Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue (7 page)

“When did this happen?” Petolemew asked.

“Earlier today… this afternoon.”

Petolemew finished removing the bandage about Dalton’s neck, revealing the punctures made by the lizard. Petolemew brought his hand to his mouth and shook his head.

“What is it, dear?” Eunice asked.

“I’m not certain, but this looks very bad.” Petolemew looked up at Carliss with grave concern on his face. “I’m not sure there’s much I can do. Perhaps if I had the lizard I could—”

“I do have it!” Carliss exclaimed. She jumped up and ran out the door. Salina followed her to Rindy. She put a hand on Carliss’s shoulder as Carliss untied the sack holding the dead lizard.

“Carliss…I know you care a lot for Dalton.”

Carliss paused and turned to look at her friend.

“What are you trying to say, Salina?”

“I just… well… Dalton’s not looking good, and I can’t imagine that this old codger could possibly do anything for him. I think we might be wasting time here. Salisburg—”

“I wish we were in Salisburg too, Salina. But I honestly don’t think Dalton would survive the trip to Salisburg in his condition. Besides, we’re here. Let’s see what Mister Petolemew can do.” Not waiting for a reply, she lugged the bag back into the hut.

When she entered, Petolemew was sitting at the table drinking from a cup, and Eunice was standing beside him. He looked up at Carliss. “Eunice, we have guests. Why didn’t you tell me we had guests tonight?”

Carliss stood in the doorway, not quite sure what was happening. She looked at Ganoaf, who had found a broom and was sweeping the hut. Salina stepped up behind Carliss.

“What’s going on?” she whispered.

Carliss just slowly shook her head in confusion.

“Now, Petolemew,” Eunice said as she patted his shoulder. “You’ve already met Carliss and Salina. They’ve come for your help.”

Petolemew stood and came to them with a broad smile. “I am pleased to meet you. My name is Petolemew.” He turned to Eunice. “I’m certain I would have remembered meeting such lovely young ladies as these.”

Eunice came and stood beside Petolemew. “I should have mentioned to you that he has some trouble remembering things.”

“Nonsense, Eunice.” Petolemew leaned forward to Carliss. “She’s older than me and just a wee bit jealous,” he said with a wink.

Carliss stood dumbfounded. All hope of finding help for Dalton vanished in an instant. She fought back anger and frustration, having absolutely no idea what to do next.

Eunice grabbed Petolemew’s arm. “Come, dear. Carliss has a friend who needs help.”

“Really? Where is he?”

“He’s right over here.” Eunice led Petolemew to the cot again.

“Gracious, she got him in here in a hurry.” Petolemew knelt down to look at Dalton.

Eunice waved for Carliss to come, but she wanted to do something entirely uncharacteristic instead—scream. Eunice waved more vigorously, and Carliss went to Dalton.

“Keep him focused, and he will stay with you,” Eunice whispered to Carliss.

Petolemew looked at Dalton with serious concern.

“What happened to him?” he asked as he bent over to look more closely.

Carliss sighed. “He was bitten by a strange lizard.”

“When did this happen?” Petolemew asked.

Carliss hesitated. “Today…this afternoon.”

Petolemew closely inspected the red, inflamed punctures on Dalton’s neck again. “This is very serious. If I knew what kind of lizard it was, perhaps we could find an antidote.”

Carliss opened the gunnysack and lifted the dead lizard out by its tail.

“Oh my!” Petolemew exclaimed. He grabbed the lizard from Carliss and inspected it closely. “I have never seen anything like this in all my studies. This is the lizard that bit your friend?” he asked Carliss without looking up.

“No,” she replied. “But it is exactly the same kind.”

“There were two?” This time he looked over at her.

Carliss had to remind herself that she was talking to a forgetful old man, for at the present he seemed quite in control of his faculties.

“Yes, there were two. Perhaps more, but I only saw two. We were on a farm just a short distance from Pembrook.”

Petolemew went back to inspecting the lizard. “This is highly unusual, and I can tell you that this lizard is not indigenous to this region. Was it cornered? Is that why it bit your friend?”

“No. It attacked both him and me in a barn, unprovoked. It was almost as if it were stalking us.”

“You don’t say?” Petolemew opened the jaws of the lizard, being careful not to touch its teeth, then closely inspected the antennae with the poisonous barbs. He looked at Dalton’s neck once again.

Dalton moaned and turned his head from side to side. Carliss knelt down beside him and felt his forehead yet again. Then she noticed he had begun to tremble. She looked at Petolemew, and he pursed his lips together.

“Eunice, get some cool water.”

Daltons arms and legs began to shake, and soon the tremors seemed to take over his entire body. Eunice returned with the water, and Petolemew drenched a cloth in it.

“Here, swab his head with this to cool him down,” he said.

Carliss took to the task immediately. She became sick with concern as she watched the poison ravage Dalton’s body.

“Did you notice anything else about the lizard?” Petolemew asked.

Carliss described the remarkable camouflaging capabilities the lizard possessed. Petolemew scratched his head in wonderment.

