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aRE YOU WELLi Truthfully, now" Matthew had been staring out the openin the istrate&039;s room, out over the sun-washed roofs and the fount&039;s sparkling blue water It was on pass through the distant gate Thishe&039;d been aware of an al wheels and thudding ani up a haze of yellow dust that blotted the air around the gate like a perpetual stain a sad sight had been that of Robert Bidwell, his wig dusty and his shirttail hanging out, as he stood on Har with his citizens to remain in their homes at last Winston and Johnstone had led hih it was the Sabbath Van Gundy hiittern - and quit Fount Royal Matthew assumed that a few bottles still stocked the tavern, and in theony of his perceived failure

Mattheould have been surprised if any less than sixty persons had departed Fount Royal since dawn Of course the threat of htfall between here and Charles Town had choked off the flow as the day progressed, but obviously there were those who preferred to risk the night journey rather than spend another eve in a witch-haunted town Matthew predicted a si the fact that it was Rachel&039;s execution morn, since by the declaration so cleverly written in Lancaster&039;s house, every neighbor ht be a servant of Satan

Today the church had been empty, but Exodus Jerusalem&039;s camp had been full of terrified citizens Matthew ht he&039;d truly found hi voice had risen and fallen like the waves of a stor in accord had been the frenzied cries and shrieks of his fear-drowned audience

"Matthewi are you welli" Woodward asked again, fro, " Matthew said "That even though the sun shines brightly, and the sky is clear and blue it is a very ugly day" So saying, he closed the shutters, which he had only opened a istrate&039;s bedside and sat down

"Has so" Woodward paused, as his voice was still frail His throat was again in considerable pain and his bones ached, but he wished not to s to Matthew on the eve of the witch&039;s death "Has so happenedi My ears seeon wheels and much commotion"

"a few citizens have decided to leave town, " Matthew explained, deliberately keeping his tone casual "I suspect it has so There was an unfortunate scene in the street, when Mr Bidwell stationed himself to try to dissuade their departure"

"Was he successfuli"

"No, sir"

"ah That poor soul I feel for him, Matthew" Woodward leaned his head back on his pillow "He has done his best and the Devil has done his worst"

"Yes, sir, I agree"

Woodward turned his face so he had a good view of his clerk "I knoe have not been in agreeret that any harsh words were spoken"

"as do I"

"I know also how youThe despondence and despair Because you still believe her to be innocent a I can say or do to change yourI can say or do to change yoursi"

"No, " Woodward said firround on this" He sighed, his expression pained "You will disagree, of course but I appeal to you to lay aside your obvious emotion and consider the facts as I did I made my decree based on those facts, and those facts alone Not based on the accused&039;s physical beauty or her prowess at twisting words or her ence The facts, Matthew I had no choice but to pronounce her guilty, and to sentence her to such a death Can you not understandi"

Matthew didn&039;t reply, but instead stared at his folded hands

"No one ever told e would be easy In fact I was promised by my own mentor that it would be an iron cloak once put on, impossible to remove I have found it doubly true But I have tried to be fair, and I have tried to be correct Whatht return to cos so much better after you wear the iron cloak yourself"

"I don&039;t believe I ever shall, " cauard his speech

"You say that now but it is your youth and despair speaking Your affronted sense of what is right and wrong You are looking at the dark side of the moon, Matthew The execution of a prisoner is never a happy occasion, noaway "But what joy what relief when you are able to discover the truth and set an innocent person free That alone justifies the iron cloak You will see all in God&039;s time"

a tap at the door announced a visitor Matthew said, "Who is iti"

The door opened Dr Shields stood on the threshold, holding hisMatthew had noted that since the murder of Nicholas Paine, the doctor&039;s countenance had reaunt and hollow-eyed, much as Matthew had found him at the infir under an iron cloak of his own, as Shields&039;s moist face was nifying lenses of his spectacles "Pardon istrate&039;s afternoon dose"

