The Dove (20 page)

The small room in which she found herself with her unlikely charge was much more comfortable than the abandoned caves and mud brick houses they had used on their hazardous journey from New Babylon.  There were two small beds, a desk and chair, toilet facilities adjoining with a shower and a tiny sitting area that had once held a stereo system and a television, now defunct relics of an age gone past.  The EMP’s during the wars had fried the electronics.  Mark poked at the controls on the machines curiously as Sophia dressed in the slightly large black uniform that the lieutenant had provided for her.  He had already shed the purple and white outfit of the Emperor and taken a black uniform for himself that made him look more like the Mark Andrew that she had always known.

The radio buzzed and whined as he worked the controls.

“Mark.”  Sophia joined him in front of the machine.  “It won’t work.  There are no stations.  Here, look.”  She took the only music disc in the rack and slipped in the slot on the front of the machine.  It had no markings and she waited expectantly to hear what might be recorded on the tiny silver disc inside the protective casing.

“Stations?”  He frowned at her.  He had no idea what she was talking about.  “Noise.”  He decided and punched the power button, shutting down all the lights on the front of the panel.

Sophia sighed as he punched it again and the lights came back and he smiled.  “Lights are nice.”

“Yes.”  She agreed and turned down the volume on the static.  “Very pretty, but wait.  Listen.”  She held one finger to his lips as the almost heavenly strains of one of Mozart’s clarinet concertos filled the small enclosure.  Mark frowned at her and then smiled.

“Pretty sounds, but not as pretty as you.”  He told her with childlike honesty.

His vocabulary was improving rapidly, but his train of thought was still very limited.

“Thank you.”  She crossed the room to the lockers and looked inside.  Empty.  Underwear had been a problem.  She had washed hers out in the lavatory hand and hung them on the shower door to dry.  Mark stopped at the door and peered into the small bathroom.

“You forgot.”  He told her and nodded at her clothes. 

“Too little.”  He commented on the size of the stark military facilities.

“They’re wet.”  She sat on the edge of the bed and then looked under it.  “At least we have water.” 

Nothing under the bed.  Mark noticed her activities and came to help her look for ‘monsters’. She had listened with great trepidation to the Lieutenant’s reports of the strange disappearances of his men.

“Oh. Yes.  Water, but no monsters.”  He sat down next to her and looked about as if waiting for something to happen.  He wore an army issue dagger on his belt, a pistol with extra bullets and the sword he had gotten from one of the sergeants.  McGuffy had taught him to use the pistol, but they had not dared to fire any of their precious rounds for target practice.  Sophia also had a holster, pistol and clips issued by the young lieutenant which whom Nicole seemed so taken.  Everyone was armed.  Some of the soldiers carried not one, but two, rifles slung over their shoulders and some of them carried weapons much more formidable. Grenade launchers and even portable rocket launchers with heat-seeking guidance systems for any living thing that might strike from the skies and laser sighting systems for anything else.  They were taking no chances.  Bari, McGuffy, Lt. Galipoli and the sergeants were trying to decide what their course of action should be.  McGuffy was quite sure Jozsef’s troops would not be far behind them in spite of the firestorm they had suffered in the desert.  The lieutenant had picked up a great deal of garbled radio traffic but could make nothing of it.

They would have to move on.  All of them.  They would have to abandon the Temple, but McGuffy and Galipoli were both agreed on one thing:  They would not attempt to take the Ark with them.  It would be too dangerous and they openly admitted they were afraid of it.

Sophia was lacing her boots when one of the sergeants tapped on their open door.

“Ma’am?”

“Yes?”  Sophia stood up and stomped her foot on the floor.  The boots were a bit too big and she had put on two pairs of socks.

“The Colonel said there are some people here in the compound that you might like to see.”

“Oh?  Who?”  Sophia frowned.  “People?  More soldiers?”

“Apparently four monks showed up a couple of days ago.  They were asking questions about the Temple.  They wanted to worship there before traveling on.”

