I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 218 The Great Adventure of the Doctors (middle)

   The poor student screamed and staggered back—with an ax on his back, he looked like a comedian on Halloween night more than a hundred years later. The axe split open the plague doctor's hat, and the flat, heavy leather hat blocked the most lethal force like a helmet, and then the axe went down, embedded in the brass lens frame - if not for this protective suit , the student should have died silently.

Among the doctors, the one who responded the most was Chambrolance. After all, he also had the title of the mob leader in the title of doctor. The farmer who came.

Sidonham was still thinking about whether this was a misunderstanding, and found that he was running with the doctors. The protective clothing of the doctors was not suitable for escaping in the dark night and in the jungle. Fortunately, there were many farmers at this time. Everyone has severe night blindness, but soon, someone lit a torch, and those police officers or cattle herders obviously had sufficient meat supplements, and they followed the doctors, constantly shouting and urging People catch up.

The doctors were intercepted before escaping into the jungle. They were a group of ordinary-looking villagers. Their eyes were wide open under the firelight, and it was obvious that they could not see clearly. They only had a pitchfork in their hands. , wooden flails and other weapons, but hundreds of groups of less than ten plague doctors are really full of oppression - especially frightening is that many people in the village have already been infected with smallpox, they Their skin was covered in horrific red rashes, they spoke upside down, and they looked like they were going to fall down at any moment, but they looked at Anfor and their eyes were fanatical and pious.

Anfor's parent was an old man over sixty years old, wearing a narrow-brimmed hat, gloomy eyes, and a large hooked nose. Holding a short halberd, the sharp edge illuminates the buttons of the drapey vest, the white shirt collar is turned over from the neckline of the crewneck leather jacket, the belt is tied with a purse and amulet, knee-length pants and tights They were all well-dressed, the straps of the shoes were neat and tidy, and to sum up, it didn't look like they had just gotten out of bed at all, and then the police officers, and those who clearly had a voice in the village, were A sober look.

Thinking of the situation after the student knocked on the door, Chambrance had already guessed that they might have broken a conspiracy, and this conspiracy might have been directed against them, think about it, these people were planning that night, or the first Two days later, he killed the doctors, or did something more dangerous, and the intended victims actually came to visit. No wonder that person's first reaction was to give him an axe.

   "We are doctors!" Rom shouted: "Sent from the king, we heard that there is a plague in you, we are here to help you!"

   "The traitor's messenger." Old Anfor took a sigh of relief: "I just said why the plague suddenly appeared here, it turned out that you brought it."

The crowd immediately became commotion. Only two female workers were burned to death because they were not infected with the plague. Everyone here knows that this crime must not be admitted. Now, it is not just Lom and his disciples who shouted When they got up, even Sidonham and Malbiqui were shouting. Chamblance saw that the corners of Anfort's mouth rose, and his heart sank. He immediately knew that they had made a mistake. Sure enough, the old Anfort immediately shouted. Get up: "Oh my God, they are foreigners, they are spies!" At this time, not only could they not be cleared of their original charges, but they even added a charge of treason.

"They are all devils recruited by Louis XIV!" said old Anfort, and then every villager in the firelight nodded, "It is to punish them that God has sent such a disaster! It is to warn us , warn us good pious people!"

"That's not quite right," Siddenham denied, "and you say at one time that it is the plague brought by the devil, and at the same time you say that this is God's warning to you, and I say, what exactly is this!? One The two masters?"

His words really made sense, but it was a pity that they were completely drowned out by the hysterical cries of the villagers, "We are here for you! You are sick and need treatment!" Malbikey was still trying his best to explain, Chamberlain noticed that Dr. Lom closed his mouth after a sigh - Malbiqui was still a new plague doctor after all, and he had not seen more mobs - and like Dr. Lom, often in the plague. When faced with the threat of plague, the plague doctors who walked in the district were most afraid of the patients who were cornered by illness and death. Their walking sticks were used not only to direct students and assistants to do things, but also to fiddle with corpses. It is also used to defend against the sudden outbreak of the patient and the patient's family member. Dr. Lom should have encountered such a situation, but this time it may be the worst.

The doctors were rudely ripped off their masks, robes, and leather jackets by the surging villagers, their hats were trampled in the mud, and they were tied tightly with rope loops around their necks. Together, one of the old Anfor's sons led them to the village like a bunch of cows. This time there was no chapel for them to live in, and the Anfort's cowshed became a temporary one. The prison, on their side was the restless herd, they were hung up, and the tall Chambord was bound the strongest, perhaps because he seemed the most threatening, or it was possible that the youngest son of old Anfort was He was knocked down.

"Wait," shouted Chambord, when he saw that old Anfort was about to go out: "I am Albert Chambrolls!" If the other party is indeed a Huguenot, it is impossible not to have heard his name.

  Old Anfort heard it, he waved his hand and told everyone else to go away, holding a torch and walking to Chambord: "A hypocrite?"

   "No, I have never betrayed my beliefs."

   "But you walked with a Christian and almost killed my son for him."

"I don't know what the situation was at that time, but sir, there is a plague outbreak in this village, whether it's the believers of God, or we are doctors first - we are here to treat the sick and bury the dead... If you are because of you I'm angry at my son's injury, then I'm willing to pay the price and let them go."

