Burdens of the Dead by Mercedes Lackey & Eric Flint & Dave Freer

Author:Mercedes Lackey & Eric Flint & Dave Freer [Lackey, Mercedes & Flint, Eric & Freer, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, General, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Alternative History
ISBN: 9781451638745
Amazon: 1451638744
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2013-04-15T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

Venice

Venice, the Serenissima, settled toward winter, with high tides and strong winds and some flooding. A slowly-sinking city built on lagoon mud and with water-streets was prone to problems at this time of year. So were her people. This was when cold kept the smell down and mixed with the damp to bring out the chest complaints instead. It became the city of fogs and coughs, and Marco found himself very busy treating the latter and wishing the fogs would go away. Also, for the first time, he was suddenly very worried about transporting some of these illnesses from the poor to the Casa Montescue, and his brother’s daughter. Kat—well, he had never worried about Kat, she was an adult, had grown up on the canals, and was as healthy as he. But children were so fragile. He’d seen for himself how a cough became a fever, and the fever raged through the little bodies and carried them off. Benito and Maria trusted him, and he loved the child. He would not risk her.

So as soon as he came through the door, even though he knew Francisco was waiting, he went through the careful ritual of washing and changing his garments that Francisco had said to be the normal way with physicians among the Barbary, where he’d apparently been enslaved and begun learning most of his medical skills. The garments themselves went off to be fumigated with pungent herbs. The origins of the ritual might be religious, but Marco was willing to take a chance on pleasing some unknown god if it would keep Alessia safe.

His Arabic teacher was waiting in the library, with what he called life’s essentials: a mug of beer and a book. There was also a fire burning in the grate, and the place was warm—which after the damp foggy chill outside Marco found welcome. He doubted that Francisco had asked for the fire himself. He’d concluded after visiting Francisco’s chambers that if the man had beer and a book he wouldn’t notice the temperature. This must have been Kat’s doing, bless her. He had to clear his throat before Francisco even noticed he’d come in.

His tutor looked up with no sign of annoyance that he’d been kept waiting. “Ah M’Lord. How does the reading progress?”

Marco sighed and sat down on another comfortable chair and put his feet up to the fire. “Slowly. This part of that Sina treatise appears to be entirely composed of lists—most of which are items I have no translations for.”

“It’s essential that you build up your vocabulary somehow,” said Francisco, smiling crookedly, “Or you’ll never cope with the Qanun. He was methodical, you have to grant that.”

Marco nodded. “Oh yes. It’s all quite logical. And fascinating. I am still learning a great deal about new treatments, and some of the ideas make sense.”

“And some don’t. Still, it’s better than a lot of what passes for medicine in the Empire.”

The door burst open and, with a shriek of delight, a small toddler hurtled in and flung herself on Marco Valdosta.

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