Chapter Three

Chapter Three

And so it was established to the highest scientific standards: Amber was suffering from ETS. She had a badness-detector inside her rigged to her esophagus. The news spread quickly, as all medical news will: it was initially reported in a medical magazine by none other than Dr. Denise Evelyn Daniloff. The article caused quite a stir in medical circles, and a degree of skepticism. Some spoke of the limits of Western medicine; others alleged a conspiracy. Dr. Daniloff achieved the notoriety she craved: she was constantly interviewed and televised, and her practice flourished. And she came up with the cure: keep the girl away from all bad behavior and evil motives. Easier said than done. The newspapers were onto it quickly: Toddler Throws Up on Today’s Vice, Magic Girl Spills the Beans, and so on. Opinion writers intoned: “This little girl is a judge and jury unto herself. You had better watch your p’s and q’s around her.” Was she a gift from God or the Devil’s work? There was much discussion of her case throughout the land. She became a minor celebrity, with paparazzi eager to take pictures of her vomiting at the sight of criminals. She hardly knew what was happening, being only five. The Princess of Puke. Amber had hit a nerve, struck a chord, grazed a shin. She was the latest It girl.

Still, the illness did not go away. She had to live with it. And it wasn’t fun. It seemed to get worse with all the attention. Even when alone, she would feel a rumble in her tummy. Her parents had to keep her indoors—no school, no friends. Too risky. In the end they put out a false announcement saying she had ben cured by church music and Bible study. The hubbub died down. She returned to her normal life, though now homeschooled, but still suffering from her allergy. Not that her isolation cured the symptoms; there was still the odd spurt or trickle when someone in the house caused her antenna to quiver. In fact, her family become just a little afraid of her; it’s not easy to be around someone that detects every hint of moral failing.