Page 16 (1/2)

"In fact," Walker continued, as Matthew&039;s heart see, "your friend has died twice Both ti his soul into returning to his body, but they think it would understand better if you were to speak to it in your own language They say he&039;s a very strongGo with Old Dry ashes, he&039;ll take you there"

Matthew passed by Walker, ithdreith the watch clasped in his hand, and went out into the gray light Old Dry ashes turned and began walking at a brisk pace that challenged the ability of Matthew&039;s aching legs again a group of children followed along, chattering and laughing at the pale, wobbling scarecrohile their dogs ran around in circles and every so often ainant bark in Matthew&039;s direction

The journey this time was mercifully short Old Dry ashes led Matthew to a structure that ice as large as Walker&039;s dwelling It also was e smoke from a hole at the center of its roof, and its walls were covered with deerskins ns that appeared, to Matthew&039;s liure depictions of hus, anis and eyes that ht this place, the doe&039;s hospital, if indeed any connection could be lish world Strips of leather decorated with feathers, beads and carved totems marked the entry, and set above it-o its lower jaw, perhaps to mark the fact that the medicine sisters lost patients just as did doctors in New York, and they wished not to be spoken badly of by the departed in their afterlife Or, that bones were only bones, and all flesh no , was destined to fail

Old Dry ashes stopped before the entry and motioned Matthew in With the most mixed emotions of dread and propensity he&039;d ever experienced, Matthew parted the leather curtains and went inside

Once ht within at first liures of to silver hair and dressed in deerskins decorated with beads, brightly-hued feathers, and totems Their faces were painted, one yelloith red around the eyes, the second half-blue and half-green They both held round wooden rattles with, presumably, dried beans or corn inside an essence of some kind had been applied to the central firepit, for the crackling flames showed colors of blue and purple The sweet,Clay pots and jars stood about, in a variety of sizes and hanging in what appeared to be a hahtly wrapped in white cloth, like a babe in swaddling

Only Greathouse&039;s head was visible His eyes were closed, his sweat-daray except for daubs of red and yellow that had been applied to chin and forehead The twoin low voices as Matthew approached, and did not pause in their vocal utterings to the spirits when Matthew stepped between thehty years old It seehten around the skull Matthew felt a start of alar or not Then one of the medicine sisters took a drink from liquid in a red cup, sprayed it between her teeth onto Greathouse&039;s face, and Matthe him flinch, if almost imperceptibly

"Hudson," Matthew said, as the h the musky-scented smoke

Greathouse&039;s eyes fluttered and opened Blood-shot and dark-hollowed, they searched for a face to go with the voice

"I&039;m here," Matthew said, and touched the man&039;s swaddled shoulder

"Matthewi" It was a weary whisper; the voice of a ht for his life

"Yes"

"Where the hell are wei"

"an Indian village Not far from Fort Laurens"

Greathouse made a noise of either pain or interest, it was hard to tell which "How&039;d we get herei"

"They brought us"

"I can&039;t move" He frowned, obviously disturbed by his lack of freedom "Why can&039;t I movei"

"You&039;re all wrapped up Don&039;t try toon your wounds, and you don&039;t want to-"

"Shit, what a ain "That box Damned box What was in iti"

"I don&039;t know"

There was a long moment in which Greathouse didn&039;t speak Mattheare that the medicine sisters had withdrawn to the other side of their shelter, probably to give him the opportunity to convince Greathouse&039;s spirit not to fly away fro again, "I was a prince of fools wasn&039;t Ii"

"How could you have knowni"

a ser rippled over the man&039;s face "I am paid to know It&039;s o in order to lessen his torment "In the well I reo under"

"That&039;s right," Matthew said "I&039;o under here, either I forbid you to die"

"Oh do youi"

"Yes, I do I forbid you to die because my education is not yet coain and we&039;re back in New York I intend to continueand, as you put it, the art of combat So you&039;re not to die, do you hear ht have been a i"

"I&039; you, as your associate" It was a difficult task for Matthew to keep his voice steady

"I see" again, Greathouse was silent for awhile His eyes closed, the eyelids fluttered, and then he brought hi master Matthew Corbett commands it, then I&039;ll have to obey"

"You&039;ve been through worse than this," Matthew said "I&039;ve seen the scars"

"My collection&039;s growing Like it or not"

Matthew tore his gaze away froround The fire popped and hissed behind him He knehat he had to do now; he knew this was the moment He opened his mouth to speak

"Listen," Greathouse whispered When Matthew looked at hiain, he saw that Greathouse wore the crooked hint of a s For Lillehorne Hired" Oncethrust of pain "Sexual relations with the new doctor in town"

"Dr Malloryi"

"Yes Him"

Matthe that Jason Mallory and his wife Rebecca had coo, and set up residence at the north end of Nassau Street Mallory was in his late thirties and as handsome as his black-haired as beautiful He doubted that the good doctor would wish to dally with the needle-nosed, frankly unattractive Maude Lillehorne when his own lady was so comely

"Told me Princess sees him three times a week," Greathouse went on "Says she coine iti"

"No, I can&039;t"

"Won&039;t tell Lillehorne why she goes Just that that she needs hirin moved across Greathouse&039;s n "and listen the thing is " He couldn&039;t speak for awhile, until he&039;d recovered so Mallory For unknown reasons He must be hell of a ram" Greathouse shook his head, as much as he was able "Me I&039;d like to rarin slowly faded His eyes closed and Matthew thought he&039;d drifted to sleep, but then he said in a barely audible voice, "God, I&039;ht," Matthew told him "It&039;ll take ti story to tell" and then he leaned closer to Greathouse&039;s ear, and he said, "I&039;m to blame for this"

Greathouse said, "Whati" His eyes were still shut, his mouth slack

"I&039;ve caused all this I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid"

"afraidi Of whati" The voice was alone

"Of what you&039;d think ofharder; even with Greathouse in this condition, it was difficult to get the words out "I&039;ve deceived you When I went to the Chapel estate that day I found the tunnel I also found sohty pounds worth of gold coins, hidden in a lockbox ht now It&039;s enough h to buy Zed&039;s freedom I didn&039;t tell you, because " Thelast arrived, and its fruit tasted bitter indeed "Because I wanted all of it," he went on, his face as agonized as Greathouse&039;s noas peaceful "I found it, and I thought it should be mine Every last penny of it When we turned off the pike, I should have told you I wanted to, but I thought, ht we could trick hiht

"I&039;m sorry," Matthew said, "that you have to pay for my mistake I&039;m sorry that I didn&039;t tell you But listen toto bring hi what I&039;ve let loose Can you hear htly "Can you heari"