Chapter 9: The Mesmeric Professor

I returned to the White House, feeling slightly irritated and that I had been summarily dismissed from a case that I regarded as mine. It slowly dawned on me that there was still plenty to do on the case. It's just that my work would be at the White House end. Somehow I had to disassociate my prisoner from the geas that had been laid on him, if that was possible.

These thoughts occupied me until I reached the House. Hurrying to my cubbyhole, my first thought was to consult my textbooks. However, I found practically nothing on nullifying another sorcerer's geas.

Frustrated, I thought. What would I do at MIT?

The answer was glaringly obvious. I would ask one of my lecturers. Now, I had a teleson, didn't I?

The next question was: who would be the best person to ask? I settled on Demoiselle Blythe, our instructor in Theoretical Thaumaturgy. I was soon talking to her and explaining the situation to her.

"That's an interesting problem, Robert. You would have to be very careful in case the sorcerer who created the geas laid a fail-safe trap. I think that your best approach would be to explore the geas using mesmerism, and you're in luck. Sir James is in Washington today at the Institute's local office. I'll pass a message to him to contact you at the White House. Do you think that will help?"

"Thank you, Demoiselle Blythe. That would be a great help. I couldn't see how to question the culprit without tripping the geas. I look forward to hearing from Sir James."

Having finished my conversation with Demoiselle Blythe, I decided to bring the Governor General, up to date on the case. While I was doing so, there was a commotion in the outer office.

I heard the secretary yell, "Hey, you can't go in there."

A gruff voice replied, "Of course I can."

The door opened and Sir James Whitehead erupted into the Oval Office followed by two Secret Service agents, with pistols drawn.

"'Afternoon, Bill. 'Afternoon, Bob. I hear you need my help?"

"Yes. I do, Professor, but..."

"Oh! don't mind Bill. He was my fag at school. You know; a prefect's gofer."

The Governor General waved the Agents back through the door which he shut behind them. The Professor sat himself down before turning to me.

"Let me tell you, Bob, of what I know of your dilemma. Then you can correct me if I'm wrong. You have caught a spy, stealing state secrets. He tells you that a geas has been laid on him to have a heart attack if he tells you anything. Am I right?"

"Yes. That's about it."

"As you know, I don't have the Talent, but I'm a fairly competent mesmerist. So; let's have your spy up here where he can sit and be comfortable. I'll get to work on him. Bill, you can leave us. No ... I suppose I can't throw you out of your own office. Well then you can stay, but you have to be absolutely quiet. Not a peep out of you. Now, Bob, fetch your prisoner."

The Governor General's secretary still looked a bit shocked at the Professor's arrival.

I explained.

"The professor used to be the Governor General's boss when they were boys. Now can you ask the Royal Marines to bring their prisoner up here?"