A Princess in the Age of Science: 5 / 6

By Iolanthe Portmanteaux

When “Doctor” Bourbaki met Georgia, he was entranced by the child’s angelic face and fine, light-brown hair. Georgia was dressed in a white muslin summer dress, which further enhanced the cherubic impression.

Mrs. Vendall was once again struck oddly by the sight of Bourbaki rubbing his hands together. It nettled her to see his evident glee and satisfaction. Deep in her unconscious, she was more than “nettled” — she was repulsed. That deeper part of herself perceived that the man was a monster, a predator. However, the manners, the propriety of the age kept her from effectively recognizing it. The fact hadn’t yet bubbled up to her conscious mind and formulated itself in words. She felt something… call it a twinge. Although she didn’t betray — or even feel — any uneasiness, she somehow found it impossible to leave Georgia alone with the man. It was an unconscious check.

Georgia had no clear idea of why Mrs. Vendall brought her along on the visit to Bourbaki. The man seemed pleasant enough — even likeable. So when Bourbaki proposed to try “a magnetic experiment” with Georgia, the child accepted, after having looked to Mrs. Vendall, who nodded.

Bourbaki led them to a large, open room. In the middle of the room were two empty chairs, facing each other. A third chair stood close to the door, about six yards from the other two. Bourbaki looked at Mrs. Vendall and gestured to the chair near the door. “Please sit here, and try to not speak.” He led Georgia to the center of the room and seated the child in one chair. He sat in the other, so they were face to face.

“Close your eyes,” he told the child, “and pay attention to your breathing. In… and out. In… and out. Just so.” As Georgia slowly inhaled and exhaled, Bourbaki synchronized his breathing to Georgia’s. Then, gently rocking forward and back to the same rhythm, he began passing his hands up and down Georgia’s body, from toes to head, without touching, keeping several inches away, as though Bourbaki’s palms and outstretched fingers were gliding over an invisible magnetic field that enclosed Georgia.

After two minutes of these passes and synchronized breathing, Georgia suddenly fell silent. Seeing that change, Bourbaki leaned back in his chair and watched the child, who now appeared to be asleep: eyes closed, breathing slow and regular. As we have said, Georgia’s eyes were still shut, so when Bourbaki raised his left arm and Georgia did the same, Mrs. Vendall felt a thrill of wonder pass through her. Bourbaki lowered his arm, and so did Georgia.

Bourbaki touched his nose. Georgia did the same. Bourbaki raised both arms and tilted his head back. So did the child. Mrs. Vendall watched, stupified, as Georgia, whose eyes were clearly closed, mirrored every movement Bourbaki made, without seeing at all.

At last, Bourbaki said some words in a low voice, and Georgia returned to a normal sitting pose. The man rose from his chair and approached Mrs. Vendall, leaving a relaxed Georgia behind.

“As you can see,” he told Mrs. Vendall, “The child is now in a magnetized state, a sympathetic state. We will leave her in this state for five minutes by my watch. Then I will rouse her and you may take her home.”

“And what will be the effect of this state?” Mrs. Vendall asked.

“Today we have only confirmed her magnetic susceptibility. Next time, we will begin to call forth her feminine principle, and in the following sessions we will align that principle with each layer of her magnetic strata.”

Mrs. Vendall wasn’t sure what to make of this explanation, so she shifted to more familiar ground. “And what of your liniment? Might I take some with me, for the girl?”

“Not quite yet,” Bourbaki cautioned. “First we must do the magnetic preparation. Once she is in a suitable state, we can begin to apply the liniment. As she is now, it would be less than useless.”

“Hmm,” Mrs. Vendall mused. “Can you tell me any of the ingredients in this liniment of yours?”

“Certainly,” he replied. “I’m sure that once you touch and smell it, you’ll guess the ingredients in any case: it consists of the nine oils, with the addition of small amounts of camphor and ammonia spirits — quite small amounts.”

“Is that all?” Mrs. Vendall asked, surprised by Bourbaki’s candor.

