http://nowhereman.alfaspace.net/

DAVIDBALDACCI

WISHYOUWELL

Thisbookisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentsaretheproductoftheauthor's

imaginationorareusedfictitiously.Anyresemblancetoactualevents,locales,orpersons,livingordead,is

coincidental.

WARNERBOOKSEDITION

Copyright©2000byColumbusRose,Ltd.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedin

anyformorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretrievalsystems,

withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquotebriefpassagesina

review.

Tomymother,theinspirationforthisnovel

Contents

AUTHOR'SNOTE

CHAPTERONE

CHAPTERTWO

CHAPTERTHREE

CHAPTERFOUR

CHAPTERFIVE

CHAPTERSIX

CHAPTERSEVEN

CHAPTEREIGHT

CHAPTERNINE

CHAPTERTEN

CHAPTERELEVEN

CHAPTERTWELVE

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

CHAPTERNINETEEN

CHAPTERTWENTY

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

CHAPTERTHIRTY

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE

CHAPTERFORTY

TODAY

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

AUTHOR'SNOTE

ThestoryinWishYouWellisfictional,butthesetting,otherthantheplacenames,isnot.

Ihavebeentothosemountains,andalsowasfortunatetogrowupwithtwowomenwho

calledthehighrockhomeformanyyears.Mymaternalgrandmother,CoraRose,lived

withmyfamilyinRichmondforthelasttenyearsofherlife,butspentthepriorsix

decadesorsoonthetopofamountaininsouthwesternVirginia.AtherkneeIlearned

aboutthatlandandthelifethere.Mymother,theyoungestoften,livedonthatmountain

forthefirstseventeenyearsofherlife,andwhileIwasgrowingupshepassedalongto

memanyfascinatingstoriesfromheryouth.Indeed,boththehardshipsandthe

adventuresexperiencedbythecharactersinthenovelwouldnotbeunfamiliartoher.

InadditiontothestoriesIlistenedtoasachild,Ispentconsiderabletimeinterviewing

mymotherinpreparationforwritingWishYouWell,anditwasanenlighteningtimefor

me,onmanylevels.Oncewereachadulthood,mostofusassumeweknowallthereisto

knowaboutourparentsandotherfamilymembers.However,ifyoutakethetimetoask

questionsandactuallylistentotheanswers,youmayfindthereisstillmuchtolearn

aboutpeoplesoclosetoyou.Thusthisnovelis,inpart,anoralhistoryofbothwhereand

howmymothergrewup.Oralhistoriesareadyingart,whichissadindeed,forthey

showappropriaterespectforthelivesandexperiencesofthosewhohavecomebefore.

And,justasimportant,theydocumentthoseremembrances,foroncethoselivesareover,

thatpersonalknowledgeislostforever.Unfortunately,weliveinatimenowwhere

everyoneseemstobesolelylookingahead,asthoughwedeemnothinginthepast

worthyofourattention.Thefutureisalwaysfreshandexciting,andithasapullonus

thattimespastsimplycannevermuster.Yetitmaywellbethatourgreatestwealthas

humanbeingscanbe"discovered"bysimplylookingbehindus.

ThoughIamknownformysuspensenovels,Ihavealwaysbeendrawntostoriesofthe

pastinmynativeVirginia,andtalesofpeoplelivinginplacesthatsharplylimitedtheir

ambitions,yetprovidedthemwitharichnessofknowledgeandexperiencefewhaveever

attained.Ironically,asawriter,I've

spentthelasttwentyyearsorsohuntingrelentlessly

forstorymaterial,andutterlyfailedtoseealumberyardfulwithinmyownfamily.

However,whileitcamelaterthanitprobablyshouldhave,writingthisnovelwasoneof

themostrewardingexperiencesofmylife.

