Against the Empire: The Dominion and Michian

by Jeffrey Quyle

  Rief stood next to Alec, and put her arms around him. “What are we going to do? Where are we going?” he asked quickly as John Mark backed away.

  “You will know when you see the person you are supposed to bring back here with you,” he answered, and the cave around them disappeared.

  Chapter 34 – Arrival in Frame

  They were standing in an alley, in the late afternoon, in a busy town. There was traffic on a street a short distance away. “Where are we healer?” Rief asked Alec immediately.

  “I don’t know, healer,” he replied with a smile.

  “Oh,” she grinned at the new application of the title. “I’ll have to call you something else. Shall I call you Alec, as everyone else in the Dominion does?”

  “Call me whatever your heart desires,” Alec said, focusing more on the people walking past the alley entrance. “Come on, let’s go,” he pulled her behind him. Where were they this time, he wondered? It wasn’t a lacertii city, he could see, but whether it was the Dominion or Michian or some other strange society, he wasn’t about to predict.

  They stopped on the street, and Alec grabbed Rief’s hand to firmly hold her as pedestrians walked past in heavy numbers. “Let’s go this way,” he urged, following the flow of traffic. He tried to evaluate all the information he could find. They were in a dirty section of the city, and the people were mostly working class or lower, it appeared. He and Rief still wore robes, which stood out among the dresses and pants everyone else wore. The air had a smell he could not identify, but which triggered his mind, and his unconscious mulled it as he kept swiveling his head to look in all directions.

  “Tanneries,” Alec said suddenly.

  “What?” Rief asked.

  “I smell tanneries. Do you small that?” he asked.

  “That bad smell?” Rief asked.

  “Yes. We surely aren’t in Frame, are we?” he asked out loud. “Follow me,” and he began to pick up the pace of travel, heading towards a major intersection. When he arrived there he looked left and right. “We are in Frame,” he said. “That building down there,” he pointed at a far-away bell tower, “is the cathedral. And the tanneries are down this way by the river,” he pointed. “Let’s go see,” he commanded, and Rief was dragged along in his wake.

  “Here,” he said ten minutes later. They were within sight of the river. “This building is a tannery. When I left the orphanage, I worked here for months. It was an awful place to work. I ran away to join a carnival, and that’s what took me to the Pale Mountains,” he explained, looking up at the grim brick walls while Rief looked at him.

  “Where is the orphanage?” she asked. “Is it here as well, in this city?”

  “This city is Frame, and yes, it is here,” he answered.

  “May we go visit it?” she asked.

  Alec looked away from the building to look at the girl.

  “It’s going to be night soon. Why don’t we go to the bank to get some money, then go to an inn to get a room for the night, and to get something to eat? The orphanage will still be there, and we can not only go visit, but you and I can heal the children,” he suggested to her.

  At the mention of food her stomach rumbled loudly, and she smiled. “You can go to a bank here? If you are the king of this land, why not go to a palace?”

  “Well, I’m not the king, I’m just supposed to protect the crown, and the king doesn’t have a palace here. But I do have money in the bank,” he pulled her arm, and she started walking with him. “And once we have money, we can buy some clothes too, so we don’t stand out so much,” he added.

  Rief looked at the other people they passed, examining their clothes. “Come in here,” he told her minutes later, as they arrived in a nicer part of town.

  “What is this place?” she asked.

  “This is the Pierpont Bank,” he explained, and began talking to a teller, who called over a manager, who took Alec and Rief to an office, where she asked several questions as she looked over papers. Soon they had enough money to satisfy Alec, and he asked a question before they departed. “What is the nicest hotel in town?”

  “That would be the Golden Bough Inn, down the street on the main square,” the manager replied.

  “We’d like two rooms,” Alec told the desk clerk at the Golden Bough a few minutes later.

  “We only have one room available sir, but it’s quite spacious,” the clerk politely responded.

  Alec looked at Rief. “It’s not like we haven’t been sharing a room?” she said as she shrugged her shoulders, and he placed coins on the counter to take the room. “We’d like to buy some new clothes,” Alec mentioned to the clerk. “Where can we go to buy some?”

  “Around the square, and a block north, there are two nice tailor shops,” the man replied, as he handed Alec his key. “They will still be open a little while. If you hurry, you can get service tonight,” he seemed to think their attire called for prompt replacement.