"And let them call in more of the Cultists?" Old Anfort looked up and down Chambrolance with a do you think I was a fool. "You let me down, Chambord. I think I have to tell Those people in Orleans, their leader is a bastard." He took another sip, on Chamblance: "Don't think about it, none of you can escape, whether it is a Christian, a foreigner, or a A traitor."

   "Are you also taking care of those villagers? They are already showing symptoms! They need rest and treatment!"

"Don't use the devil's words to sway me," shouted old Anfor rudely. "This is a test from heaven! As long as you pass it, you can get the blessing of the angels like the saints...as long as they are pious enough!" He proudly pulled He opened the front of the shirt to let people see the light scars on it, "Look at me, these are the stigmata! The angel blessed me so that I won't catch the plague brought by the devil!" He was satisfied to see Chamblance's Eyes widened.

"Damn it..." Dr. Lom on the side whispered, this is probably what they were looking for. The funny thing is that after this kind of thing gave these hidden Huguenots the ability to be immune to the plague, it also made these ignorant of people who think they have become a saint.

   "Don't be foolish enough," said old Anfor. "We'll burn you tomorrow."

   "What are you going to do with the interrogation that follows?" said Chambrance. "You wouldn't think that the king would allow his chief physician to be left unaccounted for."

   "Isn't it normal for a plague doctor to die in a plague?" said old Anfor: "Unless they can find something out of the mud, that's all there is to it—when the blockade is lifted, we'll go to England."

With that he was gone, and with the light, the cowshed was hot and humid, full of foul odors, and flies or other unknown bugs lay on their bare skin, and they soon got up. Countless big bags are unbearably itchy.

   "I think he's right," Sidonham said long after.

  ———

The next day, the four plague doctors and students had the honor to watch the most nondescript parade. As we all know, Huguenots, as a derivative religion of Calvinism in France, share many of its teachings and ceremonies with the sect of God. In different places, but now they not only saw the icon, but also the Savior's cross and the reliquary, and as the leader, leader and saint of this procession, the Anfort family was able to turn a blind eye to it. The anger calmed down after a few minutes, and I think so, in these decades, one-third of the Huguenots have also betrayed their faith and converted to the sect of God. This is nothing to blame, but it is ridiculous. .

Except for him, the others are a little desperate in addition to being ridiculous. They only hope that this parade will last a little longer, maybe someone will come to save them the next moment, and Old Anfor may have thought of this, he With Bibles in hand, shouting scoldings against these plague-bringing demons, and making terrible sentences, people swarmed and beat them—especially those with smallpox, who, perhaps they thought, just had to beat these demons hard, saints They can see their piety and get rid of the disease from their bodies.

When these people were beaten to their last breath, they were tied to a crude stake—a tree trunk with a pointed tip inserted into the ground, and the bark was not peeled off. Stacking straw and twigs, "Too bad," Malbiqui couldn't help saying, "We'll be smoked to death first, our lungs will be filled with black ashes, and when people dissect us, they'll find that we His lungs were on fire."

"Then do you want to persuade them to dry these things first?" said Setonham. "I wish you would, but the saint seems to know what he's going to do--more sensible than a cowherd. Cow herd," he remarked, looking at Chambord next to him.

Chambrolence also saw the trick of old Anfort. He may not understand how he was immune, but he could use this to confuse the villagers like a Roman priest, and wait for the epidemic to pass and survive. The believers are his most reliable thugs and barriers. Maybe when they go outside France, he will become a real saint. Maybe he is not a devout Christian, let alone a devout Huguenot. sectarians, but it's the kind of people who wear the brightest halo on the religious arena - so they have to die.

  The fire was burning.

As Malbikey said, the first thing that rose was the smoke, white, grey and black, they coughed, and they felt a desperate heat under their feet, and they heard old Anfor cursing the devil, calling them a crowd The meanest wizards, who claim to throw their stumps and embers into the swamp.

   At this time, the doctors' eyes were completely closed, but Malbikey, who had the best hearing, suddenly heard a woman say: "...Take the devil on your lips, and the devil will come when he says it."

The whole sentence should be, pray to God, God may not always hear, but if the devil is on his lips, the devil will come when he speaks - old Anfor stared at the woman in horror, and she smiled suddenly Appearing in front of him, it was like coming out of the air, and the clamor of the villagers disappeared all of a sudden, yes, they can burn any "witch" they want, no matter if she is guilty or innocent. The smart, the stupid, the beautiful, the ugly, having children or not, they are all weak anyway—so are these plague doctors, though they are usually big men they dare not touch—but in Pushed and pushed by the saints, they can also be very bold, and unlike the old widows in the villages, these high-ranking gentlemen, even the underwear is silk, the feeling of life and death is also in their hands, it is any bad wine Or a travel girl can't compare.

  But...a woman who appears like this shows that she is not extraordinary.

Old Anfort's eldest son gave a loud cry, raised the musket in his hand (Chambrance's), and pulled the trigger sharply. He thought he could kill the witch or hallucination in one fell swoop, but the bullet hit the gun. The tube burst open, iron pieces and projectiles sprayed into his face, his screams became blurred, and blood splashed on Old Anfor's face.

   The witch waved her arm lightly, and the fire under the stake went out.

   (end of this chapter)