“Does it?”
“If she was possessed by the alien, she wouldn’t ask questions. She’d try to be as unobtrusive as possible.”
Fallada said thoughtfully: “True.” He smiled. “You’re becoming a Sherlock Holmes.”
Armstrong’s dining room caught the morning sunlight. Heseltine was already seated at the table. Armstrong rubbed his hands. “Good morning. What a beautiful morning. Did you sleep well?”
They both made affirmative noises.
Armstrong said: “Lamson administered a tranquilliser to Reeves. In his coffee, of course. I also told Lamson to prepare a mild hypnoid solution. That’s probably the simplest way, if you want to ask him questions — don’t you think?”
Fallada said absent-mindedly: “Excellent. You think of everything.”
“I’m delighted to be of use. Really delighted.” He called into the kitchen: “George, more coffee please.” He stood by the door, beaming at them. “Please sit down. Don’t wait for me — I’ve already eaten. I’ll leave you now and do my ward round. George will get you anything you need.” He went out, closing the door carefully. The youth with a cast in one eye, now wearing a white coat, brought in coffee and grapefruit segments.
When they were alone, Fallada said: “I’m afraid it’s going to be a waste of time.”
Heseltine looked up quickly. “Why?”
Carlsen said: “It’s only a suspicion. I’ve been talking to Lamson. He told me Reeves has changed again. He doesn’t seem alert any more.” He still felt the same reluctance to talk about what had happened in the night.
Heseltine shook his head. “So what do you suggest?”
Carlsen said: “Let’s continue as before. It can’t do any harm to question this man Reeves.”
Fallada said: “Perhaps he may still be in mental contact with the alien, as you were. He might even be able to tell us where it is now.”
“That’s possible.” But even as he spoke, Carlsen knew it was untrue.
The youth in the white coat brought in eggs and bacon. During the remainder of the meal, there was no conversation. Carlsen could sense that the other two were depressed, at the prospect of failure. His own feelings seemed to be strangely passive and dormant, as if exhausted by the strains of the past few days.
Armstrong returned as they were finishing the meal; he was followed by Lamson and another male nurse.
“Was there enough to eat? Good. I always start the day with a good breakfast.” Armstrong was wearing a white coat; Carlsen observed that he seemed unusually cheerful. “I’m convinced that’s the trouble with half the people in here.”
Heseltine looked at him in astonishment. “Breakfast?”
“Or lack of it. They never acquired the breakfast habit. And the result: nervous tension, bad temper, ulcers — and emotional strain. I’m serious. If you really want to cut the crime rate in England, persuade everyone to eat a good breakfast.” He laid his hand lightly on Carlsen’s shoulder. “Eh, Commander?”
Carlsen said: “Yes, I agree.” He realised now what was different: he no longer possessed insight into the minds of those around him. He realised it as Armstrong touched his shoulder; the contact was anonymous, devoid of intuition.
Armstrong rubbed his hands. “Well, gentlemen, are we ready to start?”
They all looked at Carlsen; somehow it was assumed that it was his decision. He said: “Yes, of course,” and stood up.
“Then I would suggest that Lamson and I go in first. He’ll assume it’s the usual medical checkup.” He explained to Fallada: “I check his adrenaline levels throughout the period of the full moon. If they get too high, there’s danger of psychotic panic, in which case we administer tranquillisers.” He turned to Carlsen and Heseltine. “Perhaps you’d better keep out of sight until we’ve injected him.”
They followed him across the hall and up two nights of stairs. Carlsen found the place depressing. It had been built around the turn of the century, when the rate of mental illness was soaring. The architecture was purely functional. The plastic walls, which had once produced an impression of light and air, were now greasy and scratched. On each landing, there were metal doors, with peeling green paint. Armstrong said: “Those are the main wards. We keep the solitaries on the top floor, in soundproof rooms, so as not to disturb the others. Would you unlock the door, Norton?” The male nurse inserted keys into the two keyholes and turned them simultaneously; the door swung open without creaking. The walls of the corridor beyond were decorated with a plastic mosaic showing mountain scenery. Armstrong said: “Reeves is in the room at the other end.” Carlsen observed that he refrained from calling them “cells.”
