Doctor Rayon - It Finally Ran Out

The well-dressed man wandered the halls and rooms of his mansion, enjoying the sounds of his guests enjoying themselves. Although he was an older man he was still spry and he walked with a relaxed and carefree step. He stepped around a banana peel lying in the middle of one hallway, barely registering it at all, and continued into the dining hall. Such things always happened when he had guests over. A few of the guests were standing around the table and seemed to be arguing rather fervently about something. The man barely noticed how they all grew suddenly silent as he entered the room. Instead he turned and waved to a younger man standing in the foyer and admiring the preserved monkey’s paw resting within. The man waved back and then went back to staring at the object.
Even though he was doing his usual walk of the house the man suddenly found himself walking towards the library. That wasn’t so unusual; perhaps he had forgotten something there earlier that he was only know remembering to get. He walked up the stairs, the chatter of his guests becoming muffled by the intervening rooms, and pushed open the heavy oak doors to the library. He walked into the room to find it dark, lit only by a small fire in the fireplace. As he wondered exactly what he had come upstairs for he noticed a man standing by the window. He stood straight with his arms behind his back and looked out at the yard.
“Hello Robert.” Said the figure.
“Hello. Are you two enjoying the party?” Asked Robert cheerfully.
The other man turned, a look of faint surprise on his face. “It’s only me here.”
“Oh, I though there was another guest standing over there in the shadows. Are you enjoying the party then?”
“It’s been quite interesting so far, but I’ve mostly been hoping to get a moment alone with you. Do you recognize me Robert?” The man stepped forwards into the firelight to reveal a youngish man, probably in his late twenties. His short brown hair and blue eyes were not at all unusual and didn’t help his host to remember where he had seen him before.
“No, I must say I don’t. Unless…” The man did look a little familiar, “were you a member of my recent polar expedition? Oh we saw so many things-”
“No!” The man snapped, although Robert remained unfazed. “I should have known you wouldn’t remember me you doddering old fool, but I’ve never forgotten you and what you did to me.”
For a moment there was silence except for the sound of the bats wheeling by outside and the voice of one of the guests singing downstairs. “Oh?” Asked Robert, quite curious now, “and what was that?”
The other man shook his head with a sigh. “You and your companions destroyed my life. You denounced me as a fraud and destroyed my reputation, casting me out into the world to be made a laughingstock. I spent many nights hungry and cold after I lost my job and no one else would even consider me as an employee. And it’s all because of you.”
“I’m sorry but I really don’t recall-” The man silenced Robert with a gesture.
“Yes I’m sure you don’t, so allow me to refresh your memory. I was a young inventor who wanted to change the world, but you and your little Council claimed that my machine was a hoax. Now the others were bad enough, but you sir! You ‘just happened’ to be in a position to acquire all of my inventions and funds, with the exception of what I took with me when I went into exile. An exile you caused!”
“Oh yes I do seem to remember. It was really just luck you understand. And about your machine, it really didn’t work.” Robert was still very calm, almost cheerful. He just needed to explain everything and then perhaps this man would come downstairs to enjoy some of the after dinner crepes. “We tested it but couldn’t find any way to make it work.”
“Well that’s funny, since it worked perfectly whenever I used it and I’ve been using the same device successfully for the last several years. And even if what you are saying is true, I did some checking and I’ve found there are quite a few cases like mine where you ‘just happened’ to be in the right place at the right time. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of your other guests were just as angry as I am.” The man’s face became more and more enraged as he spoke.
“But you have to understand I had nothing to do with what happened to your inventions. I didn’t take them, they were given to me by the Council. I was, as you said, in the right place at the right time.” Robert was becoming a little nervous. He absently wondered where his bodyguard was.
“I believed that before but the more research I did the more cases I uncovered. It would seem you have quite the horseshoe Robert.” The unnamed man stepped towards Robert and his eyes narrowed in anger. “No I don’t believe that crap anymore Robert. I think it’s about time you paid for all the lives you’ve ruined.”
“Oh, I see.” Robert was still unfazed. This was probably all some elaborate joke. “Well perhaps later, I have to get back to the party.”
“I think not,” said the other man dangerously.
“Well I haven’t done anything wrong and even if I had I’m sure you know revenge isn’t the answer. Now I really must be going. I’m sure the other guests are wondering where I’ve run off to, you have been monopolizing my attention for quite a while.”
“But you understand this isn’t just about revenge. This is about punishing you for all your years of theft and the brilliant minds you’ve sent to live on the streets! Now you may be safe from the courts but I can see what’s happening and I won’t allow it to go on any longer!” The man stepped forwards and Robert saw the glint of metal on his wrist. He bent down to look at it and his companion pulled up the sleeve of his suit, seeming eager to oblige his curiosity. Suddenly a sphere of glowing blue energy appeared, floating between the man’s curled fingers. “I know there have been many people who have tried this before, and even some who have tonight, but I will be the one who goes down in history,” said the man as he brought his arm back as if to throw a baseball, “I will be the one to finally kill Doctor Lucky!”

Kyle Bentley May 19, 2008