Against the Empire: The Dominion and Michian (36 page)

“Well, if your mother had jewels, she wasn’t just a peasant girl. What a mystery,” Rief said. A sudden grating sound occurred, and Sister Mary Alice opened the gate for them to enter.

“Welcome back, Alec. When I was told it was a healer, I knew it could only be you!” she said graciously holding out a hand. “And who is your friend?”

“This young lady is Rief, an apprentice healer, who is here to help me look after the children,” he answered as they began walking.

“It’s rather late. Would you be able to look at the older children tonight, and then come back tomorrow to see the rest?” the sister asked.

“That should not be any problem,” Alec answered.

“Will you be here another day longer? We could invite Sister
Magdaline to come
down from the convent and to visit. You know she wants to see you so much,” Mary Alice explained.

They began walking towards the children’s quarters. “Unless something else happens, I would be very happy to see the sister again,” Alec assured her.

“Rief, we are very thankful for you coming to join us as well. Alec has been kind to us in his attention,” Mary Alice said as they reached the dining hall. Alec and Rief went in to set up a corner, and the nun left to organize the oldest children for their exams.

As the children arrived, Alec told Rief, “Look at each one with your health vision, and tell me what you think their afflictions are, and how to heal them.”

“I will,” she agreed.

“Do you remember me?” a red-headed girl came bounding up as the first pupil, speaking to Alec.

“I do remember you! You had a cough, and I came back a second time to give you the rest of your medicine,” Alec answered, sitting down beside her.

“This is a healthy young lady,” Rief said. “But she should drink more milk.”

Alec examined the girl with his own vision. “I agree with Rief, you need to drink more milk,” Alec told his young friend.

“I drink what they give me,” the girl protested.

“Well, don’t stop,” Alec warned her. “Now you go back to playing, and don’t try to sneak out on the roof through the hole under the eaves in the attic over the chapel!” he warned her.

She stopped in mid-stride as she began to walk away. “How did you know about that?” she demanded.

“Never mind! Just don’t do it!” he refused to answer.

The next child came, and another after that, and more after that. In each case, Alec agreed with Rief’s diagnosis. As she prescribed medicines, Alec spread the ingredients that he had in his bag, and let her figure the preparations. If he didn’t have something she suggested, they made a note to get it. Things went well until the last child arrived. Rief looked at him, then looked at Alec. “Can we talk about him for a moment?” she asked. Alec nodded agreement, and they stepped away.

“He has cancer,” she said uneasily. “I can treat it, but it will take multiple visits and lots of medicines we don’t have. Do you think we’ll be here long enough to make the treatments?” she asked doubtfully.

“Not to have a complete treatment using the ingredients you’re thinking of,” he agreed. “But as you know, there is another way that is quicker. I learned about it from studying old notes and texts in Ingenairii Hill, and from following my heart. Come watch this,” he told her.

“Nossi, will you pray with me?” Alec asked the boy, who nervously sat waiting the return of the two healers. Alec and Nossi held hands as they bowed their heads. “
Oh Lord, help this boy to have the good health you mean for him to have. Let him be healed of pains and diseases, and let us remember that your son, Jesus Christ died for us, Amen
,” Alec said, feeling great emotion as he thought again about the pain he had sensed when he had tried to plunge into the Christ’s body. He released a stream of healing power during the prayer, letting it course through the clasped hands to destroy the malignant cells and leave the body healthy.

“What do you say, Rief?” Alec gently asked as he released Nossi’s hands and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Before she could answer, the boy spoke up. “Your prayer was very powerful, healer,” Nossi told Alec. “I felt like God was listening to us personally.”

“I believe he was, Nossi,” Alec answered. “You can go on back to your bunk room.” They watched the boy leave.

“They’re all fine, Sister,” Alec told Mary Alice. “There were a few things, but they’ve been healed or taken care of.”

“Thank you both. Please let me walk you to the gate,” the nun said. “Will we see you tomorrow then?” she asked as she let them out into the dark street.

“Yes, sister, just after breakfast,” Alec agreed, and they parted for the night.

“How did you do that? How did you do all those things you did in Michian, taking away the pain, healing the wounds?” Rief asked. “I mean, one moment he had a tumor, then the next minute he didn’t.”

“I have learned to use faith in God and the power of prayer, Rief,” Alec said. “The God your mother worshipped gives me the power to heal through prayer, just as he has given you the power to heal. If you come to believe in him, you will have the ability to develop into a complete healer too, and have this on your arm,” he raised his sleeve to reveal the caduceus symbol.

“Your faith is strong, Tarnum,” Rief said. “Maybe I can develop a faith like yours.”

“I hope so. I’m sure you will,” Alec said. They arrived at the door of the inn. “Here is the key to the room, Rief,” he handed her the key. “I think I want to go to the cathedral and pray for a little while. I’ll be back soon,” he told her, wanting to have some time to himself to pray and reflect.

Rief seemed to sense his desire for privacy. “I’ll see you soon,” she said, and watched him walk briskly up the street.