WISHYOUWELL

CHAPTERONE

THEAIRWASMOIST,THECOMINGRAINTELEGRAPHEDby

plump,grayclouds,andthe

blueskyfastfading.The1936four-doorLincolnZephyrsedanmoveddownthewinding

roadatadecent,ifunhurried,pace.Thecar'sinteriorwasfilledwiththeinvitingaromas

ofwarmsourdoughbread,bakedchicken,andpeachandcinnamonpiefromthepicnic

basketthatsatsotemptinglybetweenthetwochildreninthebackseat.

LouisaMaeCardinal,twelveyearsold,tallandrangy,herhairthecolorof

sun-dappled

strawandhereyesblue,wasknownsimplyasLou.Shewasaprettygirlwhowould

almostcertainlygrowintoabeautifulwoman.ButLouwouldfightteaparties,pigtails,

andfrillydressestothedeath.Andsomehowwin.Itwasjusthernature.

Thenotebookwasopenonherlap,andLouwasfillingtheblankpageswithwritingsof

importancetoher,asafishermandoeshisnet.Andfromthegirl'spleasedlook,shewas

landingfatcodwitheverypitchandcatch.Asalways,shewasveryintentonherwriting.

Loucamebythattraithonestly,asherfatherhadsuchfevertoanevengreaterdegree

thanhisdaughter.

OntheothersideofthepicnicbasketwasLou'sbrother,Oz.Thenamewasacontraction

ofhisgivenone,Oscar.Hewasseven,smallforhisage,thoughtherewasthepromiseof

heightinhislongfeet.Hedidnotpossessthelankylimbsandathletic

graceofhissister.

OzalsolackedtheconfidencethatsoplainlyburnedinLou'seyes.Andyetheheldhis

wornstuffedbearwiththeunbreakableclenchofawrestler,andhehadawayabouthim

thatnaturallywarmedother'ssouls.AftermeetingOzCardinal,onecameaway

convincedthathewasalittleboywithaheartasbigandgivingasGodcouldbestowon

lowly,conflictedmortals.

JackCardinalwasdriving.Heseemedunawareoftheapproachingstorm,oreventhe

car'sotheroccupants.Hisslenderfingersdrummedonthesteeringwheel.Thetipsofhis

fingerswerecallusedfromyearsofpunchingthetypewriterkeys,andtherewasa

permanentgrooveinthemiddlefingerofhisrighthandwherethepenpressedagainstit.

Badgesofhonor,heoftensaid.

Asawriter,Jackassembledvividlandscapesdenselypopulatedwith

flawedcharacters

who,witheachturnofthepage,seemedmorerealthanone'sfamily.Readerswould

oftenweepasabelovedcharacterperishedunderthewriter'snib,yetthedistinctbeauty

ofthelanguageneverovershadowedthebluntforceofthestory,forthethemesimbedded

inJackCardinal'staleswerepowerfulindeed.Butthenanespeciallywell-tooledline

wouldcomealongandmakeonesmileandperhapsevenlaughaloud,

becauseabitof

humorwasoftenthemosteffectivetoolforpainlesslydrivinghomeaseriouspoint.

JackCardinal'stalentsasawriterhadbroughthimmuchcriticalacclaim,andverylittle

money.TheLincolnZephyrdidnotbelongtohim,forluxuriessuchasautomobiles,

fancyorplain,seemedforeverbeyondhisreach.Thecarhadbeenborrowedforthis

specialoutingfromafriendandadmirerofJack'swork.Certainlythe

womansittingnext

tohimhadnotmarriedJackCardinalformoney.

AmandaCardinalusuallyborewellthedriftofherhusband'snimblemind.Evennowher

expressionsignaledgood-naturedsurrendertotheworkingsoftheman'simagination,

whichalwaysallowedhimescapefromthebothersomedetailsoflife.Butlater,whenthe

blanketwasspreadandthepicnicfoodwasapportioned,andthechildrenwantedtoplay,

shewouldnudgeherhusbandfromhisliteraryalchemy.AndyettodayAmandafelta

deeperconcernastheydrovetothepark.Theyneededthisoutingtogether,andnot

simplyforthefreshairandspecialfood.Thissurprisinglywarmlatewinter'sdaywasa

godsendinmanyways.Shelookedatthethreateningsky.

