TICKLISH TRUTHS

So they went back to Doctor Franklin's quarters. One other man joined them. He didn't say much. The doctor said he represented the government in Washington. From what Zebulon knows about the courts of your imperial presidents, he was quite the proper functionary, tall. fit. trim black suit, severe bone structure, yada. yada. yada (Zebulon likes that term).The pretty, young doctorix, the one who kept Jonathon company when he hung naked and suspended in the mmagnetic field, as well as other more private places peeked in to. But the representative of the imperial president gave her a look and sent her away. I'm telling you, that individual would have been right at home as one of the Ten Thousand Immortals in the ancient Persian court. Times change. Things don't. Doctor Franklin poured a glass of hard cider for himself. He offered one to the man in black. But he just shook his head. Jonathon, of course, took no drink. He was quite content with his small aromma candle, held in one of the doctor's antique cut glass holders. Wild apple, I think it was. The old founding father spoke first. He said - I know certain people, those who know, speak of the Anti-Enchantment-Bureau. But it's not that we're truly anti enchantment. We just want to learn about it. We just want to monitor it and guide it. Not control. You'll notice I did not say control. I know that's what they think. But that's not what we are......The court functionarty smirked. The other two pretended not to notice.......Jonathon asked - Then why am I here? Why did you take me into custody?........To study you, my boy. To run some scans. said the doctor. Oh, we knew about you. We just never had a close look.......Franklin turned to the man in black and added - He was already on the streets of this city when I came.......Ah, so we are in the city. I thought so. But where? -asked Jonathon..........The Naval Shipyards, or what used to be the Naval Shipyards. Now we have room for private concerns as well. But we're still primarily a shipyard. You heard if the Philadelphia Experiment, haven't you? - said Franklin.........The experiment? You mean the experiment they did during the Second War of All the World? - whispered Jonathon. The one where they dematerialized a great ship and caused it to recondense upon the far, western sea? Are you talking about that!?........The functionary stiffled a laugh. But Franklin quietly added - Yes, and that was one of mine. You saw the Great Armonica. You saw what that can do. And I only showed you a tiny bit...........So? - said Jonathon........So don't  question me, - stated Franklin. What do you think would have happened if the police picked you up? Their action in the tunnels was quite independent. Some 'higher-ups' fixed things so we could go along too. Am I not right, Jameson?......Jameson, the ersatz 'Persian Immortal,' just nodded.........Jonathon could not help it. If all this was true, If all this power was real, how long would it take to free Sarah and the others? And did the government really care about doing that?........The long haired, old reprobate seemed to sense his thoughts. He just looked at him and shook his head......Obviously, this was not the place to talk about that. Maybe there were different factions. Maybe it was just an equation. A matter of pluses and minuses. Maybe one vampire was enough. Did they know about Baylah? Did the old man catch that thought? Think about something else. Think about something else........Jonathon said - Please, sir, may I sleep in a proper bed 'tonight', or whenever it is that I sleep?............The doctor looked down and nodded. But the trim man in the black suit was quick to add - If you allow that, he has to wear the collar........So Jonathon slept in a proper bed. And he did wear the 'control collar' (sublimation proof, of couse). But about two hundred heartbeats after the lights went out, the sweet, young doctorix snuck inside and joined him.......