Visions of Power

by Jeffrey Quyle

  “My mistress has been wasting away in pain for several days now, and no doctor has been able to do more than keep her dull and sleepy to lessen the pain. What can a youngster like you do that the regular doctors can’t?” the white robed servant asked. “She hasn't had her medicine this evening yet, which is why you heard her.”

  “Let me see her and try to find the answer,” Alec responded earnestly. “I am a country healer, but maybe I'll see something your city healers haven't.”

  The woman seemed to debate, looking at Alec’s long, unkempt hair, then studying his eyes intently, before she gave a shrug and led them up the stairs to a room that looked out over the street. An older woman in gray sat on a chair beside a bed, setting a bottle back on a table. “There, she has had her syrup and should sleep soon,” the woman said.

  In the bed an attractive young woman lay under a sheet, her sweaty hair plastered to her head as she tossed uneasily.

  “Amiel, who is this?” the gray dressed woman asked, looking at Alec and Leah.

  “I am a healer who heard your patient’s pain and wanted to try to help,” Alec replied directly.

  “She's my daughter, not my patient, and no other doctor knows how to help. Your kindness is appreciated, but we need a miracle, not a youngster,” the bedside caregiver replied, exhaustion from her cares evident in her voice.

  Alec ignored her and walked to the bedside, laid his medicine pack on the floor, and drew the ill woman's sheet back to look at her more closely. As he studied her body he asked questions.

  “How long has she been this way?”

  “Tomorrow will be the 10th day,” Amiel answered.

  “Was she out in the country or in a garden before this began?” He asked.

  “Well, yes,” her mother replied. “Two days before the illness we all were at a picnic in the forest.”

  “Did she drink spring water?” He queried.

  “Yes,” her mother replied again, with an unexpected blush.

  “It was an unlucky picnic for her,” Alec answered. His examination of the restless sleeper continued as he used his health sense vision, feeling some of his own energy being used by the special ability. “I think three things happened to her. No one by itself would be bad, but together they have caused great harm.”

  He raised her left leg. “Here,” he pointed to a small red spot above her ankle, “a wood spider bit her. Usually, that would make her leg swell and be uncomfortable for some days.” He lowered the leg. “That wouldn’t be too bad by itself.”

  “But then she breathed spores from a powder ball fungus,” he continued, looking to the mother for confirmation.

  “Yes, her nephew found a patch of them and brought a handful back to our picnic table. He left a cloud of their dust around our heads,” the mother replied.

  “And finally, she drank some spring water, which had,” he paused, “some unusual qualities.”

  The mother stared at Alec. “That was why we went to the forest,” she answered. She was astonished at his ability to have read so much about the girl in such depth, within seconds of having simply walked into the room.

  “The water from that spring is supposed to provide,…um, fertility, to young women by cleansing their bodies inside,” the mother explained.

  “I'm sure the water does clean them out in other ways at least,” Alec said without thinking. “She must have spent the next day in the chamber.”

  “She did,” Amiel confirmed, in a discrete voice.

  “As did I years ago,” the blushing mother admitted, “but then I became pregnant and gave birth to Annalea here.”

  “Those spores, the water, and that spider bite, regrettably happened to be a combination that mixed in her blood to be dangerous,” Alec explained. “We need to do several things, immediately, if she is to be saved.”

  “She can be saved?” Annalea's mother responded with astonishment writ large on her face as hope returned to her heart for the first time in days.

  “We need to cool her first, and maybe, only maybe, she can be saved. Draw all the coolest water you have and place it in a tub and bath her to cool her. Especially support her head so that her face is out of water but the rest of her head can be cooled in the water,” Alec replied. “Amiel, can you do this now? Is there any ice in the house?”

  “No, no ice here,” Amiel replied with guilt in her voice.

  “But the cistern in the cellar keeps the water cool,” the gray dressed mother added helpfully.

  “That will work just fine. Go fill a clean tub for her now,” Alec directed, feeling the recollections of medical solutions coming whirring to the front of his consciousness.

