“You going to stop me, boy?” Kabos snorted and eyed Vigorre contemptuously.
Vigorre longed to do just that, but Kabos weighed twice as much as he did and had a longer reach. Vigorre would take the worst of any physical conflict. He forced himself to relax his hands and step back. “She’s well rid of you. I’ll take care of her from now on. Stay away from us both, or you’ll wish you had.”
Kabos didn’t reply, just returned to work as if Vigorre had ceased to exist. Vigorre spun and strode away, fuming, back to where the carriage waited.
Nirel was better off away from the hateful, abusive bully. But she was attached to her father beyond all reason, and she’d be devastated to know he’d rejected her. He’d have to wait until she felt better to tell her.
She was his responsibility now. He’d find some way to fulfill that duty. Even if it meant marrying her. Though if her Faith ever became public knowledge, that would cost him his position as Keeper, his place in society, likely even the support of his family.
He glared at Ozor’s ship where it bobbed beside the short dock at the end of the street. If Ozor had stayed in Tevenar where he belonged, none of this would have happened. Vigorre would never have met Nirel, never have loved her, never have had to choose between his love for her and his desire to serve the Mother. He wouldn’t be stuck helping his friends’ homeland be conquered so it could be taken over by heretics.
He blinked, his stomach going hollow. Nirel must have known Elder Davon’s plan all along. Surely she expected to take her place aboard one of the Dualists ships and return to her native land, to help transform it into the Dualist paradise Davon envisioned. She couldn’t ever have intended to marry him, not really.
Fine. That would solve his problem neatly. He’d turn her over to Davon and watch her sail out of Ramunna, out of his life. Once the wizards were gone and the Matriarch overthrown, he’d take his place as Keeper in the Purified Temple and help Yoran and his father remake Ramunna according to the Mother’s design. That’s what he’d always wanted, wasn’t it?
It was, and yet now it seemed a bleak future. Without Nirel and without the Mother’s power, what would be the point? How would he face the folk of the Beggars’ Quarter after he helped destroy the people who’d helped them in ways he never could? How could he stand before the worshippers in the Temple and praise the Mother when he’d always wonder if he’d rejected what she offered?
He ordered the carriage to take him to the square. He’d have to make up some excuse for his return and Nirel’s continued absence. But it would be refreshing to be back with the wizards. Demons’ slaves or not, he enjoyed their company far more than that of those who opposed them.
Twenty-Nine
Josiah hung on Nalini’s elbow, watching her methodically drip clear liquid from a dark bottle into a small metal pot warming over a low flame. She stirred the mixture with a long-handled spoon, dipped a strip of paper into the concoction, squinted as the color shifted from a light pink to a slightly darker shade, then added another drop and repeated the process.
Finally he could contain his curiosity no longer. “What does that do?”
Nalini added one more drop. This time she nodded sharply when she saw the paper’s color. She showed it to Josiah. “The more acidic the solution, the darker red the paper. As the acidity increases, different substances precipitate at different levels.” She pointed to tiny white specks appearing in the liquid. “See?”
Josiah found the whole process by which Nalini ground the fresh cow pancreas, soaked it in alcohol, and separated various substances from the resulting brew fascinating. She usually wasn’t forthcoming about what she was doing or why, but over the past week he’d picked up a lot from observing her. “Do you think that’s the insulin?”
“I think one of the things I’ve been able to extract might be.” She gestured to a rack of vials, each containing a different powdery or grainy substance. “These samples should be pure enough to risk trying on Thanna so we can see which it is. Assuming we can figure out a way to get them into her blood.”
Josiah grimaced. Thanna had swallowed various amounts and combinations of Nalini’s brews. She’d even put on a brave face as she choked down several ounces of raw pancreas. None of it had made the slightest difference. Josiah didn’t like the idea of introducing foreign substances directly into her blood, and neither had Elkan when Josiah reported on their progress, but it looked as if they had no other choice. He and Sar would be right there to deal with any bad reactions. “I think we’re going to have to do what you suggested, and cut open a vein and use the Mother’s power to push the stuff in. We can heal the place after. That will let us test the substances, at least. Although we’ll still have to figure out a way to get it in without a wizard.”
