Page 20 of House Divided
Chapter Four
Madeline opened her eyes slowly and tried to orient herself. She was in a bed, with a firm mattress. She moved her hand slightly and felt metal bars.
A hospital bed. I think.
There was a slow, steady sound of beeping and a strong antiseptic smell. The light hurt her eyes, so she kept them almost shut as she peered.
“You have returned to us,” said a kindly voice. “This one is so very glad.”
“Who…” Madeline managed, her throat raspy and dry.
“This one’s name is Felipesegundo,” offered the creature, who appeared in Madeline’s blurry vision as a small orange-colored blob. “This one is honored to call your brother ‘friend.’”
“My brother?” murmured Madeline, blinking and trying to focus. There was indeed a small, orange-furred humanoid standing at the side of her bed. His alien face was wrinkled into a tentative smile.
“Yes. Jack Marx. This one served as part of his crew, until duty called elsewhere. Now this one is delighted to help the Marx family once again. Here,” he offered, passing Madeline a paper cup. “You must drink.”
Madeline sipped at the liquid, which tasted like the purest and freshest water she had ever experienced. “Oh, that’s marvelous!” she exclaimed. “May I have some more, please?”
“Soon,” Felipesegundo promised. “Treb medicine is powerful, and a little goes a long way.”
It was true. Madeline had already started to feel more like herself. Her vision was clearing, and she felt well enough to sit up.
As she did so, her head ached, and she felt dizzy. “Oh, that’s not good,” she moaned, putting a hand to her temple.
“Please be careful, Miss Marx,” said Felipesegundo solicitously. “The venom of theflechette de feris no joke. You were very close to death. Had it not been for the Lord Peregrinus, this one fears we would have lost you.”
“The Lord…oh. Where is Enoch?” Madeline cried, turning around rapidly then holding her head. “Dammit,” she snarled in frustration.
“He is in the bed next to yours, dear lady,” replied the Treb. “He still hovers between life and death, this one is sad to say. His intake of venom, coupled with the toll of his rescue efforts, have brought him right to the door of the next world.”
“What’s going to happen to him?” asked Madeline in alarm.
“That is very much up to him,” replied Felipesegundo, shaking his head. “The Lord Peregrinus has carried many burdens. His spirit may decide that it is time for his final rest.”
“You keep calling him the Lord Peregrinus,” said Madeline, trying to focus. “That means you know who he is. Are you going to contact the authorities?”
Felipesegundo chuckled. “Forgive this one for laughing, sister of a dear friend. A Treb wouldnevercall the authorities and jeopardize the life or freedom of the Lord Peregrinus. He stood tall for Trebizond when no one else would do so. He is a hero to our people.”
Madeline frowned. “It seems there is a lot I don’t know about Enoch Immanuel.”
Felipesegundo nodded solemnly. “The Alliance told many lies about the Onin Rebellion. Perhaps the worst of them were about the Lord Peregrinus himself.”
A sense of exhaustion placed a crushing weight on Madeline’s body, and she sank back. “I’m so tired,” she murmured.
“Let our medicine do its work,” commanded Felipesegundo softly. “And spare a prayer to your gods for the man in the bed next to you.”
Madeline closed her eyes.
***
Enoch was running at a steady pace through the grasslands, but things had changed. He no longer had a pack on his back, nor was he pulling a sled behind him. The grass itself was no longer red—indeed, everything seemed to have an odd color, like the negative of a photographed image. He looked at his hand. It, too, had the odd silvery-gray color of the sky although perhaps a shade darker.
He stopped and looked around. “Am I dead?” he asked aloud.
“I don’t know,” came the reply behind him, “but I’ll follow you, wherever you go. You know I will, my lord.”
Enoch turned to see Commander Solomon Horn, his oldest and most loyal companion in war—dead ten years now.
