Thomas Covenant 03: Power That Preserves (66 page)

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it,” the man said. “That poor devil is going to live.”

“That’s why I called you, doctor,” the woman said. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

“Do?” the doctor snapped.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” the woman replied defensively. “But he’s a leper! He’s been making people in this town miserable for months. Nobody knows what to do about him. Some of the other nurses want—they want overtime pay for taking care of him. And look at him. He’s so messed up. I just think it would be a lot better for everyone—if he—”

“That’s enough.” The man was angry. “Nurse, if I hear another word like that out of you, you’re going to be looking for a new job. This man is ill. If you don’t want to help people who are ill, go find yourself some other line of work.”

“I didn’t mean any harm,” the nurse huffed as she left the room.

After she was gone, Covenant lost sight of the doctor for a while; he seemed to fade into the insensitive haze of the lighting. Covenant tried to take stock of his situation. His right wrist was also tied, so that he lay in the bed as if he had been crucified. But the restraints did not prevent him from testing the essential facts about himself. His feet were numb and cold. His fingers were in the same condition—numb, chill. His forehead hurt feverishly. His lip was taut and hot with swelling.

He had to agree with the nurse; he was in rotten shape.

Then he found the doctor near him again. The man seemed young and angry. Another man entered the room, an older doctor whom Covenant recognized as the one who had treated him during his previous stay in the hospital. Unlike the younger man, this doctor wore a suit rather than a white staff jacket. As he entered, he said, “I hope you’ve got good reason for calling me. I don’t give up church for just anyone—especially on Easter.”

“This is a hospital,” the younger man growled, “not a bloody revival. Of course I’ve got good reason.”

“What’s eating you? Is he dead?”

“No. Just the opposite—he’s going to live. One minute he’s in allergic shock, and dying from it because his body’s too weak and infected and poisoned to fight back—and the next— Pulse firm, respiration regular, pupillary reactions normal, skin tone improving. I’ll tell you what it is. It’s a goddamn miracle, that’s what it is.”

“Come, now,” the older man murmured. “I don’t believe in miracles—neither do you.” He glanced at the chart, then listened to Covenant’s heart and lungs for himself. “Maybe he’s just stubborn.” He leaned close to Covenant’s face. “Mr. Covenant,” he said, “I don’t know whether you can hear me. If you can, I have some news which may be important to you. I saw Megan Roman yesterday—your lawyer. She said that the township council has decided not to rezone Haven Farm. The way you saved that little girl—well, some people are just a bit ashamed of themselves. It’s hard to take a hero’s home away from him.

“Of course, to be honest I should tell you that Megan performed a little legerdemain for you. She’s a sharp lawyer, Mr. Covenant. She thought the council might think twice about evicting you if it knew that a national news magazine was going to do a human interest story on the famous author who saves children from rattlesnakes. None of our politicians were very eager for headlines like ‘Town Ostracizes Hero.’ But the point is that you’ll be able to keep Haven Farm.”

The older man receded. After a moment, Covenant heard him say to the other doctor, “You still haven’t told me why you’re in such high dudgeon.”

“It’s nothing,” the younger man replied as they left the room. “One of our Florence Nightingales suggested that we should kill him off.”

“Who was it? I’ll get the nursing superintendent to transfer her. We’ll get decent care for him from somewhere.”

Their voices drifted away, left Covenant alone in his bed.

He was thinking dimly, A miracle. That’s what it was.

He was a sick man, a victim of Hansen’s disease. But he was not a leper—not just a leper. He had the law of his illness carved in large, undeniable letters on the nerves of his body; but he was more than that. In the end, he had not failed the Land. And he had a heart which could still pump blood, bones which could still bear his weight; he had himself.

Thomas Covenant: Unbeliever.

A miracle.

Despite the stiff pain in his lip, he smiled at the empty room. He felt the smile on his face, and was sure of it.

He smiled because he was alive.

Here ends
The Power that Preserves
Book Three of
“The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.”

