How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 43: Mission to London (1)
Hmm... what did I promise to give Raleigh?
First, the vitamin supplements and the watch.
These are items for navigation.
Vitamin supplements are essential. Sailors of this era died en masse from mysterious ailments, and the fact that it was scurvy caused by vitamin C deficiency was only discovered centuries later.
The watch and nautical chart are likewise crucial.
It would take until the 18th century for John Harrison to develop a clock that works accurately at sea. And until then, there were no clocks that worked reliably without error at sea.
But with just this wristwatch, everything changes. If you can tell time on a ship, you can determine longitude, and if you know the longitude, you can determine your position at sea.
It's a privilege no sailor of this era enjoys. That's why Lord Raleigh's eyes rolled back.
And a map made with 21st century technology? That goes without saying.
But the protective suit, mask, streptomycin sulfate, and bleach serve a somewhat different purpose.
I've been collecting these for a while.
Since I first discovered Eleanor and the thirty or so people from the Roanoke colony.
That's when I started seriously reading the game catalog.
I had no particular thoughts, just that, well, collecting them might come in handy?
The protective suit and mask are essential items when entering dangerous areas, so there's no need to explain why I stockpiled them.
Streptomycin sulfate can save the life of a plague patient if injected within 48 hours of onset.
Originally it was medical-grade (I'm still not sure if it's legal) stuff that Mr. Tanaka from the direct sales market gave me to mix with gibberellin, so it can be used on people just fine. Usually, Buramycin is used for grapes, so I still don't know why he gave it to me.
Bleach is for cleaning. It can also kill the rodents that spread the plague.
'In 1592, a major outbreak of the plague in London and its surroundings killed more than 15,000 people, over 10% of the city's population. The damage occurred mainly in unsanitary slum areas...'
Having seen such a historical event, I thought it was right to stockpile, and now it's proving useful.
That was fortunate. I was reluctant to recommend London to Walter Raleigh since it meant he'd be going to his death, but if he says he's going on his own...
"Lord Raleigh? Are you really going to London?"
"...Well, I-I am going. If I don't go because I'm afraid of the plague, how long should I delay? 2 years? 3 years? I can't be away from England for that long."
If he says it like that, it's easier to entrust him with the task.
"Then... do you know how to use the mask?"
"Pardon? Isn't it something you wear on your face? Of course that's..."
Flutter.
"...Is that a mask?"
"Use it once, then wash it or throw it away. You must distinguish between the front and back when wearing it. Please tell your sailors that."
"Um... yes. Then..."
"Next is the protective suit. It might look ridiculous, so it would be good to use it when you come in contact with plague patients."
"Pardon? Would I ever get that close to plague patients?"
"Yes."
"..."
"..."
Raleigh looked slightly surprised, then relaxed his expression.
I showed him how to put on and take off the protective suit, explaining various precautions. And then... um...
"The method of using a syringe cannot be mastered in one go."
"A... syringe, you mean that thing Ms. Lawrence was using?"
"Yes."
"..."
"That's right, the thing used on patients."
"..."
"..."
Raleigh's smiling expression stiffened slightly.
He seemed to have caught on.
And I noticed that he had caught on.
Right. While you're at it, try to solve London's plague problem.
Help the dying people and, in the process, earn the Queen's favor—isn't that a good deal?
Um... or is it not, since he has to go through a deadly crisis?
Anyway, with nearly 10,000 witnesses, hiding my identity was already shot, and I thought there was no reason to hold back on exercising influence in England... of course, I wouldn't force him.
"Ah, no, that... surely not..."
While Walter Raleigh was stammering, I turned my head and spoke.
"I should go see Ms. Lawrence now. I need to check if she would accompany you."
"Ah... yes. That's right."
Walter Raleigh's expression became increasingly strange, but I didn't mind much. After all, he said he would go himself.
Praising his courage to voluntarily go to London teeming with germ-carrying mice, I moved on.
When I finally led Raleigh to the "hospital," Eleanor, who had come to volunteer, was treating patients along with Margaret. It's closer to an elementary school infirmary than a hospital, but still, it's top-tier among hospitals of this era.
"Raise your arm here. Tell me if it hurts."
"Aaaaaaagh! It hurts! It hurts!"
"Oh, dear. That must be painful."
...What's this? I never taught her to talk like that. Does the medical profession naturally cause convergent evolution in speech patterns?
I waited until they sent off the last patient, then opened the door as soon as the hospital was empty.
Fling.
The two people who were busy organizing medicines and bandages turned their heads and greeted me. I had them sit back down, seated Lord Raleigh beside them, and said:
"Lord Raleigh has decided to go to London."
"...What?"
"The plague will break out in London. The people there will need Ms. Lawrence."
"..."
"..."
Um... is she hesitating?
That won't do. I need Margaret.
I asked again, more earnestly:
"In this plan, if Lord Raleigh is the foundation stone, Ms. Lawrence is the monument stone. Your dedication is needed, Ms. Lawrence."
At those words, Raleigh flinched, and Margaret...
Margaret hesitated for a moment... then nodded with a slightly blank expression.
"...I'll go."
"Good. Then..."
As I was about to rise from my seat, someone grabbed my collar. When I turned... Eleanor was looking up at me, crying out urgently:
"W-wait a moment!"
"What is it, Eleanor?"
"C-can I go too?"
"Hmm? Eleanor, would you... be alright?"
"I may not be as good as Margaret, but I-I know how to give injections, and I've pretty much memorized all the medicines here. I think I'll be fine."
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"..."
"..."
I turned my head to look at Raleigh.
His expression seemed somewhat different from before.
A bit more... sharp-eyed, perhaps?
