Budding Magic

  Chapter Twelve

  Dara was horrified when Celeste started harvesting the blue and green mold on every cantaloupe which she could find. She even had some men from the manor go to the village and get more. When she realized they weren't going to get enough, Celeste started magically aging perfectly good cantaloupe.

  Dara could see what Celeste was harvesting and set aside her revulsion to help her. Celeste mixed the mold in with other herbs which Dara could actually recognize. The resulting conglomeration, which Dara simply called black gunk, were living organisms that would destroy the other bad organisms. She had no idea why it worked.

  "You got the recipe down," Celeste told her. "I will leave you to continue making the paste. I'll be looking over the crew as they arrive."

  "Okay," Dara agreed feeling proud that Celeste trusted her with this. It was a very important task.

  Back on board, it took them an hour to load up the crew and the passengers. Big John looked at their sorry lot. Fourteen out of a crew of thirty were all that were still alive, and most of them a sorry mess. The captain was the worst of those that were injured. Big John thought for sure he'd be losing that leg—if not his life. Of the passengers, there were only two colored women and one young man. Thank God there were no children.

  Big John nearly laughed when they arrived at the little toy dock, but he sure didn't laugh at all the serious folk there to offer a hand, or a mug of coffee. He was surprised and pleased for the coffee. He had just never found a fondness for British tea. He was even more surprised to find the whiskey in the coffee—stout!

  "Name?" A brown haired young boy asked.

  "John," he answered.

  "T," Celeste told Rhoswen. "He will need an infirmary bed."

  Big John jumped with surprise when the white haired woman looked up at him with that blind stare. He shivered, unable to meet her gaze.

  The first room they were led to was a bath house. His eyebrows rose with surprised indignation. He balked at going into the perfumed chamber. His backward path was blocked by a very stubborn faced Irish lady. She glared at him with her hands resting on her hips. He didn't desire to argue, seeing those flashing blue eyes.

  "We ain't playing with typhoid," she told him. "All your people will be well bathed, given clean clothes, food, and a bed. Your old clothes will be burned. Celeste will determine who will be separated out for special medical attentions. Now—strip and in!"

  Fine! He was a big man and had nothing to be ashamed about. He raised his chin and stripped off his clothes right in front of her. She didn't even seem to notice as she moved past him. He sheepishly walked into the hot fragrant water. He noticed others of his crew getting the same attention.

  Big John looked over to where all the yelling and shouting was coming from to see Simon getting scrubbed from head-to-toe by an old woman. She finally pushed his head under the water for his final rinse and shook him like a dog. She eyeballed Big John and the bar of soap. He picked up the soap dutifully and carefully soaped himself. He realized that the water wasn't perfumed, there were astringent herbs floating in it. These people were serious.

  Big John was barely coherent by the time they shuffled him into clothes and to a bed. He barely noticed that he was in a large room with a lot of cot like beds, and most of them were filled with his crew mates. Someone gave him a cracker with meat stuff on it. He was hardly able to hold it. Someone else held some water to his lips. He crawled into bed, hurting in every fiber of his being. The cot was a little snug, but he didn't even notice. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

  Dara laughed to herself as the foul black stuff was given to the crew to eat. The manor staff had smeared it onto crackers. Good thing the crew was that hungry. Dara didn't even think they paused to wonder what they were being given to eat. Just wait till they had to have their second and third doses. They would notice then!

  "Celeste would like you to help her in the infirmary," Molly told Dara. "Have you worked the infirmary before?"

  "No," Dara answered, surprised by the summoning.

  "All patients and staff put on those green uniforms before entering the bed wing or infirmary," Molly told her as she walked her into the changing room. "Celeste created the outfit. They make more sense, easier to move in—easier to clean. Patients respond better to the color, I don't know why, but they sure do."

  Molly handed Dara some light soft trousers and a pull over shift. Dara blinked at the light weight clothing.

  "Celeste made the rule about the clothes," Molly told her. "I'll help you with the hair bonnet. You'll want that good and tight. A lot of the people who come here, have lice and the like. You don't want them bugs running around in your own hair. Sometimes we use gloves made from very fine hemp. It will protect your hands somewhat, and sometimes it's just easier to have stuff not touching your hands. You know what I mean."