The door at the far end of the corridor opened, and Ellen Donaldson came out; she closed it carefully behind her. She looked startled to see so many people; then, as her eyes met Carlsen’s, she went pale. As Armstrong drew level with her she grasped his sleeve.
“Could I speak to you for a moment, Doctor?”
“Not now, Nurse. We’re busy.” He brushed past her.
“But it’s about Reeves –”
He turned on her sharply. “I said not now.” His voice was not loud, but there was a steely undertone of command. The two orderlies exchanged glances of surprise. The nurse turned away and walked past them. Carlsen expected her to glance at him, but she walked on without raising her eyes. Her manner puzzled him. It was not the reaction of a senior nurse who has been irritably dismissed; she seemed totally subdued and without resentment.
Norton opened the door and stood aside for Armstrong to enter. Without turning, Armstrong made a peremptory gesture with his hand, ordering them not to approach. Lamson was filling a syringe from a rubber-capped bottle.
It was then Carlsen understood. Suddenly, with no possibility of doubt, he knew that Armstrong was harbouring the alien. At the same time, in the same instantaneous process of comprehension, he knew what had to be done. He reached out his hand towards Lamson, smiling. Lamson looked startled, but allowed him to take the syringe. He stepped past Norton with a single stride. Armstrong was bending over a man who lay on the bed, saying: “Good morning, Reeves –” Before he could go on, Carlsen’s left arm was around his throat, jerking him backwards. Norton shouted something. Carlsen’s senses were totally calm. With a strength that surprised him, he pulled Armstrong’s head back against his chest, carefully sighted the syringe, then drove it carefully through the cloth of Armstrong’s jacket. He felt Armstrong wince as the point drove home; then, without haste, Carlsen pressed the plunger. Lamson had moved to the head of the bed, where he could see Carlsen’s face. As their eyes met, Carlsen smiled and nodded. He had a sense of being totally in control of the situation. He counted to ten and felt Armstrong relax against him. He allowed his body to sag to the floor. Suddenly, Armstrong moved, twisting onto his face and flinging his arms around Carlsen’s legs. Carlsen had made allowance for such a move; he dropped immediately, his knees striking between Armstrong’s shoulder blades, pressing him to the floor. At the same time, Lamson knelt on Armstrong’s thrashing legs. Armstrong struggled for a moment, then the efforts became weaker and ceased. When Carlsen turned him over, his eyes were glazed.
Heseltine, his voice unexpectedly calm, said: “What was that for?”
Carlsen smiled at Lamson. “Thanks for your help.”
Lamson said: “You should have told me. I always thought there was something odd about him.”
“I daren’t risk it.” He turned to Fallada and Heseltine. “Let’s get him to an empty room. I want to question him before it wears off.” He asked Lamson: “Where could we take him?”
“Down to surgery, I should think. Hold on a minute, I’ll get a wheelchair.” He went away and returned a moment later, opening a collapsible bathchair with a canvas back. “Give us a hand, Ken.”
For the first time, Carlsen looked at the man on the bed. He seemed unaffected by the commotion. He was staring at the ceiling, his face calm. He was powerfully built and tall, but with slack, sallow skin. In spite of the breadth of his shoulders and the powerful hands, it was difficult to think of him as dangerous.
Lamson said: “I’ll take him down in the lift. I’ll meet you on the ground floor at the bottom of the stairs.”
As soon as they were on the stairs, Fallada asked: “What happened?”
“I realised the vampire had moved into Armstrong.”
Heseltine asked: “Can you be certain of that?”
“Quite certain. I should have guessed earlier. I don’t know why I didn’t. Armstrong was the logical choice for the next takeover. Shifty, vain, full of sexual hang-ups.”
“How did Lamson know?”
Carlsen laughed. “He didn’t. I said something this morning that made him think we’re after Armstrong. And he hates Armstrong.”
Fallada said: “How do you know this alien is still inside Armstrong? What’s to prevent it moving to someone else?”