Creation Page #5

Bosh! You have had this illness

as long as I have known you.

It's worse in times of overwork,

but it has nothing to do with your soul,

wherever that resides now.

- Go and get yourself treated.

- I cannot.

Believe me, you do have enemies.

I'll bet half the nation

would see you burnt at the stake

if they knew what you were writing,

but you have friends, too,

and all of us

are fighting the same battle.

And we can win this in our lifetimes.

We have to win this.

I implore you, go to Malvern,

take your blessed water cure,

come back and win it for us.

- She's nearly ready.

- Thank you. Move those quickly, please.

- I want to come with you.

- No.

- Malvern's not so far.

- Parslow! It's two days by coach.

- What if the baby comes early?

- They have doctors there.

- Your job is here with the children.

- They also need their father.

I can't care about the other children

now. I can only care about Annie!

Mind her shawl,

make sure it's tucked in.

Alright, thank you. Thank you.

Alright, little frog.

- I made these. It's Annie's favourite.

- Thank you.

You will see your mama

when you're well again.

- Brodie, get aboard.

- No! No!

- Say goodbye, now.

- No, I don't want to say goodbye!

- Say goodbye now.

- No, I'm going with you.

I'm going with you.

Wait there! Wait for me!

Go! Go now.

Walk on.

Mr Darwin, old friend. Mr Darwin.

How long has it been?

I haven't clapped eyes on you since...

Well... So, what have we now?

What have we now?

Tongue? Hmm-hm.

Shirt up. Let me feel your liver.

Right. Up.

Pulse hectic, tongue furred,

liver tender and enlarged.

And obviously you've been exercising

your brain every hour that God gave you.

- I have been writing a book.

- Madness!

There are far too many of those already.

- Are you sleeping?

- Poorly.

And I suppose never taking

the 50c dilution of Chelidonium?

I had my carpenter build a water tower.

It no longer has any effect.

Of course not!

Your carpenter isn't a hydrotherapist.

- What on Earth possessed you?

- I feared I was dying.

Oh, come, come, come.

We shall not have that talk here.

A sharp spinal scrub,

cold douche daily at 7:00am,

and sweating by the lamp.

No red meat, no reading,

no mental agitation of any kind.

We shall soon have you right, Mr Darwin.

We shall soon have you right.

Papa? I think I'm feeling better now.

Honestly.

Papa!

Sir, I kneel before You in all humility.

If it is in Your power, God,

to save her...

...then I will believe in You

for the rest of my days.

Take me, if You must take someone,

but not her. She...

She's such a good little girl, you see.

She...

I ask this in the name

of Your child and mine

and in the name of all children.

Thank you. Amen.

With what do you most

associate these symptoms? Eating?

Strong emotion? Physical exertion?

Any particular action?

- Is... Is memory an action?

- Memory of what?

- My daughter.

- Of course.

You must accept

there was nothing more to be done.

Oh, dear fellow... she is in heaven.

Yes, that's what my wife believes.

It is a great consolation to her.

But not you?

She and I are divided on it.

- Were you always?

- No.

Only since Annie died.

Whoa, there.

Charles, I'm...

I'm so very sorry about Annie.

- Where is she?

- In the Lady Chapel.

Thank you. Thank you.

Since that time, she has sought

refuge in religion, and I in science.

Has this division...

affected your marital relations?

We have none any more... to speak of.

Perhaps that's for the best.

Meaning?

Our last baby...

Baby Ch... Baby Charlie.

He barely survived beyond infancy and...

Are you familiar

with the writings of de Quincey?

Yes, I... I've read him.

I have no time for the man.

He maintains that certain thoughts

can reside in our mind...

...without us being aware of them.

They then may manifest as boils

and fainting spells... and ghosts.

It's po... It's possible, yes.

Annie is buried here in Malvern,

is she not?

- Yes.

- And have you yet visited the grave?

- I really do not wish to discuss this.

- Of course...

- What possible bearing can it have?

- It has every bearing.

That is your opinion. Your treatments

have been effective. I feel cured.

I think not, sir.

I think you're not yet cured.

- Do you have faith, Mr Darwin?

- What?

You say you take no comfort

from religion, but do you have faith?

Until you do, all the waters in

the world will not be the cure of you.

Annie?

Annie! Annie!

Annie!

Annie!

Annie!

Hello?

Hello?

Hello? Hello?

- Good evening.

- Good evening.

I'm Mr Darwin.

I lodged here some time ago.

Room number 12, wasn't it?

Yes, it was.

I would only be ten minutes or so.

First floor.

- Last room on the right.

- Yes, I remember.

Thank you.

I have the embrocation.

- Does she want for anything else?

- No, I'm sure that will do admirably.

Alright. Alright, little one.

Here we go. Now, then.

Just rub this on.

- How's that? Better?

- Yes.

Dearest Emma, I think it best

for you to know how each day passes.

Doctor Gully's treatments

are having some effect at last.

I will write again tomorrow,

but in the meantime...

The surgeon came today

to draw off Annie's water.

This did not hurt her,

and seemed to give much relief.

I asked if there was

any immediate threat to her life,

but he believes

she has turned the corner.

My Emma, Annie rallied yesterday.

For a moment, I was foolish

with delight, but now, suddenly,

our dear child

has taken a turn for the worse.

This last attack was first thought

to be of the smallest importance

but rapidly assumed the form

of a low and dreadful fever.

She talks a great deal,

but we can seldom make out anything.

Look, Mama, I'm a general!

Much of what she says

we cannot make out

from the roughness of her poor mouth.

- We sponged her with water and vinegar.

- There we are.

- Made her sweet with chloride of lime.

- Alright.

Gully thinks our poor, sweet child

is in imminent danger.

Is that better, my darling?

Is that better?

Beautifully good.

I'm making custard.

My darling Emma, I miss you, terribly.

More now than ever.

I often think of the precious looks

Annie gives you.

You were always

the tenderest of human beings to her

and comfort her so on all occasions.

This dreadful alternation

of hope and no hope sickens the soul.

I feel we must prepare ourselves

for the worst.

Tell me about Jenny.

What about Jenny?

Ab... About how she dies.

Please, Papa. I like it.

Well...

what the keeper told me was this.

When she was very sick

with pneumonia, lying very still...

...he tried to feed her with a spoon.

But she shook her head

and she looked at him

as if to say...

..."That's very sweet of you. Really."

"We're beyond that now."

And the keeper was much moved

by the gentleness of the little ape.

And as he bent down to comfort her,

she brought her arms

up around his neck...

...and looked into his eyes

in the most human fashion.

And then she laid her head

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