Iwaited.MyJaguarandLizzie"shelicoptersatuselesslyonthetarmac.Lovelyfasttransportatastandstill.
Quippcamebackquitesoon.
Lizziesaysifyousaythisisurgent,it"surgent."
"It"surgent,"Isaid.
"Right.Inthatcase,flyuphereontheshuttle.We"llmeetyouatEdinburghAirport.Say...oneo"clock?Soonafter?""Er..."Ibegan.
Orcourseyoucan"tbringthehorsewithyou,"Quippsaid,"justbringsometicks."
"ButIcan"tactuallyseethem."
"Quitenormal.They"reverysmall.Usesoap."
Surreal.
"Wetabarofsoapuntilit"ssticky,"hesaid."Rubitoverthehorse.Ifyoufindanyroundbrownspecksonthesoap,you"vegotticks."
"Butwon"ttheydie?"
"Myfriendsaysperhapsnot,ifyoudon"twastetimeonthewayhere,andanyway,itmightnotmatter.Oh,yes,bringabloodsamplefromthehorse."
IopenedmymouthtosayitwouldtakeanhourormoretogetthevetbutLizzie"svoiceinmyearforestalledme.
"There"sahypodermicneedleandasyringeinmybathroomcupboard,"hesaid."LeftoverfrommywaspallergydayswhenIlivedathome.Isawittheotherday.Usethat."
"ButLizzie..."
"Getonanddoit,"shecommanded,andQuipp"svoicesaid"Seeyouonthelunchtimeshuttle.Phoneifyou"regoingtobelater."
"Yes,"Isaiddazed,andheardthedisconnectingclickattheotherend.Afarfromabsent-mindeddon,Ireflected.Agoodmatchformysister.
WhatPetermanhimselfwouldthinkaboutmystickingneedlesintohimIdreadedtothink.IwentupstairstothelittlepinkandgoldbathroomoffLizzie"sbedroomandfoundthesyringe,a.s.she"dsaid,inthemirror-frontedcabinetthere.Thesyringe,disposable,instructions"forsingleuseonly",wasinsideanopaquewhiteplasticenvelopeandlookedmuchtoosmallforanythingequine.Still,Lizziehadsaidtouseit,soItookitdownstairsalongwithhercakeofsoap,moistenedtostickiness,andapproachedtheoldfellowinthegarden.
Hisapathyseemedcomplete.ImerelyheldhisforelockwhileItracedthevisibleveinrunningalonghislowerjaw,stickingthefineneedleintoitgently.Hisheadremainedstill,asifhe"dfeltnothing.IfoundIneededtwohands,inmyinexperience,topullbacktheplungerinordertodrawbloodintothesyringe,andeventhenheremainedunmoving,asifhalfasleep.Thelittlesyringefilledeasilywiththeredstuff.Ipulledtheneedleoutagain,laidthesyringeaside,pickedupthebarofsoapandwipeditaroundPeterman"sheadanddownhisneck.Despitemydoubtsanddisbelieftherewere,afterthreeorfourpa.s.ses,afewdiscernibledarkbrownpinheaddotsonthesoftwhitesurface.
PetermanwentonpayingnoattentionasIpackedmytrophiesintoanestofscrumpledtissuesinsideaplasticfoodcontainerfromthekitchenandfirmlyclosedthelid.AutomaticallyIraisedahandtopattheoldfellow,tosaythanks,andinmid-gesturestoppeddead.Whatif,Ithought,inpattinghim,Itransferredhistickstomyself?WhatifI"dalreadydoneit?Woulditmatter?Ihadn"teventhoughtofwearingprotectivegloves.
Shrugging,Ileftmyoldfriendunpatted,washedmyhandsinthekitchen,andwithinfiveminutesIwa.s.spinningalongtheroadinthedirectionofHeathrowAirport.
IphonedIsobelontheway.
"You"regoingwhere?shesaid.
"Edinburgh.BeadearandkeepallthephonelinesswitchedtoyouuntilIgetback.Bonus,ofcourse."
