Part 4 (2/2)

”My daughter died five days ago,” Dobbs said. ”Is that-”

”No,” Eleazar said softly. ”It is too long.”

”Like my grandson,” Doc Adams said. ”Gone a week now.”

Eleazar nodded.

”My daughter was wee still,” Dobbs said. ”My wife can have others. My son was growing into a strong lad. If you could return him . . .”

He said it so casually, Browning marveled. If you could return him. As if asking for a simple favor. If you could bring a pie on Sunday, that would be lovely. Browning knew Dobbs loved his boy. But it was not the same as his own situation. Dobbs had two other children and apparently planned others to replace those lost. Browning's wife had lost their first two in infancy, to influenza. She was past the age of bearing more. Without their son, they had nothing. No child. No grandchildren. No great-grandchildren. Only the two of them, growing old in their loneliness and their grief.

”Tell us more,” Browning said again.

”There is a price,” Doc Adams said. ”Surely there must be a price.”

Eleazar looked uncomfortable. ”Yes, I fear there is. I cannot perform this miracle often. That was the stricture given by the Lord Jesus Christ.We must be very careful imparting our gift, so as not to disrupt the natural order of things. I search out tragedies, such as yours, where it can be of most use. That means, however, that there is a cost, to allow my a.s.sistant and me to live frugally and continue our work.”

”How much?” Dobbs asked.

”My normal rate is a thousand dollars for a resurrection.”

Doc Adams inhaled sharply. Dobbs looked ill. Browning began quickly calculating. He had money and a few items he could sell.Yes, he could manage it. When he looked at the faces of the others, though, he felt a slight pang of guilt. A thousand dollars would be near impossible for them. Men at the mines bragged of earning that much in a year.

”Most of us would not be able to afford that,” Browning said, quickly adding, ”Though a few would sc.r.a.pe it together.”

”Understandable,” Eleazar said. ”And while that is my fee, normally I am performing a single resurrection, so I require an exorbitant amount, as it is all I may earn for a year or more. However, as there are multiple resurrections required here, I did not intend to charge so much for the good people of Chestnut Hill. How many children would there be, if price were no object?”

”Seven,” Doc Adams said. ”I p.r.o.nounced seven poor children dead in the last four days.”

”Then my fee would be three hundred dollars apiece.”

Doc Adams exhaled in relief. Browning knew he could afford that with ease. He glanced at Dobbs as the younger man counted on his fingers.

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