Chapter 33:
The following morning, Grisha soldiers were surprised to see a piece of parchment pinned to the information board in their hall:
Dear Students,
As we have studied the mechanism behind the triggering of natural defenses during an infection, I believe practice is in order. For this afternoon, we will travel to Os Alta in the lower city. The presence of Heart-render students is mandatory. Healers are recommended to join with no obligation.
Meet me directly after lunch at the Palace entrance. Kara.
Kara paced nervously at the Palace entrance. She had hardly eaten, preferring to grab a piece of bread and cheese in the kitchens rather than face her students prior to their excursion. She had a heavy bag on her back, with different herbs and ointments, clean strips of cloth and utensils. Ania and Igor came early to keep her company as they waited. Kara kept on her incessant movements. She bit her nails, " How many do you think will show up? I counted about a dozen heart-renders in our first class but I am not so sure". Ania nodded, "we were 12 healers and 10 heartrenders. Not counting Luka who made a surprising apparition. Tell me again why a Materialki joined our class?". Kara stopped, looking over the grey skies covering the city, " A hunch I think. He might have a part to play despite his inability to heal. He's a smart young man". Igor chuckled, " You might want to make sure the rest of the class thinks the same. Corporalki are unused to sharing space with the lab rats that are Materialki". Kara seemed surprised, " Is there animosity between different factions of the Grisha Order?". Ania thought on it, " Not animosity. But misunderstanding and teasing for sure. Materialki do not like physicality or meddling with people. Luka is ...unusual in that sense". Kara stiffened, " Do I have to worry about something happening to him because of his participation to my classes?". Igor shook his head, " No. However, it will be a challenge for him to participate. Most might make him feel like an outsider during our practice sessions". Kara pondered, " We will see. His scientific approach may be of value yet."
Kara saw a group of men and women in red keftas walking slowing to them from across the gardens. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought they would not come. As they approached she counted seven healers and seven heart-renders including Ania and Igor. Her heart sunk. So indeed, 3 heart-renders and five healers had decided that the absence of their general justified their decline. As they arrived close she greeted them and asked ," I see that not all are present. I understand for healers, as their presence is not mandatory. However, why are three heart-renders missing?". The students looked at one another nervously. Esfir, a fiery brunette heart-render answered tight-lipped, " Not all see the importance of practice in the lower city. They might still come to your classes in the Little Palace." Kara raised an eyebrow, " Is it a boisterous confidence in their abilities which pushed them to decline this session? Or cowardly fear for their own protection?". Valek, a senior healer, with a spark of white hair in his beard grumbled, " Do not tease us Lady Kara. Grisha have been victims to spontaneous attacks in the city. Some lower parts of Os Alta are no place for Grisha". Several Coporalki nodded in agreement. Kara was not impressed. " You are also victims of attacks during battles and war. How is this any different? You have the protection of your King and General. The common folk would be stupid to try anything". Kirill, another junior healer close to Anatol, voiced his concern, " It is NOT the same. In times of war we set camp in a place where we can see the enemy coming. In the lower towns, the streets are so tight we brush shoulders with everyone. It is easy for anyone to shove a knife between our ribs".
So it was fear, thought Kara in surprise. She had only wondered the streets a few times in the past weeks. Some were indeed crowded and the dirty district where they were headed was no different. The herbologist shop she had rented was close to a brothel and a tavern, notorious for brawls and heavy drinking. No doubt their fear was justified. She looked at the group and indeed, they were very easy to target, with their red kefta's, there was no mistake to what they were. Kara spoke softly, " If you believe this to be true, why have you all come?". Hallene, a newly diplomed Grisha, played nervously with her hair, " Because...it is an honor to heal?". Mikhail looked at his senior counterpart in Igor, " Some of us trust you, and that is enough for me". So they are willing to take a chance. Kara was pleased at the response but tried to think how she could keep them safe. " Follow me", she whispered. She brought them to the first army military storage rooms and asked the tenant to provide them with khaki cloaks. They could easily be wrapped over the apparent keftas and hide away their flamboyant colors. Once they were all dressed, they looked like common folk. Kara was adjusting gently the cloak on Ania when Luka came running down the hall, breathless. He was holding a large bag with great care. " I thought I had missed you! Can I join?". Esfir scoffed, " Don't you have explosives and other powders to play with Materialki?". Luka was stunned and then grumbled, " That's harsh coming from you. If I had not used my Small Science, you would have been sitting ducks by the Ferdjan waterfalls this winter". Esfir chuckled, " Good point. However, how are you going to be of any use today?". Luka grabbed a cloak from the tenant, who nervously saw his stock dwindle. He adjusted it over his purple kefta. He smiled at the Heart-render, " Wait and see. I'm pretty good in disappearing with Chyorny Powder when I need to. You might need me to flee in a hurry." Esfir and the others had nothing to comment on that.