"Come in, doctor, coer for a taste of that healing tonic

Matthew got up froht ad been cautioned again - as yesterday - not toin Fount Royal, which he had the good sense not to do even if he hadn&039;t been cautioned He agreed with Matthew that, though the th, it was yet wise not to pressure his health with the disastrous news

When the dose had been sed and Woodward settled again to await the onco of precious sleep, Matthew followed Dr Shields out into the hallway and closed the uarded tone "Your best and honest opinion: When will the istrate be able to traveli"

"He does improve daily" Shields&039;s spectacles had slipped down his beak, and he pushed theain "I aoes well I would say teeks"

"What do you er, isn&039;t hei"

"His condition was very serious Life-threatening, as you well know To say he&039;s out of danger is an oversiht you were so pleased with his response to the tonic"

"I a about that tonic I created it thened it as e the body to increase its blood flow and thereby - "

"Yes, yes, " Matthew interrupted "I know all that about the stagnant blood What of the tonici"

"It is how shall I say this an extreme experiment I&039;ve never before ade"

Matthew had an inkling nohat the doctor was getting at He said, "Go on"

"The tonic was h to make him feel better To lessen his pain To reawaken his natural healing processes"

"In other words, " Matthew said, "it&039;s a powerful narcotic that gives hii"

"The word powerful is uh an understateht be Herculean"

"Then without this tonic he would regress to the state he was in beforei"

"I can&039;t say I do know for certain that his fever is reatly freed The condition of his throat has also i istrate back fro dependent on the tonic"

"Which istrate is also dependent on the tonic&039;s ht wish to pursue you in the future for the murder of Nicholas Paine"

Shields flinched at this, and pressed a finger to his ulate his volu, " he said "I swear it That had nothing to do withthe tonic as I said, I used as at hand, in a strength I judged sufficient for the task and as for Paine if you&039;d please not ain to ht have been a blade-twist of agony in the doctor&039;s eyes, a fleeting thing that had been pushed down as quickly as it had appeared "all right, then, " he said "What&039;s to be donei"

"I ae There will still be three cups a day, but one of theoes well, we shall cut a second cup to half strength Isaac is a strongconstitution I am hopeful his body will continue to i back to the lancet and blister cups, are youi"

"No, we have crossed those bridges"

"What about taking him to Charles Towni Could he stand the tripi"

"Possibly Possibly not I can&039;t say"

"Nothing , " Shields said "It is up to him and to God But he does feel better and he does breathe easier He can communicate, and he is comfortable These days with the medicines I have on hand I would say that is a ree, of course I didn&039;t wish to sound ungrateful for what you&039;ve done I believe that under the circumstances you&039;ve performed with admirable skill"

"Thank you, sir Perhaps in this case there was more luck involved than skill but I have done my best"

Matthew nodded "Oh have you finished your examination of Linch&039;s bodyi"

"I have I calculate from the thickness of blood that he had been dead some five to seven hours before discovery His throat wound was the , but he was also stabbed twice in the back It was a doard thrust, both stabs piercing his lung on the right side"

"So he was stabbed by so behind and over himi"

"It would appear so Then I believe his head was pulled backward and the throat wound ad at his desk, " Matthew said "Talking to whoever killed hi on the floor, the slash marks were applied"

"Yes, by Satan&039;s claws Or by the claws of soue the ed the subject "and what of Mr Bidwelli Has he recoveredi"

"Sadly, no He sits at the tavern with Winston as we speak, getting drunker than I&039;ve ever seen hi around him, and with more witches yet to be identified the toill soon be eht - the little I did sleep - with a Bible at both ends of ht was that Shields could use a lancet with far deadlier effect than a dagger "You needn&039;t fear The dae has been done, and there&039;s no need for the fox now to do anything but wait"

"The foxi Satan, you meani"

"I s to tend to"

"Certainly I shall see you later this evening"