Metamorphosis

by Marty Chan

  .

  Alone, Ehrich worked quickly. First, the shackles. He slammed the cuffs against the wall. His arms vibrated from the shock. He tried again and the shackles popped open and clattered to the stone floor. Ehrich kicked them to one side. As a hunter, he had played with the Darby shackles enough times to figure out their only weakness was a sharp blow to the right spot, and months of practice had helped him find the right spot.

  Now, the cell door. He reached down to the sole of his shoe and popped the secret compartment on the heel to reveal his lock-pick set. He retrieved a hook pick and tension wrench then knelt at the cell door. He reached through the bars and around to the lock, inserting the prongs of the tension wrench into the keyhole. He worked the hook pick in from the other side and carefully lifted the pins holding the lock mechanism in place. In total, there should be four pins he’d have to lift. He listened for the distinct sound of a click when the pin had shifted into the right position. Within a few minutes, the door swung open. Ehrich hid his tools back in the heel of his shoe and rushed to the desk.

  He didn’t know what he might find, but he hoped there would be some paperwork concerning the execution plans. He glanced at the door. Outside, the crowds shouted encouragement for Ehrich to break out. He smiled and focused on the scattered sheets across the desk.

  He rummaged through handwritten reports and schedules. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he had to hurry before the eager hunters returned to collect their cash. Then he spotted a piece of paper underneath the pile: a memo from Thomas Edison. He skimmed the missive and noted one line:

  “Test of electrocution equipment with Topsy the Elephant.”

  Ehrich sucked in air. Edison planned to test the equipment on the elephant. He read further. The test was set for a week from today. A successful test would mean the execution would follow within a day or two, depending on how long it would take to transport the prisoners to Coney Island.

  A rattle at the door. Someone was opening it. Ehrich had to move quickly. He slipped the note under the pile then flopped into the chair and kicked his feet up on top of the desk.

  The door opened and the two hunters gaped at the sight of their prisoner lounging at the desk. Behind them, a few of the more eager gawkers peered over the couple’s shoulders.

  “He’s out! He’s sitting at the desk. He did it!”

  The crowd roared. The hunters stared at Ehrich, bewildered. He lowered his feet and sauntered out to take in the adoration of the crowd.

  “There is more to see at the big circus tent. My show starts Monday. Hardeen, the Handcuff King. Don’t forget the name.”

  The people cheered. Ehrich basked in the glory and took a bow.

  Trouble in Purgatory

  In the performers village behind the main tent, Ehrich informed his friends about his discovery in the Demon Watch jail, which triggered Tesla’s anger. The lanky scientist began to pace back and forth in front of the bench the others sat on.

  “Edison should never have been allowed near my generators. I knew I should have destroyed them before I left the island. I intend to remedy that now.”

  Amina pointed out. “We should wait, sir.”

  “Are you going to let the elephant die?” Dash asked.

  Ehrich turned to his brother. “We’ll figure out something before the demonstration.”

  “We should set it free.”

  “The demonstration needs to go ahead,” Amina said. “To draw out Ba Tian’s generals and soldiers.”

  “That’s cruel,” Dash said. “The elephant never did anything to anyone.”

  Ehrich shook his head. “I agree with Mr. Tesla. We have to take out the generators now.”

  Amina stood up from the bench. “I know you’re all worried about what’s going to happen, but our plan was to discredit Edison. If we sabotage the equipment before he has a chance to test it in front of the public, he’ll try again. We have to time this perfectly or else all will fail. The actual execution is sure to draw a larger crowd. The more eyes, the less credibility he’ll have.”

  “We can accomplish the same thing at the demonstration,” Ehrich argued.

  Dash grabbed Ehrich’s arm. “We can’t let the animal die. She did nothing.”

  Tesla waved his hand. “I’ll need to get near the generators to render the coils ineffective.”

  “The technicians should be able to fix that,” Amina pointed out. “We’re going to need something bigger.”

