Back to the Four Lands: A Bethany Broom Novel Book Two by Erick T. Rhetts

Author:Erick T. Rhetts [Rhetts, Erick T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Ink Publishing
Published: 2015-12-17T05:00:00+00:00

We woke up to a steady drizzle falling outside. Addie prepared for us a breakfast of eggs, ham, and toasted bread. There was fresh milk, also, and more cider. Following breakfast, and while Elena and I washed the dishes, Tryn, Dennis, and Alonzo went out to see to a couple of chores Addie needed done. It was the cost of her services. Scottie and Addie then retired to that same part of the house she took him the day before.

As Elena and I were drying the plates and cups, Scottie came out and asked me to join them. His face was serious. I left Elena to finish up and followed him into the next room. Scottie closed the door behind us once we were in.

“Scottie thought I should share my diagnosis with you,” said Addie. She was standing over by a long wooden table upon which were a variety of different vessels, bowls, small bottles, and what looked to be a sort of magnifying lens.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Not really,” said Scottie.

I didn’t like the sound of that, and asked what was wrong.

“I’ll let Addie explain.”

So I turned to look at her.

“It seems,” she began, absently shifting some of the objects around the surface of the table, “that Scottie picked up a parasite while last here.”

“You know, then, that we don’t come from here?”

Addie nodded, but didn’t seem bothered. “Scottie felt comfortable enough to tell me, and it was important for me to properly diagnose.”

“And have you? Properly diagnosed, I mean.”

Again she nodded. “Most certain, yes. The symptoms pretty much told me what I needed to know. The stool sample Scottie provided told me the rest.”

I didn’t ask exactly how. It didn’t matter.

“I’ve seen similar cases in my time, though it’s rare. This type of infection—the parasite that is—is not common to these parts, or any of the parts Scottie recalled traveling through. In fact, I know of only one place where one might be exposed, and that’s well to the north.”

“Inglings?” I said.

“That area, yes. It’s possible the parasite itself might be carried upon one’s person; but not likely, at least not randomly. And the only way I know for it to enter the body is through an open wound.”

“Scottie had physical contact with some Inglings, and he was sliced by a knife at that time.”

Addie’s expression said she was skeptical, but she let it go. “Getting Scottie better is the concern right now.”

“And how do we do that?” Scottie asked.

“Well, actually, the treatment is pretty basic and effective.”

Scottie looked visibly relieved. “That’s good to hear.”

Addie, however, wasn’t ready to go fully over to the optimistic side. “It’s going to take some doing,” she said. “You need two substances, neither of which I have on hand.”

“Can you get them?” I asked before Scottie could.

“They can be had, yes?” She answered.

“That’s not exactly what I asked.”

She pressed her lips together. “It’s not a matter of compensation, or anything like that. It’s a matter of going to get them, and each is in a very different place.

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