The Click

Meta DeCarlo led Oliver Hitchcock into the den from the dining room after a

lengthy lunch, each carrying a glass of wine. Meta took a seat on the sofa and motioned Oliver to sit next to her. On the table across from both of them was a small computation shell.

“I’m afraid it’s true. The rapidly changing discolorations on his V-Mark confirm it, and he’s heard the Click more than once...” Oliver’s scud RANG. He pulled it out from a pocket. “Speaking of that, this is my daughter. … Excuse me please.” He jumped from the couch, walked onto the porch, and answered in visual mode, seeing immediately how distressed and weepy she was. He could see her leaning against the opened door of Christopher’s hospital room. Christopher could be seen behind her lying in bed.

“It’s Christopher. I’m here at the hospital, he’s been admitted. I’m—“ “What? Already?”

“I need you here. Now, Dad …”

“You know I can’t do that, Kitten.”

“Yes you can.”

“You expect me to just stop and …”

“Of course not. Off playing spy games. You were never there for me when I …“ “That’s not fair, Kathy. You know what I’m doing here. It’s for …”

“You want me to believe this crap about black Jews in India. Some mysterious woman in Italy. What’s this have to do with Christopher?”

“Everything.”

“No! It’s about you. It’s always about you.”

“Kathy, you don’t understand.”

“Oh, don’t I?”

She clicks of. “Kathy? Kitten …”

Hitch took a deep breath and held it until he could gain his composure, then walked back to the den carrying a smile and overall demeanor incongruous with the hurt that rumbled within. He returned to the couch next to Meta. “As I was saying, Christopher and the others need the antidote, and for reasons I don’t understand Dr. Wu needs a large group of people who haven’t been vaccinated.”

Meta shook her head. “What your Christopher needs, Oliver, is DanSheba. I’ve waited all these years to avenge the death of my great granduncle, Jonathan, all because of Innocent’s Smotecal Decretum … and now it appears I will be getting a lot more.”

“Decretum?”

Meta laughed. “The ever so secret Smotecal Decretum issued by Supreme Minister Innocent II, but there’s more. For now, take this. It shows Jonathan’s involvement.” She handed him a memory stick which he looked at wondering what he was going to discover.

“Dr. Wu is right, of course. It’s all there. We need her and the Cause in DanSheba. And please bring your daughter and Christopher. It truly is his only chance.”

As soon as Hitch returned to his hotel in Florence well after dark, by bus so as not be noticed, he plugged the memory stick into a port in his scud. It was during the next forty-five minutes that he came to know Jonathan DeCarlo and how he accidentally learned about the Smotecal Decretum which caused him to lose his life, presumably. From what Hitch now knew, the Church of the Ecclesia voted against the rest of the Cūtocracy, although he couldn’t guess what the vote was about. Only later would he understand why the so-called Smotecal Decretum was so important to both of them.

Just as he began thinking more about that, his scud RANG. It was Julian. “Well, my friend, give me good news. Without Elana, I’ve got nothing.”

“Like the old days, Oliver. Dr. Wu won’t be going to China after all. Your old flame, Rousseau, on the other hand probably wishes she were.”

“Ha! Would love to have been there. Where did they have her and how did you pull it off?”

Julian laughed. “Rousseau had her in a VAMA cell below her office. How I managed is my trade secret. However, I will tell you that my disguise was a masterpiece. Hopefully the good frau will have many nightmares of German spies interrupting her sleep.” He laughed again. “So, tell me where and when I need to deliver her … and your plans.”

“No details yet, but I know I’ll need her before we leave for DanSheba, wherever in the hell that is. I’ll explain later.” Hitch clicked off and resumed the saga of Jonathan DeCarlo. The last thing on the memory stick was Jonathan’s voice, quite possibly the last words he ever spoke.

“And so Juliette, my dearest sister, it will be up to you to make sure the world knows what’s going on here. I did not intend to participate in mass genocide. You must believe...”

Jonathan ended his plea abruptly, as if he were interrupted, never to be heard from

again.

Time to go home, Hitch thought as he looked around his hotel room. It was an event filled week. He wasn’t sure what to make of Meta DeCarlo or her invitation to DanSheba … and what could she have possibly meant when she said Christopher’s only chance was to go there … wherever there was. As he started pulling his things together, he received another call. He stared at the screen as a questioning frown spread across his face, than clicked it on.

“Dr. Delahunt? Ralph?” Hitch dropped onto the edge of the bed and put him on screen view.

“Oliver, I’m truly sorry for bothering you but …” Dr. Delahunt hesitated. Hitch could see him look around as if he were worried someone might be listening.

“Ralph, what is it?”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure your daughter had not returned. She went to the cafeteria for a bite to eat. We need to talk. Is this a good time?”

“Of course. Any time’s a good time when it comes to Christopher, which I assume this is about.”

“Yes, yes it is. You see … I mean, Oliver, it’s only a matter of weeks, two or three at most. I’m afraid I don’t know how to break that to Kathy. I’m afraid she’s under an illusion that it’s just not going to happen. … I thought …”

“Ralph, now listen to me. I will need those three weeks. There is a plan. We are getting close. I can’t explain to you right now what it is but you must do everything you can now, I mean today, to make sure Christopher will be able to travel and will last out those three weeks. … Do you understand?”

“Yes, but where …”

Hitch jumped up and began marching across the room, taking large nervous strides. “Again, no time to explain,” but I will be having a Professor Barnaby Bloom come to the hospital. He will explain our plan to you and Kathy. … Now listen to me, Ralph. This is critical if we are going to save my grandson. When you hear the plan you are going to think it’s insane, as will Kathy … especially Kathy. No matter what, I need you to stay calm and support the plan. Do you understand?”

Hitch could see how confusing this was to Delahunt. “Please, Ralph, can you do that for me?”

“Unfortunately I see no other plans in the horizon. But …”

“No buts. I have to go now but please make sure Kathy listens to Professor Bloom.”

Hitch clicked off realizing he wasn’t going anywhere for now. He was planning to wait until he got home to discuss everything he had learned from Meta along with her ‘invitation’ with both Kathy and Barnaby but that couldn’t wait. Unfortunately the clocks were ticking, Christopher’s and theirs. He picked up his scud and called the professor. They talked for more than an hour, first Hitch filling him in, and second making plans to go to DanSheba. Barnaby indicated he would meet with Kathy right away.

Hitch then called Meta and told her about his discussion with Dr. Delahunt. Her response was immediate and decisive.

“In that case, we all must leave for DanSheba right away … and, Oliver, just remember it is critical that Dr. Wu be there.”

“There is where?” Hitch asked. He needed details and she provided them, as if they had been made and memorized long before he called. He was dumbfounded. This DanSheba couldn’t be for real, not the way she described it. What had he expected, a luxury health clinic in the heart of Minnesota. For the life of him, he couldn’t wrap his arms around the idea. India? The jungle? A village? A state-of-the-art hospital and research center? How in the hell was he going to wrap himself around all that. How was he going to wrap Kathy around it?

Jesus, Elana! He had to reach Julian. He tried several times and only succeeded the following morning after a sleepless night. He relayed the plan to his CIA buddy and let him know exactly when and where he was to bring Elana.

“And Julian, keep in mind that VAMA is everywhere. We can’t afford losing her.” “We will arrive incognito but we will arrive, my friend,” Julian promised.

After clicking off, Hitch began packing up. In doing so he discovered the book he took from the Jewish School of Learning, The First Coming. He stopped and stared at it. Who were these people who waited for centuries for the Messiah? How did a whole village manage to avoid the long arm of VAMA? A state-of-the-art hospital?

“Jesus! I need a drink!”