Merciless Reason by Oisin McGann Page A

zoologist by nature. The truth is that they are neither animal nor machine, but something in between.”
    â€œGerald … it’s freezing up here. Will you be getting to the point any time soon?”
    â€œThe point is this. Brunel used engimal parts in some of his engineering designs with varying degrees of success. But his ideas have opened up a host of new possibilities. I have decided to try something along those lines myself. I shall be making occasional use of the organ in the church, so I chose to have it built to my own specifications.”
    Daisy regarded him for as long as she could stand.
    â€œAre you telling me that the church organ is made up of engimal parts? That’s barbaric, Gerald.”
    â€œNo more than having your chair upholstered with leather,” he replied. “Or burning a tallow candle, or using a hairbrush with a bone or ivory handle. Even your late father-in-law had his missing hand replaced with an engimal claw. We use animal parts every day, in every part of our lives.”
    â€œBut … engimals , Gerald. Each one is unique. They don’t breed—every time you kill one, it cannot be replaced. They’re thousands of years old! Think of what they’ve seen! I really thought you believed that of all God’s creations they were among the most fascinating, the most precious.”
    â€œGod? Are you still making decisions based on that old mythology? That way lies insanity, Daisy. Remember in ’fifty-seven, how those Sepoy soldiers in India were so outraged about the beef grease in their bullet cartridges that they started a bloody mutiny? Because it was against their religion. The British nearly lost control of India because of beef grease . It is absurd. These kinds of beliefs are religious poppycock that has no place in a rational world. And don’t you pretend to be squeamish about such things, Daisy. It doesn’t suit you.”
    He gestured towards a circular window set into the wall of one of the turrets. It had an unusual steel frame and could not be opened. Daisy glanced towards it, but then averted her eyes.
    â€œEdgar Wildenstern kept his wife trapped in that room for years, did you know that?” Gerald said to her.
    â€œYes,” she said.
    â€œI’ve read Edgar’s journals. Dear Aunt Miriam defied his will. As punishment, he had her committed to an asylum not long after Tatiana was born. For some reason, he brought Miriam back home after little more than a year, but kept her imprisoned up here. No one knew she was here, but there were times—when the house was quiet and the wind was right—that you could hear distant screams. If she wasn’t deranged when he had her committed, she was well and truly insane by the end of her life.”
    Gerald turned to Daisy.
    â€œHe loved her, you know. And yet he was prepared to do that to her—to maintain control of the family. I admire his strength of will. I know you and Tatiana—perhaps even Cathal—have been making moves against me. Obviously you are more subtle than some of the troglodytes in the house, but I am not fooled. I tolerate Tatiana out of some soft-hearted affection—and because she amuses me. Cathal is valuable to me, and his defiant character is also entertaining. I put up with you because, bizarrely, you have a better head for business than most of the men in the house. But you must be aware that there are costs for interfering with my plans, Daisy. Don’t push me too far.”
    Looking down at his cigarette, he saw that it had gone out. He flicked it into the wind and it was whisked off into the vast space beyond the roof. Then he turned away and strolled towards the door to the stairs. Daisy stood there, trembling in the cold for a while longer, preferring to walk back downstairs alone.
    No matter what happened, she refused to let him see how terrified she was of him.
    There was a letter waiting for Daisy on her desk when she