Alberto D. Hetman
10-03-2008, 05:34 AM
Cabinet of curiosities
The only thing I knew about the fellow was that his name was Spencer Blynton, and by all means I do not believe that it was his real name. Probably his "cottage", in which he scheduled an interview, has been his but I also doubt it. Fellows with that sum in their pockets do not leave any hint of their passage. The house was located in an area of several acres in the middle of nowhere. I conjectured that one could shout until becoming aphonic without anybody coming to help.
With regards to the cabinet of curiosities, I must confess that I never took a look at it. I do not believe that it has been either in that cottage or anywhere else. I doubt that it existed but as an excuse to justify heinous acts, crimes if you like, in spite of a big payment. I heard it being mentioned several times, all of them coming from the mouth of the lawyer of the rich fellow, a certain Walken, although this last name would not be but a joke since his business card read C. Walken, and there is no need to be smart to imagine Christopher Walken, the actor, as a fictitious name.
First they offered me 15 thousand dollars to undergo a “routine operation”, said Walken. The sum turned out to be 13 thousand since there were 2 thousand dollars of expenses, which were not deducted if I accepted the procedure without anaesthesia. The surgeon, probably a native of Eastern Europe, in his fifties, never said a word. Absolutely nothing. In the operation, they cut off the little toe of the left foot, for 13 thousand dollars, with local anaesthesia. I stayed in bed the first six hours after the operation, in an improvised room on the side of the operating room. The nurse did not say a word either, and little is what I can conjecture about her nationality.
The second time, I accepted to cut off the little toe of the right foot but also with anaesthesia. The third time, the fourth toe of the left foot, with anaesthesia. And the fourth time the third toe of the right foot without anaesthesia. I needed those 2 thousand extra. What could happen to me? Walken assured me that in this case the procedure was faster and took scant five minutes to be completed. Which was fulfilled as he had promised. In this case they tied me so that my sudden movements when feeling pain would not prevent to cut off my toe with enviable perfection. I screamed like a condemned man, while cursing my absurd decision to make those 2 thousand extra to be operated without anaesthesia.
For the next few months I did not need any money. I walked well although I could not run. The four missing toes were not essential, and I must admit that many have lost fingers in wars without receiving more than an honorary medal. In contrast, in my case, my pockets were filled with 54 thousand dollars in just two months. Walken called me to know if I was interested in cutting off other fingers, he offered 20 thousand for the big toe or 45 thousand for both. I refused, for the time being.
I imagined that this certain Spencer Blynton, had placed my four toes into jars and watched them in nostalgic evenings as others rejoice with the beauty of a lute or a viola da gamba. That this fellow was a madman I had not the slightest doubt, but who was I to judge others?
The months, and the gambling debts, forced me to call Walken. I asked him if they paid more for a little finger of the left hand. "How much do you need?" he asked. "...I can offer you that sum for the right arm." 130 thousand dollars for the right arm, if one is right-handed. 115 thousand for the other one. 92 thousand for the hand; 35 thousand, for the thumb. "...If previously some finger has been cut off, that arm is worth nothing, of course."
The day of the operation, I saw Blynton. He came up to me with Walken, and taking my arm, said: "Excellent!" and after murmuring something to his ear, then he offered me another 5 thousand dollars as a bonus. That Blynton caressed my right arm and rubbing his mouth with his hand he seemed to be obsessed, out of his mind I would say, with simply pulling my arm. Would he pull it out himself?
Paying my gambling debts I swore to myself that I never see them again. I was wrong. I call again. The following are the prices of Walken. Since I was a customer, he offered 5 thousand extra for every choice I made, "you can choose all if you want, think about it, you would be rich ..." All these operations were for external body parts. Or would there be another price list later on?
2 eyes → 180 thousand
1 eye → 70 thousand
1 foot (with 5 toes) → 80 thousand
1 leg → 95 thousand
Then it followed the prices of two legs, penis, testicles, nose, ears, teeth ...
Teeth → 4 thousand each
All the teeth (if complete) → 20 thousand each
All these prices ranged between 2 thousand and 15 thousand more if one accepted the operation with or without anaesthesia.
I swore to myself that I would never do it again. I meditated on it rubbing the ear, and after all, what did I need it for?