GLOSSARY

Acence: a Stonedownor, sister of Atiaran

ahamkara:
Hoerkin, “the Door”

Ahanna: painter, daughter of Hanna

aliantha:
treasure-berries

amanibhavam:
horse-healing grass, poisonous to men

Amatin: a Lord, daughter of Matin

Amok: mysterious guide and servant to ancient Lore

Amorine: First Haft, later Hiltmark

anundivian yajña:
“lost” Ramen craft of bone-sculpting

Asuraka: Staff-Elder of the Loresraat

Atiaran Trell-mate: a Stonedownor, mother of Lena

aussat Befylam:
child-form of the
jheherrin

Banas Nimoram:
the Celebration of Spring

Bann: a Bloodguard, assigned to Lord Trevor

Bannor: a Bloodguard, assigned to Thomas Covenant

Baradakas: a Hirebrand of Soaring Woodhelven

Berek Halfhand: Heartthew, founder of the line of Lords, first of the Old Lords

Bhrathair:
a people met by the wandering Giants

Birinair: a Hirebrand; later a Hearthrall of Lord’s Keep

Bloodguard: the defenders of the Lords

bone-sculpting: ancient Ramen craft, marrowmeld

Borillar: a Hirebrand and Hearthrall of Lord’s Keep

Brabha: a Ranyhyn, Korik’s mount

caamora:
Giantish ordeal of grief by fire

Caer-Caveral: apprentice Forestal of Morinmoss Forest

Caerroil Wildwood: Forestal of Garroting Deep

Callindrill Faer-mate: a Lord

Cavewights: evil creatures existing under Mount Thunder

Celebration of Spring: the Dance of the Wraiths of Andelain on the dark of the moon in the middle night of spring

Cerrin: a Bloodguard, assigned to Lord Shetra

Circle of elders: Stonedown leaders

clingor:
adhesive leather

Close, the: council chamber of Lord’s Keep

Coercri
: The Grieve; habitation of the Unhomed in Seareach

Colossus, the: ancient stone figure guarding the Upper Land

Cord: second Ramen rank

Cording: ceremony of becoming a Cord

Corimini: Eldest of the Loresraat

Corruption: Bloodguard name for Lord Foul

Creator, the: legendary Timelord and Landsire, enemy of Lord Foul

Crowl: a Bloodguard

Damelon Giantfriend: Old High Lord, son of Berek Halfhand

Dance of the Wraiths: Celebration of Spring

Demondim: makers of ur-viles and Waynhim

Desolation, the: era of ruin in the Land, after the Ritual of Desecration

Despiser, the: Lord Foul

Despite: Power of Evil

dharmakshetra
: “to brave the enemy,” Waynhim name

diamondraught:
Giantish liquor

Doar: a Bloodguard

Drinishok: Sword-Elder of the Loresraat

Drinny: a Ranyhyn, Lord Mhoram’s mount, foal of Hynaril

Drool Rockworm: a Cavewight, later leader of the Cavewights, finder of the Staff of Law

dukkha:
“victim,” Waynhim name

Dura Fairflank: a mustang, Thomas Covenant’s mount

Earthfriend: title first given to Berek Halfhand

Earthpower, the: the source of all power in the Land.

Elena: High Lord during first attack by Lord Foul; daughter of Lena

Elohim:
people met by the wandering Giants

Eoman: twenty warriors plus a Warhaft

Eoward: twenty Eoman plus a Haft

fael Befylam:
serpent-form of
jheherrin

Faer: mate of Lord Callindrill

Fangthane the Render: Ramen name for Lord Foul

FireLions: fire-flow of Mount Thunder

fire-stones: graveling

First Haft: third-in-command of the Warward

First Mark: the Bloodguard commander

First Ward of Kevin’s Lore: primary knowledge left by Lord Kevin

Fleshharrower: a Giant-Raver, Jehannum,
moksha

Forbidding: a repelling force, a wall of power

Forestal: a protector of the Forests of the Land

Foul’s Creche: the Despiser’s home

Furl Falls: waterfall at Revelstone

Furl’s Fire: warning fire at Revelstone

Gallows Howe: place of execution in Garroting Deep

Garth: Warmark of the Warward of Lord’s Keep

Gay: a Winhome of the Ramen

Giantclave: Giantish conference

Giants: the Unhomed, ancient friends of the Lords

Gilden: a maple-like tree with golden leaves

Gildenlode: a power-wood formed from Gilden trees

Glimmermere: a lake on the upland above Revelstone

Gorak Krembal: Hotash Slay

Grace: a Cord of the Ramen

graveling: fire-stones, made to glow by stone-lore

Gravin Threndor: Mount Thunder

Gray Slayer: plains name for Lord Foul

Grieve, The:
Coercri
, Giant city

griffin:
lion-like beast with wings

Haft: commander of an Eoward

Haruchai, the:
original race of the Bloodguard

Healer: a physician

Hearthrall of Lord’s Keep: a steward responsible for light, warmth, and hospitality