“Yes and no,” he replied, with a slight smile. “I dare say, with the help of your nose and some experimentation, you could arrive at the exact formulation, but there is a final step, whose proper execution is known only to me. My liniment is activated — that is to say, it is not merely an excellent liniment; it is electro-galvanic, which gives it a potency and influence far greater than the simple physical preparation.”

Mrs. Vendall blinked several times. She didn’t want to confess to being ignorant, but at the same time, his explanation evoked her natural skepticism.

“Well, then, we shall see!” she declared.

“Yes, we shall,” he agreed, and went to wake the resting Georgia.

On the walk home, Mrs. Vendall asked Georgia, “How are you feeling?”

Georgia smiled and answered, “I feel like I’ve had the best sleep of my life!”

Georgia had always been a happy, good natured child, but after his first “magnetic” session, he was positively radiant and beaming. Not overmuch, though: Georgia’s newfound cheeriness was altogether natural and welcome. In fact, it was infectious. The whole institute gradually began to feel the effect. Everyone smiled more, was more compassionate and sharing. The change was nothing short of remarkable.

The next session with Bourbaki lasted ten minutes. The third session lasted twenty. After the fourth session, which lasted a full thirty minutes, Bourbaki entrusted Mrs. Vendall with his electro-galvanic liniment. The liniment was a soft brown paste with a pungent odor. Thankfully, there wasn’t much of it: only three ounces or so. It came in a small, unlabeled glass jar.

“The girl is to apply it herself before retiring. A very thin application of the liniment is enough: as thin a coat as possible. At the same time, it must cover the entire area from knees to neck, from elbow to elbow, and as far around back as she is able to reach comfortably. The liniment should be applied nightly until the jar is empty.”

“And what about her…” Mrs. Vendall blushed. “What about her…”

“Ah, yes!” Bourbaki exclaimed, “Yes — her intimate area must definitely be treated. A thin layer, the same as elsewhere. Once the liniment is absorbed into the skin, she may dress for bed and retire.

“The next morning,” he said, as he fetched a quart bottle of water from a cabinet, “she must wet a piece of cotton with this radium-infused water, and use it to clean the same area which she treated with liniment on the night before.”

“Radium?” Mrs. Vendall asked.

“It’s a new element, a recent discovery,” Bourbaki informed her. “This bottle in particular comes from a Tyrolean spa whose waters are impregnated by nature with radium’s salutary effects. Now tell me, have you seen any results from little Georgia’s sessions?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Vendall agreed. “Her mood has quite infectiously improved — not that her disposition needed improvement, and yet… improved.”

Bourbaki nodded.

“However, her physical development remains at a standstill.”

Bourbaki smiled and nodded. “This will come! In less than a month, all will be as it should be. I will soon discover the obstacle! Once the hidden impediment is removed, you shall see!”

Mrs. Vendall sighed and said a silent I hope so!

Like many predators of his type, Mr. Bourbaki was opportunistic. He knew when to bide his time, and at last, after three weeks of daily magnetic sessions, it seemed that his chance had finally come. Mrs. Vendall arrived with Georgia, but having some urgent business, she left the child alone with Bourbaki. He promised to accompany Georgia back to the institute after the session.

This time, rather than seat Georgia in a chair, as before, he brought the child into a smaller room, and had him lie on a couch. Quickly he induced the magnetic state, and Georgia lay helpless and trusting in a trancelike state. Knowing Georgia’s susceptibility, Bourbaki felt quite ready to pleasure himself at the child’s expense, confident that he could erase the incident from Georgia’s memory.

Bourbaki’s hands trembled with anticipation, and under his breath he murmured, “Now your secrets will be mine.”

Even though he spoke more to himself than to his intended victim, Georgia responded, in a small, far-off voice. The child said, “No one knows my secret.”

Puzzled and curious, Bourbaki asked, “What secret is that, child?”

Still in a trance, Georgia spoke calmly and evenly. “That I’m not a girl at all. I’m a boy. I’ve always been a boy.”

“What!” Bourbaki exclaimed, shocked to the core.

“No one knows,” Georgia concluded. “No one will ever know.”