Chapter 2. A Matter of Importance April the 29th, early in the day

Very early the following morning, the Thain’s chancellor felt his way along to the study. Reaching the study door, hearing no greeting from an escort stationed by the door, he spoke to the air, ‘Anybody here?’ Receiving no answer, he allowed himself to sag against the doorjamb, taking out his handkerchief to wipe his forehead. Putting his handkerchief away, he straightened, turned the knob, and went in.

From the doorway across the corridor, Tolibold Took let out a long-held breath. It seemed somehow like lying, to have stood by and said nothing to Ferdibrand, but he had his orders from the Thain.

Since the lack of a guard meant the Thain was not yet at his desk, Ferdi, on reaching his own desk, slumped into his chair and buried his head in his hands with a sigh. He felt better with his eyes closed and his hands over them, shutting out the stabbing flashes of light that assailed him almost constantly these days, though he remained as blind as ever.

He jerked upright, hearing Pippin say quietly, ‘Is it that bad, Ferdi?’

‘I beg your pardon, I didn’t hear you come in,’ he answered, taking a deep breath and schooling his expression: calm, cool, collected, just the slightest hint of surprise.

‘I was here already; I saw you come in, Ferdi, I saw what you hide from us when you know we are about.’

‘I am well,’ Ferdi said, trying for a pleasant tone, though annoyance threatened to spill over... or was it desperation?

‘I know how you feel about healers, cousin, but I have held my peace long enough,’ Pippin said implacably. ‘You are going to see a healer this day.’

‘I do not see,’ Ferdi said stubbornly.

‘Very well, then, a healer is going to see you,’ the Thain said firmly. Ferdi heard him get up from his chair and walk over; still he stiffened when Pippin touched his arm.

‘There’s no reason...’ he protested, and repeated, ‘I am well.’ He pulled away from Pippin’s hand, adding, ‘I do not want you to worry my Nell over naught.’

‘Too late, my sister is already worried,’ Pippin said.

‘You talked to her?’ Ferdi said in dismay.

‘She talked to me,’ Pippin answered. ‘You are not well, Ferdi, and we are not so blind as you seem to think us. Come, Ferdi,’ he added.

‘Do not turn me out to pasture,’ Ferdi said.

‘You wish to drop in the traces?’ Pippin asked softly. ‘It might not come to that. Let us see what Healer Mardibold has to say.’

Pippin was watching his cousin closely; he knew he’d won this skirmish, at least, when Ferdi’s shoulders slumped and he put a hand over his eyes again.

‘Very well, cousin,’ Ferdi said. ‘I’ll see him after teatime.’

Pippin chuckled grimly. ‘As a matter of fact, he’s waiting for you in your quarters even now.’

‘But what of all the business of the day...?’ Ferdi protested.

‘You are at the top of the list, Ferdi,’ Pippin said. He put a hand under Ferdi’s elbow, and the chancellor tensed, then nodded. There was no escape, it seemed. He allowed Pippin to help him up from the chair.

‘Do you want to take my arm?’ Pippin asked. He was surprised and alarmed when Ferdi acquiesced, allowing himself to be led to the study door. As they exited the study, the Thain jerked his chin to the escort still waiting across the corridor, and Tolly nodded. He moved to station himself by the door to the Thain’s study as soon as the Thain had led Ferdibrand away.

***

Pimpernel leaned against Pippin as they waited for Mardi to complete his examination. It still gave her a turn after all these years to find her little brother a head taller than herself, but now she welcomed the comfort of his strong arm, the sturdy chest that she could rest her head on. The smile she affected for the children was gone and tears took its place.

‘O Pip, I’m so frightened,’ she whispered. ‘Am I losing him?’ His arm tightened about her and she looked up to see his own face grim, before he noticed her gaze and pasted on a smile.

‘Mardi is sharp of eye and mind,’ he said reassuringly. ‘He’ll get to the bottom of this.’

‘He’s not eating,’ she said, repeating the worries she’d shared the previous evening, having stepped out on some excuse while Ferdi was telling the children their nightly story. ‘And what he does eat, he doesn’t keep down.’ She drew a shuddering breath. ‘I don’t think he’s sleeping, Pip.’

‘When your head aches badly, you don’t feel like eating,’ Pippin said, ‘and sleep might be difficult as well. Let us see what Mardi has to say before we give Ferdi up, shall we?’

The door opened suddenly, and Mardi was gesturing them to come in. Ferdibrand lay stiffly on the bed, one arm across his eyes. Pimpernel crossed to the bed to take her husband’s other hand, saying, ‘I’m here, my love,’ and when he felt her touch, he visibly forced himself to relax, pulling his arm down.

‘Ah, Nell, my own’ he said, opening his eyes with an effort and turning them towards the sound of Pimpernel’s voice. ‘I thought you’d be out with the children.’

‘Ferdi, my love,’ she said, trying for a casual tone, but he could hear the tears in her voice.

‘I am well,’ he said reassuringly. ‘It is all a lot of bother over nothing.’

‘Of course,’ Pimpernel said bravely as Mardibold nodded to her.

‘I’ll be back shortly,’ the healer said, ‘you sit on him a bit, Nell, until I get back.’

‘I don’t need a draught,’ Ferdi said as Pimpernel sat on the bed beside him and began to stroke the hair back from his forehead.

