Laudanum was given, the binding was done, and thankfully Julian slept. Matthew left him alone, because there was nothing else to be done. Clark had left a small bottle of the drug with precise instructions on how much to use if Julian should awaken wracked with pain, and then the doctor had spent a few moments cleaning Matthew’s cheek wound with a stinging red solution, had covered it with a plaster bandage, asked for five shillings in payment, and when the coins were paid wished the house a merry Christmas and went on his way.

“Devilishly clever, some of these,” said Firebaugh as he continued through the book, stopping at certain formulas that he found intriguing. “Some of them simple enough, though. Just depending on the strength of the botanicals.”

Matthew had to ask the question: “Do you think you can help Berry?”

“Honestly, I can’t say until I’ve seen her. There are three formulas in here that might have been the one Ribbenhoff used. I’ll have to examine the subject, and that’s all I can say.”

Subject instead of patient, Matthew thought. That was Firebaugh, all right, the doctor with the bedside manner suiting an automaton. But it was the best he could do, and that was that.

Matthew left Firebaugh with his reading and quietly slipped into Julian’s room.

The figure in the bed was gray-faced. His eyes were closed and Matthew could hear the soft wheeze of his breathing. Matthew was about to retreat when Julian’s eyes opened and he asked in his quietly tortured voice, “What day is it?”

“The twenty-fourth.”

“Time?”

“About two o’clock.”

“Has that doctor gone?”

“He was here yesterday,” Matthew said.

“Laced me up,” said Julian. “Tighter than a tick’s asshole. Damn, I can hardly breathe.”

“Are you in any pain?”

Julian looked at him as one would peer cockeyed at a madman. “Ha,” he said.

“Do you want some laudanum? The doctor left a—”

“No. Hell, no.” He moved slightly under his blanket and winced. Then he managed a harsh little laugh. “I’m not good for very much right now, am I?”

“Neither am I. Last night I slept maybe two hours. I had a dream that Lash and Black were chasing me in a landship that actually was a ship. It was pulled by giant seahorses and bristled with cannons.”

“Did they catch you?”

“No. They were about to, and I was on the ground watching them float nearer and nearer … and then they melted away.”

“Maybe you need the laudanum to clear your brain,” Julian said.

Matthew pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down. Julian’s face was damp with sweat and dark circles ringed his eyes. Matthew imagined he could feel the heat of Julian’s fever.

“I was asked,” he said, “by the missus if you’d care for some beef broth.”