Chapter 36: Conversation
Arthur closed the door audibly to give the impression that Melissa had followed Doctor Patrick's warning and left the lab. Arthur counted two seconds silently to himself before he creaked the door open again.
Doctor Patrick seemed to have fallen for his trick. The man turned back to his work and did not notice the door behind him had opened once more. Arthur observed the man for a while and was figuring out what to do when Doctor Patrick paused.
Arthur believed the good doctor had run out of material because he moved away from the table to one of the boxes to grab a handful of dead herbs. This gave Arthur an uninterrupted view of the table where the doctor stationed himself earlier.
The first thing that caught Arthur's attention was the mortar and pestle that sat at the middle of the table. He could discern from first glance that it was definitely made of magic. For one, the mortar and pestle were glowing mutely. It reminded Arthur of the soft glow the Jade Rabbit was eliciting when it was inside the Midnight Emporium.
That was not all that was magical about the mortar and pestle. The instrument itself seemed to be made of some kind of material that the young man had not seen in his life before. It was of a grey-white hue and would glisten when it caught the light. Considering the origin of the mortar and pestle, Arthur had good reason to believe it was carved from moon rock.
While Arthur was observing the mortar and pestle, he noticed out of the corner of his eyes, the Jade Rabbit's beady eyes were glued to the instrument as well. This confirmed the mortar and pestle was the target of his latest mission. He was on the right path.
But now... how was he going to sneak the instrument out of the room without arousing Doctor Patrick's suspicion?
He had tried to lure Doctor Patrick away with Melissa's voice but it was to no avail. While Arthur was figuring out the solution, Doctor Patrick returned from the metal rack. Then he did something that shocked Arthur.
The doctor used the mortar to snub out the cigar he was smoking!
The ash mixed into the poultice and Doctor Patrick added more herbs into the mix before the ember from the cigar caught fire. The man was definitely not a doctor and he had no regards for cleanliness and human life! How could he sell these "medicine" for human consumption?! It was such a crime!
Arthur could feel the fire burn up within him and he knew he had to do something to stop this criminal of a man. He considered calling the police but would they believe him without actual proof. Furthermore, Doctor Patrick could turn this around on him to charge him for illegal trespassing.
Arthur locked eyes with the Jade Rabbit and a plan started to form in his mind. He pointed at the mortar and pestle and then at the open window. Arthur hoped the Jade Rabbit understood what he was trying to express. In any case, the rabbit nodded its small head.
After a few more minutes of silent communication between Arthur and the Jade Rabbit, it was time to put the plan into motion.
Arthur pushed the door open and stepped into the room. The door creaked noisily and this naturally caught the attention of Doctor Patrick. The man turned around to look at Arthur. He had a look of surprise on his face before it gave way to recognition.
Doctor Patrick was younger than Arthur assumed. He looked to be in his late 20s and he had a thin pair of eyes that raised upwards, giving him the look of a miser.
Doctor Patrick began cryptically, "Looks like I have a guest. Forgive my lack of manners for not coming out to welcome you earlier."
The man sounded slick and oily like a snake-oil merchant. Arthur's guard went up almost immediately, his instinct told him, this was someone he had to be careful around if he did not want to get tricked by his words. Furthermore, Arthur did not like the words that left Doctor Patrick's lips. There was an implication that the man knew him and Arthur did not appreciate that.
The bad feeling in Arthur's mind intensified when Doctor Patrick continued with, "You're Arthur from the Midnight Emporium, I presume?" The man combined that with a disarming smile. This raised plenty of red flags in Arthur's mind but he knew he couldn't leave just like that.
This was because the Jade Rabbit had crawled out from its hiding place and if he just up and leave, he would leave the creature exposed. He needed to distract Doctor Patrick's attention while the Jade Rabbit carried out its part of the plan.
Therefore, Arthur silenced the panic in his heart and forced himself to calm down to continue this conversation with Doctor Patrick. "How did you know my name?" Arthur was indeed curious about that. In his memory, he did not think he had crossed paths with this doctor before.
Doctor Patrick flashed a meaningful smile like he was privy to something that was not in Arthur's knowledge. Arthur hated that feeling, he had seen that smile on Miss S. before. He knew both Miss S. and Doctor Patrick knew more than he did and he was certain they weren't going to share that knowledge with him.
Proving Arthur correct, Doctor Patrick shrugged and changed the subject by posing back a question to Arthur, "To what do I owe the pleasure? Are you here in search of miracle pills..." Doctor Patrick paused for effect. "Or something more?"
By then, the Jade Rabbit had reached the table in the middle of the room. Arthur was nervous and panicking for the creature's behalf but he didn't let it show on his face lest it aroused Doctor Patrick's suspicion. All he could do was to carry on this weird conversation.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Lonelytree
Lonelytree I've edited the book's synopsis and Chapter 3 to provide a better direction for the plot.
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