d.

"That man of your uncle's, Eli Greenglove, hit you with his rifle. Your
uncle said he'd kill you next time he sees you awake. So we took you out
here to my father's parsonage."

"How long have I been asleep?" he said.

"A long time. Hours. I'm awfully glad to see you wake up, Auguste. I
didn't know if you ever would. Greenglove hit you hard enough to kill
you."

He remembered Elysee lying on the ground, writhing. Rage boiled up
inside him again as he thought of Raoul striking Grandpapa down.

"How is my grandfather?" He tried to sit up, and the room started to
rock and pitch. The pain pounded on his head like a spiked war club.
Nancy put a hand on his shoulder, and he lay back against the pillow. He
shut his eyes momentarily to get his equilibrium back.

"We don't know--he may have broken his hip. But try not to worry,
Auguste. Nicole and Frank took him back to their house."

That searing gaze of a moment ago was gone, but there was still a warm
light in her eyes.

He heard a footstep on the other side of the bed. He turned, bringing
back the ache in his head full force, to see the tall figure of Reverend
Philip Hale standing in the doorway of the small room. Hale, dressed in
a black clawhammer coat and black trousers with a white silk stock
wrapped around his throat, stood with his arms folded, gazing at Auguste
with pursed lips and a deep crease between his bushy eyebrows.

"You can thank the Lord's mercy you're not hurt worse, young man. I
suppose you'll want to be on your way soon."

"Father!" Nancy exclaimed. "He just came awake. He might have a
fractured skull."

"I think I'm all right," Auguste said. He tried to sit up again. He
managed it, but he felt suddenly dizzy and sick to his stomach. He put
his hand over his mouth. Nancy picked up a china chamber pot from the
bedside and held it for him, but after a moment the spasm of nausea
passed and, gingerly, he shook his head at her. His first afternoon at
Victoire, when he had thrown up his dinner before everyone in the great
hall, flickered through his memory.

He looked up and saw Hale staring at him with even deeper distaste.
Clear enough that the reverend didn't like to see Nancy's care for him.

_Grandpapa's hurt, and I'm the only one around here with medical
training._

Auguste lifted his head again, determined to get up in spite of the
pain. "I must go to my grandfather. He may die if he isn't cared for
properly."

A spear of horror s