  Dara held up the uniform. The trousers were loose in the hips, and had a pull tie for the waste. The shift was a pull over long shirt with tie strings at the wrists and neck. They slid on easily and she was surprised by how comfortable they were.

  "Sit," Molly told her while she grabbed a comb.

  "Let me do the braid," Dara requested, eyeing the comb.

  "That might be best," Molly said, eyeing Dara's wild curls.

  Dara wet her hands and dragged them through her hair. When it was damp enough to control the curls, she pulled it into two tight braids. Molly handed the loose fitting bonnet to Dara. Dara pulled it over her hair and tightened the ties.

  "Your mama would be so proud," Molly told her with tears in her eyes, "just that way." She cleared her throat and pointed toward another room.

  Dara had never been in this room before. It was the surgery. Celeste was inside setting up her cutting tools. Dara shivered, wondering if she was ready for this.

  "You're never ready for the first time," Celeste greeted her. "I'll link with you so you can see as I see. Is that alright?"

  "Yes," Dara firmed up her shoulders. "I'm ready."

  Celeste linked Dara into her healing vision, and waited patiently while Dara acclimated to the new sight.

  :Watch as I focus in and out,: Celeste sent to her, and then demonstrated how to focus deep into an object, withdraw to its outer layer, and then withdraw again to just looking at the object. :Now you try.:

  Dara relaxed and allowed her mind to request for what she wanted to see. She didn't try to force it. She had learned earlier that it wouldn't come if forced.

  :Very good,: Celeste told her. :This is complicated stuff, I may need an extra eye or hand. Ready?:

  Dara nodded uncertainly.

  "We rewash our hands before touching anymore of our clothing." Celeste moved over to a sink. It had continuously running water. She soaped clear up to her elbows before rinsing off. She used a newly cleaned towel from a pile and dried herself. Dara copied her movements.

  "You will want a mask, like so. It protects the patient from us, and us from them. Today, I'm adding a little touch of peppermint to the mask. It will help us to breath and reduce the stench."

  Celeste helped her dab a little peppermint oil onto her mask and tie it across her nose and mouth. Dara felt as if she was being smothered and felt a moment of panic.

  "Are you okay?" Celeste asked as she rubbed across the back of Dara's neck. "You will get used to the mask—probably not so much to the stench."

  Dara took a deep breath and realized that the mask did not interfere with her breathing. It was cupped and didn't actually press against her nose, or mouth. The peppermint was fresh. She nodded to Celeste.

  Celeste handed her a pair of gloves that reached up to her elbow.

  "There will be more at the table," she told Dara. "Change them whenever."

  Dara looked at her for more information, but Celeste was avoiding her eyes. She squinted at her suspiciously.

  Celeste was very pleased to be working with Dara. She was young, but Celeste had been watching her for the last few days
, and knew that she was a very capable young lady. Celeste wasn't lying when she said she might need an extra eye, or pair of hands. Dara being there could mean the difference between life, death, or disability for this poor sailor.

  They walked toward the bed. The patient was completely covered except for his head and leg. They had bathed him and shaved him bare. Dara gagged at the sight and smell of his leg. His calf muscle was black. It looked as if mold had grown all over the top of it. In the center of the black mass was raw flesh. Dara could see the bone. She stood back as Celeste made her way over to the patient.

  "Gangrene," Celeste told Dara. "It's okay to need a few minutes."

  "Will we be able to save it?" Dara asked doubtfully.

  "We will try," Celeste told her. "We will cut out the rotted flesh, and pack the wound with the black gunk. Normally, we would also use maggots to clean the wound, they would eat the rot and leave the healthy flesh alone, but there just isn't time. If this gets into the blood stream, he will die. It is amazing that he is still with us."

  "Will there be anything left of his leg if we cut all that out?" Dara asked sickened. "Might it be better to just take the leg?"

  "Cutting is only the first step," Celeste told her, "next will be fighting off infections. The final step for us will be to magically grow new flesh. The final step for him—will be to fight like hell."

  Dara came closer to the table. Even though Molly had doused him with a large amount of whiskey, he was still rolling back and forth against the restraints—moaning with pain and fever.

  Celeste laid her hand on his head. Dara watched as she sent energy to a specific area of his brain and disconnected a pathway. He immediately went into a deep sleep.