Goaway,storm,pleasegoawaynow.

Toeaseherskittishnerves,AmandaturnedandlookedatOzandsmiled.It

washardnot

tofeelgoodwhenlookingatthelittleboy,thoughhewasachildeasilyfrightenedas

well.AmandahadoftencradledhersonwhenOzhadbeenseizedbyanightmare.

Fortunately,hisfearfulcrieswouldbereplacedbyasmilewhenOzwouldatlastfocus

onher,andshewouldwanttoholdhersonalways,keephimsafealways.

Oz'slookscamedirectlyfromhismother,whileLouhadapleasingvariationof

Amanda'slongforeheadandherfather'sleannoseandcompactangleofjaw.Andyetif

Louwereasked,shewouldsayshetookafterherfatheronly.Thisdidnotreflect

disrespectforhermother,butsignaledthat,foremost,Louwouldalwaysseeherselfas

JackCardinal'sdaughter.

Amandaturnedbacktoherhusband."Anotherstory?"sheaskedasherfingersskimmed

Jack'sforearm.

Theman'smindslowlyrockedfreefromhislatestconcoctingandJacklookedather,a

grinridingonfulllipsthat,asidefromthememorableflickerofhisgrayeyes,wereher

husband'smostattractivephysicalfeature,Amandathought.

"Takeabreath,workonastory,"saidJack.

"Aprisonerofyourowndevices,"repliedAmandasoftly,andshestoppedrubbinghis

arm.

Asherhusbanddriftedbacktowork,AmandawatchedasLoulaboredwithherown

story.Mothersawthepotentialformuchhappinessandsomeinevitablepaininher

daughter.ShecouldnotliveLou'slifeforher,andAmandaknewshewouldhaveto

watchherlittlegirlfallattimes.Still,Amandawouldneverholdoutherhand,forLou

beingLouwouldcertainlyrefuseit.Butifherdaughter'sfingerssoughtouthermother's,

shewouldbethere.Itwasasituationburdenedwithpitfalls,yetitseemedtheone

destinedformotheranddaughter.

"How'sthestorycoming,Lou?"

Headdown,handmovingwiththeflourishingthrustofyouthfulpenmanship,Lousaid,

"Fine."Amandacouldeasilysenseherdaughter'sunderlyingmessage:thatwritingwasa

tasknottobediscussedwithnonwriters.Amandatookitasgood-naturedlyasshedid

mostthingshavingtodowithhervolatiledaughter.Butevenamothersometimesneeded

acomfortingpillowonwhichtolayherhead,soAmandareachedoutandtousledher

son'sblondishhair.Sonswerenotnearlysocomplex,andasmuchasLouworeherout,

Ozrejuvenatedhismother.

"How'reyoudoing,Oz?"askedAmanda.

Thelittleboyansweredbylettingoutacrowingsoundthatbangedoffallsidesofthe

car'sinterior,startlingeventheinattentiveJack.

"MissEnglishsaidI'mthebestroostershe'severheard,"saidOz,andcrowedagain,

flappinghisarms.AmandalaughedandevenJackturnedandsmiledathisson.

Lousmirkedatherbrother,butthenreachedoverandtenderlypattedOzonthehand.

"Andyouaretoo,Oz.AlotbetterthanmewhenIwasyourage,"saidLou.

AmandasmiledatLou'sremarkand

thensaid,"Jack,you'recomingtoOz'sschoolplay,

aren'tyou?"

Lousaid,"Mom,youknowhe'sworkingonastory.Hedoesn'thavetimetowatchOz

playingarooster."

"I'lltry,Amanda.Ireallywillthistime,"Jacksaid.However,Amandaknewthatthe

levelofdoubtinhistoneheraldedanotherdisappointmentforOz.Forher.

Amandaturnedbackandstaredoutthewindshield.Herthoughtsshowed

throughso

clearlyonherfeatures.LifemarriedtoJackCardinal:I'lltry.