  Amiel bustled out of the room.

  “Do you know if we can purchase any quicksilver to treat her?” Alec asked the mother who had unconsciously risen from her seat and was standing expectantly.

  “Annie’s husband is a printer, and works with many chemicals for the inks and the presses. I will go ask him,” she replied and walked quickly to the doorway.

  “We only need a trace,” Alec shouted after her.

  “Leah, please go to the kitchen and get some boiling water and three bowls,” he directed his companion, who was watching with admiration as his healing skills were put on display. It was Leah’s first time to see Alec actually practice his powers.

  Alone with the unconscious girl, Alec stepped to the head of the bed and pushed her sweaty tresses off her forehead. He stood and studied the face of his patient, a pretty girl with a pert chin. She was too young to imagine dying. At last he placed a hand on each side of her head, bowed his own head with his eyes shut, and began to pray softly aloud, “Savior, this girl, your lamb, to whom you have given life and soul to be saved, let her heal, let her live, let her have the child she seeks. Please let my hands do your work. Amen.”

  Alec felt peace and grace descend on him and through him, and knew that the girl, Annalea, would live.

  “A nice prayer, youngster. Now where is your master the doctor? Mother Helen has told me that a miracle worker has been delivered to us to save Annie. Where has he gone? I need to find out what he needs,” A masculine voice from the doorway spun Alec around. A man with well-muscled arms and curly black hair stood there in an ink stained apron.

  “We need two mites of quicksilver, a bath of cold water, a pitcher of boiling water, three bowls, and a thick cloth at least a square yard in size,” Alec replied, not sure how to reveal himself at the moment as the healer in question, not an apprentice.

  “The only tub that will be large enough for such a bath is in the printshop itself, and cannot be moved. Find the doctor to learn if that will do,” the printer impatiently replied.

  “It will do, if well cleaned before she is placed in it,” Alec told him.

  “I’ll go take care of that and clear out the printshop. Send the healer as soon as you can,” the printer said, and then left.

  The mother, Helen, returned a minute later. Together, she, Alec, and another servant carefully carried Annalea downstairs and through the back of the house to the rear of the adjoining print shop. They passed Leah in the kitchen, and she brought her water and utensils.

  Alec gave directions for Annalea, then went to a bench and began mixing ingredients together in each of the bowls as the tub was scrubbed and filled by a bucket brigade coming up from the cellar cistern.

  “Send all the male servants away now,” Rand, the printer, ordered as Amiel and Helen began to remove Annalea's shift and place her in the cool bath.

  Alec brought his first bowl over to the bath, to mix its ingredients into the bath water. Rand stepped in front of him abruptly, and shoved him back. “Male servants out, now, even you prayer boy. Go send your doctor here now. I have his quicksilver.”

  Helen and Amiel looked up and looked at one another. “Rand, let the doctor by,” Helen said evenly.

  “I shall when he gets here. I don't need his boy peering at my wife in the meantime,” the printer replied angrily.

>   ‘That boy is the doctor,” Helen said with exasperation.

  “This lad?” Rand said contemptuously.

  Helen came over and took him by the arm. “Yes, that healer figured out exactly what happened and will save our Annie if you'll step aside.”

  Alec sidestepped the tableau and went over to stir his mixture into the bath. He deliberately positioned his back to the nude Annalea lying next to the tub.

  As he returned to his medical bench he heard Amiel grunt while lifting the girl, and then the groggy Annalea’s involuntarily gasp as her body was slipped into the chill water.

  Alec returned to the groggy patient with the second bowl. He handed the bowl to Helen. “Now, while cold water has roused her, make her drink as much of this as you can, in small sips.” With everyone gathered around the tub, Alec instructed them all on how to care for her.

