“You can come back here any time,” he added.
Alec went down and finished packing all his personal belongings, and then started packing the medical supplies he had accumulated in the spare room. He took his first load down to the Healer House, then came back to get the rest, as dusk began to fall.
He finished packing the last bag of the healing aids and left the building, stopping to look back at the place where so much had happened is such a short time. Then, looking forward to all the things awaiting him, he headed down the path to healers’ hall, without considering that no pranks had been pulled on him during the day.
When he got there, Hinges and Cassie were both back. “Come see what we bought, Alec!” Cassie said excitedly, taking his hand and pulling him to her room. She presented several pieces of clothing, and even tried on a few of them, to appreciative words from him about how well they looked on her.
“Now you have to see what Hinges has done,” Cassie told him, and they went to find the housekeeper and tour the kitchen and pantry and storage space in the basement, as Hinges described all the things she’d be able to produce for them.
“Speaking of which, I’ll have a bite for dinner ready soon,” she added as she returned to the kitchen.
Life settled into a routine for the next several days, as Cassie and Hinges completed arranging the house, and Alec continued his training, and organized the medical supplies. After a few days he felt the Healers House was ready to start to receive members of the ingenaire community for medical attention.
Alec remembered a comment from the day of his confirmation as a healer, and so walked one afternoon down to the bottom of the hill to the compound of the stone ingenairii’ homes. Theirs was a sprawling area, with many more separate houses than Alec had realized a single ingenaire discipline had. He asked for directions to Lanter’s house, so that he could visit the head of the stone ingenairii.
“Alec, it’s nice to see you,” Lanter said as he was shown into the office of the stone ingenaire. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“Lanter, I wanted to let you know that healer house is now going to become available to ingenairii to visit for medical questions or care, every afternoon for three hours. Since you had mentioned something to me once, I thought you should be the first to know,” Alec informed him. “But don’t worry, you won’t get lost in our one house the way I got lost among all the homes you have in your compound here,” Alec laughed. “What do you do with so many stone ingenairii?”
“We are a very mundane, but profitable group, and as it appears, apparently the balance of the ingenaire energy tends to favor our ability in terms of sheer numbers,” Lanter explained with a smile. “We are constantly sending ingenairii across the Dominion to perform duties repairing roads, home, palaces, bridges, aqueducts, stoneware jugs, and anything else you can name. We raise a great deal of revenue from those activities, and the share we give to the council goes a long ways towards paying for the guards and maintenance men and housekeepers and other functionaries that run the Hill for all of us,” Lanter answered.
Alec sat back, not realizing until now that ingenairii charged for the services they performed. He said as much to Lanter. “No I don’t suppose you have. I wouldn’t either if I didn’t have to. It’s not the fun part of being an ingenaire, but it is how we’ve maintained our independence from both the crown and the church for over a thousand years. You probably don’t have any prices set for the services you’ve just offered to me for healing, do you?”
Alec admitted he hadn’t.
“Well, you need to. You can talk to Willis about establishing prices; he’ll delight in a task like that. Try to gauge what the cost is of any materials you use, what the value is for your time, and the difficulty of the procedure you’re using, then always raise the price for the nobility and high gentry,” Lanter advised with a laugh.
Alec stayed a few minutes longer chatting with Lanter, then excused himself and decided to plunge into the lion’s den of the metal ingenairii’ compound, to also announce to Dosta that the healers’ house would offer service to ingenairii with ailments.
Alec approached the largest building in the metal compound, which was not nearly as large as the stone ingenairii’ area. It proved to be Dosta’s building, and when Alec was announced, the head of the metal ingenairii invited him in, displaying a cautious curiosity about what could bring Alec to his area.
“We don’t do much visiting from house to house, healer, so I’m curious to know what brings you for a visit,” Dosta told him as they sat at a wrought iron table.
“Perhaps we should do more,” Alec commented, “but at any rate I’m here as a courtesy to you and your followers. Starting tomorrow, healer house will be open and available to treat any ingenaire with an ailment or injury. We’ll be open for at least a couple of hours each afternoon, and I’ll make regular hours when I can judge what the demand is.”
Dosta looked at Alec in surprise. “You’re here just to tell me that you’ll be serving the ingenairii?”
“I wanted to make sure all ingenairii knew, so I’m going to try to visit each house in the next day to pass the invitation along personally,” Alec said.
“What rates do you charge?” Dosta asked, still trying to figure out what ulterior motive would bring Alec as a courtesy to visit the man who had virtually accused him of criminal activity.
“For tomorrow at least, there will be no charge,” Alec said. “I still need to judge what to ask for services here, and I’ll post those rates when that’s all figured out.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go next door to tell the earth ingenairii as well,” Alec said. “Have a good day.” Alec had no desire to sit and speak further with Dosta on this visit, and so quickly left the building.
Alec proceeded to visit every house on the hill before dark, and saw seven of the ten members of the council, announcing his offering of services. His last visit was to the water house.
“Master Alec, thank you for the pleasure of this visit,” Genia, the head of the water ingenairii said. A woman in her late thirties, she weighed Alec during their visit, it seemed.
