Half Brains, Sacred Water book 1

by Charles Kaluza

  Chapter 2

  Daniel had no sooner entered the castle when he was stopped by the Royal physician in the red robe. He smiled at Daniel and said, “I hear you are going to give your report to the king today. Would you be willing to share your knowledge with a group of us physicians?”

  Daniel was a little surprised that he knew about his report; the king must have told him about it. So he replied, “Yes, I would be willing to discuss this but I’m leaving soon.”

  The Royal physician replied, “Why don’t we meet this evening after dinner and you can give us your report. We can meet in the chapel, I’m sure it’s not being used.”

  Daniel agreed and continued on his way to meet with the King. He knocked on the door of the King’s library and entered when invited to do so. The richness of the woodwork again was the primary focus upon entering the room. Both the King and the Queen were seated by the fireplace. They exchanged their greetings and Daniel immediately began his report. He told them, “Your baby died because of a deformity which was in turn caused by a deficiency of something that is contained in the sacred water. It would seem that a combination of factors led to this deficiency. Ma’am your morning sickness and the nausea from the concentrated sacred water limited your intake of the essential essence. I also think your limited diet may have somehow blocked your body’s ability to absorb the essential factor in the sacred water.”

  The King asked, “Does this mean it is safe for us to have more children?”

  Daniel responded, “Yes, but only if you follow the old adage of ‘everything in moderation’. It is essential that you consume the sacred water but you probably do not need the concentrated form.”

  Daniel had decided not to discuss the use of the breathing mask as a test of a baby’s viability. When they asked him about anything else he learned he told them about his theory of the half brains.

  The Queen asked, “Do you mean that the only difference between us and half brains is something in the sacred water?”

  Daniel said, “We will need to isolate the essential characteristic of the sacred water and administer it to a group of half brains to see if it changes them. It is my theory, but until it is studied further, it is only a theory.”

  The Queen said, “Betty didn’t seem to change.”

  Daniel had to keep Betty’s confidence and so he avoided a direct answer by saying, “I would expect that the beneficial effects would require the sacred water to be used throughout pregnancy and childhood.”

  The King laughed and said, “Not much of the chance that your study will ever be done. It would stir up too much of a hornet’s nest. Are you going to be joining us for dinner tonight?”

  “I need to finish getting ready for my return to the forest but I would enjoy sharing the meal with you.”

  “I know a young lady who will be happy to have you join us.”

  “I’ll need to leave early to meet with a group of physicians and discuss my medical theory with them.”

  The King asked, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  Daniel shrugged his shoulders and said, “I already agreed to do it.”

  It was a delightful dinner with fresh seafood and plenty of wine. It was an unofficial going away party for Daniel. When he announced that it was time for him to go, the mood became somber. The Princess kept a smile on her face but the tears would not be stopped. The King told Daniel, “You’re always welcomed at my table. I understand your need to return home but do not forget us and come visit often.”

  Daniel gave the Princess a not quite passionate hug and told her, “We will meet again.”

  She reached up and touched the side of his face saying, “Yes, we will.”

  Daniel found his way to the chapel. When he entered there were several people he did not know. The physician in the red robe introduced him as, “This is Daniel, a healer from the forest, who is going to explain to us how the sacred water works.”

  Daniel ignored the innuendo in the physician’s voice. He explained his theory about how a component of the sacred water was an essential nutrient for a developing baby. Without this nutrient babies developed a common deformity which made them appear as half brains. When he proceeded to hypothesize that the only difference between themselves and the half brains, he was greeted with laughter. When he suggested giving sacred water to pregnant half brains, the group began shouting at him. He heard only parts of what was being said, “…blasphemy in a holy place.”

  Before Daniel could react to what was happening, he was seized by church guards and his hands were bound behind his back. He was escorted out of the chapel and as he walked by the physician in the red robe, he could not help but notice the look of satisfaction on his face. It was then that Daniel realized that he had been set up.

  Daniel tried to keep track of where they were taking him but the labyrinth of stairways and hallways was too much for him. All he was sure of was that they were going deep below the castle. A heavy steel door was opened revealing a long row of barred doors on either side of the narrow hallway. They stopped in front of one door and the guard rattled through his keys finding the one which opened the door. Daniel’s hands were unbound as he was thrust through the doorway. The door slammed shut behind him. Daniel just stood there waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He could hear his captors closing the main door behind them with the loud clunking of the lock echoing in his mind. Other prisoners began talking but Daniel would not answer their questions.

  Daniel had no sooner been marched out of the chapel, when the physician in the red robe made his way to the King’s quarters. The King and the Princess were in the library discussing the void which Daniel’s leaving was creating. The King responded to a knock by inviting in the royal physician.

  The royal physician bowed towards the King and said, “Sire, I tried to stop him but he kept going anyway.”

  The King asked, “What are you talking about?”

  “The healer from the forest, blasphemed in front of the high priest in the sacred chapel.”

  “I thought he was meeting with a group of physicians. What was he doing in the chapel?”

  “Sire, we needed a space and the chapel was open. I had no idea he was going to blaspheme in front of the priest.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Sire, the church guards were escorting him towards the dungeons when I left to report to you.”

  “That is all. You’re dismissed.”

