“Excellent idea,” Edward said.
“I have a suggestion,” François said. “Perhaps we should all take radioactively tagged Ultra so I can follow the buildup and chart concentrations in our brains. The ultimate dose of Ultra might be that dose which merely maintains a specific level of Ultra without continually increasing it.”
“I’d agree to that idea,” Curt said.
“One other thing,” Edward said. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind all you professionals, but this meeting must be kept secret from everyone, including your families.”
“That goes without saying,” David said. “The last thing any of us wants to do is compromise Ultra’s future. We might have a little growing pains here and there, but it’s still going to be the drug of the century.”
Kim had intended to spend some time in the castle during the morning, but when she got back to the cottage she realized it was already lunchtime. While she was eating, the phone rang. To her surprise it was Katherine Sturburg, the archivist at Harvard who had a particular interest in Increase Mather.
“I might have some potentially good news for you,” Katherine said. “I’ve just found a reference to a work by Rachel Bingham!”
“That’s marvelous,” Kim said. “I’d given up hope of help from Harvard.”
“We do the best we can,” Katherine said.
“How did you happen to find it?” Kim asked.
“That’s the best part,” Katherine said. “What I did was go back and reread the letter you let us copy from Increase Mather. Because of his reference to a law school, I accessed the Law School library data bank, and the name popped up. Why it’s not cross-referenced in our main data bank I have yet to figure out. But the good news is the work seemed to have survived the 1764 fire.”
“I thought everything was burned,” Kim said.
“Just about everything,” Katherine said. “Fortunately for us, about two hundred books out of the five-thousand-volume library survived because they were out on loan. So someone must have been reading the book you are looking for. At any rate, the reference I found indicated that it was transferred to the Law School from the main library in Harvard Hall in 1818, a year after the Law School was founded.”
“Did you find the book itself?” Kim asked excitedly.
“No, I haven’t had time,” Katherine said. “Besides, I think it would be better if you took it from here. What I recommend is that you give Helen Arnold a call. She’s an archivist at the Law School. I’ll call her first thing Monday morning so that she’ll expect a call or a visit.”
“I’ll go right after work on Monday,” Kim said eagerly. “I get off at three.”
“I’m sure that will be fine,” Katherine said. “I’ll let Helen know.”
Kim thanked Katherine before they disconnected.
Kim felt ecstatic. She’d totally given up hope that Elizabeth’s book had survived the Harvard fire. Then Kim questioned why Katherine had been so sure it was a book. Had it said as much on the reference?
Kim went back to the phone and tried to call Katherine right back. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to reach her. A secretary said that Katherine had rushed out to a luncheon meeting and wouldn’t be back to the office until Monday.
Kim hung up the phone. She was disappointed but didn’t remain so for long. The idea that on Monday afternoon she would finally learn the nature of the evidence used against Elizabeth was a source of great satisfaction. Whether it was a book or not did not matter.
Despite this good news, Kim still went to the castle to work. In fact, she attacked the jumble of papers with new enthusiasm.
Halfway through the afternoon she paused long enough to try to estimate how much longer she thought it would take for her to finish sorting the material. After counting all the remaining trunks and boxes and assuming about the same number existed in the wine cellar, she figured out it would take another week if she were to work for eight hours a day.
The reality of that fact robbed Kim of some of her enthusiasm. Now that she was about to start back to work at the hospital, it wasn’t going to be so easy to find the time. She was about to give up for the afternoon when she surprised herself by pulling off a stunt reminiscent of Kinnard’s. She opened a drawer at random and pulled out a letter addressed to Ronald!
Sitting on a trunk by a window, Kim took the letter from its envelope. It was another letter from Samuel Sewall. Looking at the date, Kim could tell that it had been sent just days before Elizabeth’s execution.
15th July 1692
BostonSir,
I have come from a comfortable supper with the most Reverend Cotton Mather and we did indeed discours upon the sorry plight of your wife and we are much in troubled spirit for you and your children. In a most gracious way Reverend Mather agreed to accept your distracted wife into his household to cure her as he most successfully did with the much afflicted Goodwin girl if only Elizabeth will confess and repent in publique the covenant she’d entered with the Prince of Lies. Reverend Mather is strongly convinced that Elizabeth can furnish with evidence and argument as a critical eye witness to confute the sadducism of this troubled age. Failing that Reverend Mather cannot and will not intervene in carrying out of the sentence of the court. Be advised that there is no time to waste. Reverend Mather is eager and believes that your wife can teach us all about matters of the invisible world that doth threaten our country. God bless your endeavors and I remain
Your Friend, Samuel Sewall.
For a few minutes Kim stared out the window. The day had started cloudless and blue, but now dark clouds were blowing in from the west. From where she was sitting she could see the cottage sitting among its birch trees whose leaves had become bright yellow. The combination of the old house and the letter transported Kim back three hundred years, and she could feel the utter panic brought on by the impending reality of Elizabeth’s execution. Although the letter she’d just read had been to Ronald rather than from him, she got the impression it was a response from a letter Ronald had written in desperation to save his wife’s life.
Kim’s eyes filled up with tears. It was hard for her to imagine the agony Ronald must have experienced. It made Kim feel guilty that she’d had suspicions of Ronald back when she’d first started to learn the truth about Elizabeth.
Kim finally got up. Replacing the letter in its envelope, she carried it downstairs to the wine cellar and deposited it with the other material in the Bible box. Then she left the castle and started back toward the cottage.
Kim got halfway and slowed her pace. Glancing toward the lab, she stopped walking. She looked at her watch. It was not quite four. All at once the idea occurred to her that it would be a nice gesture to make an attempt at improving the researchers’ diet. They’d seemed depressed when she’d stopped in that morning, and she imagined they must be sick of pizza. Kim reasoned she could easily repeat the steak-and-fish dinner she’d made somewhat less than a fortnight previously.
With this thought in mind, Kim changed her direction and headed for the lab. As she passed through the reception area she felt mild apprehension since she never quite knew what to expect. Entering the lab proper, Kim let the door close behind her. No one came running over to greet her.
Kim set off toward Edward’s area. She passed David, who greeted her pleasantly but with hardly the buoyancy he had a few days previously. Kim said hello to Gloria, who, like David, immediately turned her attention back to her work.
Kim continued on her way, but she felt progressively wary. Although David’s and Gloria’s behavior was probably the most normal Kim had experienced since they had arrived, it represented another change.
Edward was so engrossed in his work that Kim had to tap his shoulder twice to get his attention. She noticed that he was making new Ultra capsules.