“And how is Viola?” Alec asked.
“Viola? She is well, as far as I know,” Genia said, looking puzzled.
“Last time I came to visit, she mentioned a slight ailment, and I offered some assistance. I just wondered if she was feeling better,” Alec explained.
Genia called Viola in to satisfy Alec’s curiosity. “I feel so much better now, thank you,” the stout woman said. “That spring water worked very well.”
“Good, because I’m actually here to offer to help all members of your house, Genia,” Alec explained, and told them that the healers’ house would be open for all ingenairii.
“That is very nice of you to offer, Alec. I’m sure that some of our members will be seeing you, especially since Viola will vouch for your effectiveness,” Genia said. “So how are you enjoying your exulted rank now?”
“I hardly know that I’m exulted, and I’m too busy to say that I’m doing anything but having fun,” Alec replied. “I was wondering if I might say hello to Bethany before I leave,” Alec said. “I need to get back to my own building for dinner, but I want to thank Bethany again for her help.”
“Certainly,” Genia said. “Let me take you to her home.”
Alec followed Genia to the home of another water ingenaire, Allisma, who was training Bethany in the powers of water ingenaire energy.
“Alec,” Bethany said, showing a genuine smile when she recognized her visitor. “We were just talking about you, again. Please come in and meet my friends here.”
Bethany led Alec and Genia into a gathering room where half a dozen other apprentices were sitting at a table. Bethany introduced Alec to all those present, who were a mix of apprentices from the water and light houses; he noticed several sly smiles and knowing nods among the girls. Alec chatted briefly, then excused himself to leave.
“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t spending too much money again this week,” Alec told Bethany, as she walked Genia and him to the door.
“There can’t be too much money to spend when it’s somebody else’s money,” Bethany said sweetly.
“Thank you for the introductions to your friends,” Alec said. “Come visit Cassie and me sometime.” With that he was out the door, sure that there would be more talk when Bethany returned to her friends.
Alec walked back to the healer house, and met Cassie and Hinges there. They sat together and ate dinner; Alec recounted descriptions of the houses and people he had visited during the day, and discussed what to expect if anyone came seeking healing tomorrow.
Alec excused himself to go to bed. He realized that spending time socializing with people had proven just as tiring as many physical tasks.
As he walked away from the table, Alec was startled by the sound of someone knocking on his door. Looking back at the women at the table, Alec shrugged to show his puzzlement at who would be visiting them after nightfall; Alec opened the door to find Willis holding a note.
“My apologies Alec for the late visit, but Aristotle asked that I deliver this note from the palace,” Willis told him, an umbrella dripping on the porch as another heavy rain pelted the earth.
“The court physician requests that you join him in examining the health of the king the day after tomorrow.”
Alec looked at Willis in shock. “I’m supposed to go examine the king?” he asked.
“So the note says,” Willis answered.
“Is Aristotle still awake?” Alec asked. “I’d like to go talk to him about this.”
“He was still in his office when I left just a moment ago,” Willis said.
“Let’s go see him. I don’t know what to do about visiting the king,” Alec said, feeling inadequate to visit a royal patient.
Willis accompanied Alec back down the hill to Aristotle’s home, each carrying their own umbrella. “I expected you would want to discuss this, but didn’t think you’d be quite so prompt,” Ari said with a twinkle. “What would you like to know?”
“Do you want me to do this?” Alec asked.
“Well, beyond the fact that it would be very awkward to turn down a royal invitation to provide healing services, yes, I think the Dominion would be better off if you provided your best services to King Gildevny. His continued health forestalls any turmoil that may eventually spring from a dispute over the succession,” Aristotle said, turning serious halfway through his comment.
“What do I do? What do I wear? I don’t know any of the rules of the court,” Alec worried.
“Tomorrow morning, very first thing, go to a tailor in town, and let them know you are going to the court the following day. That’ll take care of the clothing. As for the rest, just ask Aerley to advise you on protocol. Just be there early and you’ll be fine,” Ari advised. “You’ll find that Gildevny is a good man, just not a strong man.
“Now go back to your house and rest and don’t let this bother you; you’ll have no problems,” Ari said as he dismissed him.
Alec remained standing by the great golden oak door.
“Is there something else, Alec?” Aristotle asked. “Ah, forgive me, of course there is,” he said mostly to himself. “We have found two references to time ingenairii in the records we’ve checked, the most ancient records. In the interest of time I’m not checking records from modern times because I presume we’d have heard oral legends about any such thing in more recent centuries. We haven’t checked all the records, and with the pressing matters of day-to-day business, we will need more time.
“The records tell us little about those two men, almost suspiciously little. They are mentioned for only a matter of months. They could interrupt the flow of time, as you did, and also were able to move themselves through time, which was apparently very problematic. It may be why they only survived for such a short span before disappearing from the records,” Ari said.
His voice grew very quiet. “Alec, I do not intend to publicize these findings in any way. It appears the power is such a rare, unpredictable and perhaps even unsuitable power that I do not want you saddled with that label and expectations. I also, listen to me closely,” Aristotle said, rising to his feet and walking around his desk, “I also do not want you to pursue this power. It is more than you need to consider with all that you are trying to carry at your young age. You need to stick to the great challenges you already face, and understand that no one can do everything by himself.”
