Against the Empire: The Dominion and Michian (18 page)

“We brought him in the tent as our guest,” he added.

“We’re honored that you accepted the invitation to join us. Has our hospitality been acceptable?” Reast asked.

Unable to answer, Alec bowed again. “He’s mute, sir,” Alec’s companion said in a kind tone. “He has no tongue, and cannot speak,” he added superfluously.

Reast looked incredulous. “He’s a mute healer, and you invited him to our tent, Marjet?” he asked in a significant tone.

“He did save the band from embarrassment, and in front of a large crowd; it seemed best to be generous,” Marjet confirmed.

“Well, mute healer, if you are to serve the clan, what can you heal me of?” he asked pleasantly, but with an apparent vein of sarcasm.

Alec looked at the man who was the apparent leader of this group. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be part of this group. Yet he had been dropped from nowhere into this strange land, and already seemed to be inside a powerful group, a position from which he might learn whatever John Mark expected him to learn. And the girl, Rief, inexplicably appealed to him as someone who both needed and would be a good friend.

Alec focused his healing vision on Reast, discovering that the man’s tonsils were a seething mass of infection.

Alec opened his mouth wide, then motioned for Reast to do the same. The leader looked in amusement at the men around him, but Alec gestured impatiently for him to open, pointing at his own mouth, pointing at Reast’s, then peering closely at the man.

Reast opened, and Alec looked in, seeing the red inflammation that confirmed what he already knew. He reached into his sack of herbs and pulled out a bundle of leaves. He pulled some off and gave them to Reast. He cupped his hands together in front of him, then pantomimed placing the leaves in the cup, and motioned as though pouring water into the cup as well, then blew on it to cool it off.

“Make a tea? You want me to make a tea of these leaves?” Reast asked.

Alec nodded, then reached out and stroked Reast’s throat, remembering the warning that he should not seem to practice his healing powers. He used his left hand without thinking, and felt the character of the man revel itself – he was cunning and clever, determined to succeed, but not inherently cruel.

“This tea will make my throat feel better?” Reast asked.

Alec nodded.

“You’ve found quite a medical genius here, Cander, it appears,” Reast said in a different, respectful tone of voice. “I’ll try your tea, healer. You’re right, my throat is raw and painful. If this helps, we’ll see that the clan takes very good care of you. Who knows what we might accomplish with your talents?” he pondered thoughtfully. “Now, let’s all go back to the villa, and we’ll dress your friend appropriately, and have a bit of rest before the promenade tonight.”

The whole group moved through the tent opening, Cander, Marjet, Reast, Alec three ladies, and a half dozen servants, some of whom Alec suspected were primarily guards, walked to the left as they departed. As they walked, Alec noticed that the servant girl, Rief, was not with them. He turned and looked back, and saw her face sticking out from the tent. He raised his right hand and waved at her. A smile came to her solemn face, and she waved back, then ducked back inside the tent.

Within two minutes the group was passing a brilliant yellow tent, one that put Alec in mind of a giant lemon, so brightly hued was its canvas. The faces of Alec’s companions took on grim expressions as they passed the structure. Loud laughter, music and sounds of general festivity came from the tent, and Alec understood that the woman who had summoned the monstrous creature, who had been clothed in yellow at the end of her activity, had scored some great victory for the clan of this tent, much to the dissatisfaction of his companions.

Their passage was noticed. “Hey Reast, do you want to come kiss Sharlan’s feet now, or wait until tonight?” a nasal voice called out.

“Do you know any poisons we could use, healer?” Reast asked.

Alec shrugged and smiled.

“Couldn’t we just take the restorer home this afternoon, and come back tomorrow?” Cander asked, reminding Alec that he had made a similar request earlier.

“We aren’t going to cut and run,” Reast replied. “And we need to let the emperor’s army continue to use our restorer for the next few days, especially since Sharlan’s sorceress just produced a brand new one for the emperor.”

Alec intuitively made the connection. The animal he had seen led away, the ugly large animal that he had seen disappear from Stronghold with Mooreen and Elcome, was a restorer. It had the ability to somehow disappear, and the emperor apparently needed or wanted to use the animals.

After several minutes, they came to a corner, where a large white stone building, surrounded by imposing columns stood. All the members of the group paused, turned and genuflected to the building for a moment, then continued on their way. “Not a fan of the war god?” a woman asked. “You’ll have to adopt Raigg as one of your gods if you’re going to be part of our clan household,” she said conversationally as they continued on.

Alec walked along in shock, thoroughly disconcerted by the notion of a temple to another god. It made no sense to him, especially when he had just experienced such a personal, intense encounter with his own true god. This society grew stranger and stranger with each passing minute he was introduced to it. In just a few more minutes they arrived at a large fenced park, and turned in through a gate. Alec noted that at least two servants appeared to relax, as bodyguards do when entering a safe location.

The mansion on the grounds of the park was a large, magnificent facility. “Charten, take the healer to have him dressed decently for tonight, and find a nice room for him near the family quarters,” Reast said, and one of the presumed bodyguards dropped back to walk with Alec.

“Come this way, healer,” the man said pleasantly as they entered the mansion. Alec followed him through several hallways until they were in a laundry facility. “Migred,” Charten called to a woman. “This boy needs a robe for tonight’s promenade. Would you whip something up for him?”