  “She should remain in this tub until sundown, to bring down the fever. When you take her out, I want her to breathe fumes from a steamy bowl of ingredients, with a cloth over her head like a tent, to keep the steam in. I have that mixture ready, so we’ll only need boiling water to start that. After half an hour, she should be allowed to sleep for the night, but keep moist, cool cloths on her head until the fever breaks. In the morning she'll need to have another bowl of this medicine to drink, one with quicksilver in it. Then she'll need to be able to sleep for another day or two, and have another steam-breathing treatment. If everything goes right, she'll be weak but recovering after that.”

  “How could you be a doctor to know such things so young?” Rand asked with less hostility than before. “The other doctors all told us she won’t live past tonight.”

  “Did the other doctors pray for her?” Alec looked directly at him and replied.

  Rand stared back at him with an angry expression on his face.

  “If you have saved Annie you have answered my prayers,” Helen said to break the tension.

  Alec returned to the bench to finish preparing the medicines. “All right now, this green bowl is the steam mix,” he told Amiel. “Just add small portions of boiling water every couple of minutes so there will be clouds of steam, hold it close to her face, and keep the cloth draped over her head. The blue bowl is for her to drink tomorrow; add the same amount of warm water as she just had. Keep her head cool tonight. We’ll be back tomorrow to see how she is,” he said as he lifted his pack on to his shoulder and prepared to leave. He nodded to Leah and they left to return to the street. Alec was too angry at Rand’s treatment to stay near the printer any longer.

  “Did you really save her Alec, just like that?” Leah asked as they stepped out onto the street. She saw the confident look in his eyes. “That is extraordinary!” She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

  “Where are you going?” Helen asked as she appeared behind them in the doorway. “Where can we find you when we need you?”

  “We don’t know yet, we haven't found a room in the city,” Leah replied. “We’re going to go see if we can stay on the Gold Street,” she continued hesitantly, worried that their vagabond status would reduce Alec’s stature in Helen’s eyes.

  “Have you just arrived in town and come straight here to save Annie?” Helen asked in befuddled amazement. “You've not yet even found a place to stay in the city?”

  “Well, you could say it happened that way,” Alec answered. “It sounds implausible, but it is true. Will we get to Gold Street if we follow this road?” he pointed to his right.

  “Not tonight you won't,” Helen told them as she placed her hand on Alec's arm. “Tonight you'll go no further. Spend the night here and help us take care of my little one. It’s wrong that you should go anywhere else, and it’s right that you stay here with your patient. You know what you want done for her, and it’s best that you do those things. We have many rooms you can use. Come back in the hall and I’ll have Amiel show you to your,” she paused for a second, “rooms,” then she disappeared down the hall.

  “This is wonderful, Alec,” Leah said happily. “Can you imagine sleeping in a real bed again?”

  Amiel arrived bustling up the hall. “The best rooms we can offer are up on the third floor, if that's OK?” She asked deferentially. “With one room for my mistress to lie in and one for her mother and one for her servant, all the second-floor rooms have been taken.” Alec and Leah, used to sleeping damp on a raft in the river, had no objections to the third floor, and followed the servant up the flights.

  “These are your rooms,” she puffed as they reached the top of the stairs. “I’ll bring linens,” she hesitated in some embarrassment. “What are your names, if I may ask, so that I can tell Master Rand who his guests are?”

  “My name is Alec, and this is Leah,” Alec replied.

  “Well Dr. Alec, this is your room, and Miss Leah, your room is right here across the hall,” she opened the respective doors. “Let me bring your linens out and some wash bowls, and then I want to go help with mistress Annie.”

  Alec looked at the sunlight angling into his room from the setting sun. He placed his bags down and crossed to Leah's room. “Let's eat something and then go help take care of the girl.”

  “That's a great idea! I’m starved,” Leah said and pulled her hand out of her pack with several crackers already clutched tightly. They both laughed and sat on the bed to munch their snack.

  Amiel arrived minutes later and stood in the doorway. “Don't spoil your appetites. Madame Helen says we’ll have dinner after we get Miss Annie to bed, and you’re to eat with the family,” she informed them as she turned to make up Alec's room.

