For Love of Mother-Not - Alan Dean Foster [73]
“Restrain her. She knows enough now to do something foolish to herself.”
One of the new arrivals held Mother Mastiff’s right arm and glanced back toward Brora. “Anesthetic, sir?”
“No, not yet.” Mother Mastiff stared at the horrid little man and shuddered as he spoke quietly to the black woman. “What do you think, Haithness?”
She examined Mother Mastiff. “Tomorrow is soon enough. I’m tired. Better to begin fresh. We’ll all need to be alert.”
Brora nodded in agreement, leaving the two younger men to bind the raving Mother Mastiff.
Later that evening, over dinner, Nyassa-lee said to Haithness, “The woman’s advanced age still gives me concern.”
“She’s not that old,” the taller woman said, spooning down something artificial but nourishing. “With care, she has another twenty years of good health to look forward to.”
“I know, but she hasn’t the reserves of a woman of fifty anymore, either. It’s just as well we haven’t told her how complex tomorrow’s operation is or explained that her mind will be permanently altered.”
Haithness nodded agreement. “There’s hardly any need to upset her any more than she already is. Your excessive concern for her welfare surprises me.”
Nyassa-lee picked at her food and did not comment, but Haithness refused to let the matter drop.
“How many of our friends have perished at the hands of the government? How many have been mindwiped? It’s true that if this old woman dies, we lose an important element in the experiment, but not necessarily a final one. We’ve all agreed that implanting her is the best way to proceed.”
“I’m not arguing that,” Nyassa-lee said, “only reminding you that we should be prepared for failure.”
Brora leaned back in his chair and sighed. He was not hungry; he was too excited by the prospects raised by the operation.
“We will not fail, Nyassa-lee. This is the best chance we’ve had in years to gain control over a really promising Subject. We won’t fail.” He looked over at Haithness. “I checked the implants before dinner.”
“Again?”
“Nothing else to do. I couldn’t stand just waiting around. The circuitry is complete, cryogenic enervation constant. I anticipate no trouble in making the synaptic connections.” He glanced toward Nyassa-lee. “The woman’s age notwithstanding.
“As to the part of the old woman that will unavoidably be lost due to the operation”—he shrugged—“I’ve studied the matter in depth and see no way around it. Not that there seems a great deal worth preserving. She’s an ignorant primitive. If anything, the implants and resulting excisions will result in an improved being.”
“Her strongest virtues appear to be cantankerousness and obstinacy,” Haithness agreed, “coupled to an appalling ignorance of life outside her immediate community.”
“Typical speciman,” Brora said. “Ironic that such a low example should be the key not only to our greatest success but our eventual vindication.”
Nyassa-lee pushed away her food. Her colleague’s conversation was upsetting to her. “What time tomorrow?”
“Reasonably early, I should think,” Haithness murmured. “It will be the best time for the old woman, and better for us not to linger over philosophy and speculation.”
Brora was startled at the latter implication. “Surely you don’t expect the boy to show up?”
“You’d best stop thinking of him as a boy.”
“He barely qualifies as a young adult.”
“Barely is sufficient. Though he’s demonstrated nothing in the way of unexpected talent so far, his persistent pursuit of his adopted mother is indication enough to me that he possesses a sharp mind in addition to Talent.” She smiled thinly at Nyassa-lee. “You see, my dear, though I do not share your proclivity to panic in this case, I do respect and value your opinion.”
“So you are expecting him?”
“No, I’m not,” Haithness insisted, “but it would be awkward if by some miracle