  Dara realized that she had a lot to learn. It wasn't just about seeing and healing. It was about knowing the whole body, and doing the right things in the healing process. She felt humbled by Celeste's skill. This was going to take years to learn. She steeled herself to learn patience.

  "How do we grow new flesh?" Dara asked astounded.

  "Provide energy and substance to his body," Celeste explained, "and encourage the building blocks to find their own way."

  "May I help?" Stefan asked from the doorway.

  "Stefan!" Celeste exclaimed excited and relieved. "Dara, your uncle can use fire to destroy the rot, instead of us just cutting it away. You are in for a treat!"

  "A treat, oh what joy!" Dara said sarcastically, eyeing her uncle.

  "Stefan," he told her. "Call me Stefan. I'm not really into the uncle thing."

  He looked straight back at her and grinned. He looked as scruffy as he had when they had found him in his wagon. She was about to mention something about getting him cleaned up first, when she noticed his hands. They were spotlessly clean. He was spotlessly clean!

  When she had seen herself through Celeste's vision, she saw the things running around on her hands, and then later—the gloves. No matter how much she had scrubbed, she just couldn't get rid of them. They were even in the water. How the hell was she expected to get rid of them if they were in the water? She was so disgusted that she had almost bailed out on Celeste. Great healer she would make—can't even stand the sight of a few bugs.

  "You look so clean!" Dara blurted out.

  Celeste frowned at her and realized that Dara was seeing the germs and bacteria's for the very first time. She noticed how distraught Dara was at the sight of them.

  "I'm so sorry, Dara," Celeste told her abashed. "We just haven't gotten to that part yet. I save it for right before we touch our patients."

  Celeste quickly reached out and sent a shock through Dara. Dara felt the sting and looked at her gloved hands. The bugs were gone.

  "I have to learn that trick!" Dara told her.

  Stefan laughed.

  Dara felt Stefan merge into the link. She liked his flavor! She looked up at him and grinned. He winked and grinned back. Having him there made her feel more confident in what they were about to do. It wasn't that she thought that Celeste wasn't capable. It was just that another person knowing what they were doing had to be better!

  Dara was careful to only observe and not intrude, or allow her emotions to slip into the link. Celeste and her uncle were concentrating on every little thing that they did, and some of it was very slight indeed.

  Stefan started on the worst of the rotted flesh and burned it away quickly. Dara felt her stomach roll, but determinedly held on. As he got closer to the good flesh, he started focusing on smaller areas, using tight streams of magic. He cauterized off the blood vessels as he got to the good flesh.

  :If we had been doing this alone,: Celeste sent to her, :we would have had to cut into his leg with a knife. We would inevitably have cut into good flesh.:

  Celeste started healing back the flesh as soon as Stefan had removed all the gangrene. Dara was amazed as Celeste manipulated the flesh into knowing what it was. She was growing muscle, ligaments, skin, tendons, and other things Dara did not yet recognize.

  "See these?" Celeste pointed out.

  She jumped at the spoken speech. There were more bugs!

  "These are good," Celeste was telling her. "We need to preserve them. They will fight off future infections of other bad bacteria's."

  "Oh!" Dara said surprised. "How can you tell the difference?"

  "Unfortunately," Celeste told her. "You just have to get used to what they look like, and try to see what they are doing, figure out where they belong. You can kill them later if you need to. Right now, they aren't our concern. Over here though, we can see that these are attacking good body cells. We of course, want them destroyed."

  Celeste sent a pulse of energy to the core of the infection and destroyed the invaders. Dara watched as the good bacteria's started destroying the bad. Sometimes they won—sometimes they were overcome by the invaders. Dara started cheering for the good bugs. Celeste showed her how she could add a small dose of energy and help or hinder the fight. She was not only cheering on the good little ones, but also started knocking the crap out of the invaders.

  Dara felt Celeste pull her out of the link and frowned at her.

  "You need to take a break," Celeste told her. "Go eat something. Come back when, and only when, you're rested. We will be doing likewise. We cannot heal him with just one sitting. His injuries are too extensive."