  Tesla considered this for a moment, drumming his fingers against his cheek. Finally, he agreed. “I could manufacture a device that I can plant on the generators and direct their energy inward to cause an implosion. I’ll need time to do that. I don’t know if I’ll have it ready in time for the demonstration.”

  “Then it’s settled. We wait until the execution.”

  The Weisz brothers began to protest. Amina shut them up with a stern glare.

  “We wait.”

  The lanky scientist agreed. “I won’t need more than a minute or two at the generator to affix the device. I had better secure the materials I need for this.”

  Amina nodded. “In the meantime, I think we should scout the site and find the best way to get Mr. Tesla near the generators.”

  Dash disagreed. “We have to save the elephant.”

  Ehrich patted his brother’s leg. He sounded so earnest and sincere. How on Earth could he be the assassin?

  .

  Tesla rummaged in his rucksack and fished out two small devices. He passed one to Amina. “Take this.”

  She turned over the black box, examining the strange circle with dots on the face of the box and the silver toggle on the side.

  “Is it a weapon?”

  Mr. Tesla extended an antenna from the top of his device and signalled Amina to do the same with hers. “Better. I call them communicators. Toggle the switch and speak into the circle. Your voice will be turned into radio signals and broadcast to the other device. We’ll be able to stay in contact with each other.”

  She flipped the silver toggle and spoke into the device. “Testing.”

  Her voice squawked out of the device in Tesla’s hands.

  Ehrich and Dash rushed over. “Amazing,” the Weisz brothers said in unison.

  Tesla smiled. “It’s a variation of the remote control for the submarine. At some point, I imagine the entire world connected wirelessly. We might be able to talk to someone in Australia all the way from New York.”

  Ehrich took the device and toggled the switch. He spoke into the circle, but his voice did not sound out of Amina’s communicator.

  Tesla pointed at the toggle on Amina’s device. “Once you’ve sent your message, toggle the switch to the other position to listen. Always remember to switch over or else the communicator will not be able to receive.”

  She let go of the toggle and Ehrich tried again. Now his voice blasted out of the other communicator.

  Amina beamed. “You should have left one with Mr. Serenity so we could update him.”

  Tesla shook his head. “Unfortunately, the range of the devices is limited. The signal is good for about a mile or so. Less if the radio waves have to travel through buildings, and I don’t believe the signal can travel underground. At least, I haven’t ascertained how.”

  Amina nodded. “Too bad. I’m hoping Mr. Serenity is making progress with the Infinity Coil.”

  “If I know my friend, he’s already unlocked its secrets.”

  .

  Mr. Serenity wasn’t even close to success. In his lab, the rotund scientist angled the radiographometer to examine the Infinity Coil. The images on the screen were too numerous to count. He adjusted the dials to bring the images into focus, but more and more faces kept appearing.

  He leaned closer, using a metal probe to tap the screen as he examined the myriad of faces. They seemed
to shift, almost as if they were jockeying for positions at the front. He sighed and stepped back. Rubbing his eyes, he muttered, “There has to be an easier way.”

  He headed to the corner of the lab and rummaged through a wooden chest. He fished out a jade tael, the one Ning Shu had used as her weapon. Ehrich had recovered the tael from her lifeless body as a memento, and Mr. Serenity became the caretaker of this device, along with so many other artefacts of fallen comrades.

  The green circle twisted on the leather strap dangling from Mr. Serenity’s fingers. He eyed the smooth jade surface and the square hole in the centre. “Ning Shu, I hope you have a sentimental attachment to this,” he muttered.

  He dangled the jade tael near the mounted medallion and waited for its owner to heed its call.

  The faces on the screen shifted, almost seeming to part. Mr. Serenity leaned closer. A tiny blip on the screen began to coalesce and take shape, slowly growing larger. He moved the tael closer to the screen and the blip moved toward it. The dance between the tael and the blip mesmerized the scientist. For a moment, he thought he smelled something burning. He glanced around the lab. Nothing was on fire, but the stench of sulphur was unmistakable.