The only thing I knew about the fellow was that his name was Spencer Blynton, and by all means I do not believe that it was his real name. Probably his "cottage", in which he scheduled an interview, has been his but I also doubt it. Fellows with that sum in their pockets do not leave any hint of their passage. The house was located in an area of several acres in the middle of nowhere. I conjectured that one could shout until becoming aphonic without anybody coming to help.
With regards to the cabinet of curiosities, I must confess that I never took a look at it. I do not believe that it has been either in that cottage or anywhere else. I doubt that it existed but as an excuse to justify heinous acts, crimes if you like, in spite of a big payment. I heard it being mentioned several times, all of them coming from the mouth of the lawyer of the rich fellow, a certain Walken, although this last name would not be but a joke since his business card read C. Walken, and there is no need to be smart to imagine Christopher Walken, the actor, as a fictitious name.
First they offered me 15 thousand dollars to undergo a “routine operation”, said Walken. The sum turned out to be 13 thousand since there were 2 thousand dollars of expenses, which were not deducted if I accepted the procedure without anaesthesia. The surgeon, probably a native of Eastern Europe, in his fifties, never said a word. Absolutely nothing. In the operation, they cut off the little toe of the left foot, for 13 thousand dollars, with local anaesthesia. I stayed in bed the first six hours after the operation, in an improvised room on the side of the operating room. The nurse did not say a word either, and little is what I can conjecture about her nationality.
The second time, I accepted to cut off the little toe of the right foot but also with anaesthesia. The third time, the fourth toe of the left foot, with anaesthesia. And the fourth time the third toe of the right foot without anaesthesia. I needed those 2 thousand extra. What could happen to me? Walken assured me that in this case the procedure was faster and took scant five minutes to be completed. Which was fulfilled as he had promised. In this case they tied me so that my sudden movements when feeling pain would not prevent to cut off my toe with enviable perfection. I screamed like a condemned man, while cursing my absurd decision to make those 2 thousand extra to be operated without anaesthesia.
For the next few months I did not need any money. I walked well although I could not run. The four missing toes were not essential, and I must admit that many have lost fingers in wars without receiving more than an honorary medal. In contrast, in my case, my pockets were filled with 54 thousand dollars in just two months. Walken called me to know if I was interested in cutting off other fingers, he offered 20 thousand for the big toe or 45 thousand for both. I refused, for the time being.
I imagined that this certain Spencer Blynton, had placed my four toes into jars and watched them in nostalgic evenings as others rejoice with the beauty of a lute or a viola da gamba. That this fellow was a madman I had not the slightest doubt, but who was I to judge others?
The months, and the gambling debts, forced me to call Walken. I asked him if they paid more for a little finger of the left hand. "How much do you need?" he asked. "...I can offer you that sum for the right arm." 130 thousand dollars for the right arm, if one is right-handed. 115 thousand for the other one. 92 thousand for the hand; 35 thousand, for the thumb. "...If previously some finger has been cut off, that arm is worth nothing, of course."
The day of the operation, I saw Blynton. He came up to me with Walken, and taking my arm, said: "Excellent!" and after murmuring something to his ear, then he offered me another 5 thousand dollars as a bonus. That Blynton caressed my right arm and rubbing his mouth with his hand he seemed to be obsessed, out of his mind I would say, with simply pulling my arm. Would he pull it out himself?
Paying my gambling debts I swore to myself that I never see them again. I was wrong. I call again. The following are the prices of Walken. Since I was a customer, he offered 5 thousand extra for every choice I made, "you can choose all if you want, think about it, you would be rich ..." All these operations were for external body parts. Or would there be another price list later on?
2 eyes → 180 thousand
1 eye → 70 thousand
1 foot (with 5 toes) → 80 thousand
1 leg → 95 thousand
Then it followed the prices of two legs, penis, testicles, nose, ears, teeth ...
Teeth → 4 thousand each
All the teeth (if complete) → 20 thousand each
All these prices ranged between 2 thousand and 15 thousand more if one accepted the operation with or without anaesthesia.
I swore to myself that I would never do it again. I meditated on it rubbing the ear, and after all, what did I need it for?