Hark
Animal testing was working well. This coma spell tired him only a bit, and his vitality returned the moment his subjects were extinguished. There was something going on with that, but it didn’t seem to be permanent, so he didn’t worry much about it.
He felt more confident in this plan than in any of his others. So Victor turned his focus to preparation: nailing his restraints to the wood table, thick leather and steel, adding an additional lock on the basement door so it could be barred from either side.
He scheduled to borrow a horse to help carry the body and packed a cloak and hat of a different color if he needed to swiftly change descriptions to escape the authorities.
Every day felt brighter and easier the closer that graduation came. Even speaking with his classmates came to him with ease, and they seemed to warm to him in these twilight hours.
Only Gregor brought up his wild assertions with a sneer, but Victor brushed it off, assuring him that all would be well and he should focus on saving his money to pay his debts on their bet.
Gregor wasn’t pleased to hear that, but Petyr always clamped a firm hand on Gregor’s shoulder or arm and shot Victor a long-suffering grin.
Perhaps Victor would ask Petyr to work for him when the time came. As a gift for understanding Victor’s worth early. It would burn a proud man like Petyr to be so indebted.
The two days before graduation came swiftly. Victor rushed home before the sun had set.
His landlady had been gone for a single night, and the staff had begun to relax in her absence. Victor didn’t have the authority to command them to clean for guests, so he sent them home and anxiously scrubbed the empty house himself.
He set the table with wineglasses and holly and placed brushes of pine beneath each sconce and candle until the house smelled fresh.
He scoured the lab until it gleamed, removed all jars and tinctures and samples.
Brought a lamp to the table for extra light, prepared his cleanest lab jacket, gloves, and goggles and put them to the side.
Then he took a tour through the house. Opened the front door and walked through the property as if he were a guest: champagne chilled, rooms smelling of warming spices and winter trees, followed a candlelight path down to the basement into Victor’s lair.
His brilliance lit up by electric lamp, the surgical table bathed in spotlight.
He was ready.