“She’s finally sleeping. Shetook Erling’s death hard. It brought to the surface memories fromher past. She must have lost someone else she was very close to.”
“Her family was killed right infront of her seven years ago.”
Leyran nodded. “I gathered thatfrom what she said.”
“How is Koriann?”
“Embrosa is with her. I’ll gocheck on her now that you’re back. I stayed with Toemeka in caseshe awakened. I didn’t think it would be good for her to be aloneright now. I’m glad you’re here; she refused to eat anything andwas worried you’d be killed. She must be exhausted from being upall night and fell asleep just a short time ago. I didn’t give hera sedative since she’s pregnant.”
“Thank you for looking afterher,” Michio said, grateful Leyran had stayed with Toemeka.
Leyran left and Michio returnedto the sleeping area and lay down on the bed next to Toemeka. Hercheeks were tear-stained. He wanted to talk to her and hold her inhis arms, but knew she needed sleep. He closed his eyes and tried torelax; he’d been awake more than forty hours.
He was drifting off when Toemekamoaned, “No, no, don’t die, Baymond, Dad.”
“Wake up, sweetheart. You’rehaving a nightmare.”
She opened her unseeing eyes.“Mother! Don’t hurt her!” she sobbed.
“Toemeka, it’s me, Michio.”
“Michio?” She looked at himin confusion. Her confusion faded and she put her arms around him.“Michio, thank God, you’re here. Hold me—Erling’s dead.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I knowyou two were close.”
Toemeka’s eyes welled up withtears and she began to cry in his arms. Michio felt a lump in histhroat, his emotional control dissolving now that he was free toexpress his feelings. He would miss Erling’s friendship.
Toemeka continued to sob, herwhole body shaking. The depth of her pain wrenched his heart. Afterawhile he was afraid she would make herself ill from being sodistraught.
“Don’t weep so,” he saidgently. “Erling’s in the Inner Worlds, in a place filled withlight and happiness. I took Koriann to see him.”
“I . . . I miss him,” Toemekasaid, sniffing back her tears. “He’s been my best friend since myfamily was killed. Poor Koriann, she loved him so deeply. Why did hehave to die?”
Her face was blotchy and swollenfrom crying, but to him her compassion made her more beautiful. Hehanded her some tissues from the box on the nightstand and she blewher nose, then lay in his arms. They were silent for a long time,just holding each other. He didn’t have adequate words to expresswhat he felt or to give her comfort.
Finally, he said, “I should gosee Koriann. Do you want to come?”
“Yes, I don’t want to beseparated from you.”
When they entered the royalbedchamber, Michio was surprised to see Erling’s body hadn’t beenremoved. He still lay on the bed with his head uncovered. Toemekastarted shaking and Michio put his arm around her, afraid she mightcollapse.
Embrosa, Dr. Leyran and Dr.Tenzing were trying to convince Koriann to let them remove the body.Hendora stood by the window, staring at the ocean.
“Dr. Tenzing is right,Koriann,” Embrosa said. “You are Queen. You have your country tothink of. War rages and you’re here with a clay shell that Soul hasleft. You know Erling will always be with you in your heart and inyour thoughts and memories of him. The body should be cremated andthe memorial service should be planned.”
Koriann looked at Erling. “He’snot hard and rigid. He looks like he’s still alive and his body’sstill warm. How can I cremate him?”
“Perhaps there’s something inthe poison that delays rigor mortis and preserves the body; arsenicdoes that,” Dr. Tenzing said. “But the body must be cremated.We’ve allowed you to sit with him long enough. Death has to beaccepted and the living must go on living.”
Michio released Toemeka andcrossed over to the bed, thoughtfully looking at Erling. He detecteda dim light around Erling and faintly felt his life energy. “Hendora,were you able to get the antidote?” he asked.
Hendora turned to him, her facedrawn. “Yes, but I was too late.”
“Give it to me.”
She took the vial from her pocketand handed it to Michio. “It has to be injected into his muscle.But it should be tested first. I got it from Seetva who can’t betrusted.”
“Seetva!” Michio exclaimed.“The witch!”
“You know her?”
“Yes, we know her,” Koriannsaid. “Erling and I fought her once. She’s a powerful sorceress.”
Michio held the vial up to thelight. He could feel its life-giving energy—it probably was theantidote. Testing could take hours. His gut instinct told him to usethe antidote immediately. If Erling wasn’t dead, but merely in acoma, the antidote should be used before he detached completely fromhis physical body. He turned to Dr. Tenzing. “Inject the antidote.”
“But he’s dead!” the doctorexclaimed. “He’s been dead for hours. Don’t raise false hopes.”
“Inject it.”
“I’ll do it,” Dr. Leyransaid. He put the antidote into a syringe and injected it into themuscle of Erling’s upper arm. Everyone stood in tense silence asminutes dragged by. There was no response.
Koriann broke down weeping onErling’s chest. Michio held Toemeka against him, closing his eyes.He felt sure he’d sensed a faint life force in Erling, but even ifhe had, it may have been too late to bring Erling back or perhaps thevial didn’t contain an antidote. Had he just needlessly reopenedKoriann’s grief?
Suddenly, Koriann stopped cryingand looked up. “I can hear his heart beating.”
Dr. Leyran pressed his indexfinger against Erling’s wrist. “He’s alive. His pulse rate isbecoming more regular and color is returning to his face.”
Erling’s eyelashes fluttered,then he opened his eyes and looked at Koriann. “I’ve come back toyou, Kori,” he whispered. Koriann leaned over the bed and huggedhim with tears streaming down her face.
Everyone else in the room startedlaughing, crying and hugging each other. Then they all gatheredaround the bed until Dr. Tenzing sent everyone but Koriann out of thebedchamber, telling them to give Erling a chance to recover.
22
Captured
Onolyn wrinkled her nose as thesmell of moldy basement and animal excretions assaulted her nostrils.Curled into a ball and shivering, her temple still ached where Zachit her. When she started to stretch her legs, her shin bangedagainst something hard. She opened her
