"You look spent, Eiah-kya," Utah said. "Then, to Kiyan, "What's she been
doing? Carrying stones tip the towers? And what's happened to jewelry?"
"Physicians don't wear metalwork," she said, as if he'd asked something
profoundly stupid. "Blood gets caught in the settings."
"She's been with them all day," Kiyan said.
" We had a boy come in with a crushed arm," Eiah said, her eyes closed.
"It was all bloody and the skin scraped off. It looked like something
from a butcher's stall. I could see his knuckle hones. l)orin-cha
cleaned it up and wrapped it. We'll know in a couple days whether he'll
have to have it off."
"We'll know?" Utah asked. "They're having you decide the fate of men's
elbows?"
He saw a dark glitter where his daughter's eyes cracked just slightly
open. "Dorin-cha will tell me, and then we'll both know."
"She's been quite the asset, they say," Kiyan said. ""I'he matrons keep
trying to send her away, and she keeps coming back. They tell her it's
unseemly for her to he there, but the physicians seem flattered that
she's interested."
"I like it," Eiah said, her voice slurring. "I don't want to stop. I
want to help."
"You don't have to stop," Utah said. "I'II see to it."
""I'hank you, Papa-kya," Eiah murmured.
"Off to your bed," Kivan said, gently shaking Eiah's knee. "You're
already half-dreaming."
Eiah frowned and grunted, but then came to her feet. She stumbled over
to Utah, genuine exhaustion competing with the theatrics of being tired,
and threw her arms around his neck. I ier hair smelled of the vinegar
the physicians used to wash down their slate tables. He put his arms
around her. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. His baby girl,
his daughter. Ile would see her tomorrow, and then he would march out
into the gods only knew what.
"tomorrow, he told himself, I will see her again tomorrow. This won't he
the last time. Not yet. He kissed her forehead and let her go.
Eiah tottered to her mother for another kiss, another hug, and then they
were alone. Kiyan gently plucked the papers from his hands and put them
back on the desk.
"I'm not certain that worked as a punishment," Otah said. "We're halfway
to raising a physician."
"It lets her feel she's useful," Kiyan said as she pulled him to the
couch. He sat at her side. "It's normal for her to want to feel she's in
control of something. And she isn't squeamish. I'll hand her that much."
"I hope feeling useful is enough," Otah said. "She's got her own will,
and I don't think she'd be past following it over a cliff if it led her
there."
He saw Kiyan read his deeper meaning. I hope we are all still here to
worry about it.
"We do as well by them as we can, love," she said.
"I think about Idaan," Otah said.
Kiyan took his hand.