As the Sparks Fly Upward (10 page)

“You are on the strictest probation, Winslow, with all privileges
revoked—and your parents will be informed. You are a shame and a disgrace to them and to this university!”

Colin looked out of the carriage window, and the night was no darker than his soul at that moment.

January had come and gone, bringing snow, then February brought even colder weather. Colin had endured the harsh rebukes of his father and the taunts of his fellow students. He had borne the restrictions of his probation without protest. Traverson had stuck close to him through it all, saying, “Let them have their fun, Colin; it'll all be forgotten.”

“I won't forget it!”

“You might as well. We all have things that we have to forget.”

Colin threw himself into his work. He had no trouble with his studies; indeed, he continued to thrive academically. Finally he was taken off probation, and the first thing he did was dress warmly and leave the halls of Oxford. He walked until he reached some woods a good two miles away. As he entered them, a peace seemed to enter his soul. When the sun dipped down in the west, he reluctantly turned his steps back toward Oxford. Just as he reached the border of the forest, he found a squirrel that had evidently died of natural causes. Memories of how he had dissected many animals when he was home came to him. An impulse took him, and he pulled out his knife and began cutting it open. He did not know what he was looking for, but it was something he had done for a long time. He was shocked when a voice came from right behind him: “What are you doing, boy?”

Colin whirled and saw a tall man somewhat bowed with age, who looked somewhat like a crane. His silver hair was wild, looking as if it had never been brushed, and his beard was scraggly. He had piercing hazel eyes, a beak of a nose, and bushy eyebrows. “What are you doing to that animal?”

“Why—nothing, sir.”

“You're cutting up that squirrel!”

“It was already dead, sir. I just wanted to—”

“Wanted to what?”

“I wanted to see what he was like on the inside.”

“What's your name, boy?”

“Colin Winslow, sir.”

“An Oxford student, are you? I've heard of you. You are the one who got drunk and debauched a young barmaid.” He cackled in a strange high pitch. “I did not think that was possible—to debauch a barmaid! Most of them are debauched from the beginning.”

Colin had nothing to say. He had heard enough about it. “May I ask your name, sir?”

“I am Doctor Phineas Teague.”

Suddenly a fragment of a conversation concerning this man, a teacher at Oxford, came to mind.
He's a physician and he's crazy. Why, he told a group of doctors that Galen doesn't have a clue about medicine!

“You are a physician, sir?”

“I am a little bit of that and a little bit of something else.”

The old man moved forward and began to point out the various inner parts of the squirrel. Taking the knife away from Colin, he opened the animal further and explained its inner workings to the young student with what seemed like pure joy. When he finished, he said, “You like to cut up beasts, do you, Winslow?”

“Yes, sir, I've always done it.”

“Why do you think you do it?”

Colin could not think of a proper answer. “Because I want to understand how things live and how they work.”

“So do I, Winslow, so do I! Do you like life at Oxford?”

“No, not very much, Dr. Teague.”

“What do you intend to make of yourself—a lawyer?”

“No, sir, not that. I don't have any idea what I can do. I think my parents sent me here to find myself, but I'm as lost as ever! Sometimes I feel like a man who's in the middle of a bridge, and I've forgotten both ends of it. I'm just standing there, looking down at the river and not knowing which way to go.”

Teague stared at Colin silently, then said, “I've heard some of the professors talking about you. They say you never forget anything.”

“Oh, I'm sure I forget some things.”

Teague frowned, and Colin expected him to walk away. He was shocked when Teague said, “Winslow, I would like you to study with me. I will arrange it with Mr. Chadburn.”

Immediately, Colin brightened. “Could you teach me about things like this?” He motioned to the squirrel.

“I can teach you if you want to learn. Come along, we'll walk back together and I'll talk to Chadburn when we get there.”

Colin's chance encounter with Dr. Teague transformed his life. He had doubted whether Teague could persuade Mr. Chadburn to allow him to study under him, for all the talk he had heard about Teague was negative. Some of the professors laughed at Teague, but he was so brilliant that they could not afford to let him go. Teague was demanding and did not suffer a fool gladly, but he soon discovered that Colin was an apt student. They did dissections every day after Colin's scholarly work was finished. Teague was pleased to learn the gossip was right: Colin never forgot anything!

Teague had a house on the outskirts of the woods where Colin had first met him, and despite rules to the contrary, the old man often kept Colin overnight. He sometimes shouted at Colin when he made a mistake, but Colin didn't mind, for he was learning about something he loved. He was shocked on one of his overnight visits when he was awakened from a sound sleep. He sat up, and a hand was placed over his mouth. “Winslow,
you are coming with me. Put your clothes on, and be quiet about it.”

“Where are we going?'

“Get dressed!”