“One step at a time.” Nalini stirred the pot until no more white specks appeared, then carefully strained the contents of the flask through a finely woven cloth into a new container. She transferred the sediment into a clean vial and made a notation in her notebook. “I’ve got one more level to go. Why don’t you go fetch her? We’ll conduct the trial right after the midday meal.”
Whatever it was in Thanna’s blood that the insulin was necessary to deal with came from her food, because the feeling of her disease got much stronger after she ate. Josiah and Sar would be able to clearly sense any moderating effect the various substances produced. “Great! I’ll be right back.”
Josiah headed for the workshop door, calling silently to Sar. He detoured by the table against the far wall where Gevan was poring over the new batch of lenses that had arrived that morning. “Any luck?”
“This arrangement shows promise. Although the quality of the glass in some of these is not up to Arlen’s usual standard.” He shoved his stool back and gestured for Josiah to look.
He’d installed the lenses in a pair of metal tubes similar to the window-glass, but shorter and mounted in a frame, with a knob that slid them apart or together when Josiah turned it. He peered through the top lens and stuck his finger in the pool of lantern light under the lower one. “Hey, that is good.” He fiddled with the knob until the ridges on his finger stood out in sharp relief. They looked even bigger than they had through the window-glass lens.
“Here’s something you’ll appreciate.” Gevan swirled a flask of muddy water and deposited a single drop on a small metal plate. “This comes from a pond in Alitta’s garden.”
Josiah looked through the tube to see a murky soup peppered with dark clumps. “What am I supposed to be seeing?”
“Be patient. Sometimes it takes a moment. Most of it’s various sorts of vegetable matter, but—”
A translucent blob darted across Josiah’s vision. He jerked back. “What was that?”
Gevan smiled, his scholarly manner not entirely concealing the pleasure of discovery. “Some form of animal life too small for unaided eyes to see. The longer I observe, the more different types I find. I’ve cataloged more than a dozen so far.” He displayed a notebook page with neatly labeled drawings.
Josiah pointed to the picture that most closely matched the thing he’d seen. “That one.”
“They’re common.” Gevan said as Josiah applied his eye to the tube again. Sure enough, several more of the shapes darted past in quick succession.
“Sar, come here,” Josiah said. He put his hand out without looking up from the glass, and the donkey’s velvety muzzle brushed it. “Check this out.”
A thread of the Mother’s power spooled from his other hand to envelop the drop of water. Josiah exclaimed as the image in the glass became much brighter and the shapes much clearer. He watched the darting specks in the better light for a few moments, then closed his eyes to concentrate on what he was sensing through the Mother’s power. The droplet glittered with fizzing life that tingled on his tongue. “Huh.” He pulled back and looked at the drop, then at Gevan. “That feels like pus from an infected wound. Not exactly, but pretty close.” He closed his eyes again, but couldn’t manage
to resolve the wash of sparkles into single points no matter how he concentrated. When he looked back through the glass, though, there they were, distinct creatures, each pulsing with its own individual life. “Do you think that’s what infection is? Lots of these little animals living inside a person?”
“I’d like to observe pus of that nature through the enlarging glass. Perhaps you can obtain a sample from the next patient you encounter with a suitable infection.” Gevan’s voice was noncommittal, but his eyes shone with enthusiasm.
Gevan’s skeptical reserve didn’t bother Josiah any more. “I sure will.” He twitched the plate with the water droplet to a new section and found one of the other creatures Gevan had sketched. This one was a jointed twig shape. It branched at one end into a cluster of thinner strands that swayed gently, not quite in sync with the water’s movement. Further searching revealed a big speckled blob that changed shape as it flowed across the bright circle, sending out lobes ahead and drawing them in behind.
Thanna, Sar reminded him.
With great reluctance Josiah tore himself away from the enlarging glass. He could easily spend hours exploring the minuscule world it revealed. He sighed as Sar let the light of the Mother’s power wink out. Now even if he snuck another peek everything would be gloomy and indistinct again. He squinted at the drop on its thin metal plate. “What if you put the droplet on a piece of glass and rig the light so it shines through? That would make everything show up a lot better. Maybe cut a hole in the table and put the lantern underneath…” He ran his fingers across the smooth wood of the table.
