Toilers of the Sea Part I Book 1 Chapter V - Other Suspicious Things About Gilliatt

In which the curious and somber whispers of the island folk weave a cloak of mystery around Gilliatt, attributing to him the strange powers and sombre fate of the marcou, a bearer of the royal fleur-de-lys reputed to cure scrofula. Amid suspicion and reverence, Gilliatt navigates the harsh judgments of public opinion, his solitary nature and reluctant refusal to embrace his supposed miraculous role deepening the enigma that surrounds him.