“I’m certain I won’t find anything like this creature in my ordinary books or scrolls.” Petolemew tapped his temple as he thought. “I wouldn’t believe it if it weren’t in my hand. There’s perhaps one place I could find something on this…

Petolemew rose up and began walking toward the back door of the hut. Carliss swabbed Dalton’s forehead again.

Eunice nodded toward Petolemew as he walked away from them, and Carliss instantly realized what she must do. She leapt to her feet, threw the cloth to Salina, then followed Petolemew to the door.

Is he going outside?
she wondered.
How crazy is this old man?

Petolemew opened the door, and Carliss followed closely behind him. They entered into another very large room that was part of an addition attached to the hut. They hadn’t seen it from the outside. The thick
overgrowth of trees and the diminished light in the forest must have hidden it.

The room was full of tables with jars, plants, roots, and various powders in neat piles, plus a myriad of odd-looking instruments and tools. Along the far wall were shelves holding thousands of neatly organized books and scrolls. Each shelf was meticulously labeled. In the center of the room was a large table with two scrolls spread out as though they were being carefully studied.

Petolemew walked toward the table and stopped. He tilted his head to the side.

“Do you remember what you’re looking for?” Carliss asked.

Petolemew jerked his head around.

“Who are you,” he demanded, “and how did you get into my study?”

Carliss closed her eyes and dropped her head.

“Oh, it’s all right. Don’t be sad, young lady,” Petolemew said gently. “Whatever you’re looking for, I’ll help you.”

Carliss looked back up at Petolemew and could hardly speak.

“Don’t you remember, sir?” she pleaded. “You were looking for information on the lizard.” Carliss pointed to the lizard Petolemew was still holding in his hands.

Petolemew looked down, yelled, and simultaneously threw the lizard away from him.

“Good gracious!” he exclaimed. “What is that thing?”

Carliss went to the table, sat down, and put her head in her hands. She was not the crying type, but this was almost too much. Salina’s family had been captured and was being taken to a castle dungeon. Dalton was dying. And she was at the whim of an old man who couldn’t remember who she was from moment to moment.

“I believe I’ve seen a creature like this before,” Petolemew said.

Carliss looked up to see that he had recovered the lizard and laid it on the table across from her.

“Yes, just a few moments ago,” Carliss said almost sarcastically.

“Nonsense, young lady,” he replied loftily. “Don’t be ridiculous. No, I’ve seen a picture of this lizard in one of my mythical books.”

Petolemew crossed over to the shelves with the scrolls and books.

“I don’t usually waste time studying mythical writings.” Petolemew let out a wheezy laugh. “But since the lizard is lying there, it’s certainly not mythical anymore, is it?”

He pulled a dusty scroll from the bottom of a pile, examined it, and then put it back. After three more tries, he went to the books on the same shelf and then turned, his countenance gleeful.

“This might help us,” he exclaimed as he held the book up high. He brought it to the table and opened it carefully. “I’ve been collecting ancient writings since I was a boy. These are great treasures of antiquity, young lady.”

Petolemew turned to a section of the book near the middle and then turned each page until he came to one with a drawing of a lizard next to a strange-looking flower. Carliss came and looked on beside him.

“There!” Petolemew pointed to the book. He reached for the lizard and laid it out exactly as the picture showed. It was a perfect match. “I would never have believed it if it weren’t lying there on my table.” Petolemew shook his head back and forth. “What we have here, apparently, is an esca lizard. Or dragon, as the old books would call it.”

Carliss tried to read the description, but the words were unfamiliar to her. Petolemew placed his forefinger beneath the first few words and began to translate out loud.

“Behold the marsh-dwelling esca dragon, which bears vile poison for the mind. In the wink of an eye it strikes, in the wink of an eye it is gone, and readily it takes the form of that on which it lights. None can capture it. None have killed it. It lurks in shadows and hides from the day. Pity the man who feels its bite or knows its sting, for that man will lose his senses and quiver as a leaf in a storm. Yet fear not the quaking, but rather its end, for the last of his dreams brings death. Nine days will bring visions of delight, but the tenth will be a horrible sight, for on that day the man will of surety die. The swamp lily beneath the morning star will preserve his life, but this remedy grows hard by the dragon’s nest. Though some have tried, all have died. Only one who seeks the light and overcomes will be victorious through the night. Beware the swamps of Moorue and Basillow!”

Carliss felt her heart sink as Petolemew finished. She stared at the
limp form of the esca lizard and despaired. The old alchemist seemed to feel her grief and patted her hand gently.

“Don’t worry, my dear. I’m sure no one here was bitten by this hideous creature.”

Carliss looked sadly at Petolemew.

“I’m sure you’re right,” she said. She tried to smile but couldn’t.

DAY ONE

Carliss sat down in the chair next to Dalton and resumed her duty of swabbing his forehead and face with cool water. His entire body was trembling uncontrollably.

Salina was pacing back and forth. “What do we do now?” she said, finally taking a seat next to Carliss.