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A man in buff breeches and a blue tunic rode toward them on a horse that was probably worth asKentucky rifle—the kind used by woodsh a loop on his saddle, and a fur-triht his brainsinside it on such a warm day
“I am the chevalier de Clermont, servant to the Marquis de Lafayette State your business” De Clermont motioned Marcus to stay behind him
“I am here to see Mr Hancock,” the man replied
“He’s at the inn” De Clermont jerked his head toward the ford “In town”
“Doc?” a voice cried out across the clearing “That you?”
Vanderslice was in one of the wagons, perched atop a pile of hay He waved
“What are you doing here?” Marcus said as he approached the wagon
“We’ve brought the bells from Philadelphia so that those British bastards don’t melt them down andhihty leap He landed on his feet, like a cat “I didn’t expect to see you here Still with that French kakker and his friend, I see?”
“Washington sent the marquis here to recover—and the rest of the army with him, it seems,” Marcus replied He looked over at de Clermont, as deep in conversation with a knot of cavalry officers The chevalier wanted infored to help hiain “Where are you all headed?”
“Soht along everything we could haul out of Philadelphia Even Gerty” He looked up at the town of Bethlehem and whistled “What kind of place is this, Doc? It seeious folk I hear the woether”
“It’s like nowhere else I’ve ever been,” Marcus replied honestly
“Is the food good?” Vanderslice asked “Are the girls pretty?”
“Yes,” Marcus replied with a laugh “But Congress has ordered us not to disturb the woers in the pies”
—
THAT EVENING, John Ettwein led Marcus and Vanderslice on a tour of his town Instead of starting with the large, is in the center of Bethleheht for the warren of structures that were built along the Monocacy Creek
“This is where our people first settled,” John explained, standing before a ss The land sloped down to the water, giving a clear view to the west over the Moravians’ mills, tanneries, butchers, and orks Ettwein pointed at one of the buildings “There’s the springhouse The water never freezes Not even in winter And it turns the wheel that sends the water up the hill and into the town”
Marcus had been amazed to discover that water flowed into the apothecary’s stillroom, and that he didn’t have to run up and down the hill to fetch clean water for the marquis’s medicine
“I’d show you inside,” John continued, “but your guards have taken it over”
So outside and watching while stores of ammunition were unloaded into the nearby oil mill
John showed them the millworks instead As they neared the workshop, a black couple ca the hill froe, and their arms were linked at the elbows Both wore the dark, si of the Moravian Brethren, and the woman wore one of their crisp white caps, this one unadorned with ruffles and tied with a blue bow—the sign of a arded the pair with curiosity, as did Vanderslice
“Good evening, Brother Andrew and Sister Magdalene,” John called to the our visitors the millworks”
“God sends us too dalene said
“God sends us only e can handle,” Brother Andrew said, giving her a codalene has been hard at work forthe sick soldiers’ clothes”
“They were crawling with verdalene said, “and worn nearly to shreds There is nothing to replace them with If God wants to help us, He should send us breeches”
“We must be thankful for his mercies, wife” Brother Andrew patted her hand He opened his h
“That sounds like asthma,” Marcus said with a frown “I know a tea ”
“It is only the hill,” Brother Andrew replied, stooped over with the effort to clear his lungs “It always brings on s”
“Doc can fix you up,” Vanderslice said “He healed all of the Associators last winter, ere fighting together”
Sister Magdalene looked at Marcus with interest “My Andrew’s back aches after a coughing fit Do you have soht ease it?”
Marcus nodded “A liniredients are all in the apothecary’s shop”
“There is no need to concern yourself with me, when you have so many patients already,” Brother Andrew said “All I need is rest”
Brother Andrew and Sister Magdalene preceded theh the open door into the s filled the dusty air, and Brother Andrew’s coughing resumed
“You shouldn’t be sleeping here,” Marcus protested “This air will h worse”
“There is nowhere else,” Sister Magdalene said, sounding weary “They took our house froo to the sisters’ house, but that would ether now”
“Magdalene does not trust the visitors across the river, or the guards in the orks,” Brother Andrew explained “She fears they will take me from the Brethren and sell me to a new master”
“You are not free, Andrew,” Sister Magdalene said fiercely “Remeh”
“She was not a ation, as I a “That was different”
Sister Magdalene did not look convinced She helped her husband to a chair by a tiled stove A small mattress was in the corner behind the stove, neatly covered with a clean blanket A few personal items—a cup, tls, a book—were placed nearby
“I will take care of dalene said “Go back to the hospital, to the sick soldiers”
“I will pray for you, Brother Andrew,” John said
“I am already in God’s care, Brother John,” Brother Andrew replied “Pray for peace instead”
—
MARCUS WAS WORKING alongside Bethlehem’s apothecary, Brother Eckhardt, in the s the town square known as der Platz Today the arh the town to their next destination, transforhway
When he returned last night fro with the Ettweins and sharing a roothy negotiation with Brother Ettwein to get Marcus rele Brothers’ House and away froly carry soion to the marquis’s bedside Marcus’s new hosts were a pious family, and Brother Ettas not only the chief intermediary between the Moravians and the colonial army but also the town’s minister This meant that the rafters echoed with both prayers and complaints Marcus found the peace and quiet of the apothecary’s house soothing in comparison
He stood at a clean wooden table with an array of pottery jars before him Each one was labeled with its contents—mallow and almond oil and sal ammoniac A bottle of spirit of lavender was at his elbow in buff breeches and a blue tunic rode toward them on a horse that was probably worth asKentucky rifle—the kind used by woodsh a loop on his saddle, and a fur-triht his brainsinside it on such a warm day