They walked through the palace gates and down into the city. The first few minutes were comfortable. the central road was wide and the shops of good reputation. As Kara led to the Nizkyi district, she was less sure of herself. They were looked over by folk who knew they did not live in these parts. She held their gaze and smiled gently. They had to build a reputation of being there to help. She had to muster her courage when she wanted to run back to the palace. Finally, they arrived. The herbologist shop was small, so that their group of 16 huddled in the small room. Kara had done the best she could with Yurii to salvage old run down beds. She had bought new mattresses, as those that were offered free seemed too unsanitary for future patients. Three beds were set on two floors. Each floor had a small storage area as well as a chimney and a desk. Kara had been able to get a few rickety chairs from the nearby tavern at a low price. Valek, the older Grisha wrinkled his nose. He had worked in hard conditions on the army front. However most of their material and utensils had been new. This looked like a very rundown makeshift infirmary. Kara saw the discouragement of her students. The place did not look safe or welcoming but it would have to do. She tried to reassure them, " I did the best I could with my pay. It was my initiative, I could not ask for any help". They nodded. In light of this news, the place was not so bad.
They hesitated to remove their cloaks, revealing their unease. Kara decided they need to have a chat. "please sit where you feel comfortable. I think we need to talk before our patients arrive". Some sat on the edge of a bed. Luka sat on the bottom step to the upper floor. Others preferred to sat on the edge of the front desk by the door. "First of all, thank you for making it here today. I know it was difficult and we are not working in the best conditions." She nodded towards Valek, to signal she had understood his earlier comment. She turned to the others, " I do not think you should hide your kefta's now that we are inside. The idea is for people to come BECAUSE you have Small Science. You may fear the streets, but you should not fear a patient willing to be treated here. You may be proud of who you are within these walls. If ever you were to fear for your life, there is a trap door under the stairs which leads to the sewers. They lead to another doorway on the main street locked from the inside". The group seemed to relax and some removed their cloaks.
Kara continued, " Our first patients are prostitutes from the brothel next door. They have Smei kozha disease or Snake Skin infection which they have caught from a few careless clients. It is a sexually transmitted ailment. As I heard, Grisha are not prone to these types of diseases, so you have nothing to fear." Kara brought her hands together, " These women will lose their only way of making a living if they are not treated. This disease triggers skin rashes and lesions which are unappealing. They will lose their hair and grow dry patches of skin, looking like scales". Mikhail shook his head, " Sorry teacher but, how are we suppose to be of any use to them? We heart-renders have no power to heal infections and our healers can only heal temporarily their visible symptoms". Kara nodded and signed to Luka to come and join her at the desk. The healer took a shaky breath, " I read a report from a desert healer who tried healing this disease by inducing a fever-like state. He did it by placing the patient near a roaring fire and under many blankets. The higher body temperature seemed to destroy the microbe responsible of the disease". Kara looked at the senior heart-render, " I believe that it is in the capacity of a heart-render to bring blood temperature to that of a fever." The heart-renders looked at each other uncertainly. Tahnee a lanky blond with a drooping eye, crossed her arms, " It might be possible. However, how can we make sure we are not pushing it too high? we've never done such a thing before".