Oz'senthusiasm,however,wasundiminished."AndnextI'mgoingtobetheEaster

Bunny.You'llbethere,won'tyou,Mom?"

Amandalookedathim,hersmilewideandeasinghereyestopleasingangles.

"YouknowMomwouldn'tmissit,"shesaid,givinghisheadanothergentlerub.

ButMomdidmissit.Theyallmissedit.

CHAPTERTWO

AMANDALOOKEDOUTTHECARWINDOW.HERprayershadbeenanswered,andthestorm

hadpassedwithlittlemorethanannoyingpatchesofdrizzleandanoccasionalgustof

windthatfailedtomotivatetheparktreestomuchmorethanaskimmingoflimbs.

Everyone'slungshadbeenpressedhardfromrunningthelong,curvystripsofparkgrass

endtoend.Andtohiscredit,Jackhadplayedwithasmuchabandonasanyofthem.Like

achild,hehadhurtleddownthecob-*•blestonepathswithLouorOzonhisback

laughingriotously.Oncehehadevenrunrightoutofhisloafersandthenletthechildren

chasehimdownandputmembackonafteraspiritedstruggle.Later,tothedelightofall,

hehungupsidedownwhileheperformedontheswings.ItwasexactlywhattheCardinal

familyneeded.Atday'sendthechildrenhadcollapsedontheirparents,andtheyallhad

nappedrightthere,ahugeballofwild-angledlimbs,deepbreathing,andthecontented

sighsoftired,happypeopleatrest.ApartofAmandacouldhavelaintheretherestofher

life,andfeltasthoughshehadaccomplishedalltheworldcouldeverreasonablydemand

ofher.

Now,astheyreturnedtothecity,toaverysmallbutcherishedhomethat

wouldnotbe

theirsmuchlonger,Amandafeltagrowinguneasiness.Shedidnotparticularlycarefor

confrontation,butAmandaalsoknewitwassometimesnecessarywhenthecausewas

important.Shecheckedthebackseat.Ozwassleeping.Lou'sfacewasturnedtothe

window;shealsoappearedtobedozing.Sincesherarelyhadherhusbandalltoherself,

Amandadecidednowwasthetime.

ShesaidsoftlytoJack,"WereallyneedtotalkaboutCalifornia."

Herhusbandsquintedalthoughtherewasnosun;infactthedarknesswasalmost

completearoundthem."Themoviestudioalreadyhaswritingassignmentslinedup,"he

said.

Shenotedthathestatedthiswithoutatraceofenthusiasm.Emboldenedbythis,Amanda

pressedon."You'reanaward-winningnovelist.Yourworkisalreadybeingtaughtin

schools.You'vebeencalledthemostgiftedstorytellerofyourgeneration."

Heseemedwaryofallthispraise."So?"

"SowhygotoCaliforniaandletthemtellyouwhattowrite?"

Thelightinhiseyesdimmed."Idon'thaveachoice."

Amandagrippedhisshoulder."Jack,youdohaveachoice.Andyoucan'tthinkthat

writingforthemovieswillmakeeverythingperfect,becauseitwon't!"

Hermother'sraisedvoicecaused

Loutoslowlyturnandstareatherparents.

"Thanksforthevoteofconfidence,"saidJack."Ireallyappreciateit,Amanda.Especially

now.Youknowthisisn'teasyforme."

"That'snotwhatImeant.Ifyou'donlythinkabout—"

Lousuddenlyhunchedforward,onearmgrazingherfather'sshoulderevenashermother

retreated.Lou'ssmilewasbigbutobviouslyforced."IthinkCaliforniawillbegreat,

Dad."

JackgrinnedandgaveLouataponthehand.AmandacouldsenseLou'ssoulleapingto

thisslightpraise.SheknewthatJackfailedtorealizetheholdhecommandedoverhis

littlegirl;howeverythingshedidwasweighedagainstwhetheritwouldpleasehim

enough.AndthatscaredAmanda.

"Jack,Californiaisnottheanswer,it'sjustnot.Youhavetounderstandthat,"said

Amanda."Youwon'tbehappy."

