Blaze of Silver by K. M. Grant Read Free Book Online Page A

his triangular knife. Ellie sat byElric’s head, rocking slightly, with Marie beside her. Even the butcher surgeon, though he did not put down his spike, eventually found a chair.
    Will leaned on the wall. He watched Elric, then Ellie, then Kamil in turn, his thoughts everywhere. Amal alone never moved but observed Elric constantly and carefully. After an hour, the boy seemed to take a turn for the worse. His skin grew hotter and hotter and the whole length of his body shook. Will moved closer to the bed and frowned, but Amal simply nodded and bowed. Only once did the old man get up, and although everybody held their breath, it was just to smooth a wrinkle out of a cushion. The night dragged on. It was not until dawn that Elric’s color changed and his breathing quickened. “The crisis,” Amal said aloud. But he seemed unconcerned. Now Ellie and Marie huddled together and Brother Luke began to pray in earnest. Marissa could hear his Our Fathers from her chamber and she stopped her ears against them.
    It was a dreadful crisis. Far from calling out random words, Elric now called endlessly for his mother. He cried that he could see the pit of Hell and the gates of Heaven. He wanted to go home. “Stop the devils, stop them,” he begged. “They’re coming for me.” Ellie tried to quiet him but he hit out at her as if she were an enemy. Only when Will took his hand did Elric pause for a moment before starting all over again, pushing himself up and down in the bed. Each time he fell back he seemed to fade a little, and Will was frightened that if he let go, Elric would somehow disappear like a flaky chalk.
    After half an hour Amal touched Elric’s foreheadwith the pad of his thumb and smelled the sweat. He sighed, then smiled. “What, old man, what?” Even Kamil was agitated now, wondering if his faith had been misplaced. “How can you smile at such a time?”
    But Amal’s smile grew broader. “The boy will survive,” he said confidently. “His life force is winning against the fever. Soon these cries will die away, then he will sleep. In the morning, he will be weak. We must feed him carefully. In a month he will have forgotten he was ill.”
    â€œIf you’re right, you’re a miracle worker.” Kamil’s eyes never left Elric.
    â€œNo, no, no,” said Amal, squinting. “You know that is not right. I just practice here the medicines our people practice at home. The real miracle is that any of these Christians survive. Just look at that butcher!” Amal was pleased to see a hesitant smile on Kamil’s lips.
    It happened just as Amal predicted. Soon, Elric’s lips changed from deathly blue to pink and his fingers were no longer plucking at his sheet. Old Nurse, sniffing, touched his cheeks. “Cool,” she said loudly, and then repeated in wonder, “quite cool.” Marie burst into tears. Old Nurse hugged her and then turned to Amal, rigidly grateful. Amal bowed graciously, acknowledging but not crowing.
    It was not long before everybody was surging forward to touch Elric and to gaze at Amal. This foreigner was not so bad. However, having played his role, the old man backed away.
    When dawn became day, Will ordered food to be served and Amal sat silently in the hall as toasts were drunk. When the time was right, he searched out aquiet place and beckoned to Kamil. “Allah is great,” he said softly.
    â€œAllah is great,” Kamil replied, and then the two Saracens kneeled down together to pray.

6
    After three days, when Elric’s condition had improved enough for Will to scold him gently and Marissa was no longer hiding, Will prepared to leave for Whitby again. Richard’s ransom could wait no longer. He was also concerned about the silver mare. “By rights she should be yours, Ellie,” he told her as they wandered down to the chestnut tree, “because Richard gave her to Gavin. I know you