When the food was
presented, Dr. Ravensburg dismissed all of the servants with a wave of his
hand. He waited until he was alone with his guest before proceeding. The issue
that prompted this dinner placed a heavy burden on his mind and he could
avoid it no longer. He took a deep breath, then addressed his guest.
“I have been hesitant
to welcome you to my home,” he said, folding his hands together. “The subject
matter you have inquired about is, shall we say… delicate.”
The dinner guest nodded without saying a
word.
“I must confess,”
continued Dr. Ravensburg, “I was a bit surprised when I first read your letter.
You appeared to be a promising intellectual and I never imagined someone of your stature would pursue
such a controversial project. There are many ethical considerations at stake,
and my first impression was to dismiss you completely… maybe even report you
for crimes against humanity and God. I may still do so, since your area of
interest is so utterly forbidden, but I decided I should first give you a
chance to explain yourself. So tell me, what is your fascination with the
reanimation of dead tissue, Dr. Frankenstein?”
A bolt of lightning
struck, just outside the window. The clap of thunder shook the entire mansion
and a blinding flash illuminated the entire room with a pale blue light that
seemed to fade away slowly.
From across the
table, Dr. Ravensburg’s dinner guest leaned forward and spoke for the first
time since he entered the room.
“I apologize for
making you uncomfortable,” he said, “But I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding.
I’m not interested in the reanimation of dead tissue, but in the redemption of
debt issue. And my name isn’t Frankenstein, it’s Frank Stein. I run a debt
consolidation service across town. I know a medical degree is expensive and I’d
like to talk to you about some options we can offer to help pay off your school
loans.”
“Ah… I see.” Dr.
Ravensburg let out a heavy sigh. His exciting evening just took a turn for the
worse.
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