Hisexpressionwaspained."I'mtiredofwonderfulreviewsandawardsformyshelf,and

thennotevenmakingenoughmoneytosupportmyfamily.Allmyfamily."Heglancedat

Lou,andthereappearedonhisfeaturesanemotionthatAmandainterpretedasshame.

Shewantedtoleanacrossandholdhim,tellhimthathewasthemostwonderfulmanshe

hadeverknown.Butshehadtoldhimthatbefore,andtheywerestill

goingtoCalifornia.

"Icangobacktoteaching.That'llgiveyouthefreedomtowrite.Longafterwe'reall

gone,peoplewillstillbereadingJackCardinal."

"I'dliketogosomewhereandbeappreciatedwhileI'mstillalive."

"Youareappreciated.Ordon'twecount?"

Jacklookedsurprised,awriterbetrayedbyhisownwords."Amanda,Ididn'tmeanthat.

I'msorry."

Loureachedforhernotebook."Dad,IfinishedthestoryIwastellingyouabout."

Jack'sgazeheldonAmanda."Lou,yourmotherandIaretalking."

Amandahadbeenthinkingaboutthisforweeks,eversincehehadtoldherofplansfora

newlifewritingscreenplaysamidthesunshineandpalmtreesofCalifornia,for

considerablesumsofmoney.Shefelthewouldbetarnishinghisskillsbyputtinginto

wordsthevisionsofothers,

substitutingstoriesfromhissoulwiththosethatwouldearn

themostdollars.

"Whydon'twemovetoVirginia?"shesaid,andthenAmandaheldherbreath.

Jack'sfingerstightenedaroundthesteeringwheel.Outsidetherewerenoothercars,no

lightsotherthantheZephyr's.Theskywasalongreefofsuspecthaze,nopuncturesof

starstoguidethem.Theycouldhavebeendrivingoveraflat,blueocean,upanddown

exactlyalike.One'smindcouldeasilybetrickedbysuchaconspiracyofheavensand

earth.

"What'sinVirginia?"Histonewasverycautious.

Amandaclutchedhisarminhergrowingfrustration."Yourgrandmother!Thefarminthe

mountains.Thesettingforallthosebeautifulnovels.You'vewrittenaboutitallyourlife

andyou'veneverbeenback.ThechildrenhaveneverevenmetLouisa.MyGod,I've

nevermetLouisa.Don'tyouthinkit'sfinallytime?"

Hismother'sraisedvoicestartledOzawake.Lou'shandwentouttohim,coveringhis

slightchest,transferringcalmfromhertohim.ItwasanautomaticthingnowforLou,for

AmandawasnottheonlyprotectorOzhad.

Jackstaredahead,clearlyannoyedbythisconversation."IfthingsworkoutlikeI'm

planning,she'llcomeandlivewithus.We'lltakecareofher.Louisacan't

stayupthereat

herage."Headdedgrimly,"It'stoohardalife."

Amandashookherhead."Louisawillneverleavethemountain.Ionlyknowherthrough

thelettersandwhatyou'vetoldme,butevenIknowthat."

"Well,youcan'talwaysliveinthepast.Andwe'regoingtoCalifornia.Wewillbehappy

there."

"Jack,youcan'treallybelievethat.Youcan't!"

Louoncemorerockedforward.Shewasallelbows,neck,knees—slenderlimbs

seeminglygrowingbeforeherparents'eyes.

"Dad,don'tyouwanttohearaboutmystory?"

AmandaputahandonLou'sarmevenasshegazedatafrightenedOzandtriedtogive

himareassuringsmile,thoughreassurancewasthelastthingshewasfeeling.Nowwas

clearlynotthetimeforthisdiscussion."Lou,waitaminute,honey.

Jack,wecantalk

later.Notinfrontofthekids."Shewassuddenlyveryfearfulofwherethismightactually

go.

"WhatdoyoumeanIcan'treallybelievethat?"Jacksaid.