“Really?”  Sophia could not imagine there might be anyone still making religious pilgrimages to these dangerous places.  Her thoughts immediately returned to her brief stay with the monks at Rushen on St. Ramsay’s Island.  They had been nothing like she had expected.  A bit sheltered, but full of life and mischief and possessed of great humor, though decidedly afraid of her.  It was one of her fondest memories.

“Lt. Galipoli detained them in the brig and was trying to get some clarification from HQ before he released them, but the Colonel says that they are harmless.”

“Why would I want to see them?”  She asked and glanced back at Mark who still sat on the bed, listening to them.

“He said one of them is a healer.”

“Oh!  Well, yes.  We could use a good doctor.”  Sophia agreed readily.  Mark’s hand was not healing properly.  The back of his hand was swollen and the redness was spreading up his arm.  The infection in the burn was not responding to the Colonel’s ointments.  He needed an antibiotic.  She turned and smiled at Mark.  “We might have something for your hand, Mark.”

He raised the bandaged left hand and frowned at it.  It was becoming difficult for him to close his fingers.

“Did you say they are in the lockup?  Are they still there?”  Sophia spoke to the sergeant again.  “Do they have medicine with them?  Where are they?”

“He’s not that kind of healer, ma’am.”  The sergeant shook his head slightly.  “He’s more of a spiritual healer or something.  He doesn’t carry a medicine chest with him, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh.”  Sophia’s face fell.  “Well, it can’t hurt to have him take a look, can it?”  She took Mark’s arm.

“Stay here.  The Colonel told me to bring him to you.  He doesn’t want anyone wandering about.  I’ll be back in an hour or two.  They are eating supper and I’ll bring him afterwards.”

Sophia nodded and the sergeant disappeared.

“Let me see it.”  She pushed him down on the bed again and took the hand.  He winced as she pulled off the gauze bandages.  At least the bandage was clean now.  She had no doubt that the first few hours after the storm, when they had cowered in the shelter of the cave, while everything burned, had been sufficient time for all manner of bacteria to infect the open wound.  He had even tried to hide it from her at first.  Now it was festered and oozing, covering his entire palm and it did not smell healthy.  She rewrapped it and felt of his forehead.  He smiled at her and closed his eyes, thinking this to be the prelude to a kiss.  Sophia obliged him, but her thoughts were on the hot feel of his skin.  Fever.  He had fever and this development certainly confirmed her suspicions.  He was no longer immortal and there was no telling what germs might be lurking about now that his immune system would be unable to withstand them. He was like a baby without the benefit of a single inoculation.  She was quite positive that he’d never had an inoculation in his life… his very long life… that might very shortly come to an end, if they did not get something done for his hand posthaste.  If this healer had nothing she recognized, she would go straight to the Colonel.  Lt. Galipoli must have medical stores somewhere in the complex.  He had everything else!

She went to the bathroom and wet a cloth in the lukewarm water from the basin.

“Won’t you lie down a bit, Mark?”  She asked him as she pressed the cloth on his forehead.  “Do you feel all right?”

“I feel fine.”  He frowned at her, but lay back on the bed.  She sat next him and held his hand.

“Sophia?”  He asked without opening his eyes.

“Hmmm?”

“Sophia, are you afraid?”

“Of what?”

“Of the monsters.”

“What monsters?”

“The monsters.  Everywhere.”

“Not as long as you are with me.”

“Good.”  He squeezed her hand and fell silent.  Only the sound of a distant yapping dog and the cooing of doves in the plaza reached their ears through the open window.

“Sophia?”

“Hmmm?”

“Do you love me?”

“Of course… of course, I do.”

“If the monsters come, will you still love me?”

“Of course.  Why would that change anything?”

“I’m afraid of the monsters in here.”  He placed his injured hand against his head.

“There are no monsters in your head, Mark!”  She laughed softly and pressed her hand on the cool compress on his head.