"OK.Howlongw.i.l.l.youbegone?"
"Adayortwo.I"llkeepphoningyou,tostayintouch."
ByluckIhadaclearruntotheairport,parkedintheshort-staycarparkandcaughtthelastseatonthenoonshuttleatnothingfasterthanaflat-outsprint.Myonlyluggagewasthekitchenfoodcontainerandtheenvelopeofmoneyfromthesafe.MyclotheswerethejeansandsweatshirtI"dworntowork.Everyoneelseontheaircraftseemedtobesportinghugescarlet-and-whitescarvesandloudlysingingbawdysongs."SwingLow,SweetChariot",withtheobscenestofgestures.Lifegrewsteadilyweirder.Iheldthecontaineronmylapandsleptawaythehourintheair.
Lizziewaswaitingattheotherendbesideamanwholookedmorelikeaskiinstructorthanaprofessoroforganicchemistry,theimpactofhisdarkbeardlessgoodlooksheightenedbyarainbowjacketstraightofftheslopes.
Quipp,"heintroducedhimself,extendingahand."Isupposeyou"reFreddie."
AsI"djustkissedLizzie,thisseemedareasonablea.s.sumption.
Itoldhimyou"dgethere,"shesaid."Heworkedoutthatyoucouldn"tdoitinthetime.Itoldhimyourjockeyinstinctsmadeyoufasteracrosscountrythanahurricane."
Hurricanesareslowacrosscountry,"Isaid,"actually."
Quipplaughed."Sotheyare.Forwardspeed,notmuchmorethantwenty-fivemilesanhour.Right?"
"Right,"Isaid.
"Comeon,then."Heeyedthekitchencontainer."You"vebroughtthegoods?We"regoingstraighttothelab.Notimetowaste."
QuippdroveaRenaultwithavervetomatchhisjacket.Wepulledupatwhatlookedlikeatradesmen"sbackentranceofaprivatehospitalandenteredalightfeaturelesscorridorthatledroundacornertoapairofswingdoorswith"McPhersonFoundation"paintedinblacklettersonnon-see-throughgla.s.s.
Quipppushedfamiliarlythroughthedoors,LizzieandIfollowing,andweenteredfirstavestibule,andthenaroomwindowedsolelybyskylights.
Frompegsinthevestibule,Quipp.i.s.suedtoeachofusawhitelaboverall-coatwhichb.u.t.tonedattheneckandneededtobetiedroundthewaistwithtapes.InsidethelabitselfwemetamansimilarlydressedwhoturnedfromamicroscopeonourarrivalandsaidtoQuipp,"Thishadbetterbegood,yousonofab.i.t.c.h.I"msupposedtobeattheInternationalrugbymatchatMurrayfield."
Quipp,unabashed,introducedhimtomeasGuggenheim,theresidentnutter.
Guggenheim,whoseemed,likeQuipp,toprefertobeidentifiedsolelybyhislastname,wasaudiblyAmericanandvisiblyaboutasyoungasthecomputerwizard.
"Disregardhisyouth,"Quippadvised."RememberthatIsaacNewtonwastwenty-fourwhenhediscoveredthebinomialtheoremin1666."
I"llremember,"Isaiddryly.
I"mtwenty-five,"Guggenheimsaid."Let"sseewhatyou"vebrought."
Hetooktheplasticcontainerfrommeandretreatedtooneoftheworkbenchesthatlinedtwoofthewalls.Withtimetolookaround,itseemedtomethatexceptforthemicroscopetherewasn"tasinglepieceofequipmenttherethatIcouldidentify.GuggenheimmovedinthismysteriousterritorywiththecertaintyofaRubikroundhiscube.
Hewa.s.slightinbuildwithlightbrowncrinklyhairandthewell-disciplinedeyesofhabitualconcentration.Hetransferredoneofthebrowndotsfromthesoaptoaslideandtookaquicklookat.i.tunderthemicroscope.
"Well,well,well,wehaveatick.Nowwhatdoyousupposehe"scarrying?"
