Chronicles Of Tonath Collection

Chapter 6

Dr. Crossen was grateful for the time he had been given to watch his patient. It was good to be alone and away from the preying eyes of the ever vigilant Brothers. He especially blessed the time he was away from the reading of The Way Book, prayer chanting, herb dispensing Brother Zack. Crossen wasn"t certain whether Teacher had assigned Brother Zack as a Healer or as a spy. It was probably both, thought Crossen. That would placate Brother Calvin. The young man in the bed stirred and Crossen leaned closer. The skin under the dark stubble was clear and pink, the flush of fever ended. Suddenly, grey eyes were staring at him and then the man looked around the room, blinking from the light. Finally, they focused on the doctor again.

“God, you"re not green,” the voice whispered in a language that Crossen could not understand. Crossen blanched to almost grey. He did not want to lose his patient at this point. He was too close to thwarting Teacher and the Brotherhood.

“Young man, do not ever use those words again!”

At his words, a puzzled look crept into the grey eyes and Doctor Crossen continued, “Please, never, never use those words again. You are at the Western Star Shift Institute of The Way and the Green language is not allowed.” If Green is the language you used, he thought to himself. “That language, like many other things, is f*******n, punishable by spending the rest of your miserable life here.”

The grey eyes hardened and understanding and intelligence crept into them, the cloudiness dissipating. The young man attempted to nod and then grimaced.

“How do you feel? Is the pain bad? I"m Doctor Crossen and assigned to bring you back among the living.”

The man closed his eyes. Should I tell him that at first his words were gibberish and then, somehow, they rearranged into a language? No, his mind told him. It"s best just to answer his questions.

“My head feels like it"s three times its normal size. Where did you say I am?”

Doctor Crossen nodded with satisfaction. “I"ll give you something in a moment for your head. Right now the time is short and I need to do some explaining. Your head took a horrible blow and you are at The Western Star Shift Institute of The Way under the tender care of the Teacher and the Brethren.”

“Now listen to me,” he hurried on. “I don"t know who you are or where you are from, but I am a doctor and your two hearts are not human. For that physical abnormality, you could be condemned as a Green. If someone like Brother Calvin ever found out that you have two hearts, you would be in great peril. I myself have been condemned to remain confined behind these walls for the rest of my life for committing the heresy of questioning their interpretations of the Way Book Readings and teachings. You are my chance to thumb my nose at them.”

The young man laid his hand over his chest as if to verify the statement about the two hearts. The movement caused pain to wash over his face again. Doctor Crossen was struck by how old the eyes suddenly looked.

“Now, are you hungry or thirsty?”

“Yes, both. Water first, please.”

Dr. Crossen complied with a glass of water. Then he took up the waiting bowl of broth laced with Brother Zack"s heady concoction of herbs. “There"s medication in this broth and it may taste a bit bitter,” he warned.

While he spooned the broth into the man"s mouth, Doctor Crossen continued his explanation. “Since you said the words, "I found the Way," when you were found wounded on the riverbank, the freighters brought you here. Those words of yours are the reason the Teacher permitted me to heal you. It was obvious that you had emerged from the Green Belt and Belt Lands. The freighters, a superstitious bunch, were afraid you were some sort of Halfling. Since the teachings of the Way Book deny such joining of Greens" and human flesh, Brother Calvin"s words were to no avail. You are to be healed and then questioned. It is most important that you be wary of Brother Calvin.”

The man studied Doctor Crossen and saw a small, compact man with white hair, bright, blue eyes, and a mouth drawn into a tight controlled line. Long, slender fingers were attached to rather wide hands. He then ventured a question.

“You said you were here because of heresy. Does that mean you are a prisoner? Is that what they intend to do with me?”

“I"m a prisoner for my unorthodox thinking and written speculations. At this time, you are here merely to be healed and questioned about your arrival and your home area.”

“Since you are awake, I"ll need to call Brother John. He at least is harmless. Before I do, we need to make sure that your name is one that is like ours and not unpronounceable.” He looked at his patient and waited for a response.

“My name is…” the man stopped. Utter confusion and panic washed over his face. He tried to heave himself upward into a sitting position and fell back moaning with pain. He looked up at the doctor, his grey eyes wild, the face distorted, “I can"t remember,” came out in a hoarse whisper. Then his voice rose in timbre.

“I can"t remember who I am. I can"t even remember how I got here.” He clutched Doctor Crossen"s arm with his left hand and Crossen was amazed at the strength of the grip.

“Take it easy,” soothed the doctor. “It is not unusual to have a slight memory loss after a bad blow to the head. As I said, the freighters brought you here.”

“No, no, I mean I don"t remember anything except being in a ship that was being torn apart and landing in that green hell.”

