The Dragon's Breath

will be revealed. The Seventh Daughter. H Hello, Roy, come in Rose. Fine, no one saw you come in. No, I came up through the cellar. Good, have a seat, Roy. Now, if we can get another booking, we'll bring you back in. But right now we're dark. Oh sure, Rose, I understand. In the meantime, I hoped I might engage your services in another way. Sure, what do you need a little gumshoe work? I'm not exaggerating when I say Pandora's future depends on it. Hey, I do anything for the kid. Rose.

You know that I knew I could count on you. So Pandora is doing a cabinet sitting completely cold and blind. We've got the illusions covered, but we need to know something about the woman who's hosting the seance. Truth secrets doesn't need to be dirt, just things no body else knows. That'll be a cinch. Who's the mark, that's just it? I don't know. They won't tell us. Come on, Rose, ain't nobody could donny that they have clues. There's a famous doctor in town. He set the whole thing up,

so he's our connection to the mystery woman. Here. I've written down his name, Albert fry Hair, his title sort of like a Baron von Shrink, not saying I wish I could afford a monica like that. He's in town to lecture at the mid Atlantic College of Medicine. So I'm thinking this person, this woman is connected to the school somehow, probably a donor, because we have reason to believe she's wealthy, and if she's interested in spiritists, she must have some heartrending secret she can't let go of.

She's a twenty minute cab ribe from the theater, if that helps. That doesn't exactly narrow it down. The sitting is a week from now, so we haven't much time. If Pandora goes in there and gets it wrong, it'll ruin her name. They will publicly humiliate. Maybe you should put it off until we can figure out. We can't show any reluctance, any sign of weakness. Start with shrink. Do whatever you need to do. Get us something. I'll try. Oh you're the delivery man, right, I expect you to

deliver here. Take this. It's two weeks payment. Consider it an advance against any information you can scrape up. Wow, Rose, that that's mighty generous. All right, Roy, I don't mind putting my money on a horse like you, a sure thing, short odds with a big payoff. Thanks Rose. Don't mention it now that business is concluded, take a load off. I was just about to smoke a bindle. If you'd care to join me, I shouldn't. I just managed to get off the stuff and Dora. Pandora's here, yes, ma'am.

Prepare my pipe enough for myself and our guest. You don't have to smoke if you don't want to. You can always just snuggle up close to us and breathe. Pandora has become quite adept. Look at her soft white hands, how gently they tease the little brown pearl perfectly round, ready to hatch our little green friend here lie on your side, you will have the first breath of paradise. Let the lamp warm the pearl, hum. Put the bamboo against your lips, moisten the whole with your tongue. That's it. Now,

breathe it in. Allow the dragon to crawl through the pipe into your mouth. M Let its tongue slither down your throat. Feel its claws pricking the inside of your lungs. You feel it, roy, I'm sure you do, warming your blood with its breadth, every drop that flows through your veins. Did you see her hands? What's that, roy Her hands? Oh? Yes, she has lovely hands. Pandora. Stroke the pearl like I taught you, so it can feel the flame. Hats it and I'll take the pipe. Now. I think you've had

enough for the dragon to properly spread its wings. You've got a job to do. I want to stay. It's too late, roy Already I see you rising up, your body, leaving the straw matt. Your head is no longer resting

on the silk pillow. You are levitating above us, moving out through the walls, lifted skyward on dragons wings, sinking down to the street, crawling along the ground like a winter fog, a vapor permeating everything, spreading like a virus from one person to the next, until you reach the sidewalk outside the Medical College, and you lie there, silent as a shadow, waiting until a door or window is opened just enough to quietly steal inside and tip toe

through the hallways, searching, searching, starting at the College of Medicine, lurking in the holes, crawling over the transoms, searching, watching. Yes, excuse me, I have a message to deliver the Baron von Shrink. He's in a lecture right now. Leave it with me. I'll see that it gets a no. No, no, I have strict orders to deliver it personally. Which way is the lecture hall? You can't go in the lecture. It's fine, It's fine. I'll just wait outside third floor,

south end of the hall. Thanks plans today, city, I leave Tuesday peak. I am rather excited to have scheduled a cabinet city at the young medium here in the city, who is apparently quiet gifted not only with materializations but

psychic pummunications. Is Davenport of the American Society for Psychical Research, has graciously offered to host us as should be quite a demonstration indeed, but I hope that if my lecture was well received, to be able to form a professional association with admitted lat the County of Patters Davenport, Davenport, Davenport, Davenport, Alan, Avery, Charles Charless, Clarence Ferman, George, Mrs Harold Davenport, Mrs Harold Davenport,

