Jenny Plague-Bringer(47)

As Barrett watched, Juliana summoned up the demon plague within her, causing blisters and welts to erupt all over her exposed hand. They dripped blood and pus onto Barrett’s petrified desk.

“Does that look genuine to you?” Juliana asked him, her voice sharp and challenging. The drink had her riled up, and she was ready to fight with someone.

“It appears genuine, of course,” Barrett replied.

“I can infect you, if you like.” Juliana reached across the desk toward him.

“Juliana, don’t!” Sebastian pulled her back.

“What? You can just heal him,” Juliana said.

“I’d rather not be the test monkey for this one, thank you,” Barrett replied. He walked past them, cracked open the door, and whispered to someone outside—the older male servant, Juliana assumed. Barrett returned to his seat and smiled at Juliana, saying nothing.

After a minute, the servant led the detective into the study.

“Good,” Barrett said. “Now, don’t open that door again until I specifically call for you. Understand?”

The older man nodded and quickly left again, closing the door.

“What’s the problem?” the detective asked.

“No problem yet, Emil,” Barrett told him. “Roll up your sleeve and hold out your hand.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Just a quick test,” Barrett replied, nodding at Juliana.

The detective shook his head, moving out of Juliana’s reach. “Not me. Test her on one of your Negroes!”

“And have them whispering about sorcery and witchcraft for years to come? I don’t believe I will. Hold out your hand,” Barrett insisted again. “If they’re just grifters, she won’t hurt you. And if they’re truly supernormal, the boy will heal you right away. You’re risking nothing. And I insist that you do it. On behalf of the entire association.”

The detective glared at him. “This will cost you extra.”

“I assumed that much,” Barrett replied.

The detective looked among them. Gritting his teeth, he shrugged off his coat and rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, then he looked at Juliana.

“Can you keep it small?” the detective asked her. “Don’t turn me into a leper like you did the preacher. I’ve heard the horror stories from people who were there.”

“I’ll keep it small.” Juliana giggled drunkenly. She reached her bare hand toward him, then touched her index finger to his forearm. She dragged her finger down toward his wrist, and dark sores opened in the wake of her touch.

The detective shouted and jerked his arm away from her. “It’s real,” he told Barrett. “Oh, God, it’s real. You! Fix it!” He held his diseased arm in Sebastian’s face.

“Wait,” Barrett said. He stood and leaned over his desk, reaching cautiously toward the infected arm. “Is it contagious?”

“Only if you touch me.” Juliana gave him an intoxicated smile and offered her hand. “Want to try?”

“No, thank you.” Barrett inspected the sores on the detective’s arm, then looked at Sebastian and nodded. Sebastian made all the sores vanish with a sweep of his hand, and the detective sighed, his eyes half-closing in pleasure at the sensation of being healed. Then he shook his head, as if coming to his senses, and glared at Barrett.

“Are we done?” the detective asked.

“Remarkable,” Barrett said. “But it could still be a trick.”

“It’s no trick. That hurt,” the detective told him. “Like my arm was on fire.”

“Good. But before I can recommend them for our research program, I’ll need to try just one more test.” Barrett opened his desk drawer and took out a revolver.

“Hell, no!” The detective hurried toward the door as Barrett raised the gun and fired. The bullet struck the detective in the left shoulder, and the man howled and tumbled to his knees. He leaned against the wall, screaming and bleeding.

Barrett turned to Sebastian, grinning as he pointed the smoking gun at him. “Well? Are you going to do anything about it?”

Sebastian rose from his chair, looking warily at the gun in Barrett’s hand, and walked backwards holding up his hands until he reached the suffering detective crumpled in the corner. He touched the man’s head and closed his eyes. The detective stopped screaming and gave another contented sigh as the healing energy flowed through him.

The detective stood up, looking healthier than they’d ever seen him, with a kind of golden glow to his flesh. Sebastian had touched him long enough to heal him fully—not just the immediate damage to his arm, but any other health problems the man might have possessed, down to the slightest headache. The detective gave Sebastian a big, goofy smile, which looked completely out of place on the gruff man.