Leviathan

"For the most part you have described Osler's disease, Dr. Trevor," Collins said, looking at Farbeaux, who returned the look with mild surprise. "One of the symptoms you described is not listed in her family history as being a part of Osler's."

Trevor looked from Jack to Heirthall, who was watching him closely. He cleared his throat. "And that is?"

"There is no history of schizophrenia attached to the description of the illness," Collins said, waiting for a reaction. There was none because Heirthall continued talking as though his comment regarding her illness had never been made. If this was done intentionally Jack didn't know. However, he did observe Heirthall's gaze linger for an extra moment on Trevor.

"My compliments, Colonel, your research justifies my suspicion that your Group knew more about my family than my crew believed. Now please, all of you take a seat. We have much to discuss, and I'm sure after I have finished, you will have more questions," Alexandria said, cutting the doctor's explanation off before it started.

As they sat, they all could see that Alexandria was functioning much better with all of the pain medication, although her eyes were hazy and unfocused. It was a testament to her will power.

"I need to ask some questions of you first. Senator Lee, whose knowledge in natural history is far beyond most, is a good person to start with, since his hatred for me is so hard to hide."

There was no protest of innocence from the senator; only a stern countenance as he waited.

"Answer quickly, Senator, and keep your answers to one or two words if you will. The first answer that comes into your mind--are you ready?" she asked as she looked from Lee to the others around the large table.

"Fire away, Captain," Lee said as he patted Alice on her hand, trying to tell her he would keep his cool.

"Excellent. Answer 'true' or 'false' to these questions about the Event Group's vast archives."

"If it's games you would like to play, have at it, young lady--especially if it keeps you from killing."

"Flying saucers?" Alexandria asked, ignoring the senator's comment.

Lee smiled knowingly. "True."

"A large animal in Loch Ness?"

"Once true, but no longer. The species finally went extinct during World War Two."

Ryan and Mendenhall looked at Alice at the same time and with the same question etched on their faces. She only nodded her head.

"Bigfoot?" Alexandria asked quickly, trying not to give the senator time to think.

"No hard evidence--false."

"Yeti?"

"Again, no credible evidence--false."

"Mermaids?"

"Myth, fairy tale--false."

"Wrong. True," Heirthall said, shocking the Group.

Everyone in the room looked over at the captain of Leviathan, confirming beyond anyone's doubts that she had lost her mind.

"You did very well, Senator; three out of four."

"What sort of nonsense is this?" Lee asked, looking angry at being played for a fool.

"A bit melodramatic, I agree; however, it was just too tempting, Senator. The excavations you have just seen were accomplished by a life form that predates our human existence by twenty-three million years--give or take a millennium."

"Mermaids, please," Ryan said, looking the smallest bit hopeful.

"That's just what my ancestor referred to them as. He was a mystical man, after all. He first thought they were angels that had come to take him to a better place--so what is more fanciful, angels or mermaids? They actually saved him from sure death when he escaped a French prison."

"The Chateau d'If," Farbeaux said aloud.

"Yes, the very same. He would have drowned upon his escape, but a group of what we now know as symbiants saved him. He was lucky, as this group of small symbiants was no longer indigenous to the Atlantic. They accidentally came upon Roderick Deveroux, the father of Octavian Heirthall, the man who built the first Leviathan."

"You call them symbiants. Why?" Compton asked.

Alexandria lowered her head and then paced to the observation window.

"Because they can live inside of a human host," Farbeaux answered for her, finally speaking up from his chair.

"Score one for you, Henri," Jack said, nodding in the Frenchman's direction.

"When Roderick Deveroux discovered them," the Frenchman continued, looking from Collins to Alexandria, "they were a dying species. At only four to five feet long, and grown from an octopuslike body, like a cocoon, they were formally known as Octopiheirthollis."

"Impressive, Colonel Farbeaux," Alexandria said, looking not at Henri but Dr. Trevor. "Continue, by all means." Her eyes flicked to Commander Samuels, who nodded once and then moved his attention to Trevor.