  Dara nodded. She hadn't realized just how tired she was. Her head and back ached. She looked at her gloves and groaned. Now she knew why Celeste had avoided her query. Her gloves were caked in gore. She remembered her uncle asking her to pull some flesh aside so he could burn out some nearby, but not touch the other. She grimaced. Being a healer was not glamorous at all. It was darn hard work—and dirty. She pulled off the grimy gloves, and put them in the laundry. She sympathized with the laundress.

  "Sometimes our job is exhilarating," Celeste told her, guessing her thoughts.

  "At other times people are totally unappreciative of your tiredness and efforts—and you want to throttle them," Stefan finished for her.

  "Can you tell me how to kill these bugs?" She asked Celeste indicating the ones that had regained territory on her hands.

  "Those are harmless," Celeste told her. If she wasn't so tired she would have laughed at Dara's horrified expression. "Instead of sending a dose of energy at the bugs, send it to the top surface of your skin. You will probably burn yourself until you get the hang of it."

  Dara walked away watching the bugs. It was only as she avoided walking into Molly, that she realized that she was using her own special gift of sight, and not Celeste's. She couldn't stand the bugs, so for good or bad, she zapped her skin. She couldn't help the small yelp as she did indeed burn her skin. Her hands were definitely pink, as if she had scoured them in lye. She sighed and made her way to the kitchen.

  Dara was surprised to see Meifen and Terah sitting in the kitchen with her sisters.

  "Sit," Molly pulled a chair out for her. "Eat," she plunked down a piece of apple pie.

 
"To our little healer," Meifen poured her a cup of liquid from his jug. "Kaliton."

  "Why, thank you," she said stunned. Dara reached toward her cup, but pulled her hand back. The bugs were back. She looked at her hands with disgust.

  "What is it?" Meifen asked her.

  "I can't seem to keep my hands from getting dirty," Dara looked at him embarrassed. "Celeste says their harmless, but…"

  "Oh," he looked into her eyes thoughtfully. "Be the tree."

  "Be the tree," she repeated.

  "Yes," he said simply and walked from the room.

  Dara restrained from giving her hands another jolt. It hurt, and besides, she couldn't just keep doing that to herself. She'd have no skin left. She shut her eyes and focused on seeing as she had before she knew about sight. She opened her eyes and looked toward the back of the room. She sipped at the Kaliton—remembering its kick. It soothed away her aches. She looked at her hand and sighed with relief. She couldn't see the bugs. Unfortunately, as soon as she thought it, her sight returned and the bugs were again, running around on her hand.

  "What did Meifen say?" Alana frowned at her.

  "Be the tree," Dara answered.

  "Oh," Alana thought about it. She knew Dara's thoughts about the bugs. It had come through in the link. They would have laughed, but were too busy being disgusted themselves.

  "The tree is full of inhabitants," Rhoswen told her. "Get used to it."

  Dara glared at her. Rhoswen just stared back unconcerned.

  "Meifen's been watching over those in the infirmary who have injuries," Vevila interrupted her tormented thoughts. "None as grievous as the captain though. They had to cut one man in order to get that black stuff into him. They cut him, and then pressed the stuff into the wound. He was unconscious and couldn't eat it."

  "We've been watching," Alana told her, "through you. You are very brave! I could not do that."

  "I don't feel brave," Dara told her. "I feel a little sick. I don't know if I'm cut out for this."

  "But what else could you do?" They were surprised by Terah's words. "There is no way you could simply walk away from someone with such need. It seems that healers are just made that way."

  "Thank you," Dara was touched by Terah's acknowledgement of her as a healer. "Aren't you afraid of getting sick, or having the babies get sick?"

  "No," Terah answered confidently. "Stefan assured us that it would be quite safe, that they were keeping everyone safe. I don't know if you know this yet or not, but the house has locked us out."

  "I saw that the spare rooms had locked," Dara frowned.

  "It's not just the unused rooms," she told them. "Once we leave a room, it locks us out, even the front room. The only rooms that were left unlocked were the nursery, the kitchen, and the bathing room. I finally gathered us all up, and moved in with Meifen and Stefan. It was creepy." Her tone brightened, "We brought Button and her baby with us. They are so cute! Stefan named the baby, Amber. He seems so scary, our uncle, and then he does or says something so—sweet."

