Perplexing as the message was, Roland had no reason to doubt Mrs. Sherman's plan. They needed to act quickly for Finn no matter how odd it seemed.
For the benefit of the soldiers (they didn't know whether this plan was only slightly outside the law or VERY against the law), they acted as if they were giving up and leaving the area, then worked the cart around out of sight in the direction they were told. They arrived there before sundown by a large boulder, though they didn't see a cave, and waited as patiently as they could.
As predicted, a boat came into view as the sun dipped to the horizon. The lone occupant ignored them, pulled up to shore, and tied the boat to a stake that must have been implanted in the ground for that purpose. Still ignoring them, he began unloading small and medium boxes of things and setting them to the side, despite no storage place in sight.
Roland shared looks with the others and decided to approach. "Hello, we're looking for Jimmy?"
The man finally turned and studied him with a serious air. "Who sent you?"
"Mrs. Sherman?" The question sounded accusatory, and he wasn't sure if it was the right answer. "We need to get my injured friend into the city for medical help, but since she has a fever the guards won't let us through the main gate."
The old man spat into the dirt. "She contagious?"
"No, certainly not." Roland held eye contact to convey his confidence in this matter, lest it mean the difference between entry and denial.
"How many need to get in?" The man who was presumably Jimmy eyed the cart, which contained an unknown quantity of occupants.
"There are four of us, including my sick friend."
"All right. Tie the horses to the rock there. Fee is 50 gold coins, and I'll care for them and the cart til you return or you send somebody for them. You take more than a week to do one of those things and they all belong to me." Jimmy turned back to his boat without waiting for an answer. Apparently whether they got into the boat or not would be the signal of their acceptance or rejection of the bargain.
Riley, who had remained silent through the entire exchange, took the initiative to get Finn. Maybe he was that eager to get her to help, or maybe he was eager to make sure Roland wasn't going to carry her. Either way, the choice was made. Mayra tied up Peach and quickly gathered the items she thought they would need inside the city into a bag she slung over one shoulder.
Roland tied Buck, and patted his nose, then grabbed his saddle bags and offered his arm out to help Riley step into the boat. The arm was ignored. Riley climbed into the boat, set Finn down on a low bench, and took his place beside her. Roland held out a small bag of coins to Jimmy.
"Half now, half when we get into the city." He didn't fully trust this strange man. Of course, it was likely unwise to get into a boat under the control of someone you didn't trust, but there were few choices at this point.
Jimmy nodded enigmatically and took the bag. Once everyone was settled, he pushed off from shore.
"It's none of my business, but don't you need to store those goods somewhere?" Mayra asked curiously.
"What goods?" Jimmy didn't even turn.
"Those--" Mayra pointed, but nothing was on shore now. She blinked several times, wondering if she had imagined him unloading the boxes of things from the boat, but the cart and horses had also disappeared. "Wait, Peach--our horse--she's--"
"She's fine. Don't worry none, I'm president of the farmers. I know how to take care of an animal."
"You're what now? That's not a real position." Riley was a farmer and confident that there was no centralized leadership of the agricultural community.
"There's a lot of real stuff you don't know about." Jimmy continued facing forward as he steered the boat.
A strange silence ruled for a few moments. Riley felt insulted by Jimmy's comment, but it was stated with such unwavering and emotionless certainty that he wasn't sure how to fight back against the man. Usually a quick-witted snark, Riley felt humbled and confused by this development. He turned and pretended Finn needed his undivided attention as she rested beside him in the watercraft.
"Do you mind me asking you something?" Mayra didn't want to jeopardize the help they were getting, but had a lot of questions. "Maybe.. a few things?"
"Ask away, you may not get an answer at all or you may not like what you do get." Jimmy still didn't turn.
"You're a smuggler." Mayra stated this without doubt.
"Ain't a question." Jimmy replied.
"What do you smuggle?"
"Mayra!" Riley hushed her furiously. Surely asking a criminal about their crimes was likely to get them thrown into the lake. Roland eyed the two with trepidation, for once in complete unity with Riley's opinion.
Jimmy was not offended. "Plants." He said simply. None of them dared ask more about what kind of plants needed smuggling.
