"After her own way she loves him"
Doctors Wear Scarlet (1960) by Simon Raven
Six years ago I started reading Simon Raven's perfect Doctors Wear Scarlet (1960). I wrote after finishing it that I did not need to read another novel. I have read a handful since then, and enjoyed each. But I think my 2017 conclusion is still a sound judgment.
* * *
“‘Your friend,’” translated Piers, who had evidently established Richard’s identity beyond doubt, “‘your friend was suffering from…’” – here Piers paused and glanced almost furtively at us – “‘…from an ancient sickness. The woman brought him to be cured. Not because she loves us, but because she knew that we could cure him better and more swiftly than anyone else. Nor does she desire that he should be…properly …finally cured’ – cured in the spirit, he seems to mean – ‘but she wishes, because after her own way she loves him, that for the time being he should remain alive. When he came here he was sick nearly to death; and we cured him, because we, in the Monastery of the Blood of Christ, have this secret, and because it was our duty, in all charity, to do so. But the cure will not be for long: with the woman he will become sick once more, and sooner or later her love will tire, and when that happens she will not bring him back to us for healing, but will cast him off and let him die. The woman is accursed…’”
The Superior talked gravely on, but Piers, whose expression had slowly become more drawn and despairing, ceased to translate. For two or three minutes we listened to the meaningless voice, then Roddy spoke up sharply – “What does he say, boy? For God’s sake tell us.”
Piers looked at us, again rather furtively.
“It’s all much the same,” he said. “The woman is evil, she brought Richard here to be cured, but as long as he is with her he cannot really be well. She only wished him cured so that she might begin to make him sick again. The only real cure is to take him from this woman, and even then…”
The Superior touched Piers’ arm and pointed at Roddy and myself with a look of interrogation. Piers seemed to brush off the old man’s questions, but he persisted, until Piers shrugged and spoke a few rather halting words.
“What does he want to know?” asked Roddy.
“Whether you have understood what has been said.”
“Well I don’t,” said Roddy flatly. “There are a lot of things I don’t understand, and among them what this ‘ancient’ disease is, which the monks in this monastery can cure but which will apparently recur. I should be obliged, for a start, if you would enlighten me as to that.”
“I tried to tell you. The other day and on the road,” said Piers, almost in tears. “I tried very hard. Do you remember what I said? That Richard’s…trouble…might be connected with the practices of the ancient city of Hydra. That King Heracles destroyed the city, but meanwhile the practices might have come over with colonists to this island.”
Doctors Wear Scarlet (1960) by Simon Raven
https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Wear-Scarlet-Simon-Raven/dp/1842321803
