Thirty-Two
Feb. 22nd, 2013 07:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theonecalledwander“The baker’s daughter?” Tyrol says. “What…?”
“You all call her that, but you forget that she’s her mother’s daughter, as well,” I say. “Her mother taught her that garlic is healthsome, so when the town started sickening, she started baking it into her bread. Maybe she even knew or suspected, though she didn’t want to say it out loud. A little dried garlic in bread probably wouldn’t do much more than burn the mouth of a vampire bite victim, but it’s the perfect little counter for the incremental infection that’s been creeping in.”
“What do we do? I can’t very well tell the whole town they’ve been drinking bits of vampire!”
“I could, but it’s a bit late to tell the rest of the bakers and cooks to start spicing up their wares, anyway,” I say. “Much of the town is too far gone to take it voluntarily… I don’t think they’re past the point of saving, since they haven’t died yet. I’d say we need to strike at the source. The question is how? If blessing the water didn’t destroy the creature, I can’t see dumping a load of garlic into the well having much effect. And if the vampire is trapped, what’s been causing the disturbances and disappearances at night?”
“You mean there might be another one? Free?”
“Maybe a rescue mission of sorts,” I say. “I don’t know. I need to see this Father Toma. He might be able to fill in a blank or two for me. You said he’s local?”
“Yes, though his dwelling is somewhat remote… he’s a bit of a hermit. That’s why I chose him to bless the well. He’s less interested in things like local politics or other worldly matters.”
“An ascetic?” I say.
“That would be the word, yes,” Tyrol says.
“And is his hermitage easy to find?”
“Easy enough,” Tyrol says. “Just half a day’s ride down the forest road.”
“You all call her that, but you forget that she’s her mother’s daughter, as well,” I say. “Her mother taught her that garlic is healthsome, so when the town started sickening, she started baking it into her bread. Maybe she even knew or suspected, though she didn’t want to say it out loud. A little dried garlic in bread probably wouldn’t do much more than burn the mouth of a vampire bite victim, but it’s the perfect little counter for the incremental infection that’s been creeping in.”
“What do we do? I can’t very well tell the whole town they’ve been drinking bits of vampire!”
“I could, but it’s a bit late to tell the rest of the bakers and cooks to start spicing up their wares, anyway,” I say. “Much of the town is too far gone to take it voluntarily… I don’t think they’re past the point of saving, since they haven’t died yet. I’d say we need to strike at the source. The question is how? If blessing the water didn’t destroy the creature, I can’t see dumping a load of garlic into the well having much effect. And if the vampire is trapped, what’s been causing the disturbances and disappearances at night?”
“You mean there might be another one? Free?”
“Maybe a rescue mission of sorts,” I say. “I don’t know. I need to see this Father Toma. He might be able to fill in a blank or two for me. You said he’s local?”
“Yes, though his dwelling is somewhat remote… he’s a bit of a hermit. That’s why I chose him to bless the well. He’s less interested in things like local politics or other worldly matters.”
“An ascetic?” I say.
“That would be the word, yes,” Tyrol says.
“And is his hermitage easy to find?”
“Easy enough,” Tyrol says. “Just half a day’s ride down the forest road.”