Gevan’s eyebrows lowered, then rose, then lowered again. “Or perhaps direct the light with a mirror, or a series of mirrors…” His eyes went distant.
Josiah sighed and rose to follow Sar out of the workshop as Gevan opened a drawer and rummaged inside. There was so much he wanted to see and do. But he had to focus on the most immediately important things. Things that would save lives, not just be endlessly fascinating.
He arrived at the spacious though dilapidated warehouse the Matriarch had designated as their new Mother’s Hall just as the other wizards were breaking for the midday meal. He ducked around workers repairing cracks in the walls. Others were installing a stove and pump and other kitchen equipment in a side room. Hammering sounded from the roof far overhead as he followed voices into a room big enough to seat dozens of wizards at the long tables more workers were constructing.
He went to join the others where they were clustered at the end of one of the tables. Elkan waved Sar over to a pile of hay against the wall. “Have a seat. What do you think?”
Josiah turned a complete circle before plopping onto the bench. “It’s great. It needs a lot of work, but it looks like it’s getting done.”
“I figured I’d better get everything I could from the Matriarch while she’s happy with us. Tobi’s developing quite a steady touch; we’ve been able to accelerate the child’s growth more than I thought we could manage safely. It’s over four weeks old now.”
“This is bigger than the dining hall at home.” Josiah helped himself to a generous portion of the spicy-smelling meat and vegetable dish. “Mmm, Girodan curry. My favorite.” He smiled across the table at Kevessa.
She dropped her eyes and looked away. Josiah tried not to show his disappointment. Things had seemed so promising, and then all of a sudden she’d started acting like she wanted nothing to do with him. He didn’t know what he’d done wrong.
If that’s the way it was going to be, he’d show her he didn’t care. He turned to Thanna with a big smile. “Nalini’s got some samples ready. She wants me to bring you back after the meal so we can try them out.” He grimaced. “Since it’s pretty obvious eating the stuff isn’t going to work, she wants to try putting it straight into your blood this time.”
Thanna’s eyes widened in trepidation, but she didn’t flinch. “Whatever it takes.”
Josiah hastened to reassure her. “Sar and I can do it so it doesn’t hurt you, or at least not much. Once we find something that works we’ll figure out a way to get it in you that doesn’t require the Mother’s power and isn’t too painful.”
“I can deal with pain.” Thanna took a big bite of the curry as if to prove her point. Josiah’s lips and tongue were already burning from the fiery sauce.
“Of course. But I’d rather not make Erla and Korrellan suffer more than we have to.” They were the two youngest diabetes patients, barely more than toddlers.
“True.”
“So how have things been going here?” She’d taken over as Kevessa’s assistant when Nirel had left with no warning on one of Ozor’s trading voyages. According to Vigorre, Kabos had insisted she accompany him while he went to look at some seed Ozor was considering buying. She wouldn’t be back until next week at the earliest. Josiah fumed to think of her stuck with her bully of a father for so long, but he understood why she hadn’t dared disobey him.
Thanna’s eyes glowed as she regaled him with the story of a boy who’d hobbled in, crippled by a disease that was eating away the cartilage in his knees. He’d jumped up and run around in excitement after Kevessa and Nina regrew it. Josiah shared Thanna’s pleasure. Those were the best kind of cases. Even though the boy’s disease was one that couldn’t be completely cured, and would require regular treatments to keep in remission.
Borlen plopped onto the bench next to him and scooped up a bowlful of curry. “Please tell me you’re here to stay so I can assist you instead of having to serve line duty. I swear it gets worse every day. I must have turned away a dozen skinned knees and stubbed toes in the first hour alone.”
“Sorry. I have to go back. But I’ll probably be done in an hour or two. And I’m taking Thanna, so you can assist Kevessa until then.”
“I can live with that.” Borlen gave Kevessa an appreciative look. She smiled back at him. Josiah’s face got hot, but he forced himself not to react. If she was that fickle in her affections, better to find out now than later, he told himself. He wasn’t interested if all she wanted to do was flirt and play around.
