Retinae continued

There were three other men in the hall, all dressed in the same suit.

- Gentlemen, please…

Dr. Pavek approached them with a smile, then pointed to a table where there were exactly three glasses filled with some extraordinarily colorful drink.

The three men, who in every way were very much alike, sat down on three upholstered chairs and, almost at the same time, raised their eyes to Dr. Pavek. He smiled back at them, then smiled at Mr. Schaw, who held another glass of the same drink and had just been back from someplace else. With a click on his minimal remote control, Dr. Pavek made the walls close behind Mr. Schaw and the five gentlemen now shared a much smaller room.

- Well – commenced the Dr, with an accent that was either Polish or English.

- Julius, I don’t know if the news about the murders have reached you… – Mr. Schaw now seemed deprived of all the joy the lab had given him earlier.

Dr. Pavek’s expression grew darker.

- I believe someone has been murdering many of my clients by removing their substitute eyes.

- Yes, that one.

- Of course I’ve heard of him.

Then he looked at his watch, a broad tech device whose display seemed to be in unstoppable movement.

- And if I’m not mistaken, he has just striked again, while you gentlemen were talking to me.

- Who’s the new victim? – asked one of the three.

- An Elisa Baltimore, 22, used to be pretty.

- Julius, this is very serious business.

- Yes, I know. But I have no idea of how I could possibly be of any help if not by giving a 1 billion name list of everyone who’s seeing through the glasses I’ve invented 20 years ago.

The three men sat still. Mr. Schaw went along.

- We were expecting you’d tell us something the murders could have in common.

- I don’t quite know much about them, I’m afraid, Richard. They came to me long ago, as new born babies or children. Which reminds me that I should be getting back to my See-All class. Don’t you think those children should learn a little about the human eye, the one they’ve had for years now, without giving it the slightest thought?

- Oh, certainly – replied one of the three – and what is this drink?

- It’s vodka and chocolate with a little of my eye soup. Oh, you don’t have to worry. If anything, it’ll make you see better.

Dr. Pavek stood up and walked to the wall, where he pressed one of three red buttons. The three gentlemen left him, each with a short bow exactly like the one before. Then he came back to the room, where Mr. Schaw awaited him with another glass of the same drink.

- Richard, I should like to tell that if you drink up to 3 of those, instead of seeing better, you’ll lose awareness of your whereabouts.

Mr. Schaw laughed heartily. Dr. Pavek smiled.

- Let’s check on these victims.