  He directed his attention back to the screen. The blip was taking on a clearer shape. A face was coming into focus. The other faces cleared away. Mr. Serenity smiled. He leaned closer. The features sharpened into two black eyes, an elegant nose and a thin-lipped smile with a pencil-thin moustache over the upper lip. Too late, Mr. Serenity realized he wasn’t staring at the face of Ning Shu but that of a man.

  He stepped back. The smell of sulphur filled the room. His eyes widened as black smoke poured out of the Infinity Coil. The wisps of smoke curled toward Mr. Serenity. He opened his mouth to scream.

  The SPY

  The hot day attracted many New Yorkers to Coney Island. Couples and families strolled up and down the boardwalk. People frolicked in the ocean while families watched from the beach. A few stalwart men swam past the safety markers to impress their dates. Crowds lingered near the demonstration site, gawking at the generators. Amid the tourists, Ehrich and Dash hawked their flyers.

  “You will see a man risk his life,” Ehrich proclaimed. “It may be my last ever performance. Come and see the Great Hardeen escape from a straitjacket while hanging upside down from the top of a circus tent.”

  A few tourists grabbed flyers. The rest were more interested in the work at the execution site. The technicians laid out cable while a supervisor watched over them, directing workers to secure connections into the generators. The hunters kept the gawkers at bay. The shackled elephant mournfully trumpeted the proceedings every now and then, punctuating the surreal scene.

  A tourist guide waved a hand at the elephant in chains near the stage. “That’s Topsy. Rumours have it that she was the last elephant P.T. Barnum used in his act before he shut down the Greatest Show on Earth. Others say she was just a flea-ridden beast that hopped from one cheap circus to another until she landed at Sea Lion Park right here on Coney Island.”

  “Is she too old to perform? Are they putting her down because she’s past her prime?” a woman asked.

  “No, she’s got a temper,” the guide said. “One of the trainers was trying to control her with a prod. She didn’t take a liking to it, so she swatted him with her trunk. He kept it up and, well, she decided to turn his head into a squashed melon.”

  Dash shook his head. “An elephant wouldn’t have done it unless she was provoked.”

  The guide ignored Dash. “Rumour has it Thomas Edison paid a dollar for the right to execute her, and the owner said it was the best offer he was ever going to get for the animal.”

  “She didn’t know any better. She was defending herself,” Dash pleaded.

  “Kid, her fate’s sealed either way.”

  Dash was about to argue, but Ehrich grabbed his brother’s arm. “Let’s keep working.”

  The boy reluctantly followed his big brother.

  The Weisz brothers skirted the crowd, wide enough to keep an eye on the execution site. Ehrich slowed when he reached the backside of the site. A scruffy technician worked near the back of the transformer. He glanced around nervously as he tried to figure out which cable to pick up. He settled on a thick one and snaked it away from the transformer.

  “He has no idea what he’s doing,” Ehrich muttered.

  “What is he doing?” Dash asked.

  “I’m not sure, but he looks out of place as a technician. Let’s keep an eye on him.”

  The scruffy technician reached into his pocket for something. He glanced around and noticed Ehrich watching him. He put the item back in his pocket and backed away from the generator.

  Ehrich pulled Dash along the cordon to find a better view. The man veered around the elephant and headed away from the worksite. He left the crowds and made his way to a row of establishments near the train station. A combination of shops and taverns lined the street. The scruffy man entered one of the pubs.

  Ehrich was torn. He could go in, but with Dash in tow they would arouse suspicion. He didn’t want to leave his brother alone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the communication device. He toggled the switch and spoke into the device. “Mr. Tesla, I’ve followed a suspicious-looking man to a pub near the train station. Come to us quickly. I’ll keep watch out here to make sure he doesn’t leave, but I think someone should go inside.”

  He waited. No response.

  Dash nudged him. “Switch off the toggle.”

  Ehrich did and Tesla’s voice answered from the device. “…

  on … our … way.”

