Emily, Healing Shrine of Mugash

The fifth day after the Convocation met was the eighth day after I woke up following the Black Falls attack. I spent the previous four days explaining what I knew about waste and water treatment to respectful and eager Cosm. Following on the heels of the Convocation and the revelation road show in Is’syal, the interesting engineering was warring with my growing desire to escape.

After four days of discussing the biology of sewage and the nuanced physics of sediment transport and settling in moving water – an essential subject for processing wastewater – I just wanted to be left alone for a while somewhere out of reach of well-meaning giant-sized magic users who had the best intentions toward Coyn. Their best intentions could not remove the oppression of always feeling small, weak, and helpless around Cosm silverhairs.

I never want to hear the phrase, "could you write a bit bigger please?" ever again.

Rubber and crutches and how to help Kayseo were on the schedule for the fifth day of the sixth rotation, which was the fifth day after the Convocation meeting at the Crystal Shrine. I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep. I dug out some of my older clothes and got dressed for getting dirty. I added the mantle against the nip in the predawn air. It may have been the growing season but Aybhas was at the foot of the mountains where it got chilly overnight.

Lately, I was feeling more energetic, especially in the mornings. I could tell I was finally getting better, at least in terms of strength, though my endurance still was abysmal. I wanted some alone time but with the presence of the new full-time guards at the three entrances to the south wing on the fourth floor, I couldn’t get that on the balcony anymore. So I slipped into the hiding place behind the bottom drawer that Wolkayrs made when he crafted my built-in bed.

Wolkayrs had left a part of the wall exposed inside the hiding space. It probably didn’t look very big to him but I was small enough that I could squeeze through it. From there, I could climb using the wood laths inside the walls that held up the plasterwork. Once I got above the ceiling, it was easy walking on the joists to anywhere I wanted, though there were not a lot of places to exit back to the living spaces of the fourth floor.

I wasn't going somewhere else inside the shrine. What I wanted was to get outside. There was a trap door on the roof to access the space above Lisaykos’ bathroom. Using the water pipe that fed the hot water tank as a step, it was a manageable climb up the new sewer vent pipe and out onto the roof. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I could make the climb, but there was little harm in trying.

It was easier than I thought it would be. My only worry was that I might wake up Lisaykos. Given that I heard nothing stirring as I closed the trap door behind me, I guessed I succeeded. I walked slowly and carefully away from the area of the roof over Lisaykos’ chambers. Staying away from the edge where one of the two guards on the balcony might spot me, I made my way to the west edge of the roof where the view of the river in the starlight was glorious.

The distant sound of the crews readying their cargo boats floated up from the river. Soon, strings of eight pairs of mules appeared on the towpath on the west side of the Salt River, pulling their boats against the current to deliver goods to the towns upstream. There was still a backlog of goods going up the river after the battles at the Crystal Shrine and Black Falls. There wasn't much going down the river because the docks at Black Falls had not yet been rebuilt.

I could smell newly-baked bread and the sound of kitchens preparing morn repast. The sky behind the Blue Mountains slowly turned to twilight. The sun would not be visible until halfway to the second bell because of the ridge to the east behind Snob Hill. The first bell of the day rang as upward-angled beams of orange-yellow sunlight broke through the morning clouds and fog on the river. It was quiet and beautiful and I owned it all as I lay on the roof watching the day begin.

Right at the moment, I regretted not having made a camera yet because the way the early-morning sunlight streamed through the clouds above the ridge was something I would have liked to capture.

“Lisaykos would like to know how you got up on the roof,” Aylem’s voice came from behind me, “and the next time you want to visit the roof, at least leave a note on your bed. Her first thought was that you had been kidnapped again. She really was worried so try to be nice to her about it, please?”

“There are days when I feel like I’m some kind of exotic pet trapped in an upscale zoo,” I grumped.