Doctor Crossen"s face blanched again. “You must not use words that have no meaning here.” He took a deep breath. “All right, I"ll accept the fact that you cannot recall past events. I do not know if the Teacher or Brother Calvin will. You can try to convince them, but in the meantime, I must call Brother John now that you are awake.”

The man continued to hold Crossen"s arm while he protested. “No, you don"t understand. I can"t remember.” The words came out stony and hard.

“How long have I been here?”

“You were brought in almost two weeks ago.”

The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Doctor Crossen took advantage of the silence and the loosened grip, removed his arm, and stepped outside. He could see Brother John over at the next cabin plot, tending the herb and vegetable gardens. Brother John insisted on growing plant matter in this root laden soil to prove that anywhere within the proximity of a Star Shift Institute the ground would provide a bounty of food and herbs. That his own diligence could possibly be responsible for all of his produce Brother John was far too modest to claim. Doctor Crossen could only shake his head at such deep beliefs as he walked over to Brother John.

“He"s awake now and out of the coma. His fever has gone, but could return. The Teacher asked to be informed when this occurred.” Teacher"s requests, Crossen knew, were orders.

Brother John smiled, pleasure flushing his pink, round face. “Wonderful! I"ll take the message to him,” he said before hurrying towards the building housing the Teacher.

Brother John was winded when he arrived with his important information. The black robed clerk waved him through to Teacher"s office. He was surprised to find both the Teacher and Brother Calvin. The latter scowled at him for the interruption.

The Teacher was seated at his desk and smiled warmly at Brother John. “Do you have news about our patient?” It was no idle guess. He knew a man of Brother John"s age ran only when necessary.

Hurriedly, Brother John recited what Dr. Crossen had told him.

“Excellent, Brother John, thank you for bringing the news so promptly. Please return to the Healing Quarter and stay with our patient. Inform Dr. Crossen no one is to talk with him until I arrive. I"ll be there as soon as Brother Calvin and I finish our discussion.

As Brother John left the office, the Teacher accepted the oil-skin wrapped packet from Brother Calvin and asked, “Is this from our coastal outpost?”

A tight-lipped Brother Calvin nodded. He disapproved of the new, richly furnished room with the large hanging drapes representing scenes from The Way Book. Teacher"s desk was of special dark wood and waxed to mirror perfection by the younger Brethren. To add insult to Brother Calvin"s thrifty eyes, Teacher wore a fine black gown covered by a black, satin surplice embroidered with a silver path on both sides. At the bottom of each end there was an embroidered Tree of Life beside the upward spiraling silver path crowned by Stars. Teacher"s black satin skull cap sat over straight black hair.

The Teacher detested the overly warm, ostentatious clothing, but wore them to hide his less than forty years and as important symbols for those that wavered in their faith. The mourning period for the old Teacher was over and he no longer was required to wear somber grey. His brown eyes skimmed over the enclosed papers.

When he finished, he set the papers on the desk and looked up at the older, Brother Calvin. As usual, Brother Calvin"s face was stern, slashed with thin, bloodless lips, pulled tight in constant disapproval.

“The reports say that the colony sent across the waters by Anoth thirty years ago must have been totally destroyed. The Star Shift has lowered the green veil over the waters and there is no possibility of sailing through or around the green air. No one has entered the coastal ports from there for over three weeks. It looks as if no one heeded our warnings.”

“Heretics all!” burst from Brother Calvin"s lips. “Did they not at least send a reason as to why they would not leave?”

“If they did, the letters never arrived. We must assume that all have perished with the possible exception of our uninvited guest. As you just heard, Brother John reports that our guest is awake and his fever is gone. Would you like to accompany me while I question him?”

Brother Calvin opened his eyes in wonder, surprise showing on his face. “You intend to question him yourself? I thought I"d attend to that chore.”

“You attend to enough chores. Besides, I wish to judge him for myself.” Teacher was aware that Brother Calvin, while a superb record keeper and administrator, was conscious only of the misdirections in man"s nature. He would miss any subtle signs or utterances that were necessary to confirm or deny the predictions contained in the Way Book.

In silence they walked the one-half mile distance from the Teacher"s residence and office compound to the Healing Quarter. Brother John answered the door at Brother Calvin"s knock. Once inside Brother Calvin frowned at Doctor Crossen. “Teacher will examine the man. There is no need for you to stay.”

Dr. Crossen relinquished his chair and gave a half-bow that somehow conveyed mockery with deference. The Teacher, however, nodded at the young man lying on the cot, and said, “First I have some questions for you, Doctor Crossen. How is the patient?”

“Unfortunately, the patient is not yet completely recovered and seems to have amnesia, possibly induced by the head injury or the time spent in the Green Belt. He tires easily and may drift off into a light slumber at inappropriate times.”

Teacher looked at the doctor. “Can he answer questions?”

“Of course, he can.”

“Has the fever completely gone?”

