Page 51 - Just Deserts

Revelation Research

She was able to remove vials of blood which had tested HIV-positive
from laboratory consignments of contaminants destined for
destruction. Then she mixed small quantities of the infected serum
with standard vaccination dosages and distributed them to her
cronies. They were all committed to their goal, and not one would
consider revealing the truth to anyone else. Except Florence, who
thought Mary was sufficiently indoctrinated to receive the
information. Or it may have been that Florence simply had an urge to
confess, or to brag. That’s not really relevant.”
Hugh fell silent as the coffee arrived, and Karp remained tight-
lipped and grim. Then the researcher continued. “The point is that
Florence misjudged Mary. Although she had entered the witches’
coven, and embraced that devil’s creed, Mary retained some kernel of
decency. I think she must have been brought up a Christian, then
fallen by the wayside as so many do when confronted by the
temptations of modern life. At any rate, after another year had
passed, Mary’s airline went through some financial reversals and
greatly curtailed its operations in Miami. She was transferred here,
and that broke the hold that those militant feminists had on her. One
day Our Lord revealed Himself to her, and she was born again as a
true Christian. She left her position with the airline and took her
present job with a charitable organization providing free medical
screening at shopping centers. But her knowledge tormented her.
She knew a terrible wrong had been done; at the same time, however,
she feared retribution from her former associates if she accused
them. The conflict appears to have resolved itself now, perhaps as a
consequence of her meeting me, and she is ready to go public—only
with adequate protection, of course. We would have to guarantee her
safety.”
“We would?” said Hugh, emphasizing the pronoun.
“All right, Liberty Lobby would. Revelation Research certainly
doesn’t have the resources, and I frankly don’t trust my own
supervisors as much as you and your board of directors. Honestly,
Mr. Karp, this is really big. If we don’t handle her with kid gloves,
she’ll bolt—leave Washington, go back to her home town somewhere
out in the hinterlands, and we’ll never get another chance to blow the

50