When he asked how it was spread, but then answered it for himself she smiled like a proud teacher who just watched one of her students realize an answer. Not that she was picturing him as a student, but the fact that she wasn't working with a dimwit was nice.

"Fleas, technically. But they were carried around by the rats, so yes. Rats. Which I'd advice we keep our distance from if we see any." She watched him sit, take a moment, and stand again. She would say he was having a mild case of the panics.

Time Traveler Clara could understand, but she was also used to this kind of strange era problem. She moved closer, pausing to try to catch his eye. "Hey, don't worry. In the time I come from they have vaccines for this thing. We get back to the library, scrub down and get fresh cloths and we should be fine. These people didn't actually bathe and that helped to spread things too. Kay?"

She glanced back down the alley, stepping back enough to peek at the masked man. "As for them? Plague Doctors. Cities used to pay for them to treat those in town. They're generally doctors, medical practitioners or at least people posing as such. That suit? Thick, waxy sometimes. It's protective. The mask? Think of it as a gas mask. the nose is filled with scented materials like mint, cloves, myrrh, rose petals, or straw. To protect him from the bad air around the plague victims. It's like a filter, something your mask doesn't have. Nice mask, by the way."

Sorry kid, you're getting a history lesson and she doesn't even mean to do that to you!