Temple of the Winds

"Then." Nadine said, "we may all have caught it just from being in the room with the boy. That awful smell was his sickness. We may all have the plague from breathing it in. but won't know it for a couple of weeks yet."

Drefan shot her a condescending look. "I can't deny that it's possible. Do you wish to run away, herb woman, and spend the next two or three weeks preparing for death by living out the things you always wanted to do?" Nadine lifted her chin. "No. I'm a healer. I intend to help." Drefan smiled in that private, knowing way he had. "Good. then. A true healer is above the phantom evils he chases."

"But she may be right," Richard said. "We may all already be infected with the plague."

Drefan lifted a hand, warding off the concern. "We mustn't let fear rule us. When I was in Castaglen Crossing, I cared for many people who were in death's grip, people just like that boy. So did the man who took me there. We never became sick.

"I was never able to determine any pattern to the plague. We touched the sick every day and never became sick. Possibly because we were with the sick so much that our bodies knew it well, and were able to strengthen us against its corruption.

"Sometimes, a member of a family would come down sick and thereafter every member of the family, even those who stayed away from the sick room, succumbed to the plague and all died. In other homes, I witnessed, one. or even several, children come down sick with the plague and die, yet their mothers who tended them nearly every moment never became ill, nor did any other member of the household."

Richard sighed in frustration. "Drefan, all this isn't very helpful. Maybe this. maybe that, sometimes yes, sometimes no."

Drefan wiped a hand wearily across his face. "I'm just telling you what I've seen, Richard. There are people who will tell you for sure that it is this or it is that. Shortly, there will be people in the streets who will be selling indisputable cures, unquestionable preservatives against the plague. Hucksters all. "What I am telling you is that I don't know the answers. Sometimes knowledge is beyond our limited understanding. It's one of our tenets, as healers, that it is a wise man who admits the limits of his knowledge and skill, and that pretending either causes harm."

"Of course." Richard felt foolish to have pressed for answers that weren't there. "You're right, of course. It's better to know the truth than hang hope on lies."

Richard looked to see where the sun was in the sky, but clouds were moving in, obscuring it. A cold wind was coming up. At least it wasn't hot. Drefan had said that the plague spread worst in heat.

He looked back at Drefan. "Are there any herbs-or anything-that you do know will help prevent it, or cure it?"

"A standard precaution is to treat the home of sick people with smoke. It is said the smoke may purge the air of the effluvia. There are herbs that are recommended for smoking sick rooms. I would think it a wise precaution, at least, but I wouldn't count on it.

"There are other herbs that can help with the complaints of the plague-the headaches, sickness of the stomach, things like that-but none that I know of that will cure the plague itself. Even with these treatments, the person will likely die just the same, but they may have some comfort from the herbs before they pass."

Kahlan touched Drefan's arm. "Do all the people who come down with the plague die? Are all who catch it doomed?"

Drefan smiled in reassurance to her. "No, some recover. In the beginning not as many, and in the end of the outbreak more. Sometimes, if the infection can be urged to a head and the poison drained away, then the person will recover, but will complain for the rest of their life about the torture of the treatment."

Richard saw Yonick come out the door. He put his arm around Kahlan's waist and pulled her close. "So we all may already be infected."

Drefan watched his eyes a moment. "It's possible, but I don't believe it so." Richard's head was pounding, but it wasn't from any plague; it was from lack of sleep, and dread.

"Well, then, let's go to the other boys' homes and see what we can find out. We need to know as much as we can."

CHAPTER 30

The first boy they went to see, Mark, was fine. Mark was happy to see Yonick, and wondered why he hadn't seen him and his brother. Kip. for the last few days. The young mother was frightened by the important strangers who had appeared at her door inquiring after the health of her son. Richard was relieved that Mark, who had been in the Ja'La game with Yonick and his brother, wasn't sick.

So far, only one boy who had been at the Ja'La game had become sick. It was looking more and more as if his fears about Jagang were just panicked inferences. Richard was beginning to feel the warmth of hope.