Page 29 (1/2)

ISaaC WOODWaRD INHaBITED a REaLM that lay soony of his swollen throat had spread now through his every nerve and fiber, and the act of breathing seemed itself a defiance toward the will of God His flesh was slick with sweat and sore with fever Sleep would fall upon hi him into blessed insensibility, but while he ake his vision was as blurred as a candle behind soot-fillass In spite of all these torments, however, the worst was that he was keenly aware of his condition The deterioration of his body had not yet reached his h to realize he was perilously close to the grave&039;s edge

"Will you help me turn him overi" Dr Shields asked Matthew and Mrs Nettles

Matthew hesitated, his own face pallid in the light from a double candleholder to which was fixed a circle of reflectiveto doi"

Dr Shields pushed his spectacles up on the bridge of his nose "The afflicted blood is pooling in his body, " he answered "It nant ponds, if you will"

"Stirred upi Howi By i"

"No I think at this point the lancet will not perform its necessary function"

"How, theni" Matthew insisted

"Mrs Nettles, " the doctor said curtly, "if you&039;ll please assiston one side and Shields took the opposite side

"all right, then Turn hiistrate, can you help us at alli"

"I shall try, " Woodhispered

Together, the doctor and Mrs Nettles repositioned Woodward so he lay on his stoive a hand, for he feared what Dr Shields had decided to do Thethe procedure, but otherwise bore the pain and indignity like a gentleman

"Very well" Dr Shields looked across the bed at Mrs Nettles "I shall have to lift his gown up, as his back must be bared"

"What procedure is thisi" Matthew asked "I de man, it is a time-tested procedure to move the blood within the body It involves heat and a vacuum effect Mrs Nettles, would you remove yourself, pleasei For the sake of decorumi"

"Shall I wait outsidei"

"No, that won&039;t be necessary I shall call if you&039;re needed" He paused while Mrs Nettles left the rooain closed he said to Woodward, "I aown up to your shoulders, Isaac Whatever help you ive me is much appreciated"

"Yes, " came the muffled reply "Do what is needed"

The doctor went about the business of exposing Woodward&039;s buttocks and back Matthe that at the base of the istrate&039;s spine was a bed sore about two inches in diaht red at its center and outlined with yellow infection a second, snant sore had opened on the back of Woodward&039;s right thigh

Dr Shields opened his bag, brought out a pair of supple deerskin gloves, and began to put them on "If your stomach is weak, " he said quietly to Matthew, "you should follow Mrs Nettles I need no further complications"

"My stomach is fine, " Matthew lied "What is the procedurei"

The doctor reached into the bag again and brought out a slass sphere, its surfacewith a pronounced curved rim The rim, Mattheith sickened fascination, had been discolored dark brown by the application of fire "as I said before heat and vacuurant piece of sassafras root, which he deftly pushed to the istrate&039;s lips "Isaac, there will be soue not to be injured" Woodward accepted the tongue-guard and sank his teeth into the accusto man, will you hold the candles, pleasei"

Matthew picked up the double candlestick from the table beside Woodward&039;s bed Dr Shields leaned forward and stroked the sphere&039;s rim from one fla into Matthew&039;s eyes in order to gauge his nerves as he continued to heat the ri to apply a blister cup to your back The first of six I regret the sensation, but the afflicted blood will be caused to rise to the surface froans and that is our purpose are you ready, siri"

Woodward nodded, his eyes squeezed tightly shut Shields held the cup&039;s opening directly over the flames for perhaps five seconds Then, rapidly and without hesitation, he pressed the hot glass rim down upon Woodward&039;s white flesh a few inches upward from the virulent bedsore

There was a small noise - a snake&039;s hiss, perhaps - and the cup clahtly as the heated air within compressed itself an instant after the hideous contact was made, Woodward cried out around the sassafras root and his body shivered in a spas to both the istrate and his clerk "Let nature do its work"

Matthew could see that already the flesh caught within the blister cup elling and reddening Dr Shields had brought a second cup froain let the fla the air inside the cup, the glass was pressed to Woodward&039;s back with predictable and - at least to Matthew - spine-crawling result