Mrs Harold Davenport, Mrs Harold Davenport, socialite, philanthropist, Widow Harris, Mrs Harold Davenport, Mrs Harold Davenport, forty three brock Avenue. When I have observed she has a staff of eight groundskeeper, butler, maid, chauffeur, cook and cook's assistant stable hand, two housekeepers and a girl companion. Say, fella, you work for miss Davenport, don't you? What if I do? I could use a swell set up like that does a guy getting good with the

lady upstairs? What's it worth do you? Fella? This is your lucky day. I am the delivery man. I can get you whatever you want. Girls straight to your door, rum fresh off the boat, diamonds. You got a girl, Bet she love you a little better if you put a fox stole over her shoulders. Tell me what you want, and I will deliver. That's the problem. I want to cancel a delivery if you follow enlightening. I want to halt delivery of a package due to arrive in uh

just shy a nine months. If you want to stop that bundle from arriving, I can see that it gets uh rerouted. Not me personally, minds you, but a woman I know, educated, real experienced. What's it worth to you? Fella always worth the world to me? Money I ain't God sorry to hear that, but happy to report that cash isn't the only currency I accept. I am a buyer and seller of useful information. And like I said,

I'm looking to get in good with your boss. Then the girl you want to speak to was my girl, all of them, you know, like that, the one who's addresses on the package. The girl works for Mrs Davenport. She dresses her in the morning and puts her to bed at night. She and the old girl, and just sort of like that. Gee, this olive sounds like a swell kid. Well, don't get me wrong, I just want to do right by all. One day she's gonna have my name. I'm just you know, I'm not there yet,

not this soon. Listen, pal, what's the doctor removes the pit, You'll be free to start a family whenever you're ready. So how far along is the little lady? Not enough of Miss daven Boy to get wise. But if the old lady does find out, show ship all of off to some homeful way with girls, the nit booties and mittens. So you've discussed this with the girl. Yeah, she's not happy about it, but she knows it's the only thing we could do right now. So when is Olive's next

Liberty Sunday? Shall I send a car to pick her up? Here? I'm a chauffeur, I'll drive it. I can borrow Mr Davenports to day Sundays in my day off to Ah. I'm getting the picture now. I'll give you an address. You memorize it, but you don't write it down. Madam Francis Howard, she's a specialist, but you can't hang out a shingle for obvious reasons. You'll bring her over at nine thirty Sunday morning. You'll walk her up to a flat on the fifth floor. You'll greet the doctor. Then

you go back to your car and wait. You don't pay her anything. You'll just say hello, doctor, delivery man sent me here to return a package. Got that? Hello doctor, Hello, Madame Francis. Yes, this is my gal. All of the sent me here. Delivery man sent me here to cancel a package. Olive. Such a pretty name, such a beautiful girl. Please come in. Do you mind if I think it'd be better if you wait downstairs? Come back in an hour if you'll say so, Drew, I say so. Lie

down here, be as comfortable as you can. Is this the first time you've been in this situation? Yes? M hm, trust me, it's nothing to be frightened of. I'm going to give you something to help you relax. What is it? Laudanum? Nonsense, it's no different from ether. Most doctors use one or the other. I prefer laudanum, and this is my own formulation. I find that it provides pleasant dreams. It will, to be sure, it will allow you to have a nice rest while I perform my work. Here one spoonful M

and then another to sweeten the dream. M fine, Now I'll lie you back, sweetheart. I will need you to keep talking while I do this. I need to know that you are awakened, that your mind is alert and that you're feeling no pain. Yes, ma'am, that's a girl. One day you will have a baby, just not today. Yes, yes, and I'll be very careful so that you are unchanged by this experience. I want to have a child. I do, and I think Drew will be wonderful father. But but

we can't. We don't have the money. And my employer I wouldn't understand. Mm hmmm, her ladyship, I would have to quit my job. Your boyfriend does not make enough money for the two of you know, maybe I don't think so take a deep breath. Take a deep breath, hold it. That's it good. Mm hmm. I thought about having the baby, giving it up to the orphanage. Mrs Davenport. That's what she would have had me do. Keep talking.

The cook's helper was having a baby. Mrs Davenport had everything set for her, but may went back to the country to have the baby instead. There are ways to avoid this situation, you know. I hear the club women Mrs Davenport's friends talk about birth control at their meetings. What kind of meetings, she said, pick shot in the reform movement? Oh yes, what is she reforming the vote, temperance, clean milk for the poor, fresh air for the orphans, something new every week. I hear it when I serve

them tea. After they had a meeting to talk about birth control, I asked Mrs Davenport if I could have one of the pamphlets they had given her. She wouldn't. She said birth control is for the criminal class, the negroes and the emigrants, that healthy people should have babies. Deep breath, Where does this come from? Is she a deeply religious person? Breathe? She goes to church? She goes to church. Does she have a husband, this lady, no, he died years ago. Tell me more about her, Mrs Davenport.

Why we have to talk about something? And the Laudanum works better when you're speaking, and I need to know you are awake. I don't want to think about her, about him, about the way things are. I'd rather think about the way I want things to be. Tell me about the woman. It is the fair you must pay to get on the ferry, and once the boat leaves the shore, you will have the most wonderful dreams, and

this Davenport woman will be in none of them. Yes, and you will walk in this land of promise, this land where happiness is still possible, where a man's word is never broken, where a woman can follow the path of her own juices. She's a widow. Her husband made his fortune and copper mining enough for her to live on forever. They had a child, but it died before its second birthday. It was a girl. This happened before I was in her service. She never talks about her husband.