  "You're right," Dara said surprised. "The house is now totally locked up. That doesn't make any sense. Why lock up the nursery and Kitchen? They have no other purpose."

  "We don't know that," Kellan told them. "There are hidden rooms and passages riddled all through our house. There might be entries through those rooms, too."

  "Why can't I see them?" Dara asked feeling insulted.

  "Old magic?" Rhoswen reasoned.

  "We talked about keeping Aunt Caryn locked out of the magic rooms, but I think we should all agree," Kane suggested tensely, "that when we do get the house unlocked, that Aunt Caryn will not be living there with us!"

  "You couldn't do that!" Terah told her. "She's supposed to look after you all."

  "But she isn't—is she?" Kellan questioned her. "The first thing she did was to reorganize the house for her, and her family's own comfort. She can't manage the property. She doesn't care about the manor, or the village people. It is because of her that the house locked up. She sure as hell can't control us! Why would we need her there? I think Kane is right."

  "I agree," Rhoswen spoke out. "She is also against magic. That is who we are."

  "Life will be a lot easier without her," Vevila agreed, "Dara?"

  "I'm for it," Dara told them. "I could see her next move to be marrying Kellan and us twins off. That's not going to happen!"

  "We are all agreed then," Kellan announced. She noticed that even though Kane hadn't said anything else, she had been very tense. She watched the anxiety ease out of her posture. They could definitely manage better without their dearest aunt.

  Vevila's attention was caught by the boy that had come from the ship. He had been watching them intently. There was something not quite right about him. He was a very nice looking boy. She guessed him to be around sixteen or seventeen, older than Kellan, almost a man. He had blond curly hair that made a pretty halo around his head. His eyes were crystal blue. He had the kind of looks that would normally make people instinctively like him—but she did not.

  "What's up?" Kane asked her.

  "I don't know," Vevila answered her. "I don't like that boy, and I don't know why."

  Kane looked over at the boy, and then back at Vevila surprised. Vevila didn't usually get her back up over people. That was more like Kane's response to new people. Vevila was usually overly friendly to strangers. People adored Vevila for her spontaneous perkiness. If Vevila didn't like this boy, there was something wrong with him.

  "I'm going over to the Ladies room," Vevila told her. "That's where Molly put the two colored women from the ship. I want to make sure they are okay. Molly said that they were in general good health—considering."

  The Ladies room was a large room that was dedicated to mothers and their children. Men were firmly discouraged from entering. There were other rooms designed to accommodate the family structure. Usually, the women who chose to reside in the Ladies room were either single, or afraid of men. This was a place where they could feel protected.

  "Take some more dinner with you," Alana instructed overhearing her comment. "I noticed that neither ate much earlier. They may be hungry now that they're settled."

  Vevila loaded up a tray of meats, cheeses, biscuits, and a bowl of freshly cut apples and cantaloupe. She covered the tray with a clean kitchen cloth and quietly left the kitchen. She was glad that Molly didn't mind them helping themselves. It would be a big bother to have to always ask her for food stuffs.

  The Ladies room had some of her grandfather's contraptions, so she didn't have to manage carrying up the tea. Their Grandfather, James Caidance O'Byrne, had not only been an adventuring man, but also one that liked to dabble with inventions and magic. The manor and their house held a few of his mysterious contraptions.

  Vevila and Kane had climbed up on the roof of the manor one day, and looked at the panels that were up there to harvest the suns power. It didn't look like much, just a panel of colored glass. There was a large sealed water closet underneath that was made to hold this power. Wiring ran between the panels, the water closet, and his gadgets.

  Vevila had seen this wiring, she and Kane had found some in the cellar. They cut it in half to see what was inside. What they found had disappointed them both. It was just a rubber coated piece of metal wire inserted in a hollowed out piece of wood, hardly mysterious at all. Vevila had to wonder if the gadgets were worth the bother, although she did like the zap plate.

  The zap plate could heat small amounts of water for tea's and such. It was really nice for the nervous, or tired ladies to be able to help themselves to a nice hot cup of tea.

  Vevila paused at the door. Above the door was a ward that was flaring yellow. She had never noticed the ward before. She didn't know if it had always been there, and she just couldn't see it, or if something was wrong inside the room.