“The trainee on bell duty spotted you and reported that you were sightseeing, which is why Lisaykos called off the search to find you. You aren’t completely recovered yet. So how did you get up here?” Aylem sat down next to where I was spread out on my back on the slate roof tiles.

“Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies.” I always wanted to use that expression on someone.

“Emily,” Aylem’s tone was full of admonishment and warning.

“The way the light through the clouds is angled upward over the ridge is amazing, yes?”

“You are being difficult,” Aylem stated with a sigh of resignation. “Let me give you a lift down.”

“Nope, why don’t you go ahead and I’ll catch up in a few minutes.”

“You’ll get down faster with me,” Aylem tried being reasonable.

“I would prefer to see my own way down, thank you. This is not a negotiable point.”

“Who put vinegar in your fruit juice this morning?” Aylem accused, getting to her feet. I expected her to grab me any second now.

“The whole point was to take a little time for me somewhere removed from well-meaning people who insist on picking me up and moving me around, in the world where I'm currently trapped, where everything is too big and too heavy. I will see you downstairs in a moment, Aylem." She said nothing in reply and left. As an afterthought, I hoped I didn't set off her nasty temper.

I wasn’t going to reveal my way onto the roof to anyone using clairvoyance. Instead, I walked across the dome and used the ladder steps to the north balcony which the bell ringers use for access to the belfry. The door back inside was a bit of a challenge but I opened the latch using my belt as a lasso. The look on the corps-of-wraith guard at the atrium entrance to the south wing was priceless as I strolled past her and wished her a good morning.

“I see you are in fine form today, Great One,” Wolkayrs’ face was full of work-day diligence but his voice was amused. “I won’t ask you how you got on the roof because I know you won’t tell me.”

“What on the repast menu today?” I asked, strolling past with my hands behind my back.

“It's a platter meal this morning. You'll like it. There's smoked trout, farmer's cheese, the first of the early-season apples, and lots of chewy bread with honey and butter."

“Thanks,” I nodded. “Is it ready? Do you have it here?”

“Yep, my parents worked all night to finish it in time,” he grinned. “The hard part was the folding lock braces.”

I grinned back.

Walking into the dining room, Lisaykos was standing next to my chair so she could glower at me. She was doing a good job too. I tell from the look on her face I was going to receive a piece of her mind as soon as she could get me alone. She bent down, picked me up, and deposited me on my chair. My escape was fun while it lasted but now it was time to get my brain prepped for another day full of well-meaning over-large Cosm.

Aylem, Lyappis, Opa, Roaleer, and Huhoti were already seated. It was almost too many silverhairs given my current frayed nerves. There was one more place setting at the table. No one had started eating, so I guessed we were waiting for someone even tardier than I was. Soon the sound of Kayseo’s peg legs and crutches came thumping in through the door to the corridor, which was open.

Kibbilpos, who was Kayseo’s healer for her recovery from the Pinisla attack, escorted her patient into the dining room. It was apparent to even me that Kayseo was struggling with her crutches this morning and failing at hiding the pain. Aylem took one look at Kayseo, got up, lifted Kayeo in her arms, and carried her the rest of the way to the table.

"To my eyes, it's too soon for you to be walking on crutches, Kayseo," Aylem said, as she lowered Kayseo into her chair at the table.

"It's been four rotations, Great One," Kayseo protested weakly.

"She refuses to be carried," Kibbilpos looked distressed. She looked about thirty with a round face and lovely indigo eyes. She was one of the healers in charge of the long-term patients like Kayseo who were housed in the south wing on the third floor. She was also the healer picked to fill in for Thuorfosi.

"Kayseo," Aylem said in her Queen's voice, "if climbing just one flight of stairs is this painful, then it is still too soon. The forty days for healing severed bones is a guideline, not a hard rule. We will carry you back to your room after we are done here today. You will refrain from walking again until the end of the rotation."

"Your will, Great One," Kayseo dropped her eyes and looked miserable.

