The next morning found Lucius so distressed that he wished they had gone back to the village.
"I don't understand, Lucius," Will Samuels said kindly. "Don't worry--we won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. Legally, we can't. But you've told us that children and young adults aren't mistreated in your community. I would've thought you'd welcome a physical exam that would prove that. Are you afraid of the x-rays I described? I can assure you they're safe--"
"No, no." Lucius continued to pace the floor, avoiding the older man's eyes. "Can't you just take my word that I've never had any broken bones?"
Samuels was shaking his head in puzzlement. "We thought that if anyone had a problem with this, it'd be Ivy. Because she's female, and on top of that, she might feel nervous at not being able to see what's going on. But she has no reservations at all! And yet she seems to understand yours..." He wouldn't drop the subject. "Is it a cultural thing? Are men in your society more modest than women?"
"No." Lucius collapsed into a chair, with a shuddering sigh.
Samuels evidently didn't believe him. "If you don't want to take your clothes off in front of a woman other than your future wife, we can have only male medical professionals examine you."
"It's not that!" Lucius burst out. Then, groaning, he gave up. "All right," he said quietly. "I know that if I don't tell you, you'll imagine something worse. The truth is, I have scars on my body that I didn't want anyone to see. I was afraid they'd give you the wrong impression of our village."
Samuels sank into another chair. "So that's it. And Ivy knows?"
"Yes, of course."
"What sort of scars?" Samuels prodded gently.
"From two stab wounds that nearly killed me a few months ago. That was why Ivy came through the woods the first time, to get medicine."
"Of course," Samuels murmured. "She would only have taken a risk like that for someone she loved."
"But violence is not the norm in our village!" Lucius felt tears flood his eyes. "This was the first time such a thing ever happened."
And then he found himself telling Samuels the whole story. He began by explaining that his jealous attacker had been deranged. But then he had to tell the social worker what had later happened to Noah. Before he was through, he'd shared the full tale of the "forest creature" hoax--which he and Ivy had meant to keep to themselves, because they were embarrassed at having been taken in.
When he finished, the black man seemed at a loss for words. "Amazing," he said at last. Slowly, he continued, "Of course you believed it, when you'd heard the story all your lives! There's no shame in that. Ivy was incredibly brave, to want to go through the woods even before she knew the truth--and then, to keep going when the men deserted her."
"Yes, I know." Lucius finally managed a smile. "I count myself the luckiest man on earth, to be loved by such a woman." Then he got to his feet and stretched. "And if she's not afraid of your doctors and x-rays, I'm sure I can face them, too."
.
.
.
.
.
The medical examinations confirmed that neither Lucius nor Ivy had ever been physically abused. Lucius was glad he'd mentioned Noah. He discussed him with several doctors, describing his symptoms, and learned a hunch of his had probably been correct.
More disturbing was a subject raised by one of the physicians. "I don't doubt that the doctor you have in your village really is one. But what do your elders mean to do when he passes on? He can't teach everything he learned in medical school, and later, to some apprentice chosen from a population of 100." It was one of many problems the young couple were being forced to recognize.
But they were pleased by a followup report on the radio news. "That cult story seems to have been an exaggeration. Police sources say all that happened was that an engaged couple decided to leave their isolated village--which isn't really in a wildlife preserve. Its people have an Amish-type lifestyle, and use a calendar of their own devising. The police remind us that Jews and Muslims have their own calendars too. These young people were free to leave. They weren't malnourished, hadn't been mistreated. And the rumor about skeletons? They'd gotten excited about finding a skull that turned out to be Indian. So it could be centuries old."
McGill smirked as she listened to that. "No lies," she said. "We just made some deliberately misleading statements. Your village isn't in a wildlife preserve--but only because the 'Walker Preserve' really isn't one, and never was. Jews and Muslims have their own calendars, but they're familiar with the standard one; we let the media assume you were, too. And we used a throwaway line about that one skull to make them dismiss what they'd heard about skeletons." Then her smile faded. "Down the road, of course, the truth has to come out. There will be some sensational news..."