‘Of course you don’t,’ Mardi replied pleasantly, ‘but if I never gave anybody any draughts, pretty soon nobody would believe I’m a healer now, would they?’

‘You make about as much sense as Pippin does most of the time,’ Ferdi grumbled.

‘Thank you, cousin,’ Pippin said. ‘It is good to know I have your confidence.’ To his sister, he said, ‘I’ll go off with Mardi, make sure he doesn’t get lost on his way back.’

‘Hah,’ Ferdi said, then gasped as the pain assailed him with fresh vigour.

‘It is all right, my love,’ Pimpernel soothed, stroking his forehead with her fingers. ‘Just close your eyes. Do you want me to sing you a song?’ Pippin nodded to his sister as he and the healer eased themselves out of the room.

‘What is it?’ he asked Mardi after the door closed behind them and they were well down the corridor. ‘What’s happening to Ferdibrand?’

To his surprise, the healer shook his head. ‘I do not know,’ Mardi admitted. ‘I’ve never seen the like. I suspect it’s something to do with his eyes, but I cannot get a good look at them. Every time I bring a lamp close, it causes him such pain I can proceed no further.’

‘Light pains him?’ Pippin asked. ‘Is he seeing anything?’

‘He says not,’ Mardi answered. ‘Bright flashes of light, accompanied by stabbing pain. I do not know if the trouble is with his eyes, or inside his head.’ He was silent for a few strides, then said, ‘I wish Woodruff were still with us. She had more knowledge of healing in her little finger than most healers do in their entire being.’ He met the Thain’s gaze soberly. ‘We may lose him, Thain. He’s not kept any food down for nearly a week now, by his own confession. The nausea resulting from the head pain keeps him from taking anything more than a little water or tea.’ He shook his head. ‘If somewhat’s gone wrong inside his head, there’s naught much to be done.’

‘And the draught?’ Pippin asked as they entered the infirmary.

‘It’s a sleeping draught. I hope it will give him some relief if he can manage to get it down and keep it down, perhaps even allow him to sleep. He might be able to fight the pain were he stronger.’

Pippin watched him measure a mixture of herbs and powders into the cup and add the boiling water. Mardi stirred then covered the cup. ‘Let’s get this into him,’ he said. ‘It’ll be ready by the time we get back to him.’

Pippin was more worried, were it possible, to find all the fight gone out of Ferdi; he drank the sleeping draught without a hint of protest and lay back on the bed with a sigh. The Thain looked to the healer.

 'Well now, that's fine,' Mardi said cheerily. 'You ought to feel some relief soon now, Ferdibrand. The head pain ought to ease as sleep steals over you.'

 'I should hope so,' Ferdi muttered.

Pimpernel resumed her soothing strokes to the forehead. Ferdi sighed and she felt the tension slowly leave him.

 ‘Is that better, my love?’ Pimpernel whispered.

 ‘My Nell, my own,’ Ferdi murmured. ‘Ah, but to see your lovely face, just once more. I love you more than...’ his voice trailed off; he took a slow, deep breath, and another, and his breathing became deep and even.

 ‘Ferdi?’ she whispered, her heart contracting with fear for him.

 ‘It’s just the draught,’ Mardi said, squeezing her shoulder gently. ‘It makes him feel as if he’s being pulled away. He’ll come back to you again when he wakens.’

Pimpernel found this hopeful, for Mardi had been a healer longer than she’d been in the world. She would not have felt so comforted had she seen the glance that passed between healer and Thain behind her.

‘Where are the children?’ Pippin asked sotto voce.

‘With Rosamunda,’ Pimpernel answered. The steward’s children got on well with the chancellor’s, and Regi’s Rosamunda was one of those rare souls who could take on half a hundred children without mussing her hair or raising her voice. ‘I do believe your own little ones are with her as well. She and Diamond will be taking the whole flock on a picnic for elevenses.’

‘That’s right,’ Mardi said, ‘Rosa did mention something to that effect at breakfast this morning.’ When he’d reached his ninetieth year, he’d moved into the Great Smials with his daughter and her family and given his house in Tuckborough to his eldest son. He enjoyed his old garden more than ever now that he did not have the responsibility for its upkeep. The old healer got along well with his son-in-love Reginard, finding life in the Great Smials not nearly so obtrusive as he’d thought it would be. Both he and the other Tooks living in the Great Smials benefited from this arrangement: he was well cared for by his daughter, and for nearly ten years he had been ‘on the spot’ whenever a healer was needed.

‘Why don’t you go along?’ Mardi said suddenly, giving Pimpernel a keen glance. ‘Something tells me you haven’t been resting all that well, yourself. Lying awake, listening to your husband not-sleeping, I suspect.’

‘I...’ Pimpernel began.

‘Go on,’ Mardi insisted, and Pippin nodded. ‘I’ll keep watch with him,’ the old healer added, ‘and if I’m called away, I’ll have someone else watch. He should sleep until teatime.’

Pimpernel opened her mouth to protest, only to be interrupted by her brother.

‘Go,’ Pippin said. ‘You could use the sunshine and the rest.’ He was thinking that she needed to be strong, to be there for the children, just in case...

As if she caught the thought, she nodded, giving her sleeping husband’s hand a last squeeze. ‘Very well,’ she said, ‘but you will not pry me from his side so easily after I return from the picnic.’

‘I believe you,’ Pippin said with a smile. His own Diamond was the same way.