The woman gave a momentary look of exasperation, then put down her work, picked up a basket, and promptly measured Alec. “Where shall it be delivered?” she asked.

“We’ll put him in Room 3 for now,” Charten replied, and he touched Alec on the arm to move him along. Alec turned, and bowed to the woman as a means to say thanks.

Minutes later, his guide opened a door for Alec. “This is your room. Just follow your nose to find the kitchen if you’re hungry. Be back here before sunset to wash and dress, and we’ll take you to the promenade,” he told Alec. “I need to go back to a few chores, so stay out of trouble!” he said with a laugh, then walked briskly down the hall.

Alec entered the room, or rooms, as it turned out to be suite. He relieved himself in the necessary room, then looked out the window of the bedroom. More park and garden space were visible, and he had a small balcony he could sit on. He took a seat in the warm sun, closed his eyes, and fell asleep, exhausted by the endless stream of new experiences he had just lived through since going up the valley in the Pale Mountains to find John Mark’s cave.

Chapter 20 – At the Promenade

A gentle tap on the knee woke Alec from a dreamless sleep. He opened his eyes to see that the sun had moved towards the horizon, and that dark-haired Rief, the girl servant he had met at the parade, was standing next to him.

“Your clothes are here, and you need to be down in the hall in five minutes,” she told him once his eyes focused on her. “I’m here to make sure you’re there on time,” she gave the hint of a smile.

Alec stood, and followed her inside. On a table he found a blue-and-white striped robe folded. He picked it up shook it open, and studied it momentarily, trying to decide how to put in on. He suddenly jumped as Rief began to pluck his shirt from him. He dropped the robe in surprise, and stepped back.

Seeing the look on his face, Rief laughed. “Modest, are you? Then put them on yourself, but be quick about it. I’ll get a whipping if we’re very late,” she said in a way that made Alec believe she wasn’t kidding. He picked up the robe, stepped behind a screen, and changed clothes quickly, then stepped back out where Rief could see him.

“Turn around,” she commanded, and Alec did, reminded for no particular reason of Bethany modeling her new clothes for him back in Goldenfields. He raised his hands above his head in a silly pose, then bowed as he finished his twirl. “You do have a sense of humor behind that silent face, don’t you?” Rief said laughingly. “Now let’s go!” she told him as she took his hand to lead him from the room at a swift pace.

He stopped her, and pointed back at his room. “What?” she asked, but he just darted back, grabbed his bag of healing items and rejoined her. “Here, wear that under your robe, so you don’t spoil the clan’s appearance,” she told him, and rearranged the bag against his body. “Now we have to run,” she said with a serious face, and took off through the halls, slowing to a walk just before entering the main hall.

“Ah, our healer is with us,” Reast said, seeing their entry. The group in the hallway was more than two score in size, although Alec couldn’t gauge how many were clan members and how many were servants or guards. “The carriages and wagons are lined up outside, everyone find an appropriate place.”

“You’ll spend the night taking care of me, won’t you, Rief?” Cander asked, stumbling over to where the servant and Alec stood. Alec could tell that the man had already drank a great quantity of alcohol.

“Sir, the healer has already asked me, so to speak, to spend the night with him,” Rief replied quickly, putting her hand on Alec’s arm. Alec didn’t understand precisely what was implied or expected, but he liked the servant girl, and was willing to play along with her game for the time being. He reached his hand across, and patted it atop hers.

“Healer, you’re a quick one, aren’t you?” Cander said without malice. “I’ll find a woman along the walk to take care of me. You enjoy Rief’s attention.” He stumbled away towards the door.

“I thank you, master healer. I’ll make sure you have fun. Cander’s not the worst master for an evening like this, but I think you’ll be much more fun,” she whispered with her mouth pressed against his ear. Alec blushed, and faintly nodded his head. They stayed in line, and by the time they were out of the door, most of the vehicles had already departed, so they climbed up in the bed of a wagon with five other people, and rode the jostling contraption away from the house.

“Who do you have, Rief?” an older lady asked.

“”This is the clan healer. The clan leader just accepted him this afternoon at the parade,” Rief explained.

“Welcome! We’re glad to have you serving the clan,” the woman said. “What’s your name? Where do you come from?”

“He can’t speak,” Rief explained. “He doesn’t have a tongue.”

All heads turned to stare at Alec intently as soon as Rief spoke. “Let me see,” said a young boy, and Alec obediently displayed his vacant mouth.

“That’s cool!” the boy said.

“He’ll be a spectacle tonight, won’t he?” another man said. “He’ll give the Indige clan something to talk about besides the Canares’ brilliant act today.”

They rode on, and Alec looked out the sides of the wagon, watching the scenes of the city pass by as the wagon lurched along and the other passengers chatted amiably. The city was filled with countless large buildings, showing that it must be far larger than Goldenfields or Oyster Bay. Twice, the other passengers made perfunctory acts of homage towards buildings they passed. Eventually, as the sun began to disappear below the horizon, the wagon crossed a long bridge over a wide, dark river then turned sharply, and rolled down to a circle of torches, where they waited in line for a chance to disembark with hundreds of others.