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“It’s your safety I’m thinking of. I don’t want to live with the guilt of breaking your nose.” Although it might actually do him a favor and give his face some much-needed character.
“This room is rigged with special features that would protect me and the equipment in the event of an unforeseen glitch. To date, the worst situation we’ve encountered is a Bacchus elixir that turned a subject’s blood into wine. A very messy affair.”
I focused on the tube. “And which elixir am I getting?”
“I don’t share that information beforehand. I feel it compromises the experiment.”
“How so? It isn’t like the power of suggestion can turn me into a swan.”
He scratched his cheek. “Are you always this inquisitive?”
“Yes, and also stubborn. You might want to note that in my chart.”
He nodded. “You’re going to do well. If I were a betting man, I’d put money on you.”
“That I’ll ace the patch test?”
“That and more.” He tapped my cheek. “Bottoms up.”
I sniffed the contents of the vial. “It smells like black licorice.” I detested black licorice. Given a choice between cat vomit and black licorice, I’d hesitate.
“The taste depends on the elixir. I had someone in here last week who said hers tasted minty fresh.”
“Do you remember which god’s elixir it was?”
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Because I’m curious which god is associated with dental hygiene.”
“It was Dantakali. Do you know who that is?”
“Feminine divinity of Hinduism.”
He looked at me with a mixture of respect and newfound appreciation. “Very good, Miss Clay.”
“What’s the point of all this? If Dusty had inherited some of Zeus’s more powerful abilities, what would you have done with her?”
“If you pass the patch test, you’ll find out.”
“It doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
He jiggled the liquid in the tube. “To do a patch test?”
“To mess with the power of the gods. Remember what happened to poor Prometheus when he introduced humans to fire? The gods were none too happy with him.”
Dr. Edmonds pinned me with his ordinary eyes. “And yet look what humans have managed to accomplish since that fateful day. I’d argue it was a price worth paying.”
“Tell that to Prometheus and his liver.” I parted my lips and swallowed the small amount of liquid. “How long will it take to kick in?”
He checked his watch. “Based on your data, it should be less than sixty seconds.”
I was both anxious and curious to see what the patch test would do.
“How do you feel?” he prompted.
I focused inward. “My heartbeat seems a little faster.”
He glanced at the monitor. “Yes, I can see that.”