"Er,"Isaid,but.i.tappearedthatGuggenheim"squestionwasrhetorical.
"Ifitcamefromahorse,"hesaidcheerfully,"perhapsweshouldbelookingforEhrlichiaristicii.Whatdoyouthink?DoesEhrlichiaristiciispringtomind?"
"Itdoesnot,"Isaid.
Guggenheimlookedupfromhismicroscopeingoodhumour."Isthehorseill?"heasked.
Thehorseisstandingstilllookingdepressed,ifthatdoesn"tsoundfanciful."
"Depressionisclinical,"hesaid."Anythingelse?Fever?"
"Ididn"ttakehistemperature."IthoughtbacktoPeterman"sbehaviourthatmorning."Hewouldn"teat,"Isaid.
Guggenheimlookedhappy."Depression,anorexiaandfever,"hesaid,"cla.s.sicsymptoms."HelookedatLizzie,Quippandmyself."Whydon"tyouthreegoawayforabit?Givemeanhour.Imightfindyousomeanswers.I"mnotpromising.We"vesomepowerfulmicroscopeshereandwe"redealingwithorganismsontheedgeofvisibility.Anyway...anhour."
Weretreatedasinstructed,leavingourlabcoatsinthevestibule.Quippdroveustohislodgings,whichweremasculineandbookishbutboreunmistakablesignsofLizzie"soccupation,thoughherexpressionforbademetocomment.Shemadecoffee.Quipptookhiscupwiththemurmuredthanksoffamiliarity.
"How"smylittleRobinson?"Lizzieaskedme."Stillinthesameplace?"
"Alow-loader"scomingonMondaytobringituphere."
"Tellthemtobecareful!"
"It"llreachyouincottonwool"
"They"llhavetodisa.s.sembletherotorlinkage..."
Wedrankthecoffee,strongandblack.
ItelephonedIsobel.Allgoingwell,shereported.
"WhatexactlyistheMcPhersonFoundation?"IaskedQuipp.
"Scottishphilanthropist,"Quippsaidsuccinctly."Alsoatinyuniversitygrant.Smallpublicfunding.Itha.s.state-of-the-artelectronmicroscopesandatpresenttworesidentgeniuses,oneofwhomyoumet.Itpushesouttnefrontiersofknowledge,andpeoplein.o.bscureplacesceasedyingofobscureillnesses."Hedranksomecoffee."Guggenheim"sspecialityistheidentificationofthevectorsofEhrlichiae."
"Idon"tspeakthatlanguage,"Isaid.
"Ah.Thenyouwon"tunderstandthatwhenIaskedhimaboutticksonhorseshewas,forhim,riveted.It"sremotelypossiblethatyou"vesolvedamysteryforhim.NothinglesswouldhavetornhimawayfromMurrayfield."
"Well...whatareerlic...whateveryousaid?"
"Ehrlichiae"?Theyare,"hesaidwithatouchofmischief,"pleomorphicorganismssymbioticinandtransmittedbyarthropodvectors.Ingeneral,thatis."
"Quipp!"Lizzieproteted.
Herelented."They"reparasiticorganismsspreadbyticks.Thebestknownmakedogsandcattleill.GuggenheimdidsomeworkonEhrlichiaeinhorsesbackinAmerica.He"llhavetotellyouabout.i.thimself.AllI"msureofisthathe"stalkingaboutanewdiseasethataroseonlyinthemid-nineteeneighties."
"Anewdisease?"Iexclaimed.
"Nature"salwaysevolving,"Quippsaid."Lifeneverstandsstill.Diseasescomeandgo.AIDSisnew.Somethingevenmoredestructivemaybejustroundthecorner."
"Howfearful,"Lizzieprotested,frowning.
"DearLiz,youknowit"spossible."Helookedatme."Guggenheimhasatheorythatthedinosaursdiednotofcataclysmicweatherupheavalsbutoftick-bornerickettsial-likepathogens-andthose,beforeyouask,areparasiticmicroorganismsthatcausefeversliketyphus.Guggenheimthinkstheticksandtheirparasitesdiedwiththeirhosts,leavingnotrace."