  The Princess watched the Royal physician bow towards her father. He nodded towards her and she could see the look of satisfaction on his face. When the door closed she began talking rapidly. Her father held up his hand and said, “Speak quietly my daughter, the doors have ears.”

  “Father, did you see the look on his face, he set this up because he was jealous of Daniel. We have to set him free.”

  The King was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. He replied, “That may not be possible. If he did blaspheme, the law is quite specific and I have taken an oath to uphold the law.”

  “But you are the King!”

  “And, as the King, I have a moral obligation to uphold the law. I am a servant of the law not the master of the law. No, Daniel will have to face his trial. I will see that he is treated fairly, but the law must be upheld.”

  “This isn’t fair. Daniel doesn’t even know our rules.”

  “You know that ignorance of the law is no excuse. The law must be upheld.”

  “Even if it means that Daniel will be imprisoned or worse?”

  The King was having trouble speaking and there were tears in his eyes as he looked at his daughter and said, “My oath is what gives meaning to my life. Without honor, you have nothing. No, the law is more important than anyone’s life, even my own. The law may not always seem logical or fair but it is what gives us our civilization.”

  “What’s going to happen?”

  “Daniel must be held until the church t
rial begins. I would expect that if Daniel will retract his statement, he will be expelled from the kingdom.”

  “What if he won’t?”

  The King was silent. The Princess looked at his somber face and realized the grave danger Daniel faced. She left her father with tears streaming down her face. Her sleep was fragmented by dreams of Daniel being led to the gallows.

  The King had his counsel meet with Daniel and explained the seriousness of the charge. Daniel listened amazed that speaking the truth could be such a serious crime. When the counsel advised him that he must retract his statement Daniel looked puzzled. He asked, “Why would I retract the truth?”

  “Because you have to,” responded the counsel.

  “No, I do not have to. I spoke the truth and the truth is more important than this ridiculous law. I will not lie.”

  The counsel tried to explain that he was not telling Daniel to lie but rather to simply retract his statement about the half brains.

  “I spoke the truth and will stand by the truth.”

  The counsel said, “Maybe you didn’t understand the consequences. If you retract the statement you will be sent home. If you do not retract the statement you will be charged and convicted of blasphemy in a holy place which is punishable by death.”

  Daniel responded, “You are saying that I have to make a choice between the truth and living the life of a coward. I tell you that I choose the truth.”

  The King received his counsel’s report and said, “I would have expected no less from this young man. What do we do now?”

  “Sire, the church prosecutors have set up a hearing for tomorrow. Daniel almost certainly will be found guilty and sentenced to death. We must convince him to change his stand.”

  “I’ll have my daughter speak to him but I doubt he will change his mind.”

  When the princes heard the counsel’s report, she stood straight and resolute. She agreed to meet with Daniel and try to change his mind. In her own mind she knew that rescuing Daniel was going to be needed, he wasn’t going to change. The law may be the law but she hadn’t taken an oath.

  The meeting was set up just outside the heavy door of the dungeon. The guard brought Daniel into the room and then locked the door. He was visible through the bars just outside the door. The princes began her practiced speech on why Daniel needed to retract his statement. Daniel listened to the entire discourse before he took her hand and said, “Heather, I don’t understand exactly why this is happening but I won’t deny the truth. They can take my life away from me but nobody can take the truth away from me. It is my decision and I don’t want you to carry the responsibility of this decision.”

  Heather shook her head saying, “You and my father must be the two most stubborn men in the whole world.” She asked him, “I need something to sleep, what would you recommend?”

  Daniel was puzzled by her question until she used her thumb to point towards the guard and then pretended to nod off. Daniel then understood her intent to sedate the guards and said, “Well if I had my medical bag I could give you 3 drops of extract of poppy.” (He then held up both hands suggesting ten drops). He continued, “A pinch of powdered logwort mushroom would make it quicker acting.” (He held up four fingers in their silent discourse). “Added to your soup it would be very palatable and induce sleeping within 30 minutes. I am sorry you’re having trouble sleeping.”

  Heather asked him, “Are you able to sleep in here?”

  Daniel replied, “The half brains come through on a garbage detail real early in the morning and that wakes me up. Everyone else seems to sleep through the noise. You know if your physicians can’t get the medication for you, I have some in my medical kit. The gate guard, whose wife is named Martha, knows where it is.”

  The guard began looking through the window indicating it was time for them to end their conversation. They silently squeezed each other’s hand and Daniel arose to return to his cell.

  The princes began completing her plans. She met with the gate guard and asked him to retrieve Daniel’s bag. He said, “Princess, I’d be glad to help. I don’t believe what those church guards are saying about the forest healer. I mean he even helped my wife Martha. I think you know Martha, she had been having these headaches and he did something to her neck and now she doesn’t have them. I’ll retrieve his medical equipment as soon as my shift ends.”

  The Princess met with Betty in the garden room. She asked Betty, “Do you like Daniel, the forest healer?”

  “Yes Princess, he helped me. Why did they arrest him?”

  “It had something to do with him saying something about you half brains that the church authorities didn’t like. He needs our help so they don’t hurt him, but nobody can find out we helped him.”

  Betty was quiet for moment before saying, “We’ll help. What’d we need to do?”