World Without End Page 0,465

struggled to her feet with the help of her rescuer, whom she now identified as the muscular corn merchant Megg Robbins. "I'm just a bit stunned," Caris said. "We have to stop these boys killing each other."

"Here come the constables. Let's leave it to them."

Sure enough, Mungo and six or seven deputies appeared, all wielding clubs. They waded into the fight, cracking heads indiscriminately. They were doing as much damage as the original fighters, but their presence confused the battleground. The boys looked bewildered, and some ran off In a remarkably few moments the fight was over.

Caris said: "Megg, run to the nunnery and fetch Sister Oonagh, and tell her to bring bandages."

Megg hurried away.

The walking wounded quickly disappeared. Caris began to examine those who were left. A peasant boy who had been knifed in the stomach was trying to hold his guts in: there was little hope for him. The one with the gashed arm would live if Caris could stop the bleeding. She took off his belt, wound it around his upper arm and tightened it until the flow of blood slowed to a trickle. "Hold that there," she told him, and moved on to a town boy who seemed to have broken some bones in his hand. Her head was still hurting but she ignored it.

Oonagh and several more nuns appeared. A moment later, Matthew Barber arrived with his bag. Between them they patched up the wounded. Under Caris's instructions, volunteers picked up the worst victims and carried them to the nunnery. "Take them to the old hospital, not the new one," she said.

She stood up from a kneeling position and felt dizzy. She grabbed Oonagh to steady herself. "What's the matter?" said Oonagh.

"I'll be all right. We'd better get to the hospital."

They threaded their way through the market stalls to the old hospital. When they went in they saw immediately that none of the wounded were here. Caris cursed. "The fools have taken them all to the wrong place," she said. It was going to take a while for people to learn the importance of the difference, she concluded.

She and Oonagh went to the new building. The cloister was entered through a wide archway. As they went in, they met the volunteers corning out. "You brought them to the wrong place!" Caris said crossly.

One said: "But, Mother Caris-"

"Don't argue, there's no time," she said impatiently. "Just carry them to the old hospital."

Stepping into the cloisters, she saw the boy with the gashed arm being carried into a room where, she knew, there were five plague victims. She rushed across the quadrangle. "Stop!" she yelled furiously. "What do you think you're doing?"

A man's voice said: "They are carrying out my instructions."

Caris stopped and looked around. It was Brother Sime. "Don't be a fool," she said. "He's got a knife wound - do you want him to die of the plague?"

His round face turned pink. "I don't propose to submit my decision to you for approval, Mother Caris."

That was stupid and she ignored it. "All these injured boys must be kept away from plague victims, or they'll catch it!"

"I think you're overwrought. I suggest you go and lie down."

"Lie down?" She was outraged. "I've just patched up all these men - now I've got to look at them properly. But not here!"

"Thank you for your emergency work, mother. You can now leave me to examine the patients thoroughly."

"You idiot, you'll kill them!"

"Please leave the hospital until you have calmed down."

"You can't throw me out of here, you stupid boy! I built this hospital with the nuns' money. I'm in charge here."

"Are you?" he said coolly.

Caris realized that, although she had not anticipated this moment, he almost certainly had. He was flushed but he had his feelings under control. He was a man with a plan. She paused, thinking fast. Looking around, she saw that the nuns and volunteers were all watching, waiting to see how this would turn out.

"We have to attend to these boys," she said. "While we're standing here arguing, they're bleeding to death. We'll compromise, for now." She raised her voice. "Put every one down exactly where they are, please." The weather was warm, there was no need for the patients to be indoors. "We'll see to their needs first, then decide later where they are to be bedded."

The volunteers and nuns knew and respected Caris, whereas Sime was new to them; and they obeyed her with alacrity.

Sime saw that he