Chapter 15

The horror began to dawn on us.  The smoke that rose from behind the village was not from a breakfast oven.  They were burning the dead carried there on those wooden carts.  And all these people lying around were waiting for their turns.
“Bit, let us get out of here.” Epi was paling.
I looked around.  It was a grim sight indeed and my stomach turned.  From deep inside me, a rising fear urged me to run as Epi pleaded.  
“No.  If we leave, these people will definitely all die.” I could not even believe my own words as they slipped out of my mouth.
“But what can we do?” Epi was close to tears.  The manner of death had drilled into us now.  
“Epi, I know how to make herbs.  I may be able to help.”
“Do you know what kind of disease this is?” Epi asked.
I shook my head.  The ugly marks on the man’s face spelled something evil and powerful.  This was something new to me.
“But I cannot just walk away doing nothing.” I murmured.
Epi felt silent and just stood there beside me.
“Epi, go on to the next village. And if there is safe there, stay there till I finish here and I will catch up with you.” I could not bear to bring her into such horror and risk.
“No! “ she was adamant. “If you stay, so will I.  I can help too.”
“But Epi…”
“Just tell me what to do.” She had made up her mind and I knew nothing could change her.
I told her a list of herbs that I would need and she sped off to the woods to gather them.  I did not know if the herbs would be useful to fight this as they were very common sorts and I knew I was fighting something unusual and sinister.
I helped the villages to take the sick into places where it would be cooler and distance them from the still unaffected ones.  I also made last rites for those destined for the fire.  The smell of burning flesh sent up an obnoxious smell and we had to cover our mouths and noses with torn off clothes.  
Epi came back with the herbs I asked and I began to make medicine as best I could.  These failed.  People continued to die.
Chapter 17
Both Epi and I worked almost non-stop.  We tried different combinations and added in new herbs that I hoped would bring some hope.  But all efforts turned out to be fruitless, as I could not diagnose the course of the disease and like a blind man; I was fumbling around for an open door.  I knew we were both exhausted but I just could not give up.
Epi did not even once complained.  She dedicated herself to go and search whatever I asked for.  When I was deep in thinking of possible new medicine, she went to help the sick, to make them more comfortable.  The only thing she was reluctant to do was to help in the cremation, as she would be unable to stop her tears if the deceased happened to be a child.
We were in the village the third day now and I was beginning to lose my patience.  Why had I not learned with more attention when my wise teacher instructed me on the use of herbal drugs?  I thought I was so clever then, brilliant actually, that I could handle any situation like this with relative ease.  I was so wrong!
Yet I could not give up.
“Epi, hand me that basket of clover.” I called over my back as I grounded the nutmeg to prepare for another drug.
There was no answer.
“Epi, hand me the clover!” I raised my voice.
Still no answer.
I turned.
The terror ran through my entire body as I saw Epi sitting against the wall, her head bowing and her limbs hanging at her sides.
“No! Epi, no!” I ran to her and lifted her chin.  What I saw broke my heart.  The ugly marks had not yet appeared but the eyes were familiar.  We had looked into too many of these in the past two days; the helplessness, the vague look into empty space.
“It is all my fault, Epi! It was all my fault!” I held her shoulders and let her head rested on my chest.  I was sobbing because I knew my Epi was going to die.