The Secret Healer(89)

“Tomorrow, you’ll be close to fulfilling your duty,” Andreas said suddenly in the dark of the night.

“I know,” Johannes said a little bit irritably. “That’s why I’m going to sleep.”

“Good night.”

“Good night,” Johannes replied and pulled his blanket a little bit higher, although he could still feel the warmth of the sunny day. Thoughts swirled around his head again, but he stopped trying to suppress them. She was still alive and well. Soon, other gruesome pictures of his wife burned in his brain. He wanted to enjoy them.



They arrived in Emmerich before dawn, as promised. The harbor was quiet. The boats floated calmly, and nobody seemed to be awake. Johannes paid the skipper the promised fee.

“It was my pleasure,” the skipper said as he gratefully held the money in the palm of his hand. “If there’s nothing else I can do, I’ll go to lie down now.” He pointed to a back corner, where he’d rested only briefly in the last few days in order to sail as much as possible.

“Sleep well.” Johannes gestured to Andreas. “Let’s get off the boat and let this man have some peace and quiet.”

The skipper touched his finger to the brim of his cap. “I wish you good luck.” He waited until both men walked over the plank and had their feet on the ground. Then he slid the plank back into the boat. It was securely moored, and the skipper soon fell fast asleep.



“Where are you going now?” Johannes asked Andreas.

“I want to take a look around. If I like it here, I’ll stay a few days. And you?”

Johannes paused then yawned. “It’s too early to ask myself that question.” He scratched his chin. “If you want, we can look for a guest house.”

Andreas seemed to think it over.

“It’s on me,” Johannes added quickly, guessing that his companion’s pockets were light.

“All right, I’ll go with you.”

They strolled through alleyways and streets. So far, there seemed to be no signs of life; the whole town was sleeping soundly. Johannes had always liked this time of day, even as a child, looking around a town that normally pulsed with life. He often snuck out of the house in the wee hours. The early morning air was so special—like the arrival of the first snow. He imagined how it was here in Emmerich when people went to work or took care of their business affairs or simply stood on the street, chatting with neighbors, discussing this and that.

The men jumped out of the way when, suddenly, a woman flung open a door and poured out a bucket of water onto the street. She laughed when she saw their startled faces. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

“Hopefully, you were emptying out some old water and not the chamber pot,” Johannes replied, unable to suppress a smile.

“Don’t worry, it was just water. And I missed you.”

“But not by much.”

“We’ve just arrived here. It seems that the whole of Emmerich is still sleeping.” He looked up at the sign: “The Golden Rooster.”

“And you’ll find no shelter at this hour.” She shook her head. “But at least it’s not cold. You can thank your lucky stars that it’s not winter.” She gave them a broad smile. “Well, then, welcome to Emmerich.” With that, she went back inside and shut the door.

Johannes and Andreas continued walking but weren’t able to find an inn that was open. They lay in a small meadow underneath a massive oak tree and slept until the rest of the city woke up. Suddenly, Johannes awoke with a start.

“What is it?” Andreas asked anxiously.

Johannes looked around. “Strange. It almost seemed like someone was watching us.”

Andreas didn’t mention that he’d had the exact same feeling. “Who would be watching us?” he asked. He kept his attention on the surrounding environment. If there really was someone, he wanted to recognize their face.

Although they both wanted to stay alert, they both fell sound asleep until awakened by the noise of Emmerich’s hustle and bustle. Johannes sat up with a great deal of effort. The people didn’t notice them at all, although they must have made a peculiar sight, sprawled in the grass with no place to stay. Johannes touched his companion and shook him a little. “Andreas, it’s time.”

Immediately, he stirred. “Where do you want to go now?”

“I have to ask around a bit.” Johannes wondered whether it was smart to ask Andreas to accompany him. “Do you want to come with me?”

“My pleasure,” he said. “I’ll be staying here for at least one more day.”