“Epiny? Epiny, please be there, please hear me. I have only a short time, and the warning I have for you is dire.”
“Nevare?” Her voice was faint, yet thick as syrup. She did not sleep and dream, but neither did she feel awake to me. I saw nothing from her eyes, sensed little of her surroundings. She was warm. That was all I could tell.
“Epiny. Are you all right? Are you ill?”
“Nevare. I’m sorry. I couldn’t name the baby after you. She’s a girl. A girl can’t be Nevare.”
“No. Of course not. Is she well? Are you well?” The baby was not what I wished to speak about, but I hoped that as Epiny spoke of her, my sense of Epiny would come clearer. It didn’t work as well as I had hoped. I felt a tiny warm body under Epiny’s hand. The baby was bundled close to her.
“She’s so sweet. And quiet. She doesn’t cry much. We named her Solina. Do you think that’s a pretty name?”
“Solina is a lovely name. Epiny. I know you are tired, but listen to me. Great danger is coming. The Specks are massing for an attack. Late tomorrow night, they will descend on the fort, with fire and arrows. They hope to destroy the fort and the town with fire, but also to kill as many people as they can. You must warn everyone to be on their guard.”
“I have so much to tell you,” she replied dreamily. “It’s lovely to know that you are still alive. Lovely. We wondered how you were doing. Oh, I had that one dream of you, of course, but that was months ago. When the fear stopped, that was so nice. I wondered, did Nevare do that? Then I wondered if it meant you were dead.” She took a deep breath and sighed it out again. Thick tendrils of mist seemed to rise with her sigh. The warmth and comfort of where she was billowed around us and threatened to engulf me. I resisted it with difficulty.
“Epiny, what’s wrong with you? Did you hear anything I told you? An attack is coming and you must warn everyone.” She made no response and I spoke more sharply. “Epiny! What ails you?”
“Laudanum.” She sighed. “Nevare, I know it’s not good for me. But it’s lovely. For a while, the fear went away. And the sadness. It was like waking from a dream. I got up one morning and wondered, why have I let this house be such a dreary space? And I started scrubbing and dusting, and then I was humming at my work. And Amzil came in. She said I was making my nest. Such a lovely notion. And she helped me clean and make my room brighter and prepare a place for the baby.”
“I’m glad she was there. I’m glad the baby is fine. Epiny, the attack will come like this. The Specks will slip into Gettys Town very late at night. Some will stay in the town, to fire buildings there. Others will disable the sentries and come into the fort. They are targeting key structures to burn, the warehouses, the barracks, the mess hall, the headquarters, and especially the prison for the workers. But they plan to burn as many homes as they can, also. You will be in danger, you and your baby. And Amzil and the children and Spink. After the first attack, things will die down. The Specks will seem to retreat. But it’s a trick. They’ll wait until everyone is out and fighting the fires, and then they’ll come back.”
“I can’t worry. That’s the beauty of it, Nevare. I know I should worry, but I just can’t. It feels nice not to worry, Nevare. So nice.” She made a tiny effort, curling her fingers to tug her blankets closer. “Nevare. In autumn, when the fear stopped and I thought you were dead, I sent your book to my father. To put with your father’s books. I tied a string around it and added a note, to say it should not be opened for fifty years. To protect everyone you wrote about.”
“What?” I was horrified. Then, with an immense effort, I pushed my own concern aside. I tried to speak gently but firmly to her. “Epiny, you need to wake up now. You need to warn Spink and the rest of the household. You need to pack whatever you might need in case you must flee. Have you warm clothes and food you can take?”
She sighed and shifted in her dreamless state. “Amzil’s little one is sick. She mustn’t go outside. I hope the baby doesn’t catch it. She’s such a good baby, such a good little sleeper.”
“Epiny.” I spoke more slowly now, trying not to despair. “Is Spink nearby?”
“He’s sleeping in the other room. He made a bed there, so I could have Solina here by me. He’s so thoughtful.” I felt her smile. “We had post. Such good fortune, to have a delivery come through in the winter. Good news from Spink’s people. The water cure. That doctor, that one from the Academy? He believed my letter and he went himself to Bitter Springs to take some of the water back to Old Thares. He stopped one outbreak of plague with some of it. And made some of the cadets at the Academy better, just like the water made Spink better. So. Now everyone is going to Bitter Springs to bathe and take the cure, and other people are buying water to take home with them. It has made their fortune, Nevare. Spink and I are so happy for them.”