  She set the tray on the table along the wall and cautiously opened the door. The two new ladies had chosen the farthest beds from the door. They had d
rawn the curtain around two beds to form a little room. There were three other families living in the room at the moment. The room still felt pretty empty.

  She smiled as she watched two little girls playing hide-and-seek. She frowned when she spotted the blond haired boy from the ship. He was sitting on one of the beds just outside the colored women's curtained off area—supposedly—staring out the window.

  "You are not supposed to be in here," Vevila told him.

  He ignored her and continued to look out the window. She marched over to him and blocked his view.

  "You are not allowed in this room!" She told him. "It is reserved for the sole use of women and their children."

  The two women had stopped talking behind the curtain. The room got very quiet.

  "They don't seem to mind," he nodded toward the curtain, staring up at her with an engaging smile.

  "I don't care what they mind!" Vevila responded back. "It isn't up to them. Now, do you leave, or do I get my uncle? He's a big man, my Uncle Stefan, and won't be taking any funny business from you!"

  "Huh!" Jeremy said surprised. He frowned angrily as he walked through the doorway. He'd deal with her later. He could feel the pressure building in his head as he made is way outside.

  "I have brought you food," Vevila called out. "We thought you might be hungry now that you've had a chance to settle in. I'll just get it from the hall table."

  Vevila watched as one of the women got up and pulled the curtain away from the beds. Vevila quickly left to retrieve the tray. She studied the tray, and saw that it was as she had left it. The boy hadn't disturbed it. She also noticed that the ward was no longer visible—interesting.

  "Here you are," Vevila placed the tray on the table. The ladies nodded toward her, but didn't speak to her.

  Vevila hadn't ever seen dark people before. She liked the high cheekbones and the black ebony eyes. She thought their brown skin looked very radiant. Their lips were fuller. She was curious about their black hair and had to restrain herself from reaching out to touch it. Vevila guessed them to be about Terah's age, mature women, but not so old. They were both wearing the garb issued by the infirmary, the basic green trousers and shifts. They seemed comfortable enough. Vevila wondered if they missed wearing their own clothes, missed their own homes.

  Vevila walked over to the zap plate and started heating up water for three cups of tea. She thought she might as well have a cup herself. The ladies didn't seem to find her intrusive. The tea was already bagged and laying in a complementary basket along with a jar of honey. Spoons and cups were set beside the basket with napkins.

  She heard them continue to chatter conversationally as she prepared the tea. She felt as if she couldn't quite hear them, which seemed odd since they were sitting right across from her. She rubbed her forehead which felt rather hot. She hoped she had been careful enough and wasn't getting sick, too. She carefully carried over a cup in each hand.

  "I hope this will taste right for you," Vevila told them. "If not, you don't have to drink it."

  Vevila had trouble getting out the words and felt as if they were slurred. One of the ladies quickly took the cups and told her to sit on the bed.

  At first her words seemed garbled to Vevila, but the bout seemed to pass and Vevila felt the pressure in her head ease. She was still having problems saying her words, but the women seemed to understand her.

  "I am Vevila," she told them. "I hope you will be happy here. I heard the adults saying that you were slaves before. We do not go for that, and you are not such anymore. Celeste is our healer and she must have decided that you are well enough to not be in the infirmary."

  "I am Jendayi and this is my daughter, Marjani," Jendayi introduced them. "Thank you for the food and drink. We are very hungry now."

  Vevila noticed that she talked slowly and clearly as if she didn't know the English language very well. Vevila helped herself to some of the meats and cheeses. She noticed that they stayed with the fruits.

  "Do you recognize these foods?" Vevila asked awkwardly.

  "We know that these are fruit," Marjani answered, "that these are meats although I do not know of what kind."

  "This is cheese," Vevila held up the white square piece of cheese. "This kind is made from the milk of a cow. The meat is also from a cow. Let us hope not the same cow."

  They laughed at her joke and soon relaxed.

  "Was the boy bothering you?" Vevila asked.

  Jendayi's smile withered away and worry lines marked her eyes. It was only then that Vevila could tell the difference between mother and daughter.

  "He is…" Jendayi searched for the correct words.

  "Evil," Marjani filled in. "He looks like an innocent boy, but I watched him killing a chicken. We had to eat, and the bird had to die, but he enjoyed breaking its neck with his bare hands. It seemed also as if he broke it slower than need be. He is evil."

