When he strode into the House, his footfalls thudded softly. Too much emptiness to cover the noise, so he moved more carefully even though there was no one to hear. Good practice.

He glanced in the mains.p.a.ce and saw the camp chairs he didnat think would hold his weight, and the table. He searched his memory for the way to TQas HouseHeart. Nothing. Head given his permission for his recollection to be dulled, but he didnat have to like it.

Only four rooms would be minimally furnished, and when done, TQ would raise the heat and incinerate the furniture.

Garrett would have the master bedroom, the attached sitting room would be an observation room, the opposite connecting room would be full of medical supplies and a waterfall, and Artemisia would have the far bedroom.

She should have had a suite and help, but head said nothing.

Just live through the fliggering time again. All the times of the sickness, the slow, the hot, the hurt. The shudders. Worse than the three dreamquests that freed Flair, Pa.s.sages. At least with Pa.s.sages you got an acceptable payoff, an increase in magic.

The last payoff head gotten with the sickness was the girl he loved dead.

aGreetyou, GentleSir Primross,a Artemisia said. He tensed at her soft voice. Shead crept up on him when he was brooding, and that wasnat good for a man who was supposed to be offering observation and investigation services. But he was so used to blocking her from his life.

He turned, not bothering to smile. She appeared as if she hadnat slept well, either. She held herself tight, her arms close to her body. The duffle that floated on an anti-grav spell beside her looked a lot like his own. Somehow head expected larger and less practical.

Her clothes were a dull brown. Probably masked vomit, urine, s.h.i.t, and blood. His stomach pitched. As the d.a.m.n Healers had instructed, head eaten a good breakfast. Actually, head eaten the meal Lark Holly had had sent to his apartment.

Artemisia shifted her feet, cleared her throat gently. aShall we go to the bedrooms?a That surprised a crack of laughter from him and she flushed.

He swept a hand toward her. aLead on.a On the way, he breathed deeply and rolled his dread and discomfort up into a tight ball, shoving it into a crevice in his gut. The sooner this was begun, lived through, survived, and done, the sooner he could get on with his life.

TQ opened the door. aGreetyou, Artemisia. Greetyou, Garrett.a He sounded subdued.

aGreetyou, TQ,a they said in unison, entering the sitting room where the other Healers would observe him. The decontamination shields and forcefields werenat raised yet.

Artemisia went through the bedroom and into the dressing room. Drawers opened and closed as if she checked her equipment. Garrett stripped and put on loose sparring pants. They were stained, gray tinged, and raggedy, and he didnat care if they were destroyed. He had three more pairs in the same shape.

Every fliggering person who would come to look at him, and he reckoned the great TaHeather would do that at least once, were Healers and used to nudity. In general, Garrett, like the rest of his culture, wasnat bothered by nakedness. But now being nude equated with being vulnerablea"at the mercy of the Healers and the sickness. Head start out clothed and in control, at least.

He folded his clothes into his duffle, unsure if head see them again, left out the other soft pants, then set the bag beside the bed. aTQ, I like my duffle. If you can decontaminate it without destroying it, Iad appreciate it.a aSo noted,a TQ said.

Garrett sank into a luxurious permamoss bedsponge set on a cheap wooden platform. His hand rubbed the soft cotton sheet.

aI have scanned Artemisiaas pillow. It is of odd composition,a TQ whispered.

aIn what way?a aThe feathers inside are down from Earthan geese.a Garrettas brows rose. aThere arenat many Earthan geese. The SecondLevel Healer doesnat seem wealthy enough to buy down from the starship.a TQ hesitated. aThat is not what surprises me. The sh.e.l.l of the pillow is rough cotton and it has spots of different properties.a aLike what?a aMucus, a little blood, and more salt.a aSnot, nosebleed, and . . .a He could imagine her, the cool and calm Artemisia Mugwort Panax, crying into her pillow. The idea twisted his heart.

aAnd?a TQ prompted.

aTears,a Garrett said uncomfortably.

aOh, of course.a aSurely your other occupantsa"a aThey preferred permamoss or foam or gel pillows with daily cleansing spells.a aOh.a aIt is interesting that Artemisia likes feathers.a Garrett shrugged.

