What Befell Mr. Middleton because of the Seventh

Name: What Befell Mr. Middleton because of the Seventh Gift of the Emir
Author: Wardon Allan Curtis

Mr. Middleton learns of a remarkable procedure—a method to induce a deathlike suspended animation and then restore life by applying localized hot heat and other specific manipulations—and he soon sees an opportunity for personal gain. Facing the problem of his employer, the senior partner of his law firm, being too intoxicated to appear in a crucial court case, Middleton decides to apply the procedure on him. By following the step‐by‐step instructions he extracts from a treatise gifted to him, he renders his employer’s vital functions completely subdued, mimicking death while maintaining a few signs of life. After successfully inducing this state, Middleton seizes the moment to conceal his superior’s condition. He hides the immobilized man in a specially arranged box, disguising it with elaborate coverings to pass it off as an inconspicuous piece of furniture. When unforeseen circumstances and the arrival of medical professionals threaten to expose the truth, Middleton improvises by claiming authority. He “arrests” the intruding doctors for the theft and mutilation of the corpse—a move designed to both cover his own involvement and extract a bribe from the implicated parties. In doing so, he temporarily shrouds the ethically repugnant manipulation in a veil of legal and forensic technicality. The situation grows increasingly convoluted. Middleton, whose intent was simply to secure an edge in his legal career and profit from the disappearance of his superior, finds himself caught between competing demands. His employer eventually regains consciousness—albeit in a diminished, disheveled state with a shaven head—prompting further complications when, upon revival, the man must account for his absence from court and explain his altered appearance. His employer’s distraught wife, aggrieved by the unnatural state in which her husband is found, issues rewards for his return and threatens to expose the matter, thereby jeopardizing Middleton’s already morally questionable scheme. In a rapid succession of events, Middleton navigates threats from both the legal establishment and the medical community. He is forced into a role of improvised judge and blackmailer, extorting money from the co-conspirators who assisted in the concealment. Although he momentarily secures a legal victory in court—leveraging his newfound authority and the dubious chain of events to his advantage—the predicament leaves him deeply entangled in a web of extortion, deception, and the looming possibility of professional disgrace. Thus, the effect of the gifted “Seventh Gift” on Middleton is profoundly transformative. What began as a chance to profit from exotic knowledge and remove an inconvenient obstacle spirals into an ethically corrupt and perilous situation. Middleton’s willingness to meddle with the natural order for personal gain sets him on a path of criminal improvisation and moral decay, as his actions force him to balance on the knife edge between legal brilliance and disgrace.

By Wardon Allan Curtis · Genre: Absurdist Fiction, Satire, Dark Comedy · 10,408 words

First lines

"I did not know that such things were possible," said Mr. Middleton, when Prince Achmed had concluded the tale of the episode of the two Orientalists and the faithless woman. "Do I understand that the person in this condition is asleep?"

What this Textopian page supports

What Befell Mr. Middleton because of the Seventh Gift of the Emir is listed on Textopian as a short story by Wardon Allan Curtis, dated Date unknown.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Wardon Allan Curtis
Date: Date unknown
Language: English
Genres: Absurdist Fiction, Satire, Dark Comedy, Picaresque, Exotic Adventure
Length: 10,408 words
Structure: 1 section, 104 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Absurdist Fiction — The narrative is characterized by bizarre events, surreal procedures, and outrageous situations that defy logic.
Satire — The work skewers legal, medical, and societal conventions with biting humor and ironic treatment of its characters.
Dark Comedy — The treatment of grim subjects like death and suspended animation is infused with morbid humor and ironic twists.
Picaresque — The episodic adventures of Mr. Middleton, marked by cunning and roguish exploits, create a lively, meandering narrative.