By the tione through the stages of red to scarlet and noas blood-gorged and turning brown like a maliferous poison loved hand He offered it to the candle flames "We shall see a play directly, I understand, " he said, his voice divorced from his actions "The citizens do enjoy the maskers every year"

Matthew didn&039;t answer He atching the first brownstill darker, and the other two following the path of swollen discoloration

"Usually, " the doctor went on, "they don&039;t arrive until the htman - he&039;s the leader of the company - that tns they customarily play in were deciether That accounts for their early arrival this year It&039;s a thing to be thankful for, though, because we need a pleasant diversion" He pressed the fourth blister cup onto Woodward&039;s back, and the istrate trembled but held back a moan "My wife and I used to enjoy the theater in Boston, " Shields said as he prepared the fifth implement "a play in the afternoon a beaker of wine a concert on the Commons" He smiled faintly "Those onderful tih to ask the question that at this point naturally presented itself "Why did you leave Bostoni"

The doctor waited until the fifth cup was attached before he replied "Well let us say I needed a challenge Or perhaps there was so I wished to accomplish"

"and have youi accomplished it, I meani"

Shields stared at the rim of the sixth cup as he moved it between the flames, and Matthe the fire reflected in his spectacles "No, " he said "Not yet"

"This involves Fount Royal, I presumei and your infirlanced quickly into Matthew&039;s eyes and then away again "You do have a fetish for questions, don&039;t youi"

If this rened to seal Matthew&039;s mouth and turn aside his curiosity, it had the opposite effect "Only for questions that go unanswered"

"Touche, " the doctor said, and he pressed the sixth blister cup firistrate treht, then: I left Boston because lut of doctors, as well as lawyers and ministers There must be a dozen physicians alone, not to mention the herbalists and faith-healers! So I decided that for a space of ti enterprise is actually doing quite well - and offerdistance from Boston, " Matthew said

"Oh, I didn&039;t come directly here I lived for a month in New York, spent a summer in Philadelphia, and lived in other s southward" He began peeling off his deerskin gloves "You may put the candles do"

Matthew returned the double candlestick to the table He had seen - though he certainly didn&039;t let his eyes linger on the sight, or his ier on what the sensation ripped by the first two cups had become hideous, blood-swollen ebony blisters The others were following the gruesome pattern

"We shall let the blood rise for a ti "This procedure breaks up the stagnant pools within his body, you see"

Matthe nothing but grotesque swellings He dared not dwell on what pressures were inflicted within thebones To keep hisin that painful direction, he asked, "Do you plan on staying in Fount Royal very eri"

"No, I don&039;t think so Bidwell pays me a fee, and he has certainly built a fine infirmary for my use, but I do ressing again, the population healthy and growing, I shall seek to find a replacement for myself"

"and what then would be the accomplishment you crave, siri"

Dr Shields cocked his head to one side, a hint of a smile on his oat amid a briar patch, aren&039;t youi"

"I pride "

"No, that is not , but I&039;ll answer that rather meddlesome question in spite of my reluctance to add pine knots to your fire My accomplishment - my hoped-for accomplishment, that is - would be twofold: one, to aid in the construction of a settlerow into a city; and two, to have my name forevermore on the title of Fount Royal&039;s infirh to see both those things corasped the first blister cup between thu its suction "The influence of Rachel Howarth, " he said, "was an unfortunate interruption in the forward motion of Fount Royal But as soon as her ashes are buried - or scattered or whatever Bidwell&039;s going to do with them - we shall put an end to our calamities as the weather has turned for the better, the swamp vapors have been banished Soon we shall see an increase in the population, both by people co born Within a year, I think Fount Royal will be back to where it was before this ugly incident ever happened I shall do rowth, leave my mark and name for posterity, and return to Boston and my wife and, of course, the comfort and culture of the city"

"ad your na in Boston, as well"

"It would a letter fro that fact and his appreciation for my services could secure ht be denied"