"Jack,notnow."

"Youstartedthisconversation,don'tblamemeforwantingtofinishit."

"Jack,please—"

"Now,Amanda!"

Shehadneverheardquitethistone,

andinsteadofmakinghermoreafraid,itmadeher

evenangrier."Youhardlyspendanytimewiththekidsasitis.Alwaystraveling,giving

lectures,attendingevents.EverybodyalreadywantsapieceofJackCardinal,evenifthey

won'tpayyoufortheprivilege.Doyoureallythinkit'llbebetterinCalifornia?Louand

Ozwillneverseeyou."

Jack'seyes,cheekbones,andlipsformedawallofdefiance.Whenitcame,hisvoicewas

filledwithapotentcombinationofhisowndistressandtheintenttoinflictthesameupon

her."AreyoutellingmeIignoremychildren?"

Amandaunderstoodthistactic,butsomehowstillsuccumbedtoit.Shespokequietly.

"Maybenotintentionally,butyougetsowrappedupinyourwriting—"

Loualmostvaultedoverthefrontseat."Hedoesnotignoreus.Youdon'tknowwhat

you'retalkingabout.You'rewrong!You'rewrong!"

Jack'sdensewallturneduponLou."Youdonottalktoyourmotherthatway.Ever!"

AmandaglancedatLou,butevenasshetriedtothinkofsomethingconciliatorytosay,

herdaughterprovedswifter.

"Dad,thisreallyisthebeststoryI'veeverwritten.Iswear.Letmetellyouhowitstarts."

However,JackCardinal,forprobablytheonlytimeinhislife,wasnotinterestedina

story.Heturnedandstareddirectlyathisdaughter.Underhiswithering

look,herface

wentfromhopetosavagedisappointmentfasterthanAmandacouldtakeabreath.

"Lou,Isaidnotnow!"

Jackslowlyturnedback.HeandAmandasawthesamethingatthesametime,andit

pulledthebloodfromboththeirfaces.Themanwasleaningintothetrunkofhisstalled

car.TheyweresoclosetohimthatintheheadlightsAmandasawthesquarebulgeofthe

man'swalletinhisbackpocket.Hewouldn'tevenhavetimetoturn,toseehisdeath

comingathimatfiftymilesanhour.

"OhmyGod,"Jackcriedout.Hecutthewheelhardtotheleft.TheZephyrresponded

withunexpectedagilityandactuallymissedthecar,leavingthecarelessmantolive

anotherday.ButnowtheZephyrwasofftheroadandontoslopedground,andtherewere

treesupahead.Jackheavedthewheeltotheright.

Amandascreamed,andreachedouttoherchildrenasthecarrockeduncontrollably.She

couldsensethateventhebottom-heavyZephyrwouldnotmaintainitsbalance.

Jack'seyesweresilverdollarsofpanic,hisbreathnolongercomingup.Asthecarraced

acrosstheslickroadandontothedirtshoulderontheotherside,Amandalungedintothe

backseat.Herarmsclosedaroundherchildren,bringingthemtogether,herbodybetween

themandallthatwashardanddangerousaboutthecar.Jackswungthewheelbackthe

otherway,buttheZephyr'sbalancewasgone,itsbrakesuseless.Thecarmissedastand

ofwhatwouldhavebeenunforgivingtrees,butthendidwhatAmandahadfearedit

wouldallalong,itrolled.

Asthetopofthecarslammedintothedirt,thedriver'sdoorwasthrownopen,andlikea

swimmerlostinasuddenrip,JackCardinalwasgonefromthem.The

Zephyrrolled

again,andclippedatree,whichsloweditsmomentum.Shatteredglasscascadedover

Amandaandthechildren.Thesoundoftearingmetalmixedwiththeirscreamswas

terrible;thesmelloffreedgasolineandbillowysmokesearing.Andthrougheveryroll,

impact,andpitchagain,AmandapinnedLouandOzsafelyagainsttheseatwitha

strengththatcouldnotbecompletelyherown.Sheabsorbed

everyblow,keepingitfrom

them.

