Lebrecht looked at the two hangmen, trying to think. “But since the two of you are already here. . can you at least say what killed old Vasold? His servant swears to God he was attacked by a werewolf, but perhaps the old man just fell in the river and drowned after a night of carousing.”
“I hardly think so,” replied Jakob with a grim smile. “From the looks of him, he might have been attacked by a half dozen werewolves.”
Martin Lebrecht turned as white as a ghost. “Oh, God. Is it that bad?”
Bartholomäus nodded. “Worse. And now, farewell.”
Before leaving with Jakob, the Bamberg executioner pointed at Answin again. “Don’t forget to give the corpse fisherman his reward. It’s said whoever declines to pay him his money will be the next one the river carries away.”
He gave the ragpicker a discreet wink, then continued walking with his brother down the stinking Regnitz, where dead branches and leaves seemed to reach out like long fingers as the river carried them away.
When Simon knocked on the door of the Bamberg city physician’s house that evening, it wasn’t the arrogant old housekeeper who opened the door, but the master of the house himself. Samuel looked overworked and was pale and unshaven, but when he saw Simon, his face brightened.
“Thank God!” he cried in relief. “I thought at first you were another patient coming to ask me for a magic potion to protect them from werewolf bites.”
Simon frowned. “Are there people like that?”
Samuel let out a pained laugh. “There were three of them here already today, and it’s Magda’s day off, so she’s not here to turn away this superstitious riffraff. One of them even demanded a silver wolf’s tooth. I sent them all packing, telling them I was a university-educated doctor and not a magician or charlatan.” He groaned. “But since I come from a Jewish family, they seem to consider me an especially gifted doctor. Sooner or later one of them will probably turn me in as a werewolf. Oh, but excuse me.” Samuel gestured for his friend to enter. “Do come in. I still have a little freshly ground coffee, if you’d like.”
Soon the two were sitting in Samuel’s little study, slurping the bitter, black drink. The doctor gave Simon a worried glance.
“It’s really bad, what’s going on out there since the suffragan bishop offered this reward,” he lamented. “I’ve heard there were nearly a half dozen arrests already today, and that’s surely just the beginning.”
Simon nodded. “I’m worried, too. If you ask me, the only real werewolf in this city is the suffragan bishop himself. He’s infecting everyone else with his rabid hatred.”
Samuel laughed softly. “A good comparison, but at least we won’t have to worry about Harsee for a while. He’s got a bad fever that will keep him in bed for a few days at least, even if he doesn’t want to admit it.” The city physician suddenly turned serious. “I visited him just this afternoon. He’s really sick, with severe headaches, joint pain, sweating. . and something else. .” He hesitated for a moment, then told Simon about the little wound on Harsee’s neck.
“It might be nothing to worry about, but there’s a red ring around the wound that I don’t like at all,” he concluded.
“Probably it’s just become inflamed,” Simon speculated. “Do you think it’s somehow related to the fever?”
Samuel frowned. “I don’t know, but there’s something strange about it. In addition, he refuses to drink anything; he says every time he drinks, he throws it up.” Simon shook his head. “I looked it up in my books, but I couldn’t find anything.” He sighed, took a sip of coffee, and turned to Simon with a smile.
“If I know you, you didn’t just come to drink coffee with me,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “So what’s on your mind?”
Simon took a deep breath. He’d been wondering for a long time whether to let his friend in on the plan, but he’d finally decided against it. If something went wrong, it was better for as few people as possible to know about it. He didn’t want to burden Samuel unnecessarily.
And there was another matter he’d been troubled about for days, but he’d kept putting it out of his mind until just now.
“What I’m going to tell you now may sound a bit strange,” he began hesitantly, “but believe me, I know what I’m doing.” He ran down the list of ingredients his father-in-law had asked him to get from the doctor.
For a moment, Samuel just stood there with his mouth open. “Mandrake, henbane, sulfur, saltpeter. .” he finally said, shaking his head. “Damn it, Simon, what’s all that for? Magic incantations? Are you trying to conjure up your own werewolf?”
Simon smiled weakly. “Something like that. But believe me, it’s for the good of the city and has nothing to do with magic. On the contrary. Nevertheless, for the time being it’s best for you not to know anything more about it.”
Samuel leaned back and looked at Simon suspiciously. “You’re asking quite a lot of me. You want me to give you all these strange ingredients, but won’t tell me why?”
“Because I don’t want to put you at risk unnecessarily. Understand-if it all works out, you’ll be the first to know.”
After a while, Samuel nodded. “Very well, but only because it’s you. I have most of the ingredients over in my office. Saltpeter and sulfur I’ll have to get from the court pharmacy, but that shouldn’t be any problem. I’ll just tell them I need the ingredients for a new medical procedure. As the bishop’s personal physician, I can do things like that.” He leaned forward. “When do you need them?”
Simon swallowed hard. “Ah. . tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow!” Samuel looked at him in astonishment. “But tomorrow is the bishop’s reception. I thought you’d be coming along with me.”
“I don’t need them for myself, but for a. . a friend,” Simon replied hesitantly.
Samuel rolled his eyes. “Very well, I’ll go to the cathedral mount first thing tomorrow.” But then he shook his finger threateningly. “But make damn sure I don’t know what you’re going to do with it.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m sure the news will quickly. . um, get around.” Simon set his cup down, squirmed restlessly in his seat, and blushed. “There’s one final favor I have to ask of you,” he said in a halting voice.
Samuel groaned. “For God’s sake, what else do you want?”
“It concerns the reception tomorrow night in Geyerswörth Castle,” he began. “Many noble gentlemen will be there, even the bishop of Würzburg, an elector, no less. You have introduced me as a widely traveled scholar, and in fact I’m able to put on a pretty good act. It’s just that. .” He looked down at his sweaty shirt and filthy petticoat breeches. “I’m afraid I’ve got nothing suitable to wear. Do you have, perhaps. .”
His question was drowned out by Samuel’s loud laughter.
“Simon, Simon,” the doctor finally replied, wiping the tears from his eyes. “You haven’t changed at all-still the same proud dandy as back when we were in school.” He rose from his seat. “Let’s go and have a look in the closet. You’re not exactly my size, but I’m sure we’ll find something that will make you the bestdressed scholar in all of Bamberg.”