Chapter Fifteen:
Jekyll…
Jekyll thought Kathryn looked a little ill as they all sat around the conference room table, listening to Nemo explain their new assignment. He leaned to his right and whispered to her, "Are you all right?"
She glanced at him. "Yes," she whispered in reply. "Just a little unnerved." Nemo slid the information folder to her and gave her a pointed look. She opened it and flipped through it. She stopped on a picture of the man they were discussing. "This man," she said. "I know this man. He was once my father's friend. He looked exactly like this when I last saw him."
"How old were you?" Mrs. Harker asked.
"Six years old," Kathryn replied. She glanced over the information in front of her.
Nemo looked a bit unruffled. "I was told that particular photograph was taken earlier this year," he said.
Kathryn looked up sharply. "But, that is impossible," she said. "No man can look the same now as he did twenty-six years ago. He hasn't aged at all."
Jekyll pulled the folder closer to him and red through some of the information. "It says in this file," he said, "that he has found a way to produce the Elixir of Life."
"That's impossible," Kathryn said, reading along with Jekyll. "The Elixir was a myth to amuse travellers centuries ago. There's no possible way to create it. You would have to be a super-talented Alchemist, and the file says he is a simple Chemist. And judging by his research reports, he's not a very talented Chemist."
"Nevertheless," Nemo said. "We are required to go to his home in Wales and retrieve this Elixir of Life and destroy all his records of it."
Sawyer lifted a finger in an attempt to speak. "Question: what is this Elixir of Life?" he asked.
Everyone turned to Kathryn. It had been unofficially decided that while both she and Mrs. Harker are Chemists, Kathryn would be the authority on natural poisons and folkloric dealings, while Mrs. Harker would be the authority on actual chemicals. Kathryn cleared her throat and said, "The Elixir of Life is a legendary substance that is supposedly a method of securing Eternal Life. There have been no written record of anyone actually creating the Elixir, and it is widely said that one would need a Philosopher's Stone to create it. And only Alchemists understand the dealings with Philosopher's Stones and create any. There have only been three made in the history of Alchemy and they were all destroy almost immediately."
"Okay, then," Sawyer said, looking thoroughly confused.
"Now the issue remains," Nemo said. "How do we infiltrate his house, acquire the Elixir and destroy his calculations? Is there any possible way to do that without drawing attention to ourselves?"
"I doubt it," Mrs. Harker said. "If he did what we are told he did, wouldn't he guard it with every means he has available? An Elixir that gives Eternal Life; if he honestly did find a way to make it, he guard it selfishly."
"Miss Kathryn," Nemo said. "Would you be able to recognise the Elixir if you saw it?"
"Most likely."
Nemo nodded. "Good," he said. "Then you and Skinner will go in. Your objective will be to find the Elixir, obtain it, and destroy his calculations so he cannot recreate it."
Kathryn nodded. "Sounds easy enough," she said.
"Mr. Skinner?"
The floating jacket didn't respond immediately. Then the invisible man said, "I will not go in there with her."
Jekyll glanced at Kathryn. She looked shocked. "Skinner, what are you talking about?" he asked. "The both of you are perfect for the task."
"I won't go anywhere with her," Skinner said, a bitter tone to his voice. "You'll have to find someone else to go." Then he stood and left the room.
Sawyer looked around. "What just happened?" he asked.
"I don't know," Kathryn replied softly. "I doubt we can get him to change his mind, though. No matter how much we talk to him."
Nemo sighed. "Then we will need to decide who will go in with Miss Kathryn," he said.
"I will," both Sawyer and Jekyll said at once, both of them getting to their feet.
Kathryn looked at both of them. "Are you mad?" she asked them. "Do you understand what this man is capable of?"
"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Harker asked her.
Kathryn stood and held up the photograph. "This man," she said, "murdered my father right in front of me. I was a child, so he thought I wouldn't understand what happened. I understood more than he gave me credit for… I saw him put the poison in my father's drink. Iocaine Powder. There's no antidote. It's one of the reasons I went into the subject I did." She paused and collected herself, wiping away a few wayward tears. "This man will not hesitate to kill you with whatever means possible. If Skinner isn't going to go in with me, I will go alone."
"Miss Kathryn, you can't!" Jekyll said, unconsciously gabbing her arm lightly. "If he wouldn't hesitate to kill Sawyer or I, how can you be sure he won't kill you?"
"I can't," she said. "But, that is my final word. Good evening." She gently took her arm out of Jekyll's grip and left the conference room, obviously trying to hide the fact that she was crying.
"Nemo, she'll be killed," Mrs. Harker said. "She can't go in alone."
"I know it," Nemo said. "And you know it. But she will not listen to reason."
Jekyll sighed. "She'll need help. I don't know the man, but can see that," he said. "I'll go. Even if I have to gag and bind her to agree with it."
"Good," Nemo said. "We will be in Wales by morning."