ThesteeloftheZephyrfoughtafearsomebattlewiththehard-packeddirt,buttheearth

finallytriumphedandthecar'stopandrightsidebuckled.Onesharp-edgedpartcaught

Amandaonthebackofherhead,andthenthebloodcamefast.AsAmandasank,thecar,

withonelastspin,cametorestupsidedown,pointingbackthewaytheyhadcome.

Ozreachedforhismother,incomprehensiontheonlythingbetweenthelittleboyand

possiblyfatalpanic.

Withawhipsawmotionofyouthfulagility,Loupulledfreeofthedestroyedgutsofthe

car.TheZephyr'sheadlightsweresomehowstillworking,andshelookedfranticallyfor

herfatherintheconfusionoflightanddark.Sheheardfootstepsapproachingandstarted

sayingagratefulprayerthatherfatherhadsurvived.Thenherlips

stoppedmoving.Inthe

spreadofthecar'sbeamsshesawthebodysprawledinthedirt,theneckatananglethat

couldnotsupportlife.Thensomeonewaspoundingonthecarwithahand,andthe

persontheyhadalmostkilledwassayingsomething.Louchosenottoheartheman

whosenegligentactionshadjustshatteredherfamily.Louturnedandlookedather

mother.

AmandaCardinaltoohadseenherhusbandoutlinedthereintheunforgivinglight.For

oneimpossiblylongmoment,motheranddaughtersharedagazethatwascompletely

one-sidedinitscommunication.Betrayal,anger,hatred—Amandareadallofthese

terriblethingsonherdaughter'sfeatures.AndtheseemotionscoveredAmandalikea

concreteslaboverhercrypt;theyfarexceededthesumtotalofeverynightmareshehad

eversufferedthrough.WhenLoulookedaway,sheleftaruinedmotherinherwake.As

Amanda'seyesclosed,allshecouldhearwasLouscreamingforherfathertocometo

her.Forherfathernottoleaveher.Andthen,forAmandaCardinal,therewasnothing

more.

CHAPTERTHREE

THEREWASACALMPIETYINTHESONOROUSRINGOFthechurchbell.Likesteadyrain,

itssoundscoveredthearea,wherethetreeswerestartingtobudandthegrasswas

stretchingawakeafterawinter'srest.Thecurlsoffireplacesmokefromtheclusterof

homesheremetintheclearsky.Andtothesouthwerevisibletheloftyspiresand

formidableminaretsofNewYorkCity.Thesestarkmonumentstomillionsofdollarsand

thousandsofwearybacksseemedtriflingagainstthecrownofbluesky.

Thelargefieldstonechurchimparted

ananchor'smass,anobjectincapableofbeing

movednomatterthemagnitudeofproblemthatassaileditsdoors.Thepileofstoneand

steepleseemedabletodispensecomfortifonemerelydrewnearit.Insidethethickwalls

therewasanothersoundbesidesthepealofholybell.

Holysinging.

Thefluidchordsof"AmazingGrace"poureddownthehallwaysandcrowdedagainst

portraitsofwhite-collaredmenwhohadspentmuchoftheirlivesabsorbingpunishing

confessionsanddolingoutreamsofHailMarysasspiritualsalve.Thenthewaveofsong

splitaroundstatuesofblessedJesusdyingorrising,andfinallybrokeinapoolof

sanctifiedwaterjustinsidethefrontentrance.Creatingrainbows,thesunlightfiltered

throughthebrillianthuesofstainedglasswindowsupanddownthesecorridorsofChrist

andsinners.Thechildrenwouldalways"ooh"and"ahh"overthesecolorfuldisplays,

beforetheytrudgedreluctantlyintoMass,thinking,nodoubt,thatchurchesalwaysmade

finerainbows.

Throughthedoubledoorsofoakthechoirwassingingtotheverypinnacleofthechurch,

thetinyorganistpumpingwithsurprisingenergyforonesoagedandcrumpled,and

"AmazingGrace