"Why would you put that secret business in danger by helping a sick person get into the city?" Mayra moved on to the heart of her curiosity.
"Government's dumb," Jimmy turned toward the girl and stared at her with fire in his eyes. "Gets in the way is all it does. My sweet Mama Millicent was sick, and I couldn't help her. No good at healin' ya see. So I brought her to see one of them fancy city doctors. Guards wouldn't let us in. She didn't make it. So now I ignore their idiot rules and do what I want and what I think's best."
It was the most words by far the man had strung together. They were startled by the emotion behind his outburst.
"And how will we get into the city?" Roland couldn't resist asking after a minute, since the man was in a talkative mood. Jimmy was slowly guiding the boat closer to a portion of wall that bordered the lake.
"My own special way. Don't worry none, never been caught before." Jimmy had returned his gaze to a point straight ahead, low on the wall.
"What happens if we get caught?" Mayra whispered to Roland.
"Disobeying city rules is dealt with by the Peacekeeper and his forces. That... wouldn't be pleasant." Roland had never personally been on the wrong side of the Peacekeeping force, but in his younger years he'd seen other urchins get caught stealing and get taken away. He wasn't sure what happened after that, but his little-boy imagination had conjured quite a bit.
"Told ya not to worry, just stick with Ol' Jimmy."
The boat had come ever closer to the wall as the darkness deepened, and they seemed to be headed towards a drainage grate. Such a small fishing boat wouldn't draw the attention of anyone keeping watch atop the wall. Riley squinted at the grate to see if there were some weakness, but it seemed perfectly solid.
Until it was gone. Suddenly, where the grate had been was only a gap like a perfect tunnel in the city wall. Jimmy guided the boat through and it came to rest at the edge of the water on the other side. "Here's your stop. Where's my money? You going straight to see Doc?"
Roland handed him the rest of the money in silent bewilderment and nodded as the others climbed out of the boat, Finn again carried by Riley. Mayra was not content with silence.
"What did you do??" She gasped. Roland tried to hush her as he joined the others.
Jimmy tossed Roland a small pouch once he counted the money Roland had given him. "That's for Doc. Tell him payment's due next week."
Roland sniffed the bag, "Medicinal herbs?"
"Ain't just for medicine. Lots of uses for 'em. I told you, there's a lot of real stuff you don't know about." With that, Jimmy pushed his boat away and was gone as if he'd never been there.
"What. In. The. WORLD!" Mayra exclaimed.
"Quiet, too much noise after sunset will attract attention." Roland hushed her. "Let's get to Dr. Sherman." He began leading the others through the streets to the home where he'd spent most of his life.
Mayra looked up at the buildings as they quietly traversed the city. It was so different in the darkness. The looming buildings, some several stories tall, seemed ominous. The cliffs blocked the moon and many of the stars, and the main sources of light were the lamps lit along the streets. She shivered and moved to walk closer behind her brother.
Riley was paying no attention to anything besides stepping lightly and observing Finn. She was very hot, and very still. He didn't know if it was good or bad that she'd stopped whimpering and moving around restlessly. He hoped it was a restful sleep and not the sign of worsening infection. But he couldn't bring himself to ask Roland. The old doctor he worked for would know anyway.
Eventually, after winding through the streets for a number of minutes (Roland had to get his bearings from the strange place they'd entered the city), Roland stopped them in front of a two-story dwelling on a corner. A sign in front of it declared it a clinic.
Roland rapped three times on the door, not wanting to startle anyone inside.
A stout woman with a stern face opened it, but immediately relaxed in relief and threw her arms around the young man. "Roland! Come in, I was so worried. You left so long ago, and to come back like this! I wasn't sure..." her voice faded, "just come inside, all of you."
The four young people were ushered into a clean room.
"Put the patient there on the bed, please." Mrs. Sherman directed. Riley complied. "Now please take the bags into the next room while the young miss and I help prepare the patient for treatment by putting her in fresh, clean clothes. Roland, dear, the doctor is upstairs now, please go get him and let him know he has a patient. He'll be glad to see you."