Ipondered."Couldyoutransporttheseer-pathogens-inviraltransportmedium?Thestuffinthosesmallgla.s.stubes?"
Helookedmomentarilystartledbutdecisivelyshookhishead."No.Notpossible.Ehrlichiaearen"tviruses.AsfarasIknow,theywon"tliveatallinanysortofmediumoronaculturedish,whichmakestheresearchdifficult.No.Whateverwasinyourvirustransportmedium,itdefinitelydidnotcomefromticks."
"Thatdoesn"t,"Isaidruefully,"makeanythinganyclearer."
"Lizzieisanastrophysicist,"hesaid,"listeningtothecosmicripplefromthebeginningoftheuniverse,andGuggenheimlooksinwardintoparasiticelementarybodiesdetectableonlybymagnifyingthemamilliontimesinabeamofelectronsinsteadoflight.Outerdeepsandinnerdeeps,withourpunyintellectshereandnowtryingtoseeandunderstandincrediblemysteries."Hesmiledself-deprecatingly."Thehumblingtruthisthatwithallourdiscoveries,we"reonlyonthefringeofknowledge."
"Butfromthepracticalpointofview,"Isaid,"allweneedtoknowisthata.r.s.eniccancuresyphilis."
"You"renoscientist!"heaccusedme."YouneedGuggenheimlookalikestofindoutthata.r.s.eniccancuresyphilis."
Theultimatesquelch,Iacknowledged.Lizziepattedmyshoulderkindly.
"Isupposeyoudidn"tknow,"Quippsaid,"that.i.twasEhrlichhimself,afterwhomEhrlichiaearenamed,whofirstshowedsynthetica.r.s.enictobeactiveagainstsyphilis?"
"No,"Isaid,astonished."I"veneverheardofEhrlich."
"Germanscientist.n.o.belprizewinner.Afounderofimmunology,pioneerofchemotherapy.Died,1915.You"llneverforgethim."
In1915,Ithought,Pommernwonthewar-timeDerby.Thequirksoflifewereendless.
AfteranhourQuippdroveusbacktotheMcPhersonFoundationtofindGuggenheimpaleandtrembling,apparentlyfromexcitement.
"Wheredidthesetickscomefrom?"hedemanded,a.s.soonasweappearedinourwhitegear."DidtheycomefromAmerica?"
"IthinktheycamefromFrance."
"When?"
"LastMonday.Onarabbit."
Hepeeredatme,a.s.sessingthings."Yes.Yes.Theycouldhavetravelledonarabbit.Theywouldn"tlivelongonsoap.b.u.t.transferthemfromahorsetoarabbitbysoap...there"snoreasonwhytheycouldn"tliveonarabbit...Therabbitwouldn"tbereceptivetothehorseEhrlichiae...therabbitcouldcarrythelivetickswithimpunity."
Andthenonecouldtransferthetickstoadifferenthorse?"Iasked.
"It"spossible.Yes,yes,Ican"tseewhynot."
Ican"tseewhy,"Lizziesaid.Whywouldanyonedothat?"
Research,"Guggenheimsaidwithcertainty.
Lizzielookedatmedoubtfullybutdidn"tpursueit.
"See,"hesaidtome,"equineehrlichiosisisknowninAmerica.I"veseenitinMaryland,andPennsylvania,thoughit"saverynewdisease.Nottenyearsoldyet.Rare.Whenit"scausedbyEhrlichiaristiciiit"sbeencalledPotomachorsefever.That"sbecauseit"sbeenfoundmostlynearbigriverslikethePotomac.HowdidtheseticksgettoFrance?"
"FranceimportsracehorsesbredinAmerica.SodoesBritain,cometothat."
"Thenwhytherabbits?"
"Suppose,"Isaid,"thatyouknowwheretofindtheticksinFrancebutnotinEngland."