  With that they were out the door, and crossing the square. Minutes later, Bethany entered the inn, and picked up her key. “Madam Ingenaire, how was your day today?” the clerk asked, always eager to speak to the pretty ingenaire.

  “We finally got started on some real work today,” Bethany said cheerfully. Her project had been put on hold for three days as the population celebrated the reports of a great victory by the Dominion armies. Goldenfields was safe from lacertii invasion, and though Frame was not a particular ally of Goldenfields, the city had contributed soldiers to the crown protector’s army that had fought the lacertii far out in the eastern wilderness.

  Bethany was glad for the victory, fond as she was of Goldenfields and many people there. Though her heart had broken in Goldenfields when Alec had seemingly abandoned her, she held no grudge against the city. She hoped that Imelda and all the soldiers and ingenairii fighting for the Duke were safe, and she hoped even more that Alec was safe as well. The very dim dream of some type of reconciliation with him continued to reside in the recesses of her mind.

  “I’ll have an early dinner tonight, I think. Working has worn me out a little, and I think I’ll go to bed early,” she said, before she passed through the lobby to enter the dining room. She had a quiet meal, then retired to her room to write notes.

  She had received nothing yet from Tritos, which she explained away by the uncertainty of shipping carrying mail upstream. She wrote a note to him, her second such note, short and superficial to some degree, for he didn’t share many of her interests.

  Next she wrote a note to Allisma, who she had thought of a great deal since hearing of the great victory in battle. Allisma had gone with the army, travelled with Alec and his band, and then stopped writing after they left Goldenfields. She’d written that Alec seemed lonely and detached, which Bethany had been interested to know.

  Although Allisma had not written in weeks now, Bethany wrote because she could share so much with her friend. She told her about the work she was doing, the terrible conditions she found, the people she met, the random thoughts that popped into her head, and the questions she had about a future with Tritos. And she knew that Allisma would understand and respect it all without judging her too harshly.

  Chapter 35 – Rief Makes a Friend

  “What would you like to look at?” a lady asked Rief as Alec stood beside her. He had chosen two pairs of pants and a few shirts from the men’s shop next door, and then they had walked through the internal door to this sister shop.

  Rief, unfamiliar with the attire women wore in the Dominion, looked at Alec for advice. And Alec, not a strong observer of fashion, offered no help. “What would you suggest?” he asked the seamstress.

  When she asked questions to determine what Rief needed, she took measurements, and suggested they return in two days for several outfits. “Do you have anything I could wear for the next two days?” Rief asked, a hint of forlornness in her voice. The lady found a skirt and blouse outfit on the shelves, and they were soon out of the shop, carrying their robes
under their arms and wearing their inconspicuous new clothing.

  “Let’s go eat; I’m starving,” Rief demanded, and Alec was happy to submit.

  They returned to the inn after their prolonged visit to the tailor shops, and found a quiet table by the front window, where they ate and talked. “We can walk to the orphanage from here and visit the children. You’ll enjoy healing, and I can show you how some of our talent works. I’ve gone to this orphanage before as a healer, so they won’t be caught off-guard.

  “And Rief, for now, please don’t tell people that we are healers or that we have ingenairii powers. I don’t know exactly who we are supposed to find, or what they will do for us. The way John Mark has sent us through time, I don’t really even know the date, now that I think of it,” he spoke in a manner that drifted into thinking out loud.

  “We can tell the orphanage we are healers, but after that we don’t need to tell others,” he repeated.

  “What do we tell them, if anyone asks?” she responded.

  “Tell them we’re a small trading family,” Alec answered.

  They finished their meal, and casually strolled out the door. “When will I have a bag of herbs like yours?” Rief asked as they walked.

  “As soon as you want,” he replied. “The markets will probably be open tomorrow morning, and we can get your kit together.” They soon arrived at the gates of the orphanage.

  “We have closed the gates for the evening,” a mature woman’s voice answered their knock at the gate.

  “We are healers, who have come to offer our service to your children, if we may,” Alec explained. “Is Sister Mary Alice available?”

  “I will ask the sister, if you don’t mind waiting here,” the voice answered.

  “This is where you grew up? How young were you when you came here?” Rief asked.

  “I came here as just an infant. One sister gave me a chain with a jeweled letter “T” on it. She said it belonged to my mother. That’s all I had,” Alec answered.

  “What happened to it?” Rief pressed.

  “It was taken from me when Mooreen held me captive in her prison,” Alec explained.

  “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 wa
nt 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.”