“Yes there are.”  He nodded and pulled her hand down to his lips, kissing her palm.

“Tell Sophia about them, Mark.”  She whispered.  She did not like the sound of this.  He could be starting to hallucinate or become delirious. 

“Big and red and black horrible.  They smell bad, too.  And last night, I saw a serpent.”

“A snake?”

“Yes.  It was after me.”

“Those are nightmares.  Probably because those things in the desert chased you.”

“Dreams.  And you, too.”

“Me, too?”

“Yes.  You, too.  Women are dangerous things.”

Sophia sat straight up and removed her hand from his face.

“Who told you that?”

“A monster!”

“You’re silly!”  She sighed in relief.  “Now try to go to sleep and I’ll wake you up when our company comes.”

“OK.”  He agreed and she got up again. 

She wandered to the door and out into the long, glassed hall that looked out over the plaza where the great statue lay broken in gleaming pieces.  Two soldiers posted at the outside door nodded to her.  The natives must have been really scared not to come here and gather all this gold before leaving.  She crossed her arms over her stomach and leaned against the glass, watching the soldiers walk back and forth in front of the Temple doors.  Several more of them came and went while she waited.  It seemed that she could almost feel the time creeping by now.  The sun slanted over the western wall and cast long rays through the glass, illuminating dust motes in the air.  Presently, she saw the sergeant emerge from a low stone building set against the western wall.  He was accompanied by a very short figure dressed in a long, brown robe.  A hood covered his companion’s head and the hands were pressed inside the loose sleeves.

“Hmmm.”  Sophia mused.  It looked like a child! 

The door opened at the end of the hall and they walked toward her.  Sophia frowned as they drew closer.  There was something vaguely familiar about the way the monk walked.

“Ma’am.”  The sergeant stopped in front of her.  “The healer.”

“Thank you, sergeant.”  Sophia nodded and then started for her room.  “Sergeant… would you mind bringing some fresh water for us?  Sir Ramsay has a fever and the water in the bathroom is tepid.”

“Would you like some ice?”  The sergeant raised both eyebrows.  “I think I can manage some for you.”

“Ice! That would be wonderful.”  Sophia stepped back and allowed the diminutive figure to enter the room ahead of her.

The sergeant nodded to the two soldiers posted in the hallway and went after the requested items.

“So!”  Sophia said as soon as they were inside the room.  “You are some sort of magi or monk or something?”

“Yes.”  Came the muffled answer as the healer looked about the room and then plopped a rumpled yellow bag on the desk.  He turned slowly and pushed back his hood.

“Selwig!!”  Sophia almost screamed at the sight of the Tuathan.

“Miss Sophia!”  He beamed at her.  “It is wonderful to see you.”

She grabbed him and spun him around, hugging him ruthlessly. 

“How did you get here?”  She asked when she let go of him.  “Mark!”  She hurried to the bed.  “Mark, look.  It’s Selwig!”

Selwig approached the bed slowly.

“Mark?”  Sophia leaned over the sleeping figure of the Knight.  “Mark!  Wake up!”  She shook him violently and the cloth slipped from his face.  His face was very red and very hot.

“Selwig!”  She turned to the healer.  “He’s slipping away.  He’s not like he used to be!  His hand.”  She grabbed the infected hand and pulled the cloth from it.  The red streak was well past his elbow now and the entire hand was discolored and puffy.

“Ohhhh, noooo.”  Selwig sat down on the side of the bed.  “Master!”  He took the hand in his lap.  “What has happened?”

“Can you help him?”  She knelt beside him.

“I will do my best.”  Selwig shook his head.  “I need Master Simon.”

“Simon?  Is he here?!” Sophia leapt to her feet.

“Yes.  We are in jail!”  Selwig told her.  “They were very rude to us!”

Sophia ran into the hall and down the length of the corridor, shouting for the Sergeant, the Colonel, Bari and Nicole, anyone.