Ralph and the Pixie

Chapter 15

Life Outside The Kingdom

‘Beyond this point there be demons . . .’

Summoned to his first Council of Healers meeting, Doc wasn’t sure what to expect. Images of early 19th century anatomy theatres vied in his mind with rows of Mediæval scholastic monks seated at scribing desks, dutifully regurgitating yesterday’s ignorance.

He was wrong on both counts. The meeting was held in an anteroom to a large apothecary whose tall wooden shelves were laden in orderly fashion with pharmaceuticals, which in turn were prepared from a formidable-looking book of pharmacopoeia. Arriving early, as was his habit, Doc leafed through the book with growing respect, admiration, and surprise. ‘Add a few books of surgical techniques, and give these people microscopes and better tools,’ he told himself, ‘and they’ll be caught up in no time.’

When the Healers began arriving, Doc was surprised not just at how few of them he recognised, but more at how few of them there were. By the time the last expected person had arrived, they were a mere twenty-three in all, including Doc.

The Elf Healer chairing the meeting, a tall, greying, ascetic-looking fellow named Vries, was brief and to the point.

‘I have called this meeting for two reasons,’ he said. ‘The first is that this may well be the last meeting of our Order in this place. The Thane has made it clear to me that, at some point in the near future, Mirrindale is to be evacuated.’ There was no response to this, as it was common knowledge. ‘This means that we, as the Healers of Mirrindale, are faced with a difficult choice; that of remaining in Mirrindale, once hostilities have begun, or abandoning Mirrindale to its fate, and leaving with successive groups of refugees.