Heart of Thunder: cave of power in Mount Thunder

Heartthew: Berek Halfhand

heartwood chamber: Woodhelven meeting place

Heer: leader of a Woodhelven

Herem: a Raver, Kinslaughterer,
turiya

High Lord: leader of the Council of Lords

High Lord’s Furl: banner of the High Lord

High Wood:
lomillialor
, offspring of the One Tree

Hile Troy: Warmark of High Lord Elena’s Warward

Hiltmark: second-in-command of the Warward

Hirebrand: a master of wood-lore

Hoerkin: a Warhaft

Home: original homeland of the Giants

Howor: a Bloodguard, assigned to Lord Loerya

Hurn: a Cord of the Ramen

hurtloam: a healing mud

Huryn, a Ranyhyn, Terrel’s mount

Hynaril: a Ranyhyn, mount of Tamarantha and Mhoram

Hyrim: a Lord, son of Hoole

Illearth Stone: stone found under Mount Thunder, source of evil power

Imoiran Tomal-mate: a Stonedownor

Irin: a warrior of the Third Eoman of the Warward

Jain: a Manethrall of the Ramen

Jehannum: a Raver, Fleshharrower,
moksha

jheherrin:
soft ones, living by-products of Foul’s misshaping

Kam: a Manethrall of the Ramen

Kelenbhrabanal:
Father of Horses in Ranyhyn legends

Kevin Landwaster: son of Loric Vilesilencer, last High Lord of the Old Lords

Kevin’s Lore: knowledge of power left by Kevin in the Seven Wards

Kinslaughterer: A Giant-raver, Herem,
turiya

Kiril Threndor: chamber of power deep under Mount Thunder, Heart of Thunder

Koral: a Bloodguard, assigned to Lord Amatin

Korik: a Bloodguard, a commander of the original
Haruchai
army

kresh:
savage, giant, yellow wolves

krill
, the: enchanted sword of Loric, a mystery to the New Lords, wakened to power by Thomas Covenant

Kurash Plenethor: region once called Stricken Stone and later Trothgard

Kurash Qwellinir: the Shattered Hills

Lal: a Cord of the Ramen

Land, the: generally, area found on the Map

Law of Death, the: the separation of the living and the dead

Lena: a Stonedownor, daughter of Atiaran and Trell, mother of Elena

Lifeswallower: the Great Swamp

lillianrill:
wood-lore, or masters of wood-lore

Lithe: a Manethrall of the Ramen

Llaura: Heer of Soaring Woodhelven

Loerya Trevor-mate: a Lord

lomillialor:
High Wood, a wood of power

Lord: master of the Sword and Staff parts of Kevin’s Lore

Lord-Fatherer: Berek Halfhand

Lord Foul: the enemy of the Land

“Lord Mhoram’s Victory”: a painting by Ahanna

Lords-fire: staff fire used by the Lords

Lord’s Keep: Revelstone

loremaster: ur-vile leader

Loresraat: Trothgard school at Revelwood where Kevin’s Lore is studied

Lorewarden: teacher at the Loresraat

loreworks: Demondim power laboratory

Loric Vilesilencer: Old High Lord, son of Damelon Giantfriend

lor-liarill:
Gildenlode

Lower Land, the: land east of Landsdrop

Maker, the:
jheherrin
name for Lord Foul

Maker-place: Foul’s Creche

Malliner: Woodhelven Heer, son of Veinnin

Mane: a Ranyhyn

Maneing: ceremony of becoming a Manethrall

Manethrall: highest Ramen rank

Manhome: main dwelling place of the Ramen

Marny: a Ranyhyn, Tuvor’s mount

marrowmeld: bone-sculpting

Mehryl: a Ranyhyn, Hile Troy’s mount

Melenkurion abatha:
phrase of invocation or power

Mhoram: a Lord, later High Lord, son of Variol

moksha:
a Raver, Jehannum, Fleshharrower

Morin: First Mark of the Bloodguard, commander in original
Haruchai
army

Morril: a Bloodguard, assigned to Lord Callindrill

Murrin Odona-mate: a Stonedownor

Myrha: a Ranyhyn, Elena’s mate

Oath of Peace: oath by the people of the Land against needless violence