She came to the doorway between the bedroom and the dressing room, frowning. aItas WorkBell.a aTime for the experiment to start, then.a He stood.

aThe FirstLevel Healers arenat here.a aThen theyare late,a Garrett growled. aLetas get on with this.a

Nine.

Artemisia looked at him with large green eyes, nodded, and disappeared back into the small room. As usual, he watched her fine a.s.s.

She returned, hands at her sides and hidden behind folds of her tunic. He still knew she held a vial with a propel-spell top. She walked close to him, and he scented her on a quick inhale that fogged his mind. Her own sweata"she wasnat as calm as she seemeda"and the inherent fragrance of her, woodsy like deep green forest shadows. And an herbal smell that head never scented before teased his nose like hidden secrets.

aFocus on the mural,a she said.

He blinked. aWhat?a She gestured to the opposite wall.

His gaze went to the mural that had flickered on with her words, showing a view of the Great Labyrinthas bowl in full, green summer. The image cycled through the seasons, then the labyrinth faded to a jagged-toothed view of the Hard Rock mountain range. He flinched.

aI havenat even touched you yet,a Artemisia said.

His yearning body had noticed. aI donat like mountains.a He tensed again at the revealing words.

aI donat imagine you do,a she murmured.

The wall blanked, flickered on to a rush of waves against a rocky beach, matching his inner turbulence more than the serene scenes. Then showed a great blue river. aToo fast,a he said.

aHmm?a she asked, glancing at the observation room door. Ura Heather and Lark Holly had teleported there and raised decontamination spellshields.

But TQ had figured out what Garrett had meant and the mural halted on a scene of an ancient grove. Looking at it relaxed him. The trees were tall and old, some gnarled. Some he didnat recognize and deduced the grove had a mixture of Celtan and Earthan and hybrid trees.

Had to be a sacred place.

Maybe even the first Healing Grove established by the colonists on Celta. There were rumors it was a secret sanctuary for the desperate, a hidden garden. He didnat know where that was. Hadnat spent timea"mucha"looking for it.

He hadnat seen anything like the place and wondered how TQ got the holos. Slowly the shadows deepened from late afternoon to evening dusk.

Artemisia set the vial against his neck, said a Word, and plunged the fatal sickness into his body.

Artemisia saw Garrettas amber eyes widen, but he didnat flinch or yelp.

aIs it done?a asked FirstLevel Healer Heather from the sitting room.

aYes.a aGood job,a Lark Holly said.

Artemisia braced her hand below his elbow. aLie down now.a He sent her an irritated glance. aDoesnat work that fast.a aThis was a concentrated amount of the sickness,a she said.

aI got a dose of the original, the most virulent.a But he sat on the bedsponge. Artemisia threw the vial into a decontamination container, then moved to stack and arrange his pillows.

aHow long did it take for you to feel the effects the first time?a Lark Holly asked. Her voice hissed from being behind the Flair and tech forcefields.

Garrett scooted back. Artemisia began to lift his legs onto the bed when he frowned at her. aA few septhours.a aYou canat narrow the time period down?a asked Heather.

aI had other things on my mind. Leave the sheet at the bedsponge foot. Itas the hottest month of the year, and Iam going to be hotter still.a aI will monitor your status as well as the heat and humidity in each room and adjust the temperature accordingly,a TQ said.

Artemisia had figured Garrett would be a terrible patient. She went to the dressing room and got a fluids belt that fastened low around a patientas hips and was bespelled to draw out toxins, urine, and digested food from his body to pockets.

He grimaced and held out a demanding hand. aI know how to put it on and start the spell.a aYouare sure you donat want to take off your trous?a asked Lark Holly.

