Skull Session (52 page)
Authors: Daniel Hecht
Mark didn't say anything. He took an exploratory turn through the room, touching lightly the blood-pressure monitor, the lamp bolted to the wall, the bulletproof window in the door, and ended up as if by accident near the bed again.
"Did Lia explain all this to you?" Paul asked him.
"I've got it too, don't I?" Mark asked in a hoarse whisper. His eyes flicked up to Paul's face, then away.
Paul blew air out through pursed lips. "I guess so. It seems to run in our family. Your symptoms are the same ones I had when I was your age. But—"
"Does that mean I'll get Tourette's too? Say swear words and stuff?"
"What? God, no! At least, the odds against it are enormous. There's no connection at all between Tourette's and . . . this other thing. I somehow managed to inherit two rare, unrelated neurological conditions."
Mark looked relieved. "Lucky you, huh?"
"I got lucky in other ways, though," Paul said, touching Mark's arm.
"So does me having that other thing mean that I'm going to start flipping out and killing people?" He said it with a certain bravado, but the concern was real.
"Mark, it was only when someone tried to hurt you and Lia! That's the only thing that could have made me do something like that."
And
that's not so bad,
Paul thought. Here was the real answer to Royce's question. The HHK/HHD reflex was in there, yes—powerful, so powerful he could rip somebody apart.
But it's awakened only by something
stronger and deeper, something all human beings have in them. It lives at the very
bottom of every person, aforce, yes, but not necessarily a monster. Love's shadow,
neither good nor bad, just very, very strong. Ultimately, it is what you make of it.
Mark tried a tentative smile. "So even if you get mad at me because I don't clean my room or something—"
They both laughed. Mark was doing it again: His troubled eyes told Paul that his mood was serious, that he hadn't recovered from what he'd seen, and yet he was setting up their routine, the banter that would complete the bridge between them.
If only Ben could meet this
kid!
Suddenly, the scope of Mark's strength took his breath away: his courage, the way he rallied from setbacks, the profound depth of his desire to care for those he loved. If it came to a contest between the kind of storm that had spun up out of Vivien's anguish and the very different sort of power that resided in this kid, he'd bet on Mark, no question.
The thought cheered him. True, there might be a problem resuming his life, his role as a father, given the interest of the CIA and Army Intelligence in his capacities: What they called "some voluntary tests" could be doublespeak for a permanent role as guinea pig, isolated in some top-secret laboratory, far from Lia and Mark—
But just the thought brought on a movement deep inside him, as if some huge creature had shifted in its sleep, and, recognizing the sensation, Paul had to smile slightly.
The association of Tourette's syndrome (TS) with other neurological conditions described in
Skull Session
is entirely fictional, and is not intended to imply an actual link between TS and violent behaviors, specific psychological conditions, or particular personality types.
While the number of people in the United States with TS is estimated at 250,000, most show only mild symptoms, such as simple motor tics; only 10 to 15 percent exhibit coprolalia, the involuntary outburst of obscene language. In general, people with TS lead productive lives as teachers and technicians, bus drivers and bankers, actors and athletes, surgeons and secretaries. TS is genetic in origin and is considered part of a spectrum of conditions that include attention-deficit disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. As a growing body of medical literature attests, TS research offers many fascinating insights into normal human cognition and behavior.
Once diagnosed properly, TS can be treated effectively with medication. For more information, get in touch with the Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc., 42-40 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361; telephone (718) 2242999, fax (718) 279-9596, or by e-mail: [email protected] .com. Or visit the TSA Web site at
www.tsa-usa.com
.
This book would not exist without the assistance of many people. Any inaccuracies in the text are due to my own stupidity or reckless license, and not to lack of effort or expertise on the part of these individuals.
I am grateful to the Tourette Syndrome Association, which has done a remarkable job of making the public aware of this difficult and fascinating condition. Profuse thanks are in order to Sue Levi-Pearl, director of medical and scientific programs at the TSA, and Dr. Ruth Bruun of the TSA's medical advisory board, for valuable insights on the inner experience of Touretters. Thanks are also due to Dr. Oliver Sacks for his wonderful articles on Tourette's.
For information about forensic investigation and police procedure, I am deeply indebted to the New York State Police, to Dr. Michael Baden, the renowned forensic pathologist, and especially to Major Tim McAuliffe, who gave generously of his time and the knowledge in criminal investigation and police administration. The people of New York State are fortunate to be served by such individuals, and by an organization of such effectiveness, integrity, and devotion to duty.
Thanks also to Tom Buckles, forensic criminologist, legal educator, and friend, for his review of legal and forensic considerations, and to Dr.
John Matthew for his suggestions on specific concerns of anatomy and biochemistry.
Finally, thanks are in order for Nicole Aragi, my most ferocious and lovely agent, for her unwavering belief in this book.
Daniel Hecht was a professional guitarist for
twenty years, with a musical career that included
albums on Windham Hill Records, concerts at
Carnegie Hall, and international performance tours.
In 1989, he retired from musical performance to take
up writing, and he received his M.F.A. from the
Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1992. He is the author of
five novels: the bestselhng
Skull Session;
its prequel,
Puppets; The Babel Effect;
and two novels featuring parapsychologist
Cree Black,
City of Masks
and
Land of Echoes.
For more information on his books,
visit Daniel Hecht's Web site at
www.danielhecht.com
.
The text of this book is set in Bembo. This type
was first used in 1495 by the Venetian printer Aldus
Manutius for Cardinal Bembo's
De Aetna,
and was
cut for Manutius by Francesco Griffo.
It was one of the types used by Claude Garamond
(1480-1561) as a model for his Romain de
L'Universite, and so it was the forerunner of what
became standard European type for the following
two centuries.
Its modern form follows the original types and
was designed for Monotype in 1929.
