The Lost Tales Read online

Nan-li Central Healing Center sparkled like a Beinarian diamond. 0.6 li from the main entrance to the healing center stood a brand new “Central Nan-li Healing Center” stop on a prominent light rail line. As Lady Cara briskly navigated the healing center, healers, patients, and healers-in-training all bowed respectfully as she passed. Lady Healer Gwyneth intercepted her, “You said it was urgent?”

  “I’ve finished my readings at and near the Nan-li argene mine,” scowled Cara.

  “Is it as bad as reported: thirty percent increase in atmospheric argene and two hundred percent increase in both bilast and dilast?” asked Gwyneth.

  “No – the levels are in fact much higher since the last time we took readings. But it gets worse: without her permission I scanned Lady Engineer Rachel of house Ana, the one who keeps fighting Ten-Arian efforts in the Great Council to improve mining safety and protect the health of area residents. Gwyneth … I detected at least six cancers growing in her.”

  Gwyneth halted, a sudden wave of vertigo collapsing her into a nearby chair, “Banumu Hehe help us! I checked her medical records, Cara; there was no evidence of any illness five yen-ars ago when she came in for her last physical.”

  “I have soil, water, and vegetation samples with me for the healing center lab to conduct comprehensive analysis, proof that our position as healers about the mines is correct: we are on the verge of a major ecological disaster if we do not find a way to stop strip mining operations and restore the forests. Nowhere should there be more than one bilast molecule per billion in our atmosphere. At the mines the atmosphere is a full five percent bilast – enough to kill anyone not on special breathing gear. But that’s not the worst news.”

  “It gets worse?” stammered Gwyneth.

  “The crude on site refining is creating atmospheric argene which is saturating everything. We know from studies conducted by both Ten-Ar and Gurun since the Nan-li mine opened in BE 5300 over two hundred yen-ars ago that direct and unprotected exposure to argene destroys Beinarian helices, creating not just the surge in cancers we’ve both detected, but attacking our very retinal penta-chromatism, destroying two of our five retinal cone receptors.”

  “How can anyone function with only three retinal receptors? Such a condition would make an affected person all but completely blind in our atmosphere,” noted Gwyneth.

  “Creating an epidemic of de facto blindness and creating the sort of massive under-class that could destroy our carefully-built constitutional monarchy. Back at the Ten-Arian monastery we call this disease ‘brown-eye syndrome.’ It attacks the eyes slowly for those newly exposed, but far faster on those born here or to one or more suffers.”

  “Are you saying that with each generation born here and exposed to argene, the condition becomes locked into the helices, moving from generation to generation even after a person or family leaves this area?”

  Lady Healer Cara gazed into Lady Gwyneth’s darkening eyes, “Yes. Primarily estimates indicate it may take several generations to fully correct the damage. But surely you know this – your eyes, my friend! You have early stage brown eye syndrome!”

  “I know. But being healers we both know no permanent solution can come without the support of the Great Council. If they will not listen to our data, to the results of over one hundred yen-ars of research – what then? Cara, there are over five hundred eighty nine thousand residents in Nan-li alone; hundreds of millions more across the northwestern region of Xi-Nan Fang where they dig most of the mines – not just for argene, but countless other minerals.”

  “Perhaps the lab will have some answers for us that our training as healers in chief of our respective houses cannot find based on the data at hand,” offered Lady Abbess Cara.

  “I will have the lab run analysis right away. Can you stay in Nan-li overnight? I estimate it will take from six to eight shir-ors to run a comprehensive analysis – assuming no critical care patients arrive in the emergency ward.”

  “Can you suggest a nearby lodging establishment with good food?”

  “Lan-xing Ulen is not far away. I understand they offer a rather palatable breakfast buffet, including Belarian waffles.”

  “Belarian waffles? Really? Well then Lan-xing Ulen it is!”