Crossen considered the question. He was sure that Brother Zack would make his own report.

“Abated would be a better choice of words,” he answered. “The infections that formed around the arrow wounds, the head injury, and the cut on his arm have mostly disappeared. Brother Zack"s herbs are more effective than I presumed they could be. The head wound is not yet healed and the fever will probably return as night falls.”

“Have you had any conversation with the patient?”

“There was very little in the way of conversation with him. It was necessary to ask certain questions about his well being since he is my patient. It was also necessary to tell him where he is to prevent him from becoming completely agitated.”

Teacher considered. “Very well, but my instructions remain the same. No one is to question him until authorized, nor give him any unnecessary information. If it happens again, you will be confined to quarters. Please wait outside until we have finished.”

He nodded at Doctor Crossen as the man left the room and turned his attention to the young man with the steady grey eyes. The eyes locked on him glinted with intelligence. No apprehension showed on the young, face covered with black stubble. If there was any recognition or awe for his office, none showed.

“I am the Teacher of the Way,” he introduced himself. “Brother Calvin, my Administrator, is beside me. Freighters found you in the wilderness close to the Daybay River, just outside the Belt Lands and they brought you here. Your wounds were considerable and we decided to heal you. At this time, we need more information to decide your fate. We need your name and your region of origin.”

The young man gave a bitter half-smile, closed his eyes, and gently moved his head back and forth in a negative motion. “I don"t know. I"ve tried and tried, but I can"t remember.”

Teacher ignored Brother Calvin"s skeptical hiss and continued. “What do you remember?”

The man opened his eyes. “Not much,” he said wearily. “I was in some kind of craft and the storm tore it apart. I tried swimming, but kept getting tossed under. It was the waves that carried me up and over the rocks. When I came to, I was wedged between some boulders on a ledge and the sea had calmed down. It, it was all wrong. Everything was green and the air was heavy and hard to breathe.”

Teacher noted the slight slurring of words. Was it a provincial speech or an impediment? He would need to question Dr. Crossen later. “What do you remember before that? Surely you recall your mother or your father.”

The face whitened. “I"ve tried.” The voice was almost desperate. “All I can remember is a woman with white hair and grey eyes and a man: a very big man. I can"t even remember the color of his eyes, but they must, they have to be my parents.”

“Why?”

Once again the grey eyes looked at him and locked on. “Because of the way they are looking at me. Whatever I"m doing, they approve. Whenever I try to remember more my head starts pounding and I want more of that broth or tea.”

“What else do you remember?” asked the Teacher.

“That green world.” The man spat the words out as if describing something totally evil.

“Very well, tell us what happened there.”

He told of the forest in halting phrases; the overwhelming green vegetation, of finding the fetid water, the animal trapping and its slimy taste, and the continued journey towards the golden glow. At the last he told of murder done and the wild ride to escape.

“I prayed,” he finished. “I don"t know if I"ve ever prayed so hard in my life.” He laid back, weariness contorting the youthful features into an eerie caricature of old age.

“You killed two Greens in the Belt Lands?” Brother Calvin"s skepticism at such drivel burst out of his mouth. It was believed that Greens rarely ventured out of the Green Belt into the Belt Lands.

The grey eyes snapped open. “If I didn"t, they have more than one life.”

Teacher shot a warning glance at Brother Calvin to be silent and turned to the young man. “You were fortunate. The closer you moved towards the Daybay River, the Star Shift was displacing their foul air with decent air. They were probably having as much difficulty breathing as you.” The young man"s eyes clouded in puzzlement again.

“Difficult as it may be, try to remember something about your life before entering the Green Belt,” prodded the Teacher. “Perhaps you can recall something from your childhood days.”

“No, I haven"t been able to remember anything but small glimpses of people. I"m not even sure if they are people I know or just dreams.”

Brother John decided to break the silence that followed. “When he was delirious, he kept calling for someone named Tony.”

Teacher nodded a thank you to Brother John and returned his attention to the patient. “Do you remember someone named Tony?”

The man rubbed his jaw, momentarily hiding the cleft in his chin, and sighed. “Yes and no,” he answered. “Tony should be a boy"s name and in the dreams Tony is a girl, no a woman.”

“Please describe her,” came the Teacher"s request.

“Why? Does that help tell you who I am?” There was eagerness in the man"s voice.

Teacher looked at him. “Perhaps not, but if you are from New Anoth it might help to verify that fact.”

The man considered and then winced as he shrugged. “She has dark, curly hair and blue, very blue eyes. The eyes are so blue they are almost violet. She doesn"t even come up to my shoulder. She"s beautiful and has a very graceful…,” he stopped speaking. “That"s all I remember about her.”

“Do you remember anything else?”

