Dark World: Comparing Notes

(The story begins here.)
(The last recap is here.)

“At least Hancock was fair about it,” Clio said a few minutes later, “especially to a mere slip of a girl. He didn’t even complain about being thrown into the hall. Still, I doubt they will find the real attacker.”

“I doubt he’s given up looking for Lassiter,” Darren commented as he hurried through copying another page of the notes.

Dr. Fleming, who had long before scientifically trained his memory to be photographic, merely studied a page of the vocabulary. “Neither should we,” he said without looking up.

“You think he’s been kidnapped?”

“He hasn’t returned, though the police have left. There is no reason for him to remain in hiding.”

“Unless he sees a threat we cannot, such as a few leftover policemen waiting in ambush.”

“He would have signaled us somehow. I would have; you would have. He isn’t that inferior.”

“What about Father?” Clio asked, clearly a bit annoyed. “We know he’s missing.”

“If Lassiter has been kidnapped, it’s quite likely connected to your father’s disappearance,” Dr. Fleming replied. “And Lassiter’s case being more recent, he should be easier to find. As for you, despite your splendid constitution, you really should be examined more thoroughly. I didn’t bring a fluoroscope with me. By the time you have been properly diagnosed, we should know what has happened to Lassiter.”

“Darren?” Her tone was simultaneously icy and seething.

“He’s the doctor, Clio. And he’s probably right about Lassiter: if he has been kidnapped, finding him could lead to your father. If Lassiter hasn’t been snatched, finding him won’t delay us. Then we can head south, if need be, to track your father down.”

“And where would I be?”

“You can follow us in your own machine, if you wish. I suppose Rosa would rather stay here.” A quick glance told him he was wrong. “You can work that out between you. There will be danger either way, but it should be safer here.”

“They won’t return for the notes?”

“I doubt it. Now that they know that we know the notes are important, it should be obvious that we would copy them.”

Clio pondered this briefly, but it was Rosa who answered. “How did they get in here in the first place?”

“We have experience with people appearing out of nowhere.”

“And always outside,” Dr. Fleming added.

“So far, yes. We don’t know they can’t turn up inside a building.”

The doctor’s only response was a look that Darren recognized: he had an alternative explanation that he wasn’t about to air in mixed company.

“That sounds dangerous,” Clio commented.

“It isn’t,” the doctor replied. “I can think of quite boring explanations for what happened here, and we haven’t had any such manifestations for a while. I don’t believe you will be in any danger here.”

Darren nodded, and they took their leave as quickly and quietly as possible over the fulminations and protests of the two women.

Next: Lassiter's Trail