"Why should I?" Shefrowned. "Two days. I have to get back to work."
"I sent word to Li Sungto tell him you'd be delayed."
"You told him I was sick?You shouldn't have done that. He'll only worry."
"I told him you were outof danger." He scowled. "And it's about time someone worried aboutyou. Li Sung should have seen you were working yourself toward something likethis."
"My fault…I forgot to take thequinghaoafter Igot here."
"Quinghao?"
"It's an ancient Chineseherbal medicine. Li Sung gave it to me when I first fell sick with the diseasein Kasanpore."
"Do you take it all thetime?"
"Not all the time. Onlywhen I think I may be coming down with—"
"And just how long haveyou been taking it since you came to Cinnidar?" he asked with measuredprecision.
She didn't answer.
"How long?" Ruel persisted.
"Four weeks."
"My God."
"It wasn't bad. Justnight fever."
"That sapped you ofstrength during the day." His right hand grabbed the arm of the chair."You had it the night you came here, didn't you? Dammit, you probablywould never have even come if you'd been in your right senses."
Looking back at that hazy,disoriented period, she wasn't sure if he was right or wrong. "I don'tknow. It seemed the only thing to do at the time." She added quickly,"What's important is that I'm over it now and I'll be on my feet in notime. I had an attack last year while I was at Glenclaren and I was back at themill the next day."
"An attack as bad asthis?"
She shook her head. "Butthat doesn't mean I—" She stopped and asked wearily, "Why should itmatter to you?"
"Because I—" Heglanced away from her as he set the glass on the nightstand. "Because Ineed that railroad built."
He had been about to saysomething else, something completely different. She frowned in puzzlement."We're only a few days behind schedule and this illness won't hold us up.Li Sung is very competent. I'll go back to the crossing tomorrow."
"The hell you will."His glance shifted swiftly back to her face, blue eyes blazing. "So youcan collapse again the next day or the day after that? "You'll stay hereand rest for another week."
"The hell I will."She repeated his words. "You need t hat railroad built, and so do I. I canbe sick some other time."
"And you will. That'swhat I'm saying, dammit. Rest now and you might—" He stopped as he saw herface. "All right, four days."
She shook her head.
"Four days and I'll bringMedford over here tomorrow afternoon to discuss the joining of the rails sothat you won't feel the time's completely wasted."
She really did need to seeMedford. She studied Ruel's determined expression and decided if she didn'tcompromise she would only have to spend the strength she needed forconvalescence arguing with him. "Three days"
"Done." Ruel smiled.
She stared at him, startled.It was a real smile that lit his face with warmth and humor, the kind of smileshe had received from him rarely even in those days before the train wreck."Why are you—there's something different."
His lids immediately hoodedhis eyes. "Different?"
