The Best Medicine
- Mr. Curtain's pretty mad about being betrayed. He makes a few pronouncements and issues a maniacal laugh, which prompts Reynie to say, "Okay, so it isn't laughter" (37.5).
- What? Mr. Curtain demands to know what he's blathering about, but Reynie's too busy thinking. Thankfully he does some of that thinking out loud so we know what's going on. He says: "With Mr. Benedict, it's usually laughter that does it. But if it's not laughter with you, then what? It must be something, otherwise you wouldn't strap yourself so carefully in. You're so afraid of losing control—but how, exactly?" (37.7).
- This makes Mr. Curtain crazy mad, and guess what? He falls asleep.
- So Reynie was right. It's not laughter with Mr. C—it's anger.
- And when Mr. C wakes from his first fit, Constance uses her special talents to enrage him all over again and put him out like a light a second time.
- That's when Kate comes through the window, explaining that Milligan is her father, and he's gone for help. She also offers up her rope to tie up Mr. C while he's out.
- They do (tie him up) and when he wakes from his most recent narcoleptic episode, the kids try to get information from him to figure out how to disable the Whisperer.
- Reynie finally concludes that the only way to do it is to strap Mr. C back into his red helmet and try to outlast the Whisperer.
- Sticky tells him not to do it. If Reynie's in the Whisperer, Mr. Curtain can brainsweep him, but Reynie says he has to try. Mr. C is already tired. Reynie will do his best, and if he gets brainswept, Sticky will have to take his place. Maybe they can wear him out.
- Fine, fine, fine. Sticky, Kate, and Reynie maneuver Mr. C into place and he starts up the Whisperer. To their horror, they realize he doesn't even need one of them in the blue helmet—the Whisperer is now capable of transmitting thoughts directly, which means it can brainsweep them.
- They're all doing their best to resist when they hear the wrist cuffs snap closed and see that Constance has jumped into the seat with the blue helmet. And, as Reynie points out, "no one can resist like Constance" (37.82).
- The kids watch as Constance struggles and Mr. Curtain seems to weaken, too.
- A knock at the door reveals that Milligan is just outside, but a password is required to open the door and Mr. Curtain isn't telling them what it is.
- No worries. Reynie guesses it. Isn't Mr. Curtain always saying, "Control is the key"? Turns out his password is C-O-N-T-R-O-L-E, the Dutch spelling of control.
- The kids let in Milligan, who is closely followed by Rhonda, Number Two, and Mr. Benedict; Constance outlasts the Whisperer; and a very angry Ledroptha Curtain falls asleep for the third time.
- Mr. Benedict takes Mr. Curtain's place in the Whisperer, saying that he must work to disable it completely now while it's disoriented, thanks to Constance's session.
- Milligan throws Mr. Curtain over his shoulder and escorts the others out of the room. No one wants to leave Mr. Benedict behind, but he tells them they must, so they do.