  "I believe you," Vevila told her.

  "He was the master's son," Jendayi told her. "We so prayed for deliverance. When we heard the fighting we were so afraid. I had walked among the captives, the ones that had been the ship's crew. They were so weak and so outnumbered. It was a miracle that they took back the ship. Nothing else but, could have saved us."

  "They didn't just overwhelm the slavers, and take back the ship?" Vevila asked surprised.

  "They could not," Jendayi said firmly. "I was in the captain's room and peering through the window in the door. I saw the slavers on deck be swept overboard. There was no wave. They simply were pushed over."

  "Dara said that they had told her the revolt exploded when the slaver killed their healer?" Vevila asked.

  "That is so," Marjani told her, "but they only were able to kill the master and a few of his man. They did not have the ability to retake the ship. That was brought about by God!"

  Vevila didn't doubt them. She had thought it odd for the ship to be in their waters.

  Molly came in as they were talking. She was pleased to see the ladies settling in. They seemed so isolated—so alone. She was glad to see them talking with Vevila.

  "I've had your clothes cleaned," Molly told them. "Celeste determined that they could be saved."

  They stared at her blankly. She stared back confused.

  "That's good," Vevila smiled at them, "you will be able to have your own clothes back. I know I hate wearing other people's clothes, unless their Celeste's of course, she has some fabulous dresses."

  "We would rather they be burned," Marjani told her. "They were given to us by the master. I would rather be naked." She hugged herself. "These clothes I am wearing are very fine."

  "Oh," Vevila said surprised. "I'm sorry."

  "What is she saying?" Molly asked Vevila.

  "I don't understand," Vevila asked Molly confused. Marjani's comments were simple enough. What part of burned or naked hadn't Molly understood?

  Molly looked at Vevila confused.

  "What was she saying?" Molly repeated, not knowing how to ask the question any differently.

  "That she would rather the clothes be burned," Vevila answered, wondering if Molly maybe just hadn't heard her. "The clothing was given to them by their master. She would rather run around naked, and likes the clothes she now wears."

  "We understand," Molly nodded. "Tell her that we will destroy the clothing and they may choose new from what we have on hand."

  Vevila wondered what was wrong with Molly. They were sitting right here. They did have ears. Molly's eyes seemed kind, but Vevila couldn't help but wonder if maybe she just didn't like dark people, or thought they were like stupid animals. Vevila felt offended by this. She liked Marjani and Jendayi.

  "Why don't you just tell them?" Vevila said stung. "They are sitting right here. They can hear you and are very smart."

  Molly's mouth hung open with surprise. Vevila was very angry with her. What had she done? Vevila was never the temperamental one of the sisters. That would be either Kellan, or Kane. She couldn't figure out what had gotten int
o her. It was a small thing to ask after all.

  "I don't think they will understand me," Molly told her.

  "Why ever not?" Vevila asked.

  "Well, I don't think they speak English," Molly answered.

  Vevila frowned at her and then looked at Jendayi's face. She did look rather baffled.

  "Can you speak English?" Vevila asked them.

  "No," Jendayi answered. "The master would not allow it."

  Now, Vevila felt her own mouth falling open with surprise. She'd had no idea that she had been speaking another language. How could that be? She didn't even know what language she had been speaking.

  "What languages can you speak?" Vevila asked.

  "Only Ewe," Marjani told her. "Will you teach us English? I think we should learn it."

  "Of course," Vevila answered and then turned to Molly. "I'm sorry for getting angry. I didn't know I was talking another language. I thought that maybe you just didn't like dark people."

  "Oh," Molly blinked at her surprised. "You O'Byrne folk are always surprising me. I like dark people just fine, these ladies anyway. I don't know any other dark people."

  "Dara is joining Celeste again," Vevila's eyes grew distant. "I want to be with my sisters. I will see you at dinner." She refocused on Marjani and Jendayi, "My sister, Dara is assisting the healer. Celeste is working on a sailor that has rot in his leg. I and my other sisters are watching."

  "You must have a very strong stomach," Jendayi said with respect. "Such wounds are very gruesome. I wish you success."

  "Thanks," Vevila replied as she hurried from the room.