He turned his shoulder to the two of them and focused on Thanna again. “Gevan’s made a lot of progress with the enlarging glass. Wait until you see what pond water looks like through it.” He turned to Elkan. “Master, you’ll be interested, too. It’s full of all sorts of tiny little creatures. It feels a lot like—”
Shouts rang out from the workmen across the room. Josiah whirled to see them jumping back, some leaping onto the newly built benches and tables, others chopping wildly with their tools at something on the floor. One ran toward them. “Look out!” he cried, grabbing Thanna’s arm and dragging her with him as he climbed onto the table, sending bowls and cups crashing to the ground. “Cobra! A big one!”
Kevessa gasped and scrambled to join them on the table. Vigorre seized Elkan’s arm and urged him to do the same. Borlen drew his sword and strode forward, placing himself between the table and whatever was approaching.
Josiah jumped onto the bench and craned to see around the young soldier. A huge snake slithered rapidly across the hall, stopping when it reached Borlen. Its head rose into the air, followed by far more of its body than Josiah would have thought possible, until it was looking Borlen in the eye. Its neck spread into a wide hood, and its forked tongue flickered in and out of its mouth.
“Stay back, everyone,” Borlen said with forced calm. “I’ll deal with it.” He slowly raised his sword. The snake’s eyes followed it, head weaving back and forth.
“Borlen, stop,” Elkan said suddenly. “Don’t kill it.”
“I have to; they’re deadly. I won’t let it hurt anyone.”
“It won’t. Look at its neck, just under its hood. See the oval mark?”
Josiah dragged his gaze down from the snake’s hypnotic eyes. Dark on the cream-colored scales of the snake’s neck was the unmistakable mark of the Mother’s finger.
Elkan continued softly. “You’ve seen that same mark in Tobi’s ear, on Sar�
�s chest, on Nina’s back. It means it’s Mother-touched. It’s a familiar. It’s come to us to bond with a new wizard.”
Borlen’s sword trembled. “You can’t be sure of that.”
“Yes, I can. Put the sword down, Borlen.”
He licked his lips and the tip of his sword dropped a few inches. “You don’t understand. There’s probably not anything like this in Tevenar. It’s poisonous. One bite will kill a man.” He gulped. The snake lunged a little closer; his sword jerked back up.
“I understand, Borlen. Think of Tobi. She could kill a man easily if she wished, but she doesn’t, because the Mother has chosen her, changed her. You feel safe with her. You can feel just as safe with this snake.” Elkan stepped down from the table to the bench, then to the floor. The snake’s head swiveled to trace his movements. Borlen stiffened. Josiah was certain his sword would slash down at any moment.
“I’m going to approach it,” Elkan told Borlen. “Be still. All of you,” he commanded, looking around at the workers who watched with horrified fascination. “Stay where you are. I’ll be perfectly safe.”
He put his hand on Borlen’s sword arm. Borlen gulped and lowered it, the snake following every motion. Elkan stepped forward and knelt before the snake, putting his hand out fearlessly. Josiah held his breath. The dark oval certainly looked like a familiar’s mark, but what if Elkan was wrong?
The snake lowered its head to meet Elkan’s hand. Its hood shrank to become part of its neck. Its tongue flickered over Elkan’s fingers, then in a smooth movement it flowed up Elkan’s arm and draped itself around his shoulders.
He climbed to his feet, grunting under the snake’s considerable weight. “See, everyone? There’s nothing to fear.”
Josiah let his breath out, the frantic hammering of his heart easing. Elkan was right, as usual. The snake was Mother-touched, no more a threat than Nina or Sar.
Elkan continued to speak, his relaxed manner and warm voice working on the tense onlookers as effectively as on a terrified patient. “This isn’t the first poisonous snake familiar I’ve met. My friend Nachra is bonded to a coral snake. Sethi is much smaller than this beauty, she hardly wraps around Nachra’s wrist twice, but I’ve seen her take out a wolf with a single bite. That’s quite a story, actually. We’d traveled to a village in the forest north of Elathir where they’d reported a monster attacking livestock.”
Beyond the Boundary Stones (The Chronicles of Tevenar Book 3) Page 37
