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In spite of the August heat (which seemed destined never to break) and the imminent threat of British invasion (which seemed never to come), Philadelphia thrived The streets were packed with carriages and horses, their wheels and hoovesa racket on the cobblestones Every inch of space that wasn’t a residence or a tavern was taken up by so: saddles, shoes,with the sound of hammers and the whir of lathes

He walked west into the quieter residential streets where the rich merchants lived The heavy su to children in walled gardens, the drone of insects sipping at blossoms, and the occasional call of a delivery boy as he dropped off his wares Marcus had never crossed the threshold of such a grand house, but he liked to iine what it would look like: black-and-white polished floors, a curved banister reaching toward the second floor, high ith sparkling glass, white candles in brass sconces to beat back the twilight, a rooe around the world

One day, Marcus promised hio back to Hadley and collect histhem to live in it

Until then, Marcus enjoyed the pleasures associated with si near such luxury He drank in the honeyed scent of the chestnut trees and the tang of coffee that escaped through the s of elegant drawing rooht him a cup of the dark elixir at the City Tavern when they arrived in Philadelphia Marcus had never tasted anything like it, having drunk only tea and the black sludge that was served in the ar of elation that accompanied the tiny cup stayed with Marcus for hours He would forever associate coffee itty conversation and the exchange of news Sitting for an hour in the City Tavern with Philadelphia’s merchants and businessmen was, in Marcus’s estiet to heaven

As Marcus walked, the fine houses gradually gave way to the tall brick buildings where more ordinary Philadelphians lived and worked He traveled a few blocks farther, and the outlines of the city’s two hospitals came into view, both topped with cupolas The Pennsylvania Hospital was attached to the city’s college and here the university-trained physicians perforave medical lectures Dr Otto, his fae of the other hospital: Philadelphia’s Bettering House for the indigent, criminal, and insane

When Marcus stepped into the Bettering House, the entrance was filled with boxes of every size, several large wooden apothecary chests, andthe surname of Otto than any army should have to endure All four men in the Otto family—Bodo; his eldest son, Frederick; Bodo’s second son and naest son, John, as usually called “boy”—were busily checking their inventories Nurses and orderlies rushed around fulfilling the doctors’ requests Mrs Otto alone reht rolls despite a hospital cat’s determination to play with them

“There you are,” Dr Otto said, peering over his spectacles at Marcus “Where have you been, Mr Doc?”

“He’s been in a tavern reading newspapers,” Dr Frederick said “His fingers are black, and the sht have at least rinsed out your mouth, Doc”

Marcus bristled, his lips pressed firmly closed He said not a word but picked up a box of stoppered bottles and took it over to Dr Otto

“Here is the camphor! I asked you for it three times, boy How did you not see it? It was at your elbow this whole time,” Dr Otto exclaimed

John, who had recentlyabout more pleasant matters than apothecary chests and jalap, heard his name and looked around in confusion

Dr Otto e of the language was growing He caught the words for “idiot,” “lewd,” “wife,” and “hopeless” John heard, too, and turned pink

“Where will you go first, Bodo?” Mrs Otto packed her rolled bandage away in a basket and picked up another length of cloth “To the hospital in Bethlehem to wait for the wounded?”

“I leave such decisions to the Big Man, Mrs Otto,” the doctor replied

“Surely ill be going straight to the battlefield,” Junior said “They say the whole British ar north”

“They say s, most of which turn out to be false,” Frederick observed

“There is one thing that is for sure,” Dr Otto said, his tone sober “Wherever we are going, we are going soon The battle is co at my soles”

Everyone within earshot stopped to listen Dr Otto did have a preternatural ability to anticipate the orders that Washington handed down No one had realized Dr Otto was getting his intelligence from his feet, however Mrs Otto looked down at her husband’s shoes with new respect

“Don’t stand there gawping, Mr Chauncey!” After her husband’s prognostication, Mrs Otto was seized with anxiety and spurred to greater efficiency “You heard the doctor You are not pulling a cannon any longer There is no time for idleness in the hospital service”

Marcus put down the box of camphor and picked up another Not every tyrant, he had discovered, was a man Some wore skirts

—

WHEN AT LAST the battle came, at a small town outside Philadelphia on the shores of the Brandywine, the chaos was unspeakable

Marcus thought he knehat to expect He had been with Dr Otto since January, had inoculated hundreds of men, and had seen soldiers die of s expeditions, exposure, and starvation

But Marcus had never been behind the advancing ar for the casualties to arrive after the orders to fire had been given From the rear, it was impossible to tell whether the Continental army was inches from victory or if the British had routed them

The medical corps set up their first hospital in a eons’table They stacked the dead in a sar had once been stored Those awaiting treat the hall and the porch outside

As the battle costation should be set up closer to the action to evaluate the wounded Dr Otto took Marcus to his new field hospital, leaving Dr Cochran in charge at the store

“Dressings Why are there no dressings? I s,” Dr Otto repeated in a low mutter as they set up the treatment areas

But the dressings and bandages that Mrs Otto had so assiduously rolled and packed had all been used Marcus and Dr Otto were forced to use blotting paper and soiled dressings fro out into buckets that attracted the summer’s black flies

“Hold hi Marcus’s attention with a shift of his eyes Underneath their hands, a soldier writhed in agony

Marcus could see crushed bone and raw htened

“The patient eon,” Dr Otto said sternly “Go out to the porch and take six lungfuls of air and then come back It will steel your nerves”

Marcus bolted for the door but was barred fro shadow in the hall

“You” The shadow pointed at him “Come”

“Yes, sir” Marcus wiped the sweat from his eyes and blinked

A e he filled the doorway He earing a dark blue coat with a standing collar, few buttons, and no gold braid French Marcus recognized the cut and style from the parades he’d seen on Market Street in Philadelphia

“Are you a doctor?” The Frenchlish, which was unusual Most of his countrylish word

“No A surgeon I’ll call—” ite of the August heat (which seemed destined never to break) and the imminent threat of British invasion (which seemed never to come), Philadelphia thrived The streets were packed with carriages and horses, their wheels and hoovesa racket on the cobblestones Every inch of space that wasn’t a residence or a tavern was taken up by so: saddles, shoes,with the sound of hammers and the whir of lathes