  Alec went downstairs before Leah, and found Rand and Helen toweling Annalea.

  “Thank you for staying doctor,” Rand said contritely. “She looks a little better already.” He was right; Annalea was less flushed and her face appeared less drawn. “I appreciate your help, and I’m sorry for misunderstanding,” he paused. “If you'll help with her treatment, I’ll finish up one last job in the shop before we eat,” and he was off.

  Helen's eyes met Alec's but she said nothing until Annalea was back in her invalid's room, held setting upright asleep, breathing in vibrant vapors. “You may wonder how Rand can work while his wife is so ill, but don't think poorly of him, please. He's got a good heart. He married very well with our Annie, and wants to prove he can be a success who deserves her. It shows his respect for your work that he's willing to leave her and return to his own job now.”

  They finished the steam and placed her in bed, where a servant placed cooling towels around her head.

  “Let's go get a bite to eat now, Alec,” Helen said as she stepped through the door.

  Downstairs Leah met them in the dining room, and Rand came in without his apron. They all sat as aromatic dishes arrived from the kitchen. Leah made appreciative sounds as she and Alec had the best meal they had tasted in weeks. “This is so good!” She told her hosts between bites. Rand and Helen watched the two travelers ravenously devour dish after dish with little time for conversation.

  At last a break occurred, and they all sat back in their chairs. A moment later a golden cake arrived for dessert. “May I offer something to thank you for your hospitality?” Leah asked as she pulled a jar of Suellen's peach preserves from her bag; Alec knew it was the last jar they had from the sandbar.

  “Thank you Leah,” Helen said as the serving girl opened the jar. “But we're the ones who owe you so much. Tell us now, how is it that the best doctor in the Duchy arrives miraculously at our door, and is only a stripling to boot?” she asked kindly.

  After a brief hesitation, Leah answered, using several pauses as she picked her words. “We decided we wanted to leave our old home and start over, so we have been traveling together for some time, hoping to set up here in Goldenfields.”

  “It was God's will that we happened to arrive at this house when we did, I believe,” Alec added.

  “This peach topping is marvelous,” Helen said to deftly steer away from what seemed to be an uncomfo
rtable topic for her guests. “Where did you get it?”

  “It's from Walnut Creek,” Leah answered without thinking.

  “Another Walnut Creek story,” Rand chortled. “As if we haven't heard enough about Walnut Creek to answer for a year! At least these peaches are a pleasant story and not another tale of woe!”

  Leah and Alec exchanged a stricken glance, observed by Helen. “We got them from a peddler who told us they came from Walnut Creek. Was he pulling our leg? We haven't heard any stories of the place to know any better,” Leah said to cover their exposure.

  Chapter 12 – A Visit From An Angel

  “No, perhaps you haven't been in the right circles to have heard the stories we've heard,” Helen replied, “if you've been traveling. Rand, tell them about Walnut Creek.”

  “Well,” the printer replied, “I haven't heard all the stories or rumors that are on the street, since it's all broken loose while Annie's been ill and I’ve only talked to customers since then when I've spoken to anyone at all.

  “Let's see, about eight or nine days ago, a shipload of people came down the river, docked at the city, and said they had fled a lacertii invasion of their outpost in the wilderness, some mountains no one has ever heard of, far away. Their outpost was named Walnut Creek, they said. Hundreds of lacertii came with weapons and torches, killing, burning, plundering. These people all piled on the boat with just the clothes on their backs, and floated down river for weeks, presumably with the lacertii hot on their trail. In their defense, they were all thin as rails, and must have suffered something. But they would have had no credibility and been dismissed except that one of them was a member of the Stronghold trading clan, the Locksforts,” he briefly glanced at Helen, “was recognized as such, and vouched for all they said, and more.”

  “So now the Army is all astir for a war, the ingenairii are probably all astir for something, and the Duke is apparently all astir too. But no lacertii have arrived yet and people can only sustain a panic for so long,” he concluded dryly.