Chapter 28: The Brown Book

Corwin's POV

I had expected nine hands. I had counted them in the night.

I had not expected how long they would hang in the air above the hall, with nobody willing to be the first to lower one.

The white-haired Councilor looked down at me.

"The Southbay motion carries, unless the Crown wishes to be heard."

"The Crown wishes to be heard," I said, "and the Crown has a witness first."

The side doors opened.

The old Southbay physician came in with his bag in one hand and a thick brown book under the other arm.

He did not look at the Alpha. He looked at the eight blue coats behind him.

"I was this house's doctor for thirty-one years," he said. "I'll be brief."

"Five years ago I began giving a patient a quarter dose, mixed thin. It holds a wolf in place. It never heals one."

"The full course exists. I wrote it. I begged to be allowed to give it."

"He told me an Alpha's house is stronger when its debtors need it."

He opened the book on the clerk's table and turned it round.

"Forty-one families. Their names, their children, the date each was started on the thin dose. Eleven of those children are under ten."

He turned a page, and then another.

"A councilor's grandson is on page six."

Behind the Alpha, the third coat in the row went still.

An older man, gray and heavy, put his hand to his mouth.

"You told me it was the best that medicine could do," he said hoarsely.

The Alpha did not turn his head.

"Sit down."

"You told me it couldn't be done better."

"I told you to sit."

The old man stood up instead.

His hand came down slowly to his lap. Then, one after another, six more sleeves lowered along the bench.

The eighth coat stayed where it was.

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