The kender was obviously upset, because he shoved the jam pot away even though it still had some jam inside. He

did put the spoon in his pocket, but that was only to be expected.

Raistlin retrieved the spoon and asked more about the dwarf's symptoms.

"It happened this morning. Flint got out of be d. and I heard him give a yell, which sometimes he does in. the

morning, but that's usually after I've gone into his room to say good morning when he wasn't exactly ready for it to be

morning yet. But I wasn't in his room at all, and he still yelled. So I went into his room to see what was the matter,

and there he was, bent double like an elf in a high wind. I thought he was looking at something on the floor, so I

went over to look at whatever he was looking at, but then I found out he wasn't, or if he was he wasn't meaning to.

He was looking at the floor because he couldn't do anything else.

" 'I'm stuck this way, you miserable kender!' That's what he

said. I was miserable for him, so that was pretty accurate. I asked him what happened.

" 'I bent down to lace my boots and my back gave out.' I said I'd help him straighten up, but he threatened to hit

me with the poker if I came near him, so-while it might have been interesting, being hit with a poker, something

that's never happened to me before-I decided that hitting me wasn't going to help Flint much, so I better come to you

andsee if you could suggest anything."

Tasslehoff regarded Raistlin with anxious expectancy. The young man had put his books down and was searching

among jars containing unguents and potions that he'd concocted from his herb garden.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Tas asked.

"Has he been troubled with back pain before?"

"Oh, yes," said Tas cheerfully. "He said that his back has

been hurting him ever since Caramon tried to drown him in the

boat. His back and his left leg."

"I see. That's what I thought. It sounds to me as if Flint is suffering from a defluxion of rheum," Raistlin replied.

"A defluxion of rheum," Tas repeated the words slowly, savoring them. He was awed. "How wonderful! Is it

catching?" he asked hopefully.

"No, it is not catching. It is an inflammation of the joints. It can also be known as lumbago. Although," Raistlin

said, frowning, "the pain in the left leg might mean something more serious. I was going to send some oil of

wintergreen home with you to rub into the afflicted area, but now I think I had better come take a look myself."

a r

"Flint, you have an influx of runes!" Tasslehoff cried excitedly, racing through the door, which he had neglected to

shut on his way out and which the dwarf, in his misery, could not manage to reach.

Flint had scarcely moved from the place where the kender had left him. He was bent almost double, his beard

brushing the floor. Any attempt to straighten brought beads of sweat to his forehead and gasps of agony to his lips.

His boots remained unlaced. He stood hunched over, alternately swearing and groaning.

"Runes?" the dwarf yelle d. "What has this got to do with runes?"

"Rheum," Raistlin clarified. "An inflammation of the joints caused by prolonged exposure to cold or

dampness."

"I knew it! That damn boat!" Flint said with bitter triumph. "I say it again: I'll never set foot in one of those

foul contraptions again so long as I live, I swear it, Reorx." He would have stamped his foot upon the vow, this

being considered proper among dwarves, but the movement caused him to cry out in pain and clutch the back of

his left leg.

"I've got my wares to sell this summer. How am I supposed to travel like this?" he demanded irritably.

"You're not traveling," said Raistlin. "You are going back to bed, and you're going to stay there until the

muscles relax. You're all knotted up. This oil will ease the pain. I'll need your help, Tas. Lift his shirt."

"No! Stay away from me! Don't touch me!" "We're only trying to help you to-"

"What's that smell? Oil of what? Pine tree! You're not going to feed me any tree juice!"

"I'm going to rub it on you."

"I won't have it, I tell you! Ouch! Ouch! Get away! I have the poker!"

"Tas, go fetch Tanis," Raistlin ordered, seeing that his patient was going to be difficult.

Although he was extremely sorry to leave in the midst of such excitement, the kender ran off to deliver his