“Sweet Jesus,” muttered almost every woman in the room as full sight of the injuries showed.
“Her poor back… I only hope we can help her. But she will be terribly scarred.” Grace had to dab tears with her sleeve. These wounds were the worst yet and she felt the pain this poor thing must have suffered through.
“Where do you suppose she’s from?” Sarah asked. “The skin on her… breasts… and everywhere else,” she hastened to add, “is incredibly soft. I have never felt such sensual skin. It’s fantastic. And while her form is quite petite and slender, she appears to be fully grown.”
Beulah ran her hands carefully over the rest of Sesha feeling for any other injuries or broken bones. “The rest of her skin is silky too despite the bruises and welts, and her ankles… they are the same markings, so she was shackled here too, poor child. Hannah, fetch one of my nightgowns to put on her. One that closes in the back. They’re in the third drawer down in my dresser.” The woman ran out, in a hurry to be back so she wouldn’t miss a thing.
The Monitor arrived then, so the women quickly covered their patient with a sheet and let him in with the hot pot. Hannah came in behind and shut the door and put the gown on the back of the bed.
“Now Sister Hannah,” Beulah said, “Woulds’t thou go to the common kitchen and fetch a concoction that I shall speak of?”
“I would be blessed to, Righteous Lady.” Even though she wished she hadn’t been picked, the woman knew she would be filled in later with any details she missed.
“I would like thee to prepare a paste of herbs. Use sea salt, chicory, lemon grass, chamomile, lion’s weed, sage, lavender and rosemary. Put a generous portion of each equally in the large mortar and bring it, the pestle and a mixing bowl back with God’s speed. Also ask for Ruth, Leah and Rachel.”
“In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I shall do this,” the woman responded. “Lord Monitor, wouldst thou accompany me and lend wings to my feet with thy holy arm?”
He saw the Reverend’s wife nod at him, so he agreed and went off again. With a sigh of relief the women went back to work.
“Beulah,” Grace had again uncovered Sesha’s legs. “There is too much blood here for a beating,” ever so gently she eased one aside. “Dear Lord,” Beulah was there in a flash, and taking the other leg, they moved it too, saw, and knew.
“Savage violation,” all the woman gagged, “this be sheer evil. God knows what damage there is, when the lass grows up, might even be infertile. Poor lass,” Beulah gently stroked the pale blue skin on Sesha’s forehead. “What cruel deeds washed you onto a shore not much better?”
Silent now, the women bundled Sesha gently into the nightgown and laid her flat on her back.
“First, the shoulder.” Grace ran her fingers along, feeling muscle, tendons and bone. “As she is very limp, t’will be easy. Please to assist me, ladies?” Grace put her hand on the dislocated shoulder and found the head of the shoulder bone, where she put her thumb. “Now, please gently raise her arm straight up – pull up just a little – now turn her arm to the outside,” she gave a push with her thumb and the arm joint slid back in. “Careful now, bring her arm down. We must bind it under her breasts for a few days. If must be moved, use care.”
“You have perfected that move, my friend,” Beulah smiled.
“Works much better when there is not light in the eyes or thoughts in the mind. But I thank you,” Grace cupped Beulah’s cheek in her hand and they exchanged weary smiles.
“Now place the child on her belly and we will start sponging the blood off. I will clean her female issue, Delia, fashion a diaper of sorts as I wish to pack the site. When the blood-let has stopped, we will treat her as with other patients.” And then there were voices outside the door.
“Grammarcy, Monitor Amos, for thine escort of we humble servants of our Lord and Savior.” It was Hannah, back and with the other women. They slipped up, all repeating thanks before the door shut.
“Ruth, take small scoops of each herb and start grinding; Leah, put water in the mixing bowl, just a bit. We need an ointment, I’m thinking.” Beulah was biting her lip, thinking.
“As did I, when Hannah spake of the wounds. I brought rendered fat for that use.”
“Ever a wonder, Rachel,” Beulah nodded, then was interrupted.
