarated.’

  ‘Perhaps I should try Master Sun’s exercises myself. What is it he calls them?’

  ‘Taiji chuan, which I am given to understand means “supreme ultimate fist.” It is an art which has been taught in China for centuries.’

  ‘You understand some Chinese?’