my legs.”
“How much strain to the mind and body?” Saliman asked from the doorway.
Jubal glared at his aide, annoyed by the interruption, but Vertan had already
turned to face , Saliman and did not see.
“A fine question,” the Lizerene agreed. “To grasp the answer you must first
understand the process.” He was in his own element now, and his nervousness
melted away. “There will be two parts to the healing. The first is relatively
simple, but it will take some time. It involves drawing out the infection, the
poisons, from the wounds. The true test lies in the second phase of the healing.
There is damage here, extensive damage-and to the bones themselves. To mend bone
takes time, more time that I’d venture, m’lord Jubal wishes to invest. I would
therefore accelerate the body processes, thereby shortening the time required.
While in this state you will consume and pass food at an incredible rate-for the
body needs fuel for the healing. What would normally require days will transpire
in hours; the processes of months compacted into weeks.”
“Have you ever used this technique before?” Saliman asked.
“Oh, yes,” Vertan assured him. “m fact, you know one of my patients. It was I
who healed Balustrus. Of course, that was back in the capital before he changed
his name.”
“Balustrus,” Jubal scowled, an image of the crippled metal-master flashing in
his mind.
“I know what you’re thinking,” the Lizerene injected hastily, “but I have done
much to perfect my skills since then. I was surprised, though, that he
recommended me. At the time he was not at all pleased with the results of my