“We must remove the object in her flesh,” Hannah turned Beulah her way. “My brother met with me, he said perchance the wound be from a heathen, the bits are oft dirty from potions the savages place on the tips.”
“Then we must.”
Deep in Sesha’s mind, Shni closed his eyes. Despite the brain injury, this would be digging into highly sensitized nerves without any anesthesia and she would react. The only thing he could do would be shut off her linguistics center so it would be non-verbal sounds only, and keep her eyes shut. The rest was out of his hands – er, program. But as with everything else, this world would not be that advanced yet, and here t’was, to use one of their words, more barbaric, most likely.
“She will thrash,” Beulah stood looking down at their patient. “Despite her head wounds and incapable state. I’ve seen those in the sleep on verge of passing cry out for pain, so, Sarah, you will hold her. Sit on the bed after we lift her up.” Movement began again and soon Sesha was laid fully across Sarah’s lap, her head turned into the woman’s bosom, held firmly.
“Grasp her arm at the wrist and under the wound, Deborah. I will try to extract the arrow head.” Silence fell as Beulah washed the wound, pulling off dried blood and other filth in the injury. “Is there a tent?” A slim tool was handed over and taking a deep breath, Beulah slid it in.
Sarah hugged tighter as their patient let out a truly fearsome scream, legs thrashing, body jerking as she howled for the agony of crude tweezers and fingers digging in the wound.
“I cannot,” Beulah backed away and after a moment the wee thing that needed three to hold her collapsed, quiet again and everyone let breath out in a whoosh.
“I beg forgiveness,” Deborah said. “I could not hold her arm tightly enough. The bruises look so bad,” she shuddered.
“We could not keep her still either,” Sarah had tears in her eyes.
“No… I do not have the skill to remove this.” Beulah took the hot wet cloth and wiped her hands off. Taking a second one, she pressed it to the badly bleeding wound.
“Then no one does, Beulah,” Delia sighed. She was the youngest of this trusted group and didn’t know quite everything yet. She saw the look Grace gave Beulah, the pinched lips and sudden silence. “Who?”
“I need to speak with my husband… if he gives permission, then another mystery of this so-called city will be explained. Please… go back to washing the lass. Ladies, remember the litany, keep thine eyes circumspect and speak not.” There was the sound of the door opening.
Beulah looked down the hall and there was the Monitor sitting on a hard chair near the stairs, looking at his hat as he held it by the brim, turning and turning it. If he had heard the outcries from the room, he wasn’t saying anything. “Lord Monitor Amos?” she made her voice soft and subservient. “Mayst I beg a favor from thee in the name of our Savior?”
“There be an issue with the stranger?”
“I have great need… I must make advocation for boot from another. I pray thee, Man of God, wilt thou message the Most Holy Lord Reverend that his wife hath need of rate the Wonderful Counselor doth bestow upon him?”
It was always a psychological tact used, one of a long silence by the Upper Echelon men, as if weighing the request of worthiness. The longer it took the more disdain was being met out, but here, now, with this situation the silence was only seconds long. That, and Amos had just graduated from the ‘Seminary’ where Allway trained his 12 disciples.
“I will, Righteous Lady,” and he was gone.
The women were working, talking softly in the proper speech when there was a knock on the door.
“Moment, my lord, the lass must be shrouded
– women of the Lord, cover gently… there.” Beulah opened the door, allowed herself a glance up at her husband’s stern face then turned away, waving towards their patient. “If it please thee, this lowly ronvon hath need of thy rate concerning the stranger.”
Peter Allway was silent a long moment, eyes fixed on the still figure tucked under blankets, then finally nodded. “Assistants, take thyselves from this room.”
“Prithee make tea in the kitchen below,” Beulah whispered to Grace. There the women would wait. The door closed and to her relief, only the Reverend stood there, without any of his Monitors.
“Speak, wife,” he ordered.
Which also gave her relief. Peter was not in his Lord Over All mindset, but down-to-earth.
