Seeds of Discovery (21 page)

Thomas was still acting distant the next morning as they packed and got ready to ride back to Mistle Village. He certainly managed to get a lot done, though. Breakfast was ready and waiting before anyone else was even awake, and while they were eating it, Thomas finished packing and readying the horses.

Quinn had decided to take William at his word and assume that Thomas was just in an off mood. Things certainly weren’t easy for anyone right at the moment.

Nathaniel and Eli had no luck identifying any kind of plant or anything else in the Winthrop home that could have been the source of
Tallie’s
rash. They had spent the late afternoon and early evening traveling to the homes of children who had been treated for the rashes, trying to convince their parents to bring them into the clinic for a dose of the medication. They were leaving Eli with several children to observe on his own.

“You don’t think we should consider staying one more day to help him out?” Quinn had asked William that morning.

“It’s not an option, Quinn,” he had told her pointedly. “The gate will be open tomorrow evening, and Cloud Valley is too far of a ride to make sure we get there on time.”

Quinn felt like the room had suddenly started spinning. “That’s tomorrow? It’s already been ten days?”

“Nine.”

“I...don’t...wow,” she didn’t have a better response.

William smiled, “I’m sure you’ll be glad to get home.”

“Um, yeah … definitely.”

He frowned. “Aren’t you dying to get back to real showers?”

“You have real showers here. There’s a real shower in Eli’s bathroom,” she pulled on a lock of her still-damp hair. “It’s just cold.”

He chuckled. “That doesn’t bother you?”

Quinn shrugged, “I live in the mountains in Colorado, you know. We spend plenty of time camping every summer. I can’t be much less used to cold showers than you are. You’re a prince; you don’t go without all the time, either.”

“I suppose you’re right; I don’t.”

She smiled. “I didn’t think so.”

“Not missing your cell phone, either?” he teased.

She rolled her eyes.

The ride back out of the beautiful valley was quiet. They weren’t in a hurry; everyone was still bothered by the lack of any idea of where the shadeweed poisoning was coming from. There was still so much to do that the long ride felt like a reprieve from the reality of the situation.

Quinn was still reeling from the idea that she’d be going home soon. It was almost making her time here in Eirentheos feel real for the first time, as if it might actually be happening. The thought that she’d go home tomorrow night, and it would be like she had never left, never come here … everything there would be the same. It would only be Saturday night there. Her mom, Owen, and Annie would still be in Denver. She would still have the whole day Sunday, and then … what? Just go back to school on Monday?

Despite the fact that she’d talked about this a little bit with William yesterday, going back home, back to her friends and school – it just didn’t feel right. And yet, she didn’t have any other choice. She couldn’t exactly stay here.

She’d never thought about the possibility that she might not be going back to the castle at all. She hadn’t thought that she might never see Linnea again, or William’s other siblings.

Even his parents, the king and queen. She’d liked them so immediately, and they’d been so welcoming to her. How could she just go home and leave this forever?

And her life at home… Did she have homework she needed to do? She couldn’t remember. She’d been getting behind on some work before she left. There was definitely a trigonometry assignment – that thought wasn’t pleasant.  A chapter she was supposed to read for World History, maybe? Suddenly, Quinn gasped as several things clicked into place at once. “Stop!” she yelled.

All three men stopped simultaneously; it was almost funny.

“Quinn, what’s wrong?” Nathaniel turned to her in alarm.

Quinn ignored him, leading Dusk right up next to Storm, so she was level with Thomas.

Thomas raised an eyebrow at her. “Is everything okay?”

“Let me see your hands,” she demanded.

“What?”

“Show them to me.”

Reluctantly, Thomas extended his hands toward her, his palms facing up. She could tell by the expression on his face that she’d been right. His hands were covered in small, raised bumps. A blister had formed in the middle of his right palm, and been rubbed away by Storm’s reins. The edges were now a raw, angry red. Quinn cringed at the sight.

“Quinn? Thomas? What is going on?”

“Show him, Thomas.”

Nathaniel’s eyes grew wider than she’d ever seen them when Thomas held his hands out.

There was a long silence before Nathaniel spoke. “I don’t understand.”

By then, William had come close enough to see. He sat perfectly still on Skittles, wearing a shocked expression.

“How … How long have you had the rash, Thomas?” Nathaniel finally managed to ask.

“Probably since yesterday morning,” Quinn answered for him.

Nathaniel turned to her, a deep frown creasing his forehead. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t know for sure until he just showed me. Actually, I was kind of hoping I was wrong.”

Nathaniel shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

Quinn took a deep breath. “I … I think it’s the books.”

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for more.

“The History books that the kids have.
Alyia
was reading hers just before she got worse again, and Thomas was reading David’s book to
Tallie
the night before she got the rash. And he’s been acting weird and avoiding everyone ever since he woke up yesterday, around the same time I found the rash on
Tallie
. I don’t know how or why, but I think it’s the books.”

Nathaniel looked at Thomas. “Is this true?”

Thomas shrugged, “All I know is that I woke up yesterday morning at
Cammie’s
house with this rash, and then we found
Tallie
with one, too.”

The look in Nathaniel’s eyes became a glare, “Is there a reason you didn’t tell us about this yesterday? You’ve been walking around with that rash for an entire day?”

Thomas’ face and neck turned red. “I didn’t want to deal with it in Cloud Valley … I wanted to be closer to home. I thought it would be okay if I just put ointment on the rash and waited.”

Nathaniel sighed heavily. Quinn could see William rolling his eyes.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Thomas said, strain in his voice. “I knew we didn’t have time to get stuck in Cloud Valley, worrying about me.”