Luka stepped forward and pulled out of his bag several glass tubes, wrapped carefully in soft cloth. When the other students huddled close to inspect the objects, they were startled. They saw short glass tubes, no thicker than a blade of grass with a red liquid inside. The tubing had regular marking along its length, with one thick red mark at its highest point. Zedd, one of the younger heart-renders was quizzical, " what in the Saints is that?". Luka puffed out his chest proudly, " This is a way to measure heat. We have been working on it with a few other materialki. My classmates thought it might be useful to indicate air heat. I however, have been working on a new use since our first class together. It measures BODY heat. He held one of the fragile tubes and showed the markings. " The end of the tube is placed gently in the patient's mouth. If the person is healthy, the tainted alcohol within should rise to here". he pointed to a first yellow line halfway up the tube. He pressed on, " If the patient has a fever, it will continue to rise up to a point of no return up here". He pointed to the thick red light at the top of the tubing. He placed the tube gently on the folds of protective cloth. " The idea, is that you use this tool to avoid going too high. You will have to rise just below the red line and stay there".
Most of the Coporalki were speechless. It was a genius invention, if it worked properly. Anatol looked with worry up to Kara, " How long do we have to maintain the fever in order to destroy the...bug?". Kara took in a shaky breath, " I'm not sure. The report addressed the difficulty of maintaining the proper temperature...but it seemed to estimate a necessary period of fever of two hours". Esfir gasped and Valek and Anatol grew pale. Igor shook his head in disbelief, " Kara, no heart-render has called upon their Small Science for two ongoing hours. It might be dangerous for both Grisha and the patient. He looked at Ania worried, " You remember how Ania was after maintaining the Prince unconscious, she fainted and felt weak. You were lucky she did not have worst symptoms or make a blunder in her intervention." Ania's eyes were wide with fear, " you never told us it would be two hours Kara". The First army healer felt the tension in the room rise. She had to act quickly if she wanted them to stay. She raised her hands up to appease the growing anger. "I do remember what happened with the prince. I also remember that we had planned things so that Ania would not put herself in danger. We did all we could with Medical means before calling upon her Small Science. Here, we will do the same". She rose to her feet and pulled on the knob of a small door by the stairs. Once opened, the students saw that it was full to the roof with cut wood. Kara left the door open for the Corporalki to puzzle over and went to the back shelf to retrieve thick wool blankets.
She turned towards the group of 15, huddled together facing her, dumbfound. They did not understand what she had planned. Kara's eyes gleamed, " We are going to heat this house up like it's the middle of winter. Cover your patients with as many blankets as possible and monitor their temperature. You should be able to use little of your Small Science over the span of two hours. For your safety, I have also paired you up by groups of three. Two heart-renders will each share the two hour time over a single patient. A healer will check the general health of the patient and heal the apparent damage to the skin. These women will step out of this house this evening exhausted but healthy". There was silence. Kara did not know if she had overdone it. Anatol played nervously with a button of his kefta. Valek toyed with his beard, thinking. Mikhail cleared his throat, " I think...it's feasible". Kara smiled in relief. " Good. Our patients should be here any minute now. We should be expecting 3-4 ladies." Valek raised his hand as if to ask a question. Kara looked at him expectantly. " Yes?", she said. Valek was hesitant, " might I suggest something? Maybe, A younger heart-render should always be paired with a senior for this exercise. Seniors know the limits to their Small Science. We'll be able to stop the younger ones from hurting themselves". Kara nodded, " Thank you Valek, your suggestion is wise. Let it be so then".
As she finished, she saw three women with shawls and scarves covering their faces and hair. They looked fearful and trembled on the threshold of the old herbologist shop. Kara crossed the room quickly and gently coxed them in. " Ladies, thank you for taking a chance on us. You are here in the presence of Grisha heart-renders and healers. We will do everything we can to rid you of this disease." One of the ladies with apparent snake skin rashes on her face was skeptical, " The doctor told us there was nothing to be done. Can Grisha Magic truly save us?". Kara held her hand gently, " It is a first. We cannot promise the result. However, we are willing to try. Are you?". All three women nodded. Kara closed the door behind them, " Then let us begin".