Free The Pestilence by Faisal Ansari Page B

recoiled. “I fought for this land. I have given my life for the struggle. You have to give me back what I have lost, what they have taken from me.”
    Samuel’s eyes hardened. “I will not heal a killer of innocents. I will not heal a murderer of women and children.” Samuel gestured to the man’s leg. “This is your fate and I’m not prepared to liberate you from it.” Samuel turned to leave.
    The man with the crutch had seen the men and women Samuel had cured in the hospital that evening, patients walking away from their sickness, walking away from their wounds and their trauma. The hope that burned brightly, the hope that he would also be saved was extinguished in an explosion of impotence and rage. The man leaned against the wall of the corridor and with his one good hand swung his wooden crutch towards the back of Samuel’s head.
    If the man had full use of his arms and legs the strike from the crutch would have caved in Samuel’s skull but Samuel’s head only took a glancing blow. It was strong enough to open up a small cut beneath his hairline and unprepared for the assault Samuel fell forward onto his knees. He gasped as the pain detonated through his skull and he felt blood spool down his neck.
    Mariam moved quickly. She slammed her boot into the man’s one good leg, kicking out the side of his knee. He crumpled to the floor. Mariam, feeling no compunction about striking a man when he was down, followed up with a vicious right cross crashing onto his ear. She rushed to Samuel who was staggering gingerly to his feet.
    â€œYou okay?”
    â€œYeah, I will live.” He leant heavily on Mariam the cut on his head turning the white collar of Rami’s shirt crimson. “That was pleasant.”
    Mariam let out a relieved laugh. “Well, you deserved it. Can you do your thing; fix yourself up so we can get out of here?”
    Samuel pointed to his burned and bandaged thigh. “I don’t think I can self-heal.”
    â€œWell, at least we are in the right place; come on, let’s go find you a real doctor.”
    ***

Chapter 5
    Timeline: The Pestilence minus 13 days. Information source: Internet video clip; Episode 13 series 11 of the Susan Saltman Show. Special guest: Victor Pierre Chaput.
    Susan Saltman: Last year few people outside the financial world would have heard of my next guest. Six months after the launch of the Chaput Foundation, Victor Pierre Chaput has become a household name. He is at the centre of a revival in philanthropic activity. This is a man who wants to directly tackle the problems facing society. Ladies and gentlemen, please give him the warmest of welcomes.
    Victor Pierre Chaput: Thank you, Susan, thank you so much for having me. It really is a pleasure to sit with you today. Excuse me if I am a little nervous; this is my first time on TV.
    Susan Saltman: Don’t be nervous, Victor; you are amongst friends. It’s an honour to have you with us. Welcome to the show.
    Victor Pierre Chaput: Thank you.
    Susan Saltman: Victor, you are best known as the man who set up the Chaput Foundation. Tell me about the genesis of the idea behind the foundation. What was the spark? Did you just wake up one morning and decide that helping others would be your legacy?
    Victor Pierre Chaput: Susan, I wish there was a genuine eureka moment in all of this, but the boring reality is the foundation was the culmination of thoughts I had over many years. I have been truly blessed to have the success I have had. I thought for a long time about how best to give something back to society. I thought hard; I am a religious man and often prayed on the question. The wealth I have been lucky enough to earn, I can’t take it with me; I don’t have any children and so giving everything to the foundation was the best way I could give back to the society that has given me so much.
    Susan Saltman: Victor, you are too modest, tell the folks at home