Chapter 3: Helmut Bralle, aka Professor Fair and Square
THE smoke belching from the smokestacks was stained orange with the glow of the setting sun. From far away, bells were ringing.
The library was closed now, as Mathias and Henrik arrived at the rotunda in their search for Felix.
The four of them together again, they set off walking as a group, the orange sun hanging low on the horizon at their backs. The twilit corridor was silent, save for the sound of four sets of footsteps in unison.
When they arrived at Rueger’s office to return the key, someone else was there already. And when Henrik saw the person’s face, his own expression suddenly grew stiff and blank. Mia picked up on a hum of tension in the air.
So, this is Professor Fair and Square…
It was the Medical Department professor, Helmut Bralle. Unlike Rueger, he was gentlemanly, with a slender face and a medium-sized build. He wore a perma-frown that suggested he spent his days in bad humor and a state of constant low-grade anxiety. He looked like the type to suffer from chronic low blood pressure and constantly cold hands and feet. Standing next to Professor Rueger did nothing to help this impression of him.
He kind of reminds me of a…lizard.
Mia handed the key over to Rueger, a tight smile on her face.
“Um, thank you for lending us the key.”
Watching this, Professor Bralle smiled, his lips curling.
“Ah, the Closed-Stack Archives? What in the heavens were you looking for in there?”
Mia blinked. The professor’s tone was cold.
“Oh, uh…today, we were researching the medicine for Angel Tears—”
Bralle immediately interrupted Mia.
“As I recall, the research theme for your group was: ‘Is Demon Claw Really Contagious,’ wasn’t it? Why are you researching Angel Tears? That has nothing whatsoever to do with it.”
Mia gazed at Bralle in wonderment.
True, that had been the title of their Grand Plan. But the connections between Demon Claw and Angel Tears should be readily apparent to anyone who read it.
“But that’s…I mean—”
Before Mia could explain, Bralle started talking over her again.
“Contagion still hasn’t been proven or disproven. I haven’t read any research theses on that…”
“Research theses? But surely you know it’s an army plot, Professor, if you’ve read our Grand Plan?”
Felix was raising his voice in annoyance.
“How do you intend to prove such a thing?”
“Prove it? Well, I didn’t get infected, did I?”
“Perhaps you’re a rare exception. Immunity hasn’t been researched, after all.”
“Well, we were there at the same time, too!”
Mia jumped in then, but Bralle simply snorted with derision.
“There’s absolutely no data in existence to prove that you were.”
“That physician will back us up.”
Felix’s voice came out sounding strangled.
That physician…in other words, the elderly doctor who’d taken Mia’s side back at the Sanatorium. With the Sanatorium patients being held captive, the doctor watched over them with a strong sense of justice, compelled to live trapped inside the Sanatorium walls with her patients.
What with all the commotion, Mia hadn’t had time to ask the doctor’s name before they’d had to leave. But yes, surely she would cooperate with them. As Mia cast her mind back over the doctor’s dignified manner, Bralle further cornered them.
“I wouldn’t be so confident if I was you. I heard at the Medical Association that that doctor has been transferred to a different Sanatorium.”
Mia blinked, interjecting, “Another Sanatorium? Where?”
“I don’t know. I’m not cognizant of all the little details.”
Mia shuddered. There was almost no chance the army would’ve let that doctor get off with only a simple position transfer. Mia could feel goosebumps spring up on her arms, a disquieting premonition taking hold of her.
But wait…what about Doctor Letts? He tried to make the truth public, and then…
Doctor Letts, Mia’s childhood guardian, had died of a heart attack, or so she’d heard. But they always chalked it up to a heart attack whenever there was a death of unknown causes, didn’t they? At the time, Mia had suspected nothing, oblivious as she was to the country’s methods of truth concealment and suppression.
What if he was…oh, please, no!!! If that’s true, I’m not going to let them get away with it!