“Only the white-haired woman I told you about. She has grey eyes like mine and the same type of cleft in her chin. Then there is the big man I mentioned. He"s tall, taller and wider than anyone I"ve seen here. He can lift me clear off the ground.” The young face began to whiten under the strain. That"s all that"s clear,” he finished.

The Teacher considered. “How did you get into the Belt Lands? How did you find your way out?”

“I"ve told you what I recollect,” the words came out harsh and grating. “I"ve tried, but I can"t even remember why I was in that ship. I do know that I don"t ever want to feel that alone and lost again.” He paused and his face began to flush from the returning fever.

Teacher persisted. “You claim that you killed two Greens, yet you did not know who or what they were. How do you explain your actions knowing that you were outnumbered?”

The grey eyes locked with the dark ones of the Teacher. “They were going to kill me.” His voice was flat and toneless.

“Undoubtedly,” returned the dry tones of the Teacher. Something in the man"s voice and demeanor told the Teacher that this one would kill again if his life were threatened. Brother Calvin, he knew, was mentally rehearsing his arguments as to why this man should be confined. ”I would like for you to tell us again how you were able to come directly out of the Belt Lands and how you managed to live in there for almost three days.”

“I survived. That"s not living,” was the same flat response. “When I was on the high rocks and when I climbed up into the trees, I could see a green-gold light. Somehow I knew that had to be sunlight and if there was sunlight, there was a chance I could get out of wherever I was. There was no true sunlight there, so I headed toward hope.” He closed his eyes, weariness overwhelming him.

The Teacher saw that the young man slept. “We"ll talk again,” he said to the patient and to himself.

The high prairie"s long twilight was bringing softness to the day"s harsh light and a small breeze sent the heat waves backward into time for another day. As they stepped outside, Teacher asked Doctor Crossen, “Will you answer a few questions? Brother John can tend him if necessary.”

Doctor Crossen breathed deeply, partly from relief and partly to steady himself for the coming questions and nodded his head. He stood waiting.

“Just what transpired during your conversations with the patient?” asked Teacher.

Doctor Crossen answered without a pause. “He kept asking me to tell him who he was, where he came from, where he was, and if I knew who Tony was.”

“That is all?” asked Teacher.

“He hasn"t been awake long enough to say much else. I suspect that flower concoction from Brother Zack is more potent than most realize. However, the herbs used on the wounds, that potion, and his special willow tea seem to have done more to restore normalcy than all of my doctoring.”

The Teacher considered. “Very well, I"ll accept that for now. You will inform me if his memory returns. I am curious about the condition. Is there a cure and how common is it?”

“There is no cure except time. Folklore has it that another blow to the head would restore his memory. In his condition, it might kill him. Amnesia is a tricky thing. It is rare, but it does occur,” replied Doctor Crossen.

“In other words, it could be real, or it is just a pretense to conceal the truth.” Brother Calvin felt that his common sense perspective was needed and could contain himself no longer.

Doctor Crossen smiled. “I have no reason to doubt the man. If he was in the Belt Lands for over two days, he went a considerable time without sufficient oxygen. That could be more damaging than the injury.”

“How long until full recovery?” asked the Teacher.

“Physically, no more than another six to eight weeks. He"d still be a bit weak, but healed. Mentally, the memory could gradually return; then again, it may never return,” replied the Doctor.

“Will there be any other mental aberrations?”

Doctor Crossen considered and then answered, “Probably none once the drugs are out of his system and he accepts the fact that his memory is incomplete.”

“He seems to speak with some strange sort of accent as he tires. Would that be a speech impediment or the colloquial speech of the Colonies?”

Crossen looked at the Teacher and smiled softly. “That too could be a result of the lack of oxygen. As for it sounding like the speech of one from the Colonies, I suggest you ask one of them.”

Brother Calvin was appalled by the man"s lack of reverence. He knew Crossen hadn"t seen the official dispatches, but it was well known that the Colonies were doomed and gone. Had not the old Teacher predicted it?

The Teacher nodded a curt dismal and walked away. Brother Calvin took time to scowl his displeasure at the doctor and then scurried after the Teacher.

Bastard, thought Crossen. I"m stuck in this oven and surround by men of gross stupidity and mythical superstitions. Every one of you deserve whatever and whoever I"ve gulled into your precious Way. He sauntered slowly toward his cabin for a change of clothes while he once again went through the exercise of trying to decide which element of his current situation was worse.

Was it the inability to practice his profession on a daily basis or never to hold and caress a woman? Then again, perhaps it was being denied the opportunity to write his observations of the social and educational limitations the Way imposed upon mankind. His thoughts, though, were unfettered. Even the Teacher could not prevent his thinking. Who, wondered Crossen, is that man lying in the Healing Cabin? Is he a faithful Wayfarer or an interloper from the Greens? Great Pathways! His thoughts were beginning to sound like a Reading from the Way Book.