“My husband, when this poor wight landed in our encampment, I was brought to mind of the scripture, ‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ ”
“Thou art ever a fount of wisdom, Beulah,” now a small smile graced Peter’s face.
“Only in that thou hast taught me the Writ, my love,” Beulah reached up and laid a slender, lovely hand on his chest, right over his heart. “An’ if God’s Congregation be able to entertain, then my lord, I must make advocation for myself.”
“I doth not understand. Expostulate from beginning to now and thou shalt be continuate.” The Reverend lowered his bulk into the one chair near the bed and nodded at his wife, then turned his gaze upon the unconscious form, the face still lovely despite the wounds.
Taking a deep breath, Beulah made her speech while moving around the unconscious woman, sometimes showing a bit, otherwise touching or pointing. “The lass is tender, body-wise. She be blood-boltered, as if attached and brush made upon her. She be franked, her captors did gyve hand and foot,” Beulah showed the tiny ankles with their marks of tight cuffs and skin torn off. “Those vile beasts did pash this fair stranger, she be blood-boltered from crown to heel, her head be sunk in, face bollen, as be her shoulder and many other parts. My husband, my heart did quail within me to see this poor eanling; never hath I seen such brush on a lass. They did cling her, imbare her back with much jading, razed her arm in attempts to filch her bracelet. And my mate, my Song of Songs, these Vassals did debase the fair Lakin; lastly, it is this poor Nourish’s misdoubt that the brigands did stab. The blade turned, a tip is lodged in her bone.” Now Beulah left Sesha and sank to the floor, her skirts billowing out as she sat on her shins.
“Thou speakest this to me now, why?” He saw the tears gathered in his wife’s eyes. She was greatly bothered, here.
“I beg thee an office, not just for this poor one, but for the desperately injured peat He who is the Refuge from the Storm caused to arrive in Thy safe harbor.”
“Speak,” Allway nodded at her to continue. His soul was swelling, not realizing this lowly person cursed as a woman knew how to manipulate him and was doing it well. He continued to look at the slack face, still so lovely despite the wounds, and felt compassion.
“The stab wound… there be a bit lodged deep within and I hath not the wherewithal to remove it. I make pleading for a Leech to assist this Nourish as there is much wisdom there. I pray thee, repeal Sister Florence Knighting’s cage in the women’s quarters?” Then Beulah held her breath, waiting for what she knew would happen.
“Hast thy mind gone to Hades, woman?” the roar was tremendous. “That facinorous wight? She who openly be awkward to this Man of God and His Deacons? Not bending, who forspeaks all and rises garboil in the City? Happen thou woulds’t dare put it in mind to say?” He was on his feet now.
Shni, hearing this, almost panicked. The ranting had to stop, focus had to come back to Sesh or all was lost! So he set off what could be seen as a harmless reaction, but one that would alarm these less-knowledgeable peoples.
Sesha’s breathing started hitching, she began to shake, mild tremors that alerted the pair instantly.
“Be thou thy position, woman!” Peter Allway roared as Beulah rushed over. With skill and tenderness she rolled Sesha onto her side and used a knuckle to scrub the girl’s breastbone. The pain worked; their unstable patient sucked in a deeper breath but the trembling continued.
“This one knows not all to do for such as this!” Now Beulah bellowed back, something she’d never done before. “The scripture says ‘They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.’ ” Then she dropped the special language used in the camp and reverted to plain English. “Aunt Florence was taught by three doctors from childhood on! She traveled the world with them until she married, and then it was to a Physician! She has the skill needed here!”
“Florence hath trained thee since thou wert small too, wife,” he started and she interrupted.
“I have not performed surgery above removing splinters, cutting flesh to move a bone back in. I have assisted Sister Florence, that is all.”
“She be not a Sister in the Lord; she be Unbeliever.”
“Thou wert the one led by the Great Physician to make request she come as Physician, rather than Brother Jasper, as he was on in age and had made a few errors! Being a widow and inheritance of all implements, you believed it was God’s Will for her to come!”
