The Meaning Of Eternity (TMOE #1)

Chapter 6: Spittles and snuffs

It was impossible to tell if it was morning in the dim light of the old theatre. Lucius curled up under his musty blanket and shuddered. It didn't exactly keep out the cold very well. On the other hand though, he could smell something else. A more pleasant scent of something cooking, and he looked up.

"Here," Mabel said as she held out a bowl of ambiguous contents. "Breakfast."

"You sure?" Lucius asked as he heaved himself up from the floor. His back hurt, but it was still not as bad as his wound. He noticed Mabel's frown though and he realized he'd been insensitive. "It, uh, I just couldn't see what it was."

"It's a blend of many things!" Her expression brightened and she held it out again, almost spilling it on his chest. Lucius pursed his lips.

"Well, then... Many kinds of breakfast." He held up a hand to avoid potential spill before grabbing it with a trembling hand. Mabel grinned as she sat down next to him. Lucius blinked at the bowl, not willing to meet her gaze but he was pretty sure she was staring at him. "You, uh... You've already eaten?"

"Most of us have." She gestured to a young woman walking around to gather up bowls from the residents. "You've slept through the entire morning actually. Guess you were tired."

"I was," he lied. He was still tired, but he looked around the room at the various people occupied with some kind of chore. Someone was sweeping the floor, someone was trying to patch up clothes with bits of a rag and an old sewing kit, and another was making a clumsy attempt at cutting people's hair with a dull knife. Even children younger than he was were on their way out with blankets to dust them off. "But I guess I should... Do something? You know, to help out?"

"You're going with me to get some water." Samueli appeared next to him and placed a bucket with not just one bump down, lowering his voice. "It's the least rusty one we have."

Lucius nodded and stood up on wobbly knees. His legs were even heavier than yesterday. Mabel looked concerned.

"Maybe you should stay and rest. You still seem a bit... Off."

"He'll be fine." Samueli grabbed him under his arm to help him up. Lucius flinched. He wasn't quite comfortable with being touched ever since the incident, even if the intent was good. "A little exercise is good for him."

Lucius narrowed his eyes in thought as he followed Samueli out the door. He was fairly certain he'd read that in one of Seth's books. Moving around helped the blood flow so the healing process sped up, but why did Samueli know that?

"Do you—Do you know about healing?" Lucius asked, not sure how to phrase it. "Or uh, have you learned about the human body? I thought..."

Samueli smiled as Lucius trailed off. He understood what Lucius was trying to imply. Someone in a place like the Hydrina wasn't likely to have advanced knowledge like that.

"You pick up things through the years, especially here." Samueli gestured around. "We don't often get doctors to come down here, but it happens. And I try to pick up on valuable advice."

"Oh." Lucius nodded.

"And I am a follower of Phion after all," Samueli added with another smile. Lucius smiled back.

"He's a good one."

"Well of course, they're all good, aren't they?" Samueli cocked an eyebrow. "You a follower of any archon?"

"Dyris," Lucius replied and linked his fingers. "And I don't think Dinthia's a particularly good one."

Samueli scoffed.

"Dinthia doesn't count."

"Right?" Lucius smiled, comforted that his company didn't acknowledge the archon of purge.