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Later I realized that I never saw that ain My fever-fuddledthe slop buckets and bringing water to the er moved with the precise air of those trained in thein the infirmary than I would have expected, and so character At one point I saw one going through the pockets of a cadet’s jacket as he lay unconscious and groaning in his bed I had not the strength to lift my hand or voice When next I opened my eyes, the cadet was covered head to toe with a soiled sheet The altercation between the doctor and two old men in earth-stained clothes had awakened me

"But he’s dead!" one of the old ht to let hih stink in here already"

"Leave hith He looked years older and far more frail "No bodies are to be reive the order Cover them, if you feel you must, but let them be I want at least twelve hours to pass between the time of death and the reht! It’s not respectful!"

"I have my reasons Leave it at that!"

The other man abruptly asked, "Is it true what I heard? That a woman was put alive in her coffin, and by the ti on the lid, it was too late? She died on the dead cart, there in the ceard "No body is to be removed from this ithout my consent," he said quietly

"Doctor," I said hoarsely When he did not turn to ood, but the next time I rasped out "Doctor!" he turned toward me

"What is it, lad?" he asked, almost kindly

"Did you speak to the colonel for me? Does he know that Caulder lied about ue way that told otten the matter that still obsessed me He patted my shoulder absently "Caulder is very ill, lad, and the colonel is not well hiood ti"

Then down the ward a ush of fluid hit the floor The doctor hurried away fro all hope with him Caulder would die No one would ever be able to prove he had lied about raced If I died, my father could bury his shame If I died, there could be no further dishonor for my father or me

This time, as I sank into fever, I sank with a will I turned my mouth determinedly from the cool cup that someone pressed to my lips I would not drink

I died

I ca darkness and e I wasn’t alone Others milled there, as fortuneless and disinterested as I It was hard tomerely shadows, but here and there a detail stood out A woolden still on an ethereal hand A carpenter clutched his ha on his chest Butfeatures, no treasuredthem, with no destination or ambition other than to move After an indeterminate ti in to the su the path of least resistance, I joined the slow river of departing spirits Eventually I beca a precipice Most of the spirits drifted to the edge, lingered, and then siht I reached the peri with rainbows, like oil floating on water, waited below As I watched, a woman drew near She looked down for a time and then stepped into the e and losing substance like ink dispersing in water I could not see if she ever reached the placid pool or not I conte feeling that it was not forelse

I drifted along the cliff’s edge, vaguely aware that I was leaving the swirling tide of spirits behind me Eventually I joined a separate trickle of disembodied folk We did not speak or look at one another The bare cliff jutted over another ravine, this one botto souls And a prireen vines spanned the gap A swanneck driven into the earth secured the end of the fine yellow footrope closest tovine that culreat tree that overshadowed the cliff A shiver both of recognition and preh me