I never thought work could be healing! We talked and they showed me other people who had to learn to do new things. Rikar was a diplomat, and he was like Terarie and Nan for a few months. That was years ago! Now he loves his work teaching art to students, and he got good enough to be Painting Leader of Fig. They lived in another prov. Only the best artists come to Fig because that's where the seat of all MarKu's government is, in this city. I was surprised to learn that only 2000 people live in Fig. Para Prov has nine cities, and all of them have 2000 people. Most provs only have one city. A lot of people move to Para because they get very good at their work. I realized I didn't know anything about how MarKu's government works!

Yet, to look at modest Rikar, I'd never know he was MarKu's greatest painter. His red robes had Tessite symbols for things like integrity, honesty, and other of the 7 and 9 good traits that Zheien value. But they looked like the red robes of the other art leaders. There's one for every kind of art, music, dance, anything people perform or make. Scientists also have categories like this, and Para's Science Council is the best on MarKu, and Fig's is like the best of the best.

Diplomats also have that, all the way up to Planetary Minister. Ryonne~, the one they talked about, is Unified Diplomat, so he's second only to Emperor Ry'nao. The fact that Nan's father works here in Fig and Nan became Diplomat-In-Aid, says a lot. They moved here from another prov, too. No wonder they're so sad to lose their occupations!

Even the unfortunate Vinanean was here because of her riding skill with ferrisna, the fastest riding animal on MarKu!

A few days later, Benar Sen helped Nan eat, and he cried because he dropped his pastry. I put it in his hand and helped him get it near his mouth, and he smiled. "O, you are patient with me, Cho."

"You should be patient with your fingers, Nan. They are doing the best work they can, and they will get better at holding."

"Ah, she is wise, Nan! You should listen to her." Ben readjusted his leiwege to hold his arms up more.

"Eae. I miss the skills I had, to paint." He sighed.

"You can paint. Terarie wanted you to have this." I waved out a plate with a very shaky rosette.

Nan wept. "My cousin's namesign had three flowers in it. He loves them so."

"Do you know Cho encouraged him to paint this? He wept and said his namesign is unwell, so he should nae attempt a flower. But she told him, if he paints, healers can learn how to teach injured people to paint. So he asked Ri to hold his points while he painted. Eae.

"Now Rikar listens to his students while they paint, and healers listen through him, for he is very practiced with his telepathy! They learn from comparing his uninjured students who struggle and think their art is unwell, to his students who struggle with injuries.

"The struggle is the same. All artists must try to copy what is real, or imagined, and learn to find satisfaction in the process of art." Benar Sen smiled, and it tingled on me. "Once our unwell realized this, they stopped expecting to draw as once they did. Instead, they enjoy seeing improvement. We help them to find beauty even in simple drawings and colors. If one cannot enjoy the process, how can they enjoy the result?"

I thought about how many drawings I threw away because I didn't get the first line to curve the way I wanted. One line doesn't make a drawing! I thought about my plate collection, where I got frustrated and stopped before I got very far. Isn't that like poor Terarie, who remembered his complicated namesign, and decided that his first lines weren't good enough?

When I told him the struggle had a purpose, to help healers help others, he decided to take that a step further. It wasn't very comfortable to have a healer with his hands on my head while I tried to paint. But, I wanted to help them figure out things, so I put up with it. I think it would be harder for Terarie, who gets tired and his head nods. He's got a lot of struggles I don't.

Nan thought about it, then smiled. "Then, Ben, listen to me as I try to copy my namesign. I will think of him as art, as an experiment to help healers learn."

He used a plate and a brush, which was a lot thicker line than his namesign did. His first line had random squiggles, and he erased and redrew it at least ten times.

"Nae this sorrow. Perhaps, leave the lines as they are and add to them. Eae, think of him as art. Nae concern for if he is like. Every stroke of your brush teaches your fingers to move as you wish them to move."

With a sigh, he nodded, but he blinked and dropped the brush. Ben held him up. "My son, nae fear. I have you."

He groaned.

"You feel my herbs for your shakings. The effect is strong, but lessens soon. Rest.

"Shak-ings. W-will I die soon?"

"Nae. Many died in the last few centuries, but we know better treatments now. I nae lost one to shakings. Pirad woke many children afflicted with them, and he altered herbs to help us save them. Earth gave us a great remedy. Taste you sweetness, Nan? This is caramel, that calms shakings better than even Pie's herbs."

"Eae." Slowly, he raised his head and his deep blue eyes blinked at me. "Am I well?"

Why's he asking me?

"I think he fears to frighten you, Cho."

I rubbed his hands. They twitched, so I put tnshey on them from Benar Sen's bowl. "I'm not scared. Shakings are only dangerous if they go on for a long time."

"Eae? Do I sound drunken?"

"No! Maybe a bit sleepy. I don't mind. You wouldn't do that for fun."

"Fun? Is misery! I wish to wake, Ben." He frowned.

"My son, shakings weary a man. If you sleep for a short time, you will feel more alert."

He cried. I'd seen this several times with poor Terarie. "Don't be scared. You can wake up. But if you sleep, it'll be easier to wake up, not harder."

"When I lay in their chamber, I had fear, that I could nae wake!"

"You had exhaustion, and deep pain! Nae amount of diplomatic training can change this. You had peril, and peril has effects. Then Pedsa had to put you in stasis. Have you nightmares of stasis?"

"Eae! I beg, wake me!" He shuddered.

Benar Sen hugged him. "Listen to me. Rest your arms. Shakings can come again. You must sleep now. There will be nae stasis. I can wake you later, if you are frightened. I shall nae leave. Sing, Cho, that he nae feels alone."

I sang, "You'll Never Walk Alone". Nan smiled. That became his favorite seizure song.