She found the hut with little difficulty, but no one answered when she banged on the door. She banged louder to no avail, then looked around for signs of life. Walking quietly around the small property, she found a few chickens who scattered at the sight of her and an old black and white dog curled up in a small patch of early morning sun. It opened the one eye it had and regarded her warily but its quietly thumping tail told her it was not frightened.
‘Hello there, old fellow,’ she said softly and let the animal smell her hand as she crouched down. Its tail beat harder. ‘Where’s your master, eh?’
It yawned and whether it understood or not, it looked towards the back door. She nodded. ‘Inside?’ The dog stretched and let her stroke its belly. ‘Let’s go find him.’
She tapped on the back door but again received no answer. She glanced at the dog, who had now hauled himself to his feet and stood beside her, grinning as some dogs do and wagging its tail. She winked at him and opened the back door. ‘Hello? Anyone home?’
No answer.
The dog pushed past her and she followed it inside, right up to the prone form of what was presumably Physic Janus, snoring in a huge chair. She glanced around, taking in the well-made furniture, but she also noticed dust and grime, the pervading smell of decay and decline and old pots and pans that hadn’t seen a clean in far too long.
She returned her attention to the snoring man. The dog pushed its snout into his hand and then licked it. From somewhere in the depths of sleep the man recognised the familiar sensation and began to rouse himself.
‘Hello, Badger boy,’ he murmured.
‘Physic Janus,’ she said loudly.
His eyes snapped open. ‘Lo come down and take me,’ he slurred. ‘It’s a giant.’
‘Good morning,’ Elka replied, stepping back from the waft of fumes that hit her as he tried to sit up.
She waited while he collected himself. He cleared his throat a few times and tried his best to straighten his straggly grey hair. The doctor stroked the dog’s head and gave a small smile before he stood unsteadily and regarded her through a bleary gaze. He was of medium height, with sunken eyes and a sallow complexion. And he smelled of old liquor and even older food. ‘Should I know you, giant?’
‘Call me Elka. I was given your name only this morning.’
He smiled a loopy smile and then belched, politely covering his mouth. ‘By whom?’
‘The baker.’
‘Ah, Jenfrey. Nice man. Wife’s a bit sour. Probably her gout.’
Elka looked surprised. ‘I didn’t think you were her doctor.’
‘I’m not. But I’d stake my next bottle of Rough on it. Not her first attack I’d suspect but definitely affecting her gait. She’ll need that big toe amputated if she’s not careful.’
Elka frowned. ‘How much Rough have you had this morning, Physic Janus?’
He gave a gust of laughter. ‘Is it morning? Ah yes.’
‘So the drinking began last night?’
‘The drinking began several anni ago, Olka.’
‘Elka,’ she corrected. ‘How long will it take you to sober up?’
‘I hate to be sober.’
‘I am prepared to pay for you to be sober. I need help with some injuries.’
‘You look all right to me. What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing with me. Your help is required for a friend.’ Friend? When had she come to think of Loethar as her friend? And yet the word felt right in her mind.
‘My doctoring skills are not what they used to be.’ He laughed ironically at what Elka supposed was an understatement as he pulled at the dog’s ears.
Badger was enjoying the attention, but Elka was losing patience. ‘What I need most, apart from your ministrations, is your discretion.’
She had his attention now. ‘Well, well. A beautiful, bigbosomed giantess with a secret. How intriguing.’
She raised an eyebrow at his familiarity.
‘Can I count on your tongue not loosening?’
‘Who am I to tell? Few people notice me these days.’ He gestured to the stand of trees through the window that hid hishut. ‘You can see where I choose to live. I’m hardly a sociable sort.’
‘Do we have a deal?’
‘Do we have a patient?’ he enquired archly, making a show of peering around her large frame.
‘He is not here. I will take you to him.’
His gaze narrowed as he considered her. ‘All right. Because you’re the first visitor I’ve had stand in my house in many a moon — and especially because you have magnificent breasts — I’m going to attempt to clean myself up. Why don’t you make us a pot of dinch? Do they have that where you come from?’
She sneered, to cover her astonishment at his directness. ‘Do you have any dinch or a clean pot to make it in?’
He nodded to a small sideboard. ‘I’ll bring out the good stuff. Look in that weaven cupboard.’
She nodded and as he turned to leave her he said over his shoulder, ‘I’ll need it strong.’
Elka busied herself preparing the dinch and was surprised by how quickly he returned. ‘I thought you’d need all day,’ she said, not even trying to disguise the sarcasm.
Janus was in a fresh robe. ‘My last clean one,’ he said, as if reading her thoughts. ‘I was surprised to find it, to be honest.’
‘You should burn the other one,’ Elka remarked.
He nodded. ‘Dinch?’
‘I’ll pour it,’ she said, picking up a cloth to handle the pot. ‘Aren’t you frightened a spark will set off a fire while you’re out cold?’
‘Hasn’t happened yet and it may do me a favour.’
She frowned as she poured the brew into the two beautiful, fragile cups she had found in the cupboard. ‘What about Badger?’
‘He’ll survive, won’t you, boy?’ Janus said, rubbing the dog’s head. ‘He’s not mine, to tell the truth. He just likes it here. If there’s no food in the offing, he goes off elsewhere. I have no idea who else feeds him but as you can see, he does just fine.’ He tooka sip from the cup she pushed towards him and sighed. ‘Well, it’s not a perfect Penraven brew, but it’s not bad at all. Thank you.’
She gave him a soft glare. ‘How do you feel?’
‘Well, I know I’m not sober.’
‘You act as if you are.’
‘I’m a doctor. I should know. Anyway, I’m certainly lucid enough, so tell me about this patient of yours … the friend in need.’
‘He’s on the other side of Francham.’
‘That’s no answer.’
‘It’s all you’re getting.’
‘I see. So he must be someone either very important or someone that others might be looking for.’
‘Or both,’ she offered tartly.
‘Indeed. In fact, I would guess at both. But he’s not Davarigon?’
She shook her head. ‘How much will you charge to come help him?’
‘That depends on what