Read Online The Wheelwright's Apprentice by James Burnett - Free Book Online

did not now seem so bad. It was just that watching and remembering evwo memberiery cut and slice was worse.
    “That’s it for today,” Garmgo said as he popped the top of the skull back in place. “Now, can you make it into something the relatives would like to see?”
    It took Art many minutes to find the necessary tranquility within himself to do the repair. It was eventually his imagined image of the relatives seeing the body in its piecemeal state that gave him the impetus to do the job. It looked perfect on the outside. He was grateful about the fact that none of the relatives would be cutting up the body, as he wasn’t sure that the innards were all where they were supposed to be!
    Wingo and Horam grabbed him and said, “Come with us to the refectory. We didn’t see you at lunch. We don’t have to guess why, so we know you need a proper supper.”
    Art allowed himself to be led to the refectory where they helped themselves to a good supper, and where Horam added a couple of extra desserts onto Art’s tray. They sat down towards the end of a long table, where with minimal conversation, Art slowly began to eat. After a few minutes, Art looked at both of them and said, “Please forgive me, today has been a hard day. In fact recently every day has been a hard day for me. My whole life has been turned upside down, and I realize that there is so much I don’t know, but also so much is expected of me.”
    Wingo said, “Let me try and work you out. You look like the Count. We have seen that you have the Will. You act like you have never seen anything outside of wherever you have lived for all your life.”
    Art faced him with a stoic expression, “That’s pretty much it. Am I that much of an open book?”
    Horam butted in with, “Yes, you are, and that is something you need to change. Even having the Will doesn’t mean that much in Red City. This is a place where bad people live and bad things happen. We don’t want to rob you of the innocence of youth, but if you have to leave the Temple, remember people are not always what they seem.”
    Art finished his meal and thanked them both, saying, “I lost my innocence when everyone in my village was slaughtered. I have been tossed all around lately and you know what? I haven’t cracked and I have learned an awful lot. Most of it was really awful. I think I can handle the bad. I have noticed that I can think about wishing things on people, bad things, that I would not have dreamed of before.” With that he picked up his tray and left.
    Wingo and Horam looked at each other and Horam said, “Kid has come real far real fast. I am glad I’m not him.”
    “Yeah,” Wingo replied, “He’ll be lucky to see thirty!”
    The next day, Art had the job of dissecting another corpse and telling Garmgo everything he had learned by watching the day before. He did well and three days and three corpses later, Garmgo greeted him with a cheery voice, “We have got something different for you today!” Visions of another swollen, bloated corpse floated in front of his eyes, but when Garmgo said, “Here look at this”, as he whipped the shroud off a body, Art saw a middle aged woman who had no apparent wounds. “We have to find out why she died. Go on have a look and see what you can see.”
    Art had never seen a naked woman before, let alone an older dead one, so he was understandably reluctant to get too close. “Come on boy have a closer look! You can’t see anything from that far away!” Garmgo urged. “This woman died of one silly thing. Do you know what it was?”
    Art looked mutely at the body and replied, “No idea.”
    “She didn’t come to the Temple to be cured. We could have cured her. You, after today could have cured her, but she never came,” he paused, “until now.” He let Art digest the fact. “A trained, Willed healer can cure almost anything, but not if the patient doesn’t come to us.”
    Garmgo had a knife in his hand, and said, “Having