“She doth not obey the Word, wife! She makes discord among the Brethren! The wench desires all women to lift their heads, to stand beside men when God Himself hath given them the greater --”
Beulah’s voice was soft, but it still cut through. “If I do not have the help of a Physician, this woman will perish. We shall never know who she is, what horror was performed on her, nor if she might be Saved. The Missionary Journey you dream of might be starting right here and now, but thou,” she went back to the litany, with scorn in her voice. “Wilt not, because what lies in thy soul is abhorrence for one who desires the best for the life God gave her; nay and not just her, for all those about. If thou please to leave, Peter, I must set death-watch with the ladies.” Rising, Beulah yanked open the door and opened her mouth, to have her husband push it shut.
“Thou shalt be held accountable, fast, for all the Physician does. Hap she sin, not only she but thee will be breeching, e’en though thou are my wife, The Righteous Lady. Contact will be with only women; thou shalt be the guard of her mouth and actions. I wilt now make known to the Monitors of the allayment.”
To which Beulah only lowered her face, not even thanking her husband, the Most Holy Lord Reverend. Opening the door she called out.
“Women of the Lord, to the Lakin! Leah, run fetch four juvenals of strong back and swift legs, Ruth and Delia fetch all extra cloth for cleaning, drying and warmth. Sisters, gently bathe the child, keep close ear on her inhalations and for quaking.”
Peter stood to the side as the women slipped by in proper decorum, then went down the stairs in front of his wife. First Monitor Hosea was waiting outside the door and the Reverend stopped, murmuring softly in his ear. The man nodded and strode off.
“Dich,” Allway snarled, and Beulah hurried off. Then a thought crossed his mind. For years now there had been one goal on his mind which almost overwhelmed his desire – he desired a son. One he could rear in God’s most wonderful Knowledge and Wisdom, one who would carry on the Vision God had given him.
And now the Most Holy Lord Reverend Peter Allway knew that God was answering his prayers.
10
Shni breathed a sigh of relief. Sesha really did need the best care these primitives could render, and hearing there was a, for this stage of development, a highly trained Physician gave him hope. The computer was working on her brain injury even now; swelling was being alleviated, bleeders sealed and when the time was right, 16 specially programmed bugs would be deployed. These were full-fledged machines; four groups had been injected into her body in four areas when she started this job years ago and were in stasis until the wrist computer activated them. These particular set of four would repair the skull fracture, lifting the bone into place, sealing the cerebral dura matter and attaching themse
lves to the inner skull would melt and spread for extra support of that weakened bone area. Of course they would be permanently shut down then. But that part would be fine in a while. He settled back down beside Sesha and went to sleep himself, even though as a Program he didn’t need to.
As Beulah hurried across the compound she realized the sun had set. Night services had been forgotten, people were working at the extra chores of dismembering and discarding the horse carcass and taking apart the odd buggy, and no one was at the Church save the Monitors, to whom Hosea, that cruel, evil man, was speaking to now. While it froze her heart to be so openly looked at by this group, it lifted her spirits that none of the ‘flock’ were waiting for the required service.
The single women’s quarters were at the back of the city, even behind the single men’s building. Children were moved at the age 10 into these barracks, the girls paired and wedded shortly after beginning the menses, the boys began wedding at 15 years. In the between time, all were treated as vulgar, doing the lowest works, attending the most services geared for teaching them Allway’s views of sex and procreation in the matter of Holiness towards God.
Most of the girls and young women didn’t mind being this far back even though they had to walk the farthest and do the most work. They were usually alone, Headboroughs appearing infrequently. The women set ‘guards’ of their own with signals they instantly responded to so their talk and other activities were unknown to any of the men.
Beulah slipped in the door, always left open except for sleeping time and stormy weather. Only two women were in the crowded building, one in bed sleeping fitfully. Beulah stopped there first, feeling guilty that she was not allowed to care for Anna the first five days after her beating. A gentle stroke on the fourteen-year-old girl’s hair and Beulah vowed she’d finagle a way for Anna to be in the group tending the stranger, so she could receive care too.
Weathering Storms Page 10