Aylem studied Kayseo's face and said gently, "if I were you, I wouldn't use Emily as a role model for recovery."

"What?" Kayseo was startled by Aylem’s remark.

"Well," Aylem smiled wryly, "we all know that Emily hates being carried anywhere and she's always pushing herself too hard to get better. What you're doing right now is just like Emily."

Aylem's remark hit the center of the target based on the horrified look on Kayseo's face. It was doubly shocking to Kayseo because she was my lead healer last year after Aylem killed me. I didn't appreciate Aylem's using me as her example of a bad patient. I scowled at Aylem. Aylem grinned and winked at me.

“May I have your leave to depart, Great Ones?” Kibbilpos had her hand over her heart and waited for permission with a bowed head.

“I believe you may want to stay until the second bell,” Lisaycos told her. “Have you eaten?”

The poor woman was knocked off balance by the high priestess’ invitation. There was panic in her eyes as she searched for something to say.

“No, Great One, she has not eaten,” Kayseo looked up at Kibbilpos with sympathy.

Wolkayrs appeared from the study and put together a plate from the extras the serving crew left on the sideboard. He set a place for her next to Kayseo. “What would you like to drink, Healer Kibbilpos?”

“I...I…”

“Hot black tea with cow’s milk and a spoon of bog berry syrup,” Kayseo volunteered. “So sit down already, Kib. No one here will bite you.”

“Much," I couldn't help myself. Lisaykos gave me a look of long-suffering patience. Aylem was trying not to laugh.

“Emily,” Kayseo gave me a wonderful look of exasperation.

Raoleer with her wicked sense of humor grinned at Kibbilpos, “to be truthful, we will only nibble on a finger or two, or maybe an ear, except for the Blessed Emily who will gnaw on your kneecaps instead.”

After the quiet laughter died down, Lisaykos took charge of her dining room table by invoking the short blessing before a meal.

“Are you from around here?” Lisaykos attempted to put Kibbilpos at ease with small talk.

“I'm from Kunnsifa," Kibbilpos still looked nervous. "My mother manages the saw mill there. How could you know where I was from, Great One?"

Lisaykos’ eyes were smiling, “you like bog berry syrup as a sweetener. It’s something you only find in the south of the kingdom.” She paused for a sip of tea. “If your mother runs the sawmill, then she must be Sekoy Cutter.”

Kibbilpos relaxed from paralysis to merely stressed, “yes, she’s my mother. “I’m surprised you know who she is.”

“I was married to Lord Tridhoytos haup Gunndit and now my daughter is Lord Gunndit. I know a few things about the holding. If I remember correctly, you have a brother named Arkmet and two sisters named Irakos and Sutset.”

Kibbilpos smiled, “you have a good memory for names, Great One.”

After Kibbilpos relaxed a bit, small talk prevailed for the rest of the meal.

I waited for Kayseo to be done eating and got Lisaykos’ attention. She knew what Wolkayrs had built for me down in his family’s woodshop. She must have mindcasted him faster than I could catch because he showed up in just a few breaths with walker version 1.0 in hand.

In designing it, I had to consider the much greater weight of someone as big as Kayseo. Rockwood was too scarce and too expensive since it was an import from the vast bayou-laced swamp where the race of the Chem lived. I had to settle for oak instead. Each piece was approximately a 4x4 in American lumber sizes, which was around 10 cm by 10 cm.

All three sides of the walker were supported with crossed diagonal bracing of cast-latten flat bars. Latten is an alloy that falls in the middle between brass and bronze. Bronze is a brittle metal so I wanted to replace some of the tin with zinc to give the alloy more elasticity. What I really wanted was steel but there wasn't enough of it to go around right now.

I left the dimensions and the exact alloy proportions up to Prelb, the bronze caster with the shop next door to Wolkayrs' family woodshop. I trusted her instincts on what would work. Without a mechanical, civil, or mining engineering handbook, it was impossible to do a precise design that could take the stresses of a full-grown silverhair. I had to trust the experience of my artisans.