The tiny unprofessional note in her voicea"amus.e.m.e.nt?a"had Artemisia looking at her mentor. Lark winked and Artemisiaas spirits sank. The older Healer had noticed Artemisiaas attraction to Primross. Right now he was hale and virile, hard to consider a patient. It was the height of unprofessionalism to want to see his body.

His chest was wide and beautifully muscled, with no scars and spa.r.s.e dark blond hair. His skin color was the same as his face, tanned and darker than her own paleness.

aNo, I do not want to take off my trous.a He angled his chin toward a stack of raggedy garments. aI have more when these go bad.a He meant when his body soaked through them with sweat.

Artemisiaas gaze met Lark Hollyas. The threat of failure hovered over them. If Garrett Primross died, the Healers partic.i.p.ating in the project would be infamous for decades.

aHow many sheets did we order?a asked Ura Heather, as if supremely sure that nothing would go wrong.

aThree sets per day,a Lark Holly said.

Heather grumbled, aSo many, so expensive, and all to be destroyed.a Artemisia was sure the woman didnat notice any personal cost but knew to the last silver the expenditures of Primary HealingHall.

Primross slipped the belt under his trous and grunted. Artemisia knew the belt and spell didnat hurt but felt odd. With cool and steady fingers, she checked the belt. aFine.a Garrett pulled the tab of his waistband snug, then stacked his hands behind his head. His stare fixed on the wall mural showing the Great Labyrinth.

aTQ has several vizes of walking the labyrinth, one in all four seasons.a Artemisia waved. aSummer, please.a The rocky outcroppings of the labyrinth seen in early spring transformed until the bowl was covered by greenery.

aToo short,a Primross muttered.

aWhat?a aThe person who vized this path is too short,a Garrett said. His gaze cut to her. aYou?a aYes, last year,a she admitted.

aI have a viz in the autumn provided to me by Tinne Holly,a TQ said.

aCloser, but still not my height,a Garrett said. His muscles flexed. aI like the sacred grove better.a Of course head noticed the image of BalmHeal grove that Artemisia had provided the artist. aNot a place Iave seen,a Garrett said.

TQ showed the trees and the glen, the ancient pillar and small slab atop it.

aI donat know that grove,a Ura Heather grumbled.

Artemisia saw understanding in Lark Hollyas eyes, but she said, aOne of the FirstFamilies estates, perhaps.a aHah.a Heatheras brows stayed down.

TQ said, aEvery FirstFamily Residence provided me with data, including pics and holos of their estates, when I became sentient, including TaYew.a aNo oneas been on TaYewas estate in years,a Heather said.

aThe starship Nuadaas Sword gave me historical Earthan information as well as holos from its Great Greensward, both as it appeared in the past and currently.a aFascinating,a said Garrett, lounging on the pillows.

Artemisia wasnat sure if he meant that or not. She sensed head soon become impatient since he was an active man.

aWould you like stories?a she asked.

aWhat kind of stories?a She swallowed. aI could tell them, or play vizes or read to you.a He stared at her, his eyes darkening to deep gold. Ancient gold like an Earthan coin in one of her homeas display cases. aWhat would you read?a aIam rereading the Tabacin Diary. She was one of the colonists who came to Celta on the starship Lughas Spear.a He nodded. aI know that one.a His smile flashed. This was the first time shead seen it aimed at her and her insides gave a happy twinge. Tilting his head, he considered her, like he could tell his effect on her and it pleased a part of him. aNo vizes now.a His smile fell away and his shoulders moved restlessly. aThey can become part of my fever dreams.a One side of his mouth quirked ironically. aDonat need that. Why donat I do magic tricks?a He reached into his bag and drew out some coinsa"a few silver slivers and a gold piece of gilt, a couple of softleaves, and a deck of two-dimensional cards. He arranged his tools on the side of the bed.

Artemisia got a folded camp chair from the dressing room.

aBefore you start,a Lark Holly said, awead like some health readings and a blood sample.a He shrugged.

Ura Heatheras footsteps clicked as she removed herself to the end of the hall.