Inside the hotel, she stopped. She did not want to go sit up in the room, and she heard singing in the common room. She went into the room, and sat quietly on a bench with her back to the wall, listening to the strange music. It reminded her of nothing she had ever heard in the empire, but she enjoyed it nonetheless, and drank a mug of berry juice, mindful of her last two experiences drinking wine with Alec.

“Are you alone now?” a man asked as he took a seat nearby, and Rief instantly recognized the predatory look in his eyes.

“No, I’m waiting for a friend,” she replied.

“You have a beautiful accent. It’s exotic like nothing I’ve ever heard in the Dominion,” the man responded. “You’re not waiting for that boy you had dinner with, are you? He’s young and still a foolish boy, especially if he’d leave you alone to sit and listen to the music.”

“Please leave me alone,” Rief said, bowing her head and refusing to make eye contact.

“Hello dear,” she head a woman’s voice say. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting long,” and a body sat down close beside her. “Is this man bothering you?”

Rief looked up from her cup. A beautiful blond woman had joined her.

“He doesn’t seem to want to go away,” Rief said quietly.

“Do you know this girl, or are you just butting in to other folk’s business?”” the man asked harshly.

“He really should leave,” the blond woman said. “Oh, he didn’t go fast enough,” she raised her voice quite loudly and pointed. “Look at the front of his pants. Barkeep, could we have a rag to clean up a mess over here for this man who wet his pants?”

A large dark stain had spread across the front of the man’s pants and run down his legs, and as he stood up suddenly, all heads in the bar turned and saw him. Anger, embarrassment and bewilderment were evident on his face, and he quickly turned out the door and left the room.

“Thank you for showing up just now,” Rief said. “He was obnoxious.”

“I hate to see a woman put up with that kind of thing,” Bethany said. “You should be able to sit and listen to the music without that kind of treatment. That’s the same reason why I came down here. Don’t think anything of it.”

“Did you, did you make that happen somehow?” Rief asked.

Bethany smiled and looked down in her lap for a moment.

“You did? How did you do that? Did you throw it on him? I didn’t see you do anything. That was good,” Rief told her, and she smiled broadly.

“Can I buy you a drink?” she asked Bethany.

“That’s what I came down here for. Music and a drink. I’ve been up in my room for hours writing letters, and I just wanted to be around living people for a while,” Bethany told her. She motioned, and a waiter came over. “A glass of Goldenfields Red, please,” Bethany ordered. The waiter nodded, and looked at Rief. “I’ll have another glass of berry juice,” Rief said.

“Berry juice?” Bethany said with raised eyebrows.

“Oh, I was trying to be good until Tarnum got back,” Rief said. “But I can’t let you drink alone, can I? I’ll have what she’s having.”

“Tarnum? Such a regal name,” Bethany said. They sat and listened to the remainder of a song until the wine arrived. “You’ve got such a wonderful accent,” Bethany told Rief.

“That’s just what the man with wet pants said,” Rief smiled.

Where did you pick that up?” Bethany asked.

“Oh, down south,” Rief said, mindful of Alec’s urging her not to review much about herself.

“South, down in Goldenfields? I lived there for a while. It’s a wonderful city,” Bethany replied. “Is that where you live now?”

“We’re small traders. We travel around,” Rief used Alec’s set answer.

“Traders, traveling around. You must be glad the wars are over,” Bethany presumed, and she motioned for two more glasses of wine. “It must have disrupted trade terribly. Alec managed to make the Dominion a better place by calming down the Locksforts and the rebels,” she spoke without meaning to.

“Alec?” Rief asked, startled to hear his name used by a stranger.

“Oh, I should have said the crown protector. He’s done an awful lot in just a little time. He’s changing the whole Dominion,” Bethany said politely. “It’s been nice sitting with you. It’s nice to have someone to talk to. I’ve been here for days, working on a project, and it’s always loneliest at night.”

“For a girl as beautiful as you? I can’t believe you’re ever lonely unless you want to be,” Rief insisted.

“Thank you,” Bethany smiled. “It would be easy to have a companion, but I wouldn’t want to put up with listening to the bores like your recent nuisance in order to find a nice one. And as it turns out, I’ve found you as a friend tonight, haven’t I?” she finished her drink. “Maybe sometimes we make ourselves lonelier than we need to. Have a good evening. Will I see you tomorrow night?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure how long we’ll be here,” Rief answered. “But if we are here, I’ll look for you. May I walk upstairs with you?” she asked, and stood up, so that they could accompany one another up to the guest rooms above.

Alec arrived back at the room much later in the evening. He’d spent much time at the cathedral, kneeling in a chapel, praying his thanks for all the wonderful things that had happened, and asking for safety for all his friends. He especially prayed for John Mark to bring faith in Jesus into Rief’s heart.

When he got to the room, the door was unlocked and the lights were off. He quietly entered the room, and locked the door behind him. Then he turned and stood still, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkened rom.

“There’s one bed, but there’s room for both of us again,” he heard Rief’s sleepy voice call. Alec stepped lightly to the side of the bed, kicked off his boots, pulled off his shirt, and slid into bed.