Pulling The Dragon's Tail Read Online Free PDF Page A

hard for her to believe me?” He mulled
over the key strategy to obtain his freedom: showing Dr. Devereaux
convincing evidence that he held a secret to her past. But to do
that, he had to get her attention.
    After a few deep breaths, he returned to his
bed. He sat down and thoughtfully stroked two days’ growth of light
brown stubble with his right hand. With his left, he held the palm
sized puzzle, glanced at the clock, and set to work. Fifty-five
minutes remained until his appointment with that dreaded shock
treatment. He took another deep breath. Exhibiting an attitude of
hard-earned patience, one that belied his apparent youthfulness, he
once again spun the multi-faceted turrets of the puzzle.
    Several minutes later, Keagan and Jentry Landis,
a female psychiatric assistant, were making rounds. “Ya’ ever seen
a more fixed, bizarre delusion?” Keagan intoned, keenly observing
how Nate extended each fingertip of his left hand and touched the
corresponding one on the right. With a burgeoning disgust, he saw
Nate’s bowed head. Keagan’s rapt fixation continued as the patient
extended his gaze upward, the golden Church of Abraham medallion
swinging slightly against his glistening neck.
    “Church of Abraham believers certainly have an
elaborate prayer ritual,” said the perky tech, her short auburn
hair surrounding a healthy-looking tan. “I think that each finger
represents a traditional religion. I can certainly understand the
attraction of CHOFA. Of course, a lot has to be accepted by faith;
and I don’t know if anyone can really prove that a Super Techno
Being exists in Andromeda, visited the Abraham of the Bible, let
alone that he visited Winifred Bakila.” She glanced over at Keagan,
noting the slight twittering of the reddish moustache. “Why are you
so upset? He has a right to believe in whatever God he wants
to.”
    “No, he—yes, he does,” came the reply through
gritted teeth. She knows better than to bring this up.
    Jentry continued, “I’m fascinated by the
seamlessness of his delusion and the brain scan anomalies. Maybe
the latest techno drugs fried him. He’s an odd bird all
right—they’re all odd birds—but there’s something else about him…”
Her voice trailed off.
    “What do you mean?” queried the veteran tech.
Staff psychobiologists often included Keagan in treatment team
decisions, their respect showing for his many years of experience.
Usually he minced no words, but with Jentry he often found himself
being flattered and a bit flustered by this attractive intelligent
woman.
    “Well,” she continued, “think of all the
delusional tales you’ve heard over the years.” Deferring to
Keagan’s experience was always a good move. “People believe they’re
Einstein with a perpetual motion machine or Princess Diana rescuing
the world. Remember all the extraterrestrials in human form, or
women who insisted they were carrying an alien baby? Now paranoia
over technology has led to beliefs that deadly computer viruses are
implanted below the skin ready to be activated, or their brain is
wirelessly connected to a global supercomputer. So it’s about time
for immortality beliefs to emerge. After all, genetic therapy has
pushed average life expectancy to almost a century.” She paused and
wrinkled her brow. “Except for…”
    “What?” he asked gruffly, clumsily concealing
his contempt for her useless speculations . Stay under my
tutelage long enough and you’ll discover just how pathetic
these damn psychotics are.
    “Well, what if there’s a kernel of truth to his
story?” She plowed ahead despite Keagan’s annoyed look. “What if he
really is ninety-one?”
    “You can’t be serious!”
    “Maybe I’ve placed too much faith in humanity,
but I believe that someday we will live much longer and maintain youthful vigor. Mr. Kristopher’s story, true or not, gives
me hope”.
    Jentry had touched the edge of Keagan’s deepest
convictions. He was one of millions of people