Colin scrambled into his clothes and followed the tall, angular professor outside. A bright moon shone overhead and the snow that had fallen two days earlier was gone. The air was still thick, and Teague said, “Bring that cart, and be quiet about it!” He move away quickly, and Colin seized the two-wheeled cart and struggled to keep up with the old man.

Teague did not speak. Finally they arrived at what appeared to be a small cemetery across from a church. Teague stopped abruptly and pulled a lantern from the cart. When it was burning with a clear yellow flame, he pointed at a fresh grave. “Dig up that corpse, Winslow.”

Colin stared at the old man, and by the silvery light of the moon he could see his features clearly—and suddenly a fear touched him.
He looks like a ravenous bird!
“You want me to dig up a body, Doctor? Isn't that against the law?”

“Of course it is! Now do what I tell you. Here, take this shovel.”

Colin had wondered why the professor had brought a shovel, and as he began to dig he discovered he was excited.

Teague walked around, looking up from time to time, sometimes examining Colin's progress.

To Colin's surprise, the earth was soft and not frozen. He commented on this and Professor Teague said, “They just buried him yesterday. He'll be a nice, fresh corpse.”

When the coffin was uncovered, Phineas Teague came forward and held up a lantern. “Take the lid off.”

The coffin was made of pine boards and held together loosely. As soon as the cover was off, Teague held the lantern over it. “Now, that's a fine, juicy corpse!” he grinned, smacking his lips with satisfaction. “Just what we needed. Put him on the cart, Winslow.”

Colin looked down at the body and noted that the man in it was middle-aged. He also noted that one eye was open and one closed—and that the lips were set in a fixed smile. With some effort he pulled the body of the man out of the coffin, and Teague helped him pull the body out of the grave and dump it into the cart. “Now put that coffin back, and cover it up just like we found it.”

Colin did this quickly and fixed the grave so that it looked as it had before. Finally he whispered, “Dr. Teague, isn't this against the law?”

“Certainly!” Teague nodded. “Now we are going to take this fine, fresh corpse to my house and dissect it. I am going to show you the miracle of God's greatest creation. Yes, you are a criminal now, Winslow, as am I.”

Colin abruptly laughed. He knew they were in danger of being caught and sent to prison, but he said with wonder in his voice, “This is what I want to do, Professor!”

“Ay, I saw it in you. A mighty good physician you will make when I am finished with you.”

Colin forgot his problems and was filled with an inexplicable joy.
I've found my place!
He said, “You know, Dr. Teague, sometimes a fellow bends over to pick up something, and when he straightens up the whole world has changed! That's what I feel like now. I've never known what I wanted to do with my life. Now, I
know
what I want to do. I want to be a physician!”

“Well, boy, if we don't get this body hidden, you will be confined to a life sentence in prison. Let's get this gentleman to my house. I have a room there I keep under lock and key. This won't be the first body I have pulled apart.” He stared at Colin, and his laugh was a cackle. “You're a resurrection man, Winslow.”

“A what?” Colin asked in a startled voice.

“That's what they call fellows like us who dig up bodies and cut them open. They say we're giving the corpses an early resurrection.”

Colin looked up at the sky and saw that it was filled with what seemed to be millions of gleaming diamonds. He said nothing, but his heart suddenly was full.
I want to be a physician; Dr. Teague will help me!

They reached the doctor's cottage. The two of them moved the body into a locked room, where there was a table exactly the right height for working on a corpse. Colin eagerly asked, “Can we start tonight, Dr. Teague?”

Phineas Teague laughed and clapped Colin on the shoulder. “That we can, boy! We will start tonight. You will get your first look in God's greatest wonder—a human being! I can't show you this man's soul, but I can show you the miraculous work that God Almighty has created for the soul to occupy!”

Resurrection Man

(1581–1585)

7

May 3, 1581

P
hineas Teague glanced upward at the azure sky and saw a host of white, puffy clouds heading toward the sun. Without breaking stride, he watched as they curtained the sun and brought a shade down over the earth. Phineas glanced at his companion and said, “Don't walk so fast, Mr. Winslow! I'm not nineteen years old like you.” The two had gone on a walk looking for herbs, something they often did.

“You're as able as you ever were, Dr. Teague.” Colin did shorten the length of his stride, for he had noticed his teacher and mentor was not as spry as he was when he had first put himself under the older man's teaching.

“This has to be one of the hottest summers on record.”

Teague expected no answer and he received none. He glanced over at his pupil, Colin Winslow, noting that he was slender but strong, with not one bit of spare flesh on him. He wore no hat, and his chestnut hair was ruffled slightly by the breeze. Teague noticed that as usual, the young man was deep in thought. It was something he had seen in Colin from the beginning.
This boy is almost like a machine—or better. His memory is sticky; everything that touches it is implanted there forever. I don't see how such a young man can cram so much knowledge into his
skull!
He had always admired the young man's ability to keep silent until he had something important to say.