  He pocketed the device and sat beside his brother.

  “You can go in, Ehrich. I can keep an eye out for Mr. Tesla and Amina.”

  “Thanks for the offer, Dash, but I think it’s better if we’re all together. We don’t want anything to happen to the group.”

  “You mean you don’t trust me.”

  Ehrich skirted the truth. “No, it took me so long to find you, I’m not about to lose you again. Mother would kill me.”

  “If we ever get back home,” Dash pointed out.

  “Don’t worry. We will.”

  “What do you think this guy has to do with anything?” Dash asked.

  “I’ve trained as a hunter,” Ehrich explained. “And after a certain number of patrols, you learn that the people who have something to hide, or some kind of agenda, act a certain way. He kept looking around, as if he was worried someone might catch on to him. That kind of behaviour is something that makes him stand out.”

  “He’s a spy?”

  “Quite possibly.”

  “I’ll go in,” Dash offered. “I’ll pretend that I’m lost or something. You can slip in while everyone’s watching me. They won’t know we’re together.”

  Ehrich considered the offer. One way or another, he couldn’t leave Dash alone. In the pub, at least, he could keep an eye on him in case he tried to send a message to someone.

  “Well?” Dash asked.

  Ehrich dusted off his jacket. “You go first. I’ll come after you’ve had a chance to settle in.”

  Dash headed to the pub. Over the door, the pub sign read: “Robber’s Roost.” Ehrich decided not to leave Dash alone for long. He jogged into the pub right after his brother.

  .

  The exterior wall appeared to have seen better days, being soiled with either spilled ale or urine. The mix of ruffians, both male and female, ignored Ehrich. Instead, they eyed Dash with the same kind of hunter instinct as a cougar about to maul its prey.

  “You don’t belong here, kid,” a man with an eyepatch growled.

  Dash launched into his act.

  “I can’t find my mom or dad. I’m lost. Are they here?” Dash raised the register of his voice to sound pathetic and helpless.

  “Well, if they�
��re here, they’re probably dead,” the man joked.

  The others laughed. Ehrich found a table at the edge of the pub and scanned the room for the scruffy man. He spotted him at the other end of the pub, sitting at a table by himself. Relieved that his brother wasn’t going to run or contact the scruffy man, Ehrich sat back and watched Dash in action.

  His brother began to rub his eyes and pretend to cry. The laughter stopped as a barmaid rushed to Dash and wiped his face with the hem of her skirt. She scolded the others. “Brutes. Can’t you see the boy is afraid? Are you hungry?”

  Dash’s lip quivered. “No. Not really. Maybe.”

  The man with the eyepatch muttered, “He’s probably fishing for a free meal.”

  The barmaid escorted Dash to the counter while the patrons returned to their carousing. No one noticed Ehrich at all. He smiled at Dash’s ingenuity. He had employed misdirection to perfection, allowing Ehrich to slip into the pub unnoticed. Another barmaid approached him.

  “I’ll take an ale,” Ehrich said.

  The brusque woman with tattoos up and down her massive arms threw a towel over her shoulder and leaned against the table. “I haven’t seen you here before.”

  “But I’m sure you’re familiar with my good friends,” Ehrich said. He slapped a fistful of coins on the table.

  Her eyes widened at the sight. “One ale coming up, sir.”

  Ehrich checked on Dash, winning over another barmaid at the counter. He had his charms, Ehrich had to give him that. He returned his attention to the job at hand.

  A man in a long black duster limped toward the scruffy man’s table. The source of the limp was the man’s peg leg, a wooden stump where his left leg should have been. Ehrich couldn’t shake the feeling that something was familiar about this man. He had to see the man’s face.

  The barmaid slammed a mug of ale on the table and scooped up the coins. He nodded at her, grabbed his mug, and sauntered to the bar where the barmaids were cooing over Dash. He leaned closer to hear.

  “What did you find out?” the man with the wooden leg asked.