When Women Were Dragons

Dr. Gantz confirms his involvement with the Wyvern Research Collective and his earlier work published in the pamphlet Marla gave to Alex called “Some Basic Science Facts about Dragons: A Physician’s Explanation.” He describes observing the dragoning of female Air Force pilots during World War II, sometimes while their planes were mid-flight. He then describes Edith and Marla, without direct reference to their relationship—and relates the aftermath of Edith’s transformation from Marla’s perspective. Dr. Gantz reports that his research was terminated by the government following these incidents, and the pilots were grounded for an extended period of time. Although Dr. Gantz published the pamphlet to convey that dragoning was both more common than realized and increasing in occurrence, his pamphlet was banned.

School begins again, and Alex sends Beatrice to school with a letter of apology to remedy the incident of the dragon drawings and attempt to move forward. Mr. Alphonse, dissatisfied with the lack of participation from Mr. Green, isn’t pleased, but Alex dashes away so she can get to her own classes. Once she arrives, she sees she is registered for Calculus even though she took and tested out of a college-level course by working at the library with Mrs. Gyzinska. Sister Frances, who has disappeared, was Alex’s point of contact to get her curriculum approved, but since she is no longer at the school, Alex is forced to retake Calculus.

Once Beatrice and Alex get home, Beatrice plays with friends in the neighborhood, and Alex begins doing her homework. The phone rings, however, and her father calls to inform her that Mr. Alphonse stopped by their house—Alex’s old house—and blames Alex for the surprise visit. Through a heated conversation, Alex’s father tells her that he does not and will not support her decision to go to college and suggests that she get a job now instead of finishing high school. To further illustrate his disapproval, he sends a letter informing Alex that once she graduates, an accomplishment that he only supports in memory of her mother, he will no longer financially support her and Beatrice.

In an excerpt from “A Brief History of Dragoning,” Dr. Gantz recounts a story in which 25 literature scholars from Vassar college revisit the historical site of another dragoning incident: a place where multiple switchboard operators transformed en masse. At the site, the scholars create multiple drawings of dragons before disappearing completely. They are never heard from again, and no one knows why they engaged in these activities.

Fliers begin appearing everywhere, advertising free clinics, treatment, and education about dragoning. Alex and girls at her school begin noticing and talking about the flyers despite their teachers’ and peers’ dismissive attitudes. Beatrice and Alex go to the library often as fall begins. On one occasion, as Beatrice does arts and crafts with Mr. Burrows, an assistant at the library, Alex studies. Mrs. Helen Gyzinska joins her and hands Alex a number of scholarship applications for college. Alex balks at this and tells Mrs. Gyzinska that she has no idea how she’ll handle both college and caring for Beatrice.

Mrs. Gyzinska promises to help in any way she can, as she has many resources and a long history in a variety of communities because of her philanthropy and her community connections as a librarian. She explains that she inherited quite a lot of money from her late husband, which she invested in the library. As Mrs. Gyzinska and Alex talk, the librarian brings up Marla, and Alex explodes with anger. Although she directs this anger at Mrs. Gyzinska, Alex registers that she is really angry at everything and everyone—at her mother for dying, at her father for abandoning her, and at Marla for abandoning everyone. Helen directly references dragons as Alex leaves, telling her that dragons don’t always leave forever. This causes Alex to snap in pure fury, though she does not remember what exactly she says, and Alex and Beatrice leave despite Beatrice’s protests.

Alex again experiences the anger that ignited in her at the library and wonders about its source. She works to quell the anger but finds herself struggling to fight it. After they return home and Beatrice goes to bed, Alex walks after midnight toward a bog near the old paper mill. As she enjoys her solitude, she encounters another observer—Dr. Henry Gantz. He tells Alex to be quiet so as not to scare away what he is watching. Alex and Dr. Gantz exchange introductions and begin to talk about her recent encounter at the library, her parentage (or lack thereof), and his research. He then explains what he’s viewing in indirect terms, enough that Alex guesses that it might be a cow or a bird. Dr. Gantz does not humor her and seems irritated when she calls the creature a bird. She leaves and reflects later that if it was a bird, it was the largest bird she had ever seen.

Alex details a trial in which five unnamed academics and a librarian named Mrs. Helen Gyzinska were subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee. The trial was meant to connect each defendant to Communism and was unsuccessful—but some of the academics were imprisoned and all were indefinitely expelled from their positions in academia. They were then hired by Mrs. Gyzinska at the same library. Mrs. Gyzinska herself, Alex writes, has left an impression on scientific conquest that is still being untangled.