The Narrow Cage and Other Modern Fairy Tales by Adam Kuplowsky

Author:Adam Kuplowsky
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LCO004030, Literary Collections/Asian/Japanese, LCO014000, Literary Collections/Russian & Former Soviet Union
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2023-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

II

K treated his son’s wound, and in three months’ time, the boy made a near-full recovery. Only a wide scar extending from his forehead to the back of his skull remained. Whether this scar on his head, or the scar on his heart, ever fully healed, I cannot say.

Little L survived also, and went yapping cheerfully about the house as he had done before the laboratory incident—though I cannot say that the scar on his heart fully healed either.

At any rate, as soon as his son had recovered, K threw himself back into his work with twice the vigor, so as to make up for lost time. And after a silence of three months, the distressed cries of animals returned with a greater intensity.

Indeed, the biologist’s mood seemed to be worsening with each passing day. Even his closest friends trembled to look at his dark face and lifeless eyes.

“No matter how many years and how many animal lives we waste,” he said to a party of guests one night after diner, “all of our labor only ever amounts to a kind of hypothesis. But I know a way by which we can obtain better results within weeks . . .”

His guests eyed him doubtfully.

“To do this,” K went on, a black light flashing in his eyes, “we cannot use rabbits or dogs. Instead, we must use human beings . . .”

“Please, dear,” his wife murmured,” that’s enough.”

But K was not listening.

“And so,” he continued in a low voice, “if you would permit me to use one, but one human being—a degenerate even—I believe that I would be able to complete my study of the human nervous system in a matter of weeks. Ah, just think of how my research would benefit not only the nation, but all mankind! And all that I am asking for is one human being, one single degenerate, for the sake of mankind . . .”

As his strangely gleaming eyes surveyed the room, they stopped upon his son, who was sitting quietly in a corner.

“Mother!” cried the boy when he felt the heat of his father’s stare upon him, and his mother wrapped her arms around him, to shield him from her husband’s sight.

The guests all stared at K in shock.

“I said, that’s enough, dear!” exclaimed K’s wife.

From outside the house there came the lonely howl of L. It seemed to echo down, way down, to the very depths of the soul.

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