09 - Anglo-American Alliance A Comic Love Story of the Future by Gregory Casparian

Praised by io9 as the first lesbian science fiction novel, *An Anglo-American Alliance* is a whimsical exploration of love, transformation, and geopolitics set in the imaginative year of 1960. In this world, the Anglo-American Alliance reigns as a global government, heralding a new era of technological and social progress. Yet, even in this seemingly utopian time, the love that dare not speak its name remains taboo. The narrative centers on the secret romance blossoming between two women, Margaret MacDonald and Aurora Cunningham, at a ladies seminary in Cornwall. As they navigate their hidden desires, they also learn to harness the powers of science and technology to turn their dreams into reality. Please note While the novel offers progressive insights on sexuality and gender identity, it also reflects the prejudices of its era, containing instances of ethnocentrism, antisemitism, and casual racism that may be uncomfortable for some listeners. - Summary by ChuckW

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter eight of An Anglo American Alliance. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Chuck Williamson. An Anglo American Alliance by Gregory Kasparian,

(00:27):
Chapter eight. Doctor hyder bin Rabba, like a nebular comet
in a far away constellation, so mysterious in its orbit
and composition, was doctor Hider bin Rabba, who suddenly made
his appearance in the suburbs of the cosmopolitan city of

(00:48):
Ba on Long Island. He occupied the spacious mansion of
a wealthy merchant who had abandoned it for a more
comfortable lodge in the adarandas surrounded by somewhat neglected clumps
of pines and shrubberies. The establishment was entirely isolated from

(01:11):
the highway and most suitable for a man like the
Hindoo doctor, who seemed always to desire seclusion. In order
to form an idea of his singular personality. A brief
description will perhaps enlighten the reader. He was tall, length

(01:32):
of swarthy complexion, endowed with a syrenesque probiscus and a
mustache which protruded like the tusks of a walrus. His
eyebrows resembled the mustache and miniature. His big greenish yellow eyes,
with spacious white borders and catlike pupils, were able to

(01:56):
bring to bear an intensely hypnotic gaze which had an
irresistible and subjective power. As he was invariably attired in
the picturesque costume of his country, and from the fine
texture of the silken turban and embroidered robes, could easily
be conjectured that he belonged to a high caste and

(02:19):
noble Hindu family. He had a peculiar walk, continually swerving
from side to side as he moved, wriggling and swinging
his indispensable Jessamine Kane, which, from its serpentine convolutions, looked
as if it had been hardened while in convulsions. The

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people of the neighborhood, although amused by his strange antics,
entertained great respect for him. To some, especially to young people,
he seemed a monstrosity. They had already nicknamed him the
crazy Doctor. Vague rumors circulated among the gossip loving residents

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that he was a political refugee who, finding his life
in danger in India, had fled from his native land.
But no one doubted his ability as a physician and surgeon,
for in a short time he had founded a reputation
that commanded respect. His cadaverous look, his strange hypnotic eye,

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and mysteriously eccentric movements enhanced one hundredfold his reputation rather
than damaged it. Everyone considered him a man of great learning,
a wizard in the science of healing, and stood aghast,
exclaiming wonderingly, whence cometh this mighty healing power? When doctor

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bin Raba made his advent and b he was accompanied
by a robust, well formed, and intelligent looking levantine jew servant,
Esaw by name. This person minded his own business and
proved himself to be a very discreet servant, never divulging

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his master's secrets to any outsider. A few months after
taking up their residence, however, the place resembled a private menagerie.
Scores of cats, dogs of high and low degree, pigs
and goats of every size made their appearance. Doctor Hyder,

(04:42):
notwithstanding various opinions of others, was in reality a mysterious
and remarkable man, despite his thorough British education and extensive
travels in foreign lands, was a believer in the tenets
of a Hindu sect called the Sectian yogis a believer

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of Mahadeva, whose spouse of a dual nature, spiritual and
material principles in one as three qualities, first dominion and desire,
second rectitude and wisdom with power to control senses, and

(05:27):
third violence and passion. The doctor, moreover, was conversant with
all the Hindu mysticism in sciences, astronomy and magic. He
was capable of restraining respiration, besides being a natural born
hypnotist of great power. Modern practical medicine and surgery were

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also among the doctor's accomplishments. As he had a seven
year course in the National University of Medicine of London.
His appearances in public began to diminish gradually after the
various animals were received there as he was engrossed in
his laboratory, engaged in some experiment in vivisection. Indeed, in

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the dead of night, weird and uncanny sounds often emanated
from the inner recesses of his laboratory. Sometimes a piteous mew,
or the piercing catterwall of felines, or the whining of dogs.
At other times, the plaintive beating of a goat, the

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squawking of a goose, or the squeal of a pig
broke the silence of the night, while at intervals now
and then several owls on the roof gave vent to
their weird hootings. This state of affairs naturally gave eve
an awful aspect to the place and kept the inquisitive

(07:04):
visitors at a distance, while the mischievous youngsters gave the
place no trouble from trespassing. The only incident which reached
the public was told by a precocious youth, who, with
grim determination, strived to unravel the mysteries of the place.

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On a cloudy night, had crawled into the garden, climbed
a tree, and hidden himself until later on, when the
full moon appeared above the horizon and cast its hazy
light through the clouds. Then an uncanny sight had unfurled
before his eyes. There, sitting under the shadow of a

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weeping willow tree, the Hindoo doctor apparently was in the
act of hypnotizing a goat with weird gestures and incantations.
Unnerved by this strange sight, the intruder, losing his grip
and footing, fell to the ground. The hooting of an

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owl in a fiendish howl from the doctor gave the
youth a further impetus to scamper for life over shrubberies
and picket fence out of the domain of the Hindoo vampire.
Upon the youth's recital of his experience, the feeling of

(08:31):
mystery and fear increased among the unsophisticated people of the neighborhood,
and they kept shy of the place. But the climax
of their apprehension was reached when shortly after the following
curious sign adorned the main gate of the house. Doctor

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Hider bin Rabbah Vivisectionist and Reincarnator. What was the meaning
of the significant words and his shingle Vivisectionist and reincarnator.
What was the mission of this mysterious man to What
line of surgical science did this assortment of animals contribute?

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Whose piteous wails, ever and anon emanated from his laboratory
up to that time a chain of wonderful discoveries and
marvelous achievements had been attained by profound savants in surgical
and pathological subjects. The creation of life terterm cells, the

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tree panning of skulls and the rearrangement of the brains,
the grafting of skin, nose, and ear, the infusion of
new blood, the prenatal determination of sexes, the separation of
mind from the body by subjecting persons in a cataleptic

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state by hypnotism, and last but not least, the hibernation
for an indefinite period of living bodies by suspended animation.
These amazing triumphs, each more startling than the other, were
the records of past achievements. Could there be anything more astounding?

(10:27):
Even so, Doctor Hyder bin Rabba, who was conversant with
all the above mentioned exploits of experimenters, had conceived one
of the boldest and extraordinarily audacious of surgical feats, the
successful demonstration of which would startle the world and make

(10:48):
men stand aghast with wonder In fact, by the display
of his professional sign, it was a foregone conclusion that
he seeded in his experiments, by the aid of science, occultism,
and wonderful magic, he had transformed the sexes end of

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chapter eight,