She's a photo. If I decide I want to walk on the path Withdrew, then I will. Ye will stop drinking, or her stop wasting his money on dices first love, and become the kind of man he could be if he would just allow himself the chance an artist. And if he doesn't, then but her parents refused, I could choose another path with another man, itself, unkind man, a man who is true to his word, who will love me in spite of everything and help me forget the

difficult years of my youth. Yes, he'll let me speak my mind. He'll want me to speak my mind. He'll want to hear the things I have to say. He'll be interested in me, and I will reward his love with faithfulness, loyalty and children, healthy children. I will surround him with their bright smiles and blonde hair and soft voices and love. Feeling me arms of a child around my neck. I don't want to give it up. I want my baby olive. I don't want to lose my child.

I want to stop and let my baby live. We're all finished. I need you to come back to us, Come back where follow the trail of smoke. No back here to my room and there so dark, filthy. You can't stay in your dreams forever. You have to come back to our world. But I I don't want to live in that world. You must, please, please, if you'll let me stay and let me dream, just another hour, just a few more minutes. Feel yourself slipping back into your own skin, your own But I don't want to

be here. I'm sick of being me. Let me be the woman I wish I could be. You did it once, I felt so true. You can do it again. Only make it less longer, make it last for I'm sorry. I'll live, truly I am, but we all have to. Please don't bring me back, Mrs Howard. I can't live this life much longer. It's not as bad as all that things will let me die now while I'm happy, things will be better when you return, better than they were before. I promise you can't promise me that I

can come back. I will prove it to you. But it was so warm there. The light was golden, and my skin never felt warmer than when the sun the sun was shining on me. There. He was standing in a pond, at the edge of a pond in the sun. And I saw someone I know I haven't seen for years, and I was talking to her. She was holding something and it was and you sit up for me, trying to remember now what was her name? She was holding something and it was so important that day. What time

is it? Quarter past ten in the morning. But I was, oh, wait for so long that can't be stand up and let's see if you're feeling well enough to walk. Your boyfriend Drew, isn't it. He's waiting for you. I asked him to come back for you. Drew is still here. Yes, he waited like the gentleman. He is beneath his course exterior. Yes, you can come in now. I wish you every happiness as you start your life. Anew, thank you, thank you, madam. Howard is Is she okay, She's fine, healthy as can be.

Take her directly home and see that she goes to bed and stays in bed until morning. And tomorrow she should stay off her feet as much as possible. Sure thing, doctor, goodbye, my child? Good bye? Were you watching, Pearl? I think I'm going to be sick? Were you watching as I told you to? So you understand why I did what I did. It is important that you learn about such things, whether it serves as a warning to you, something to avoid at all costs, or something you could do if

you had to to survive. You killed that woman's baby. You may be a child, but there are things you need to learn, painful and difficult things. Sacrifices a mother must make for the sake of herself and her child. You kill it to avoid it, having a childhood with no future, to avoid, a kind of motherhood that is death itself. You cannot understand. But she did it for the sake of her child. Not this woman, but the child to come, the second daughter, maybe the third, or

the seventh. I wish to God your mother were alive. If you knew your mother, you would understand sacrifice valued her child's life more than her own. Sometimes I think she was a fool to do such a thing, but it's what she wanted. Prepare my pipe. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. Fine, fix my pie, and then get in bed. Pearl, Could you prepare the pipe yourself? Prepare it myself? Not one night, after all, I've been doing just this once. That's fine. You don't have to prepare

the pipe. I don't no go to bed. You won't prepare my pipe tonight, and I won't prepare it either, and no spoonful of YINCHI yes, it will be a valuable lesson for you to see what happens to me if I don't have the pipe. I'll tell you now, neither of us will sleep tonight. By sunrise, you'll be begging me to taste the dragon's breath, but I won't because you need to see how strong my will is and what a monster become. If denied the pipe, you could quit if you wanted to. We could see a doctor.

I'm sure there. Why would I want to quit? Deny myself? One of the only pleasures to be had in this foul and rotten world here, breeze world, devoid of meaning, permeated with filth, lacking justice. We don't count for much in this world, but we will put one thing right. There's still time for you to do some reading before you sleep, Madame Blavatsky. I think a hint of Eastern religion would serve as a little more bait for the hook.

M hm. We just need to coax the baron to come a little closer and have a taste and want it's in his throat. We pull just firmly enough, Pearl, Pearl, I must now replace my blind hold. As my vision begins to fade, your own senses will gradually return, Return to the warmth and the light of your own reality. The Seventh Daughter is a pro auction of I Heart Radio, written and directed by Brett Wood, recorded and mixed by Rob Gal, featuring Minca Wilkes as Rose and Elizabeth Hunter

as Pearl. There you may now open your eyes