  Molly, Jendayi, and Marjani were left in the room staring at each other with nothing to say. For some reason, they all found it rather humorous and started laughing. Molly nodded to them and left the room. Some things were just universal.

  Vevila found her sisters in the lounge room. This room was designed for pure relaxation. The chairs were plush and designed to unfold and raise the legs, another gift from their esteemed grandfather.

  "I found the passage in mama's workbook which describes mama's spell that turned those men into swine," Alana announced excitedly.

  "Really?" Kellan came over to sit beside her. "I'm glad you found it. Aunt Caryn said that couldn't be done—even by an O'Byrne. She said that mama was delusional."

  "She's delusional," Kane sneered.

  "I know that this is right," Alana told them. "Celeste was talking about it while rebuilding that sailors muscle. Here," she passed the book over to Kellan.

  "There is a tiny, tiny, spiraling ladder," Kellan began to translate from Gaelic, "That repeats over and over throughout the body that identifies every single aspect of a person's makeup. I can see it in their tears, hair, skin, blood, spit—everywhere I look. The structure is always the same for that person, but never the same between two people. I stand corrected—it is identically the same for both Alana and Dara, how surprising since their finger and toe prints are not the same."

  "She is talking about me," Alana said with ready tears.

  "That day was a poor day to choose to walk up our doorstep. I was so distraught with grief, and trying desperately to distract myself, that I was studying the pig—a pig. Keegan, how dare you leave me like this! I had just realized the same spiraling ladder structure in our pig that I had noticed in people. It was different, but similar.

  Those men dared to knock on our door and demand money for their lost swine. They made me so crazed, that I lured them into the basement with the promise of money, and then I drove a piece of the pig's signature into their own.

  I remember screaming, "There, there is your pig!" The energy fused the two structures together. I hit them over and over again. I really meant to kill them, but was so depleted that my magic faded out before they were truly dead. I just left them there. By the next morning, they were already beginning to morph. I felt it was just so spelled them to harm none, and set them free.

  They don't really look like pigs so it is unlikely that any person will eat them. There is no going back from what they became. I would not if I could. There is no coming back for my Keegan, the father of my seven daughters."

  "Wow!" Kane said, "Maybe she was delusional."

  "Definitely demented," Kellan said in awe.

  That kind of power was just unimaginable. Kellan remembered a story which had been told to her about a woman who lifted a heavily loaded wagon up off her child's chest. That must have been what had happened to their mama. She must have been berserk with grief. Kellan felt saddened that her mama had hurt so much.

  "Dara is gowned up and ready to start again," Rhoswen told them.

  They linked up to watch. Celeste looked up surprised. She had wondered how Dara had recovered her energy levels so quickly. She hadn't thought about the energy entering through the sister's link. She and Stefan exchanged the same look. These girls were going to change the world.

  "We will only be reattaching this muscle," Celeste told her, "and then we will be done for tonight. We need to get him to eat. We've been sacrificing nutrients from healthy tissue to build the new. If we do any more, it will start damaging the healthy. That defeats the purpose."

  "How will you get him to eat?" Dara asked. She wouldn't want to eat if that was her leg sitting there.

  "We'll just wake him," Stefan answered her. "He'll be hungry enough. We'll keep this nerve center here unattached so he won't be in pain."

  "We'll also be keeping his leg limp," Celeste added, "so he doesn't think he can just go run off somewhere."

  "He'll need a lot of explaining done," Dara mentioned. "How much are you going to tell him—about magic?"

  Stefan and Celeste exchanged glances. They had decided very early that they wouldn't block his consciousness.

  "He has been listening to everything," Stefan told her. "What he believes will be another story. We will just tell him that we've removed the gangrene."

  Dara zapped her own skin and got to work. There were still plenty of infectious areas that needed cleared out.

  :Vevila said that we need to keep a watch on that boy who came off the ship,: Dara sent to them. :The passenger ladies say he likes to cause pain to animals.:

  :How does Vevila know what the ladies are saying?: Stefan asked curiously.

  :Oh,: Dara laughed, :apparently, she can now talk Ewe.:

  :Yes indeed,: Stephan murmured, :change the world.:

  :What?: Dara asked.

  :We will watch the boy,: Celeste told her.