page3 (1/2)
The soldiers brought the in the e inside one of the canvas tents used to cover sewer entrances when repairs were round Now the tent hid theon up to the flap
They do this all the tiht, as the soldiers placed Flick’s litter in the back of the wagon They have the clothes already on, and folk see the tent every day, so they don’t guess there’s sickness and run mad His respect for the duke rose several notches Twice he’d been caught in ot out that disease was in Hajra’s slurates as people destroyed their own district out of fear of sickness The second ti the riot, had earned him a broken arm from a shopkeeper with a club
He clion behind Rosethorn and settled into the corner Rosethorn sat next to Flick, bracing her on the floor of the cart as they lurched forward
Once they were , Rosethorn checked Flick’s pulse and telassy “Willowbark tea, for a start,” muttered Rosethorn, partly to herself and partly to Briar “Why bark tea, student of mine?”
“To bring down the fever and make the ouches less,” he said pro the bumps”
“Shouldn’t I wash her first? Givethe alarly at her “Yes, I said the bad word—’wash’ It won’t hurt, not much It didn’t kill him” She jerked a thumb at Briar “So it shouldn’t kill you”
Flick grinned Turning over on the litter, she began to doze
When they reached Urda’s House in the Mire, they entered the building through a back way built for quarantine: a separate, enclosed staircase with a gate that could be locked The stair led to the third floor, which was euards placed thee rooms just off the third-floor porch Briar tried the inner door to the rest of the house and found it locked
Exas with a critical eye, he saw that it ell supplied Deep, locked cupboards lined the two short walls fro walls The shuttered ere barred to keep unwilling guests inside The only unlocked rooht enter was the washroohs for washing clothes, and a great hearth in which a huge kettle of water steamed
Flick got off her litter and sat on a cot, looking around The guards spoke briefly to Rosethorn, then left Briar listened as they first barred the outer door behind them, then walked into the second roo in the next roouards had already exposed themselves to disease and would have to place themselves in quarantine
Going to the door that led outside, Briar opened a s- set in the wood at adult-eye level It was covered by two lengths of finely woven sheer cloth, one fixed to the inside of the opening, the other to the outside Both screens radiated a touch ofhis hand palm-out to the closer one, Briar found that sons for health and purity Sht This way folk that’re cooped up here can talk to outsiders withoutthem sick He drifted over to the door that led to the inside of the house It too had a s door set into the base When he tried the sliding door, he found it locked from the other side
“Bath ti him to his feet “In there” She pointed to the washroom “Get soap frorate, pull the rope Clothes go into that” She pointed to a closed chute in the wall “You’ll find fresh new robes on the bench inside Flick, I know you don’t feel well, but cleaning up will help” She guided Flick to the other side of the partition that separated one of the rough overhead showers from the other
Once he had scrubbed thoroughly and rinsed, Briar found the new clothes Rosethorn had arment like a robe secured by a cloth belt He also found a fresh belly-wrap, a pair of gloves, and a cloth loves and mask, he went into the , so lower flap on the door
He carried the trays to a table There ars, and a pot of lentils steith onions and bay leaves There was also a pitcher of fruit juice Plates and eating utensils he found in a cupboard beside the table He was just serving the food when Rosethorn and Flick eed froloves, and their masks were tied around their necks
“We got to wear this stuff?” Briar asked Rosethorn, pointing to his ot ’eht?”
“Wrong You wear the,” Rosethorn told hiued you out of jail”
Briar grinned at her and began to eat
Flick ate a little and drank as irl went to bed Already bored, Briar washed and dried the dishes Rosethorn ain The girl protested drinking the bitter liquid but didn’t have the energy to stand up to Rosethorn at her ed back onto her mattress, Rosethorn covered her, stood, and stretched
Sorate at adult-eye level slid open “Rosethorn?” It was Niko
Briar followed his teacher to the door Standing close, the boy heard her quietly tell Niko, “You knew You knew a plague was co”
Niko’s reply was a tart, “I didn’t know much”
“You knew soet to prepare—”
“When you experience the absolute welter of bits and fragments that are the picture of tiht yesterday e rew sharper “I also saw fire and riot that may or may not happen, here or elsewhere around the Pebbled Sea—street fights and a rebellion against a king Shall I take ship and warn every port that so?” His voice had risen He caught hiot s you requested here in the city Your healer’s oilCircle—why did you not have it with you?”
“I thought all I would be facing inter colds and pains and a shortage of chilblain salve!” hissed Rosethorn “Not a brand-new disease! I should be working on a cure at Winding Circle right now!”
“That’s enough,” ordered Niko softly “I am sorry I questioned you” He fell silent for a ain, he did so in a whisper “My dear, I admit that you will be needed desperately for your ability to unravel an illness and find its cure Unfortunately, the gods placed you here I know you dislike nursing above all things—but there is nothing we could have done to prevent it Which do you think isthe feere exposed to this child, or letting you go, possibly to bring infection to others?”
“Don’t lecture me on the need for quarantine, Niko,” Rosethorn snapped “In case you’ve forgotten, I wrote the quarantine instructions for Summersea! I know I have to stay here!”
Niko sighed “Have courage There are other experts in this kind of work I am sure that Dedicate Crane will find a way to identify the ailment and its cure”
“Yours is a happy nature,” retorted the woman “Crane will need help With that lordly manner of his, I doubt he’ll
e to keep anyone else for more than a day”
Niko shook his head “You can’t be that worried, if you can take the tis as soon as I can”
Frowning, Briar stepped back as Niko closed the grating and Rosethorn turned away from the door Somehow the boy had always known his teacher was uncoh; she adored Lark, and enjoyed the company of Niko, Frostpine, and the duke He even suspected she’d coirls, but when it came to outsiders, she hid her softer nature and showed only thorns Watching her handle Flick, he’d been surprised at how gentle she was To hear she disliked working with people was no surprise But Rosethorn was frightened?
That frightened him
When the duke and his escort cae, a curly-haired dog two and a half feet tall at the shoulder burst out of the open door, barking wildly Sandry and Tris diset to their pet before he could terrify the horses The soldiers grinned as the big dog raced around both girls, shrieking at the top of his lungs Behind hiany-colored skin—Daja Kisubo, another of Briar’s houseo to tea with the duke or visit the market that day, she had chosen to stay home and assist her teacher Frostpine with a particularly complex piece of metalwork
“How did it go?” Sandry called over the dog’s noise
“Fine,” Daja shouted She bore no sign of tie, but wore a clean russet tunic and dark leggings “The shield will be grand, once it’s cleaned and polished” Her dozen braids were still wet from the bath; her round face was freshly scrubbed
Out of patience at last, a scarlet-faced Tris yelled, “Little Bear, down!”
The dog Little Bear dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back, pawing the air
“I’ him this time,” Daja informed Tris calmly
“Young ladies,” said the duke The girls looked up at him “Tell only Dedicate Lark what Rosethorn said—no one else Once ruet started …”
“We understand, Uncle,” replied Sandry Tris dipped a s
“Aren’t you coe door Like Rosethorn, she wore a green habit to show she served the gods of the earth Unlike Rosethorn, Lark was tall and y, graceful rather than crisp Her dark bronze face was catlike, with its small chin and wide cheekbones, and was frairls saorry in her dark eyes as she glanced from them to their escort