Mia was enraged. But Felix gently put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“Mia, calm down. I’ll track down that doctor, I swear it. We won’t let our hands be tied on this one.”
The warmth of Felix’s big hand soothed her, making her realize how close she was to blowing her top.
All right. Even if it does turn out to be true, there’s no point getting mad now. And there’s no point getting mad at Bralle. He had nothing to do with it, after all.
She took a deep breath to steady herself, and Felix removed his hand as if to say that his role in calming her had been fulfilled. As if to sweep her almost meltdown neatly under the rug.
“Anyway, you kids secured research funding for the theme you submitted.” Bralle kept on talking, driving the point home. “You have an obligation to follow through with your proposal. Otherwise, that funding can and will be withdrawn.”
“But, Professor…”
What Bralle was saying made sense, of course. But his stubborn resistance was maddening. Why couldn’t he try to understand?
“Professor Bralle. Be that as it may, I don’t think it’s fair to say that the Angel Tears approach is without merit.”
Rueger had just thrown them a life preserver. But Bralle merely shrugged.
“If you say so. Well, kids, I’ll be expecting something impressive from you.”
With those parting words and an icy smile, Bralle exited the room after shooting one last glance at each team member.
“Henrik, now I know what you mean by ‘Professor Fair and Square…’”
Everyone’s spirits were low.
If they changed their theme, they could kiss their research funding goodbye—that was basically what Professor Bralle had said. Without funding, they couldn’t conduct any research. And it was going to take a ton of money to actually come up with a working drug.
Proof or no proof, however, it was obvious that the disease wasn’t contagious. Demon Claw patients were only isolated from society to keep the truth of the disease’s origin from getting out. It was all a huge cover-up by the army. Felix had risked his health to prove that, and the doctor at the Sanatorium had vouched for it, too.
But Demon Claw patients were also isolated for their own safety, since the disease trashed their immune systems and left them vulnerable. They had heard that with their own ears.
Bralle hadn’t been there, even though he’d clearly heard the whole story from Rueger and the other professors. And here he was, demanding that they provide proof.
“There’s nothing I hate more than a man who’s unwilling to be flexible when it comes to theories.”
Henrik was muttering darkly under his breath. The others all grunted in agreement. Rueger looked around at them all, smiling.
“He’s a doctor first and a scientist second, you know.”
“A doctor…”
But Henrik seemed unconvinced. Mia was with him. A doctor ought to be more concerned about helping out Demon Claw patients and open to seeking a cure, shouldn’t he?
“That still doesn’t sit right with you?”
They all nodded, and Rueger grinned wryly.
“He’s an easy man to misunderstand. But his argument is sound. The onus is on the four of you now to make this inconvenient truth become accepted by the oblivious public. The way you are right now, you come across as nothing more than a bunch of rowdy students causing a ruckus over nothing.”
Mia didn’t like this, not one bit.
“So what, you’re on Bralle’s side too, Professor?!”
“If a side must be picked, then I’d be on his. But morally, I’m with you four. I’m cheering you on with everything I’ve got, at least on the inside. But I’m not about to publicly renounce the army until you kids have got a compelling argument to present—until you’ve got a completed research thesis. I’ve got big hopes for you all. You can believe me on that one.”
“So, in other words, you’re not going to actually help us at all…”
Professor Rueger’s harshness from the start of the previous year was still fresh in Mia’s memory. He’d rejected their Grand Plan submission over and over again.
“Thinking about giving up, are you?”
Rueger arched one eyebrow as they all stood there feeling defeated.
“…Never!”
Give up? The phrase wasn’t even a part of Mia’s vocabulary. Her rebuttal just burst out but saying it felt good and gave her courage.
Right. There was no way they were going to give up that easily.
I have to find a way to get Mom back!
Rueger smiled back at Mia with satisfaction.
“Listen here, kids. All you have to do is put your best foot forward, and the rest will follow smoothly. Trust me.”
Then, Rueger ushered them out of his office.