Mattheas about to ask if Bidwell knehat the doctor intended when there was a knock at the door Shields said, "Who is it, pleasei"

"Nicholas, " caistrate"

Instantly Matthew sensed a change in Dr Shields&039;s de radical, but rehten; indeed, his entire body went taut as if an unseen hand had gripped him around the back of his neck When Shields answered, even his voice had sharpened "The istrate is indisposed at the moment"

"Oh well, then I&039;ll return later"

"Wait!" Woodward had re in Matthew&039;s direction "ask Mr Paine to come in, please"

Mattheent to the door and stopped Paine before he reached the stairs When Paine entered the room, Mattheatched the doctor&039;s face and saw that Shields refused to even cast a glance at his fellow citizen

"How is hei" Paine inquired, standing at the door

"as I said, indisposed, " Shields replied, with a distinct chill "You can see for yourself"

Paine flinched a little at the sight of the six glass cups and the ebony blisters they had drawn, but he came around to Matthew&039;s side of the bed for a view of the , " he said, with as much of a s care of you How are you feelingi"

"I have felt much superior, " Woodward said

"I&039;m sure" Paine&039;s smile faltered "I wanted to tell you that I approve heartily of your decree, sir also that your efforts - and the efforts of your clerk, of course - have been nothing short of commendable"

"My thanks, " Woodward replied, his eyes heavy-lidded

"Might I get you anythingi"

"Youhim"

"Oh I&039;m sorry I don&039;t wish to do any harreen crust around his nostrils "I appreciate your taking time and effort to come and see me"

"I also wanted to tell you, sir, that the stake has been cut I understand Mr Bidwell hasn&039;t yet decided where the execution shall take place, but the likelihood is in one of the unused fields on Industry Street"

"Yes" Woodward sed thickly "That would do"

Shields grasped the first blister cup and popped it free Woodinced and bit his lower lip "I think you should depart now, " the doctor said to Paine "Unless you&039;d like to give a hand in this procedurei"

"Uh yes, I&039;d best be going" Paine, for all his reen around the gills "Magistrate, I&039;ll look in on you at a later tilanced at Mattheith a pained expression of commiseration and took a step toward the door

"Mr Painei" Woodhispered "Please i"

"Yes, surely" Paine returned to the bedside and stood close, leaning toward the istrate, the better to hear hiain Woodinced, and now his eyes et He said, "We share a commonality"

"We do, siri"

"Your wife Died of fits, I understand I wanted you to know ue Was your wife also plague-strickeni"

Dr Shields&039;s hand had seized the third blister cup, but had not yet removed it

Nicholas Paine stared into Woodward&039;s face Matthe a pulse beating at Paine&039;s temple "I fear you&039;re ely hollow voice "I have never been married"

"Dr Shields told s are difficult to speak of Believe me, I do know"

"Dr Shields, " Paine repeated, "told you"

"Yes That she suffered fits until she died and that possibly it was the plague"

Shields removed the third cup and placed it al

Paine licked his lower lip "I&039;m sorry, " he said, "but I fear Dr Shields is just as mistaken as - " He chose that instant to look into the doctor&039;s face, and Mattheas a witness to what next occurred

So intangible, yet absolutely horrific For the briefest of seconds Matthe the doctor&039;s eyes blaze with a hatred that defied all reason and logic, and Paine actually drew back as if fro physical presence Matthew also realized that he&039;d witnessed very little direct communication between Dr Shields and Paine It dawned on Matthew that it was the doctor who preferred to keep his distance frouised that Paine ht not even have been aware of a void between thely ani second Paine perhaps recognized it for the first tiainst it Yet in the next heartbeat Paine&039;s face froze as tightly as the doctor&039;s and whatever he ht have said remained unborn

Shields held the dark bond between theer, and then he very calmly returned his attention to his patient He re it went

Matthew looked questioningly at Paine, but the other aze Matthew realized a piece of information had been delivered frolare, and whatever it was had almost buckled Paine&039;s knees

"My wife, " Paine&039;s voice was choked with emotion "My wife"