Lark Holly pushed through the decontamination shields and forcefields, crossed to the dressing room, and got a vial and a Flaired blood-suction tool.

Garrett narrowed his eyes. aHow often will you do this?a aEvery two septhours. We sent you info yesterday,a Lark said.

Primross frowned. aIt was sketchy.a aWe decided only SecondLevel Healer Panax will tend you physically.a Lark touched a vein in his arm, murmured a sterilization Word, pressed the blood-suction tool against it, pulled the blood into the vial, and stoppered the tube.

Garrett didnat react. aSo you being here is an exception.a aYouare not exhibiting sickness.a Lark gave him a cool smile. aI can chance it. Though, of course, I must take care of my own health.a The man hooted laughter. aI can tell youare a real coward, marrying into the Holly fighting Family and working as a FirstLevel Healer.a Lark nodded. aYes, Iam as weak and cowardly as Artemisia.a Garrettas eyelids lowered. aYou have great faith in the SecondLevel Healer.a aIf I didnat, she wouldnat be here.a Now Larkas smile was brilliant. aYouare a very important project for us, GentleSir Primross.a She paused. aYou may be the solution to this horrible sickness. And . . .a aAnd?a he asked.

aMy nephew, Laev TaHawthorn, would be very irate with me if anything happened to you,a she ended. aSo it wonat.a Garrett snorted. aLike you can promise that.a aI can promise that all of the knowledge and skill of the Healers of Celta will be focused on keeping you alive.a Artemisia sat in the camp chair and watched the exchange.

aSo the retired TaHeather himself will come tend me if necessary,a Garrett said.

aIf necessary. Youare a valuable a.s.set,a Lark said.

aI know. Why donat you go away and do observations on my d.a.m.n blood.a aNo one thinks youare d.a.m.ned,a Artemisia said.

Lark and Garrett looked at her for taking the comment seriously, but cross-folk like Artemisiaas mother believed in d.a.m.nation.

He focused his intense attention on her. aMaybe not, but I tell you Iam pretty d.a.m.ned sure that Iall be descending to the Cave of the Dark G.o.ddess and crawling back up the pitted and rock-strewn path.a Artemisia touched his hand. aYou wonat be alone.a aSure I will. Everyoneas alone in their mind.a aExcept HeartMates,a Lark said.

aDonat know about that,a Garrett said. He moved his hand from under Artemisiaas and sent the two silver slivers rolling over his knuckles, into his palm, appearing and disappearing.

Lark smiled and left through the forcefields into a portable decontamination and waterfall chamber that had been erected in the MasterSuite sitting room.

Heather wasnat taking any chances with any of the observersa health, including her own. Lark stripped and put her clothes into a deconstructor, moved to a stingy sanitizing shower.

When the waterfall stopped, TQ said in a flat tone, aHealer Holly has no microbes of the Iasc sickness. No cells of the Iasc sickness were found in the deconstructor. That liner has been sent to a n.o.ble Death Grove with such notations.a aThank you, TQ.a Lark Holly dressed and stopped by the doorway. aTake care. Artemisia, scry immediately if you need help.a Artemisia swallowed hard. Suddenly the project was all too real. She was the sole Healer on call. aOf course.a Garrett continued to roll the coins across both hands, fingers fast and steady.

aMerry meet, Artemisia and Garrett,a Lark said.

aAnd merry part,a Artemisia responded.

Garrett snorted.

aAnd merry meet again,a Lark ended.

aThat would be good,a Garrett said, not looking at her. aGive our regards to FirstLevel Healer Heather. Doubt Iall see her until Iam on the mend.a Lark dipped her head, met Artemisiaas eyes one last time, then teleported away.

Now there was only the two of them . . . and as if keeping her at a distance, Garrett ran through his sleight of hand tricks with an easy patter.

After the second septhour, his hands and voice had slowed. He met her eyes with a steady gaze.

Already she knew that look; head say something she wouldnat like.