The sides of the walker could fold inward to lie flush with the front with four barrel hinges on each side. Based on a design I gave her, Prebl made four brass folding lock braces like those on twentieth-century folding tables on Earth. The locking braces are what made the walker something that could be folded flat for storage.

At the ends of the front frame were two casters. The wheel hub and the bracket were cast latten but the tire was varnished stacked leather. I aimed to replace the leather with rubber sometime soon. The padded and rounded handles at the top of the side frames were also leather stuffed with carded wool. It would have to do for now even though it lacked the forgiving elasticity of low-sulfur short-cure crepe rubber.

Wolkayrs carried the walker over to Kayseo. He unfolded it and then turned her chair around so she was facing it.

"It works like this," he set his hands on the handles, rolled it forward, stopped it, put his full weight on it and slid his feet forward, and then straightned up. Then he repeated the sequence. "You don't have to use it like this. It goes a little faster if you try to walk normally." He then demonstrated walking with the walker.

"Now the nice thing about this simple contraption," he gripped the handles and picked his feet off the floor," is that it's comfortable to hold, not heavy at all to move because of the wheels, and it can take your entire weight. It's also got four points on the ground so it's a stable platform in case you get unbalanced. It's designed so you can get your balance back quickly."

“I’m supposed to use this thing?” Kayseo looked dubious.

“It will be easier to use than crutches,” Wolkayrs turned the walker around so the inside was facing her. “Trust me. It’s an Emily design. The wheels on the front are why it’s so easy to use. I would never have thought to do that.”

“You designed this?” Kayseo looked at me, looking like she needed some encouragement.

“Yep, right after I moved back into my own bedroom at the end of last rotation. The hard part was getting the measurement from your hand to the floor,” I explained. “We ended up...”

“We?” Kayseo gave me a shrewd look which she then transferred to Woldayrs.

“Behind every designer stands many talented crafters," I said pompously.

"I want to try this thing," Kibbilpos popped out of her chair and snatched the walker. Soon she was using it one-footed, then with unbending knees, followed both feet stuck together. She tried to unbalance it and couldn't. Kayseo watched Kibbilpos carefully.

She stopped and looked at her patient, “Kayseo, you should try this thing. I think you’ll like it.”

While Kayseo got up and tried the walker, Aylem snuck over to my chair and crouched down next to me. “Where did you ever come up with that?” she whispered.

“I used one for several months after the car accident in Perth,” I replied at my softest volume. “Someone in England invented it after World War Two. They didn't have wheels originally but by the time I got mine, they had wheels which made sliding them forward effortless."

“I like it,” Kayseo announced while seeing how fast she could walk. “I think the handles would be more comfortable if they were just a bit higher.”

“That’s an easy fix,” Wolkayrs made a note on his pocket tablet. “How’s the weight?”

“It's not heavy at all," she smiled with a touch of manic glee as if already planning excursions on her new walking aid. I resisted rolling my eyes since I knew the Cosm-scaled walker weighed more than I did. Then I pushed the thought out of my mind so I wouldn't dwell on feeling trapped again.

“It’s the very first one ever made so we can play around with its design or its successors until it’s just the right fit for you, Kayseo,” I said. “It has only one significant drawback.” That got her attention.

“The way it's currently built, it won't work well on stairs. The free-spinning wheel will be a hazard on a set of steps. There are two different ways to fix this. The first is to lock the wheels, which can be done two or three different ways. The other is to use crutches of a superior design than what the healers currently hand out."

“Yes, the Queen mentioned you wanted to rework the way we make crutches,” Lisaykos steepled her fingers and gave me a fierce look full of wanting to hear more.

“Why don't we show you?" I glanced up at Wolkayrs who ran back into Lisaykos' study for the design I drafted and the pieces of prototype design number one.