Chapter 28

During the next three days the servants went to and fro between the King’s encampment and Fara’s compound, bringing forgotten articles of household gear from the storage. They brought also disturbing news of the Prince’s illness. His fever had mounted dangerously and he was delirious much of the time. In the morning of the fourth day of his sickness, Voldi rode over to tell Fara that the fever was subsiding but Deran was unable to move his legs. The Queen, he said, was hysterical with grief, noisily upbraiding the physician for his failure to propose a remedy.

But there was no remedy for Deran’s disease. He had fallen victim to the dreaded epidemic that had wrought such havoc this summer. Within a week all Arabia had learned that the Crown Prince was a helpless, hopeless paralytic.

Rennah’s lamentations were so appalling that even Deran was disgusted by her emotional collapse and bitterly complained that he had enough to bear without being tortured by her outcries—and would she have the goodness to desist and let him die in peace. His surly comment was of no consolation to her. Still in need of some outlet for her distress, Rennah turned to accusations, reviling the baffled old physician, badgering the servants, and making life wretched for the King.

For relief from this tumult, Zendi rode alone for hours and leagues in weather that was becoming increasingly inclement as the chill winds of autumn began to lash the mountain trails.

One snowy morning he brought Fara’s money, six heavy pouches loaded with gold, stowed in huge saddle-bags. He handed down the precious freight to the stable-boys, but did not dismount.

Late one afternoon, he arrived home, wet to the skin, his teeth chattering, his face flushed with fever. They helped him off his horse and asked him what was the matter. He was too hoarse to make an audible reply. They put him to bed with hot bricks at his feet and plied him with the usual remedies for severe exposure. The Councillors were summoned. The physician tried everything he knew. The hours of the night dragged wearily through, and at dawn Zendi died.

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