triptych of stories featuring the dastardly German, beginning with “The Mind-Forged Manacles of Markus Mesmer” and ending with the thrilling “The Final Battle.” Mesmer was one of the most exciting recurring villains in the Captain Trigger adventures, though that final story had concluded with Trigger turning Mesmer’s own Hypno-Array upon him and convincing the crook that he was actually a force for good.
Of course, as Gideon had swiftly found out upon meeting Trigger earlier that year, the adventures did not often live up to the lofty claim that began each story: This adventure, as always, is utterly true, and faithfully retold by my good friend, Doctor John Reed.—Captain Lucian Trigger
With a start, Gideon realized Mr. Elmwood was speaking to him, and not for the first time reprimanded himself: He was no longer a mere fan of Captain Trigger’s adventures. Now he was living them.
* * *
“Our daughter Charlotte has just turned twenty-one,” said Henry Elmwood. “She is a very beautiful girl, though you would perhaps expect a father to say that. Beautiful and vulnerable. I confess, Mr. Smith, that I have tried to protect Charlotte from the worst excesses of this world as much as possible, but there comes a time … well. You cannot keep them cosseted forever. My wife thought it would be a good idea to have Charlotte mix more with girls her own age, so a year ago we enrolled her in a finishing school in Holborn. Last Sunday one of the girls who attends her classes held a birthday party, to which Charlotte was invited. The entertainment was provided by Markus Mesmer.”
“After all that has been written about Mesmer, someone thought him a suitable choice for a young woman’s party?” asked Gideon.
Elmwood frowned. “I understood the stories in that penny dreadful were mere fantasies … but yes, Mesmer was the entertainment. We attended, of course, as chaperones. Mesmer put on quite a show, and hypnotized the girls to perform a variety of comical tasks. One quacked like a duck, and another danced around as though she were an African savage. Then, with a snap of his fingers, they were back to normal.”
Gideon shook his head. Elmwood said, “Mr. Mesmer seemed to take an inordinate interest in Charlotte.… He seemed very taken with her blond hair. He asked us many questions about ourselves, and seemed rather peeved at our responses. When it came to Charlotte’s turn to be hypnotized…”
Elmwood coughed and glanced at his wife. “I am sorry, Mr. Smith, but this is very delicate, and there is no easy way to tell you. Mesmer hypnotized her into believing she was nothing more than a common whore.”
A small, strangled cry escaped Mrs. Elmwood’s lips, and her shoulders began to shake. Elmwood placed a hand on her and said softly, “Control yourself, Martha.”
“It was a terrible sight!” Mrs. Elmwood blurted out. “She cavorted around the room, approaching all the fathers of the other girls and propositioning them! We shall never show our faces in society again!”
“But did Mesmer not fix the hypnosis?”
“The scoundrel claimed his so-called Hypno-Array was suddenly broken!” said Elmwood with barely contained fury. “A scaffold of lights and lenses which he wore upon his head. He took me into the corridor and said that it would be costly to fix, and he would require funds to be able to return Charlotte to herself.”
“You refused?”
“He wanted five thousand guineas, the villain!” spat Elmwood.
There was an uncomfortable silence, then Gideon said, “So…?”
“Mesmer left and gave me a card with the name of the hotel in which he was staying should we change our minds. We took Charlotte home, of course, and locked her in her room—she made overtures to the cab driver and even our butler. She was like … like an alley cat, Mr. Smith! Our beautiful, sweet daughter, swearing like a dockworker and—and rubbing herself against any man she met!”
“You consulted
Of course, as Gideon had swiftly found out upon meeting Trigger earlier that year, the adventures did not often live up to the lofty claim that began each story: This adventure, as always, is utterly true, and faithfully retold by my good friend, Doctor John Reed.—Captain Lucian Trigger
With a start, Gideon realized Mr. Elmwood was speaking to him, and not for the first time reprimanded himself: He was no longer a mere fan of Captain Trigger’s adventures. Now he was living them.
* * *
“Our daughter Charlotte has just turned twenty-one,” said Henry Elmwood. “She is a very beautiful girl, though you would perhaps expect a father to say that. Beautiful and vulnerable. I confess, Mr. Smith, that I have tried to protect Charlotte from the worst excesses of this world as much as possible, but there comes a time … well. You cannot keep them cosseted forever. My wife thought it would be a good idea to have Charlotte mix more with girls her own age, so a year ago we enrolled her in a finishing school in Holborn. Last Sunday one of the girls who attends her classes held a birthday party, to which Charlotte was invited. The entertainment was provided by Markus Mesmer.”
“After all that has been written about Mesmer, someone thought him a suitable choice for a young woman’s party?” asked Gideon.
Elmwood frowned. “I understood the stories in that penny dreadful were mere fantasies … but yes, Mesmer was the entertainment. We attended, of course, as chaperones. Mesmer put on quite a show, and hypnotized the girls to perform a variety of comical tasks. One quacked like a duck, and another danced around as though she were an African savage. Then, with a snap of his fingers, they were back to normal.”
Gideon shook his head. Elmwood said, “Mr. Mesmer seemed to take an inordinate interest in Charlotte.… He seemed very taken with her blond hair. He asked us many questions about ourselves, and seemed rather peeved at our responses. When it came to Charlotte’s turn to be hypnotized…”
Elmwood coughed and glanced at his wife. “I am sorry, Mr. Smith, but this is very delicate, and there is no easy way to tell you. Mesmer hypnotized her into believing she was nothing more than a common whore.”
A small, strangled cry escaped Mrs. Elmwood’s lips, and her shoulders began to shake. Elmwood placed a hand on her and said softly, “Control yourself, Martha.”
“It was a terrible sight!” Mrs. Elmwood blurted out. “She cavorted around the room, approaching all the fathers of the other girls and propositioning them! We shall never show our faces in society again!”
“But did Mesmer not fix the hypnosis?”
“The scoundrel claimed his so-called Hypno-Array was suddenly broken!” said Elmwood with barely contained fury. “A scaffold of lights and lenses which he wore upon his head. He took me into the corridor and said that it would be costly to fix, and he would require funds to be able to return Charlotte to herself.”
“You refused?”
“He wanted five thousand guineas, the villain!” spat Elmwood.
There was an uncomfortable silence, then Gideon said, “So…?”
“Mesmer left and gave me a card with the name of the hotel in which he was staying should we change our minds. We took Charlotte home, of course, and locked her in her room—she made overtures to the cab driver and even our butler. She was like … like an alley cat, Mr. Smith! Our beautiful, sweet daughter, swearing like a dockworker and—and rubbing herself against any man she met!”
“You consulted
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