“But I must rescue Natalie, or Noranda,” Alec said passionately. “I’ve thought about her condition, and I know what it will take to cure her, if I can remove the time spell from her.”
Aristotle gave a great sigh. “I can order you not to pursue this, but then you will simply be disobeying orders in addition to throwing your powers and life away. There is no rush. Noranda has been entombed in the Locksfort family crypt at the Stronghold cathedral, and she will remain there untouched for generations. You have no hurry. Do the things that can help and save yourself and the living first, before you throw your life into this pursuit.
“Now,” he finished his lecture to Alec by placing a fatherly hand on his shoulder, “go home and rest. Tell that pretty girl of yours, Cassie, that she is a wonderful person who has many admirers on Ingenairii Hill and beyond now. Treat her well Alec; prophecy tells me she and you have great events ahead.”
Troubled as he was by the things Ari had told him, Alec at least felt calmed by Aristotle’s matter-of-factness regarding the royal summons, and returned to his own house. The others had gone to bed already, so he checked the medical supplies again before the planned opening of his house for healing the next day, and then calmer, went to bed.
As he lay in bed his mind refused to rest, and instead raced through a review of all of Ari’s points and the conclusions he could draw. Time ingenaire activity was dangerous and unpredictable. Yet he had exercised it once in some fashion. And he needed to do it again one more time. There would be no guidance or direction from any source to learn what he must do.
He had told Ari that he knew how to cure Noranda, but he hadn’t told him how challenging that cure would be. Given Ari’s cautions, Alec knew that his plan for saving the girl would have driven Ari to actually ban his efforts, and he didn’t want to hear that.
And finally he considered the note of prophecy that Ari had dropped about Cassie and he. “Great events ahead” didn’t give Alec much clue to what to expect with the girl, but at least it had a positive sound to it, and not a tragic one. He wondered what would happen, and when, and fell asleep with those questions unresolved.
At the crack of dawn Alec was up, and waiting at Rubicon’s for training. He explained that he could only practice for the first half of the morning due to another appointment, which Rubicon questioned him about until he knew what Alec had to do.
“You may just be going back to the private chambers for an actual examination,” Rubicon mused. “But maybe in the crazy world of the court you have to do or say something in public beforehand. What a sight the court can be! All the nobility and their hangers on, all dressed to their teeth in whatever whimsical fashion they fancy at the time. There’re some very attractive women you can go play with, I hear tell. They’re just looking for trophies and status, and if they think you provide either, you’ll have fun in their company, at least the ambitious young ones. And they’ll all know who you are – every detail of the king’s life might as well be published for all the world to know.”
Eventually they settled into some training, but when the breakfast tray came Alec was on his way to a tailor shop Rubicon had recommended.
In the city, Alec went to the shop and entered. It was a prestigious clothier and Alec glanced at the conservative suits displayed in the front windows as he pushed the door open and crossed the threshold. The walls were lined with bolts of dark cloth and white cloth; Alec was happy to see none of the bright col
ors he’d seen while following Bethany around through dressmaker shops. He felt himself blush just imagining what the blonde girl would have wheedled him to try. A man came up to speak to Alec, and when he explained what was needed, the man’s sleepy eyes became alert. He measured Alec and recommended some black material, which seemed satisfactory to the healer. With half the money left behind, Alec received a promise the suit would be ready the next morning.
From there Alec went to the armory. He was earlier than usual, and no other swordsmen were present to fence with, so Alec chose to go back to the Healers House instead, and prepare for the patients in the afternoon.
During lunch he began teaching Cassie some of the basic medicines that could be used, and described to her how to prepare them. She took an active interest in the idea of using medicines for helping people’s health, and they sat at the table after Hinges had cleared it, talking about what uses various plants and minerals had. With Ari’s prophecy at the forefront of his mind, Alec paid extra attention to Cassie and the things he taught her, wondering whether this simple act might trigger the great events he expected.
A knock at the door interrupted them, and Alec went to see who it was. It was Lanter, the head of the stone ingenairii. “I’ve come to take you up on your offer Alec,” he said as Alec ushered him in.
“Please go wait in the parlor for a moment while I get ready, Lanter,” Alec asked. Returning to Cassie, he told her to act as hostess. “If anyone shows up while I am with a patient in the examination room, ask them to please wait in the parlor, and offer them some water or fruit, and let them know I’ll take care of them soon,” he told her. “And if any women need to be examined, I may ask you to join me in the room,” he added, remembering Noranda’s suggestion back in Walnut Creek.
With that he returned to Lanter. In the examination room the ingenaire pulled off his boot to reveal a large wart-like growth on the bottom of his foot, a painful growth larger than Alec’s thumb knuckle. He examined it closely, then used his healing vision to make sure it did not extend into the muscles or bones of the foot, or otherwise show malignant signs of a greater problem.
At the Seat of Power: Goldenfields and the Dominion Page 20
