"It was all a front for French's research
He advertised at universities
And on community bulletin boards"
Grandfather's voice took on a conspiratorial tone
"His volunteers knew they were guinea pigs
But he lied to them about the specifics"
His old brown leathery tentacle reaclhed up
Massaging his scaly head
Sending a shower of dead skin around him
Every year around this time
The skin on his head and neck peeled away
Revealing the soft pink underneath
At least for a few weeks
Until it hardened again
And it itched
Or at least that's what he said
Personally I think part of his doing it
Was just the pleasure in peeling it off
Like a kid with a scab
"French's claim on paper
Was that this was all part of Monsanto research
Into synthetic engineered hormones
Designed to stabilize everything
From moods to appetite"
He peeled off a particularly large piece of skin
And held it in front of him for a few moments
Regarding it before tossing it towards the warm hearth
"What it really was of course
Was mutation research
From some of the test subjects he took samples
To others he administered test mutagens"
The fire was dying down again
So I quietly got up and padded over to the woodpile
That stood next to the stone hearth
Grandfather went on as I grasped two medium logs
Setting them carefully on the coals
Trying not to singe my fur as I usually did
"Some of these mutagens were mild
Designed to change hair color
Or produce more or less skin pigmentation
Small changes
Nothing drastic that would arouse suspicion
But Vladimir had joined the research about three months into it
And French had seen positive results from his manipulations
There was something in Vladimir's genetics that stuck out
And we never knew what it was exactly
But Whatever it was
French gave Vladimir something a little more drastic"
"In exchange for forty-one thousand Dram
Vladimir Kudin
A student at Yeravan State University
Traded away his humanity"
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