“What you do, Thomas,” Nathaniel answered through gritted teeth, “is you tell us things we need to know. What you do not do is put yourself at this kind of risk.”

Thomas dropped his eyes to the ground; to Quinn he suddenly looked smaller.

Without another word, Nathaniel began riding again at the front of the group. As soon as he found a spot where they could find shade and water, he led them in. They dismounted in silence. Quinn gulped at the expression on Nathaniel’s face. She would never have been able to imagine that the kind Doctor Rose was capable of that look.

“William? Take care of him please. I need some time to think.”

William nodded at his uncle, who stalked off into the trees, and began searching in Skittles’ saddlebags for his medical supplies. Quinn rushed over to help.  Thomas stared at them for a moment before he walked over and sat down near the edge of the small pond.

“So, Quinn, does all of your camping experience mean you know how to start a fire?” William asked her.

She blinked up at him in surprise. William’s tone and expression were still unusually friendly, in sharp contrast to Nathaniel and Thomas’ moods. “Uh...yeah,” she paused. “I don’t know that I could do it without a lighter, though. Why?”

“I’m going to need sterile water for that burst blister on Thomas’ hand. It doesn’t look good.”

Quinn was about to make a comment that she’d thought the water here was unpolluted before she caught herself and realized that the warm water in the little pond wouldn’t be nearly as clean as the running water in the river. “Right,” she said instead.

William tossed her a lighter, which she caught. She looked at him, perplexed. He smiled, “We take advantage where we can. Small things we can carry back and make our lives easier.”

Quinn smiled in return, and started searching the area for twigs.

Nathaniel returned to the clearing just as Quinn and William had managed to get a small fire burning. William rose and walked over to him, but Thomas still sat by the pond, staring into the water. Unsure where she fit in, Quinn remained crouched by the fire, feeding it kindling. She wiped sweat from her forehead with the short sleeve of her shirt as she listened to their conversation; the heat from the fire made the already-warm day uncomfortable.

“I’m going to have to return to Cloud Valley, William. I can’t just send Eli a message like this and leave him to deal with it all on his own.”

“We’re already more than halfway to Mistle Village. Are you sure that’s the best decision?”

“I think it’s necessary. I think we need to investigate this book that Quinn is talking about as soon as possible. But you need to take Quinn and Thomas on to Mistle Village.”

“What if Quinn is wrong? I mean, it doesn’t make any sense for shadeweed poisoning to be coming from books.”

“If Quinn is wrong,” Nathaniel said, glancing over at her, “then we need to know that, too. It doesn’t make any sense, but it never made any sense for it to be shadeweed poisoning in the first place, and Quinn was right about that.”

“But how...”

“I don’t even want to think about that yet, William. A big part of me is desperately hoping that Quinn is wrong, because I cannot – and I do not want to – imagine how poison would get into a child’s schoolbook. The other part of me wants her to be right, because then at least we know something and we can maybe start dealing with it. Either way, I need to try to find out.”

William sighed and closed his eyes for a long time. When he finally opened them, he nodded.

“All right. Will you be okay here, tending to Thomas and getting the three of you back to Mistle Village?”

“Yes, Nathaniel.”

“Quinn?” Nathaniel called, “Would you come here for a moment?”

She stood and walked over to them. “Yes?”

“I know you heard all of that. I’m not quite sure where we’d be right now if you hadn’t come here with us.”

Pink flooded her cheeks. “I don’t think I’ve really done anything.”

“You underestimate yourself, sweetheart. By quite a lot, I think.”

She swallowed hard.

“Anyway, I plan to try and make it down to Mistle Village by late morning tomorrow, but if I miss your departure, I wanted to let you know that I am truly glad you found your way here to us.”

“Um … me too,” she responded, feeling awkward.

Nathaniel smiled; his face had returned to his usual, gentle demeanor. “And I’ll see you sometime soon in Bristlecone, I hope.” He squeezed Quinn’s shoulder softly, and stared at her face for a long moment. She couldn’t entirely read the emotion in his eyes, but for a second she was sure he was going to hug her. He didn’t, though; instead, he turned away and walked back to the horses.

Quinn joined William back at the campfire, where he had retreated during her conversation with Nathaniel. He had rigged up a small, metal contraption over the fire, from which he had hung a little kettle. Steam was already beginning to rise from the spout.

“All right Thomas,” William called. “You’ve had long enough to sulk and worry. Get over here.”

Thomas came, but his attitude was still begrudging. Quinn wasn’t used to seeing him this way.

“Enough, Thomas,” William snapped. You’re the one who chose not to tell us what was going on. I know it’s not your fault that you’re sick, but it isn’t our fault, either. Did you know that you had Quinn all worried that you were mad at her?”

That got Thomas’ attention. “What?” Thomas turned to Quinn. “Why would I be mad at you?”

She shrugged.

Thomas’ expression softened; there was concern in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. That was rude of me.”

“Yeah, it was rude. So snap out of it already! What in the name of the Maker were you thinking, anyway?” William scolded.

This time, Thomas shrugged.

William let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed Thomas’ hand to examine it. He looked alarmed when he touched it; he dropped the hand and stretched out to touch Thomas’ forehead. “Crap,” he muttered, “You have a fever.”

Quinn was taken aback when Thomas nodded, “I kind of thought I might.” Her heart sank at his words; Thomas was already getting sick.

“Well, that explains some of your attitude today,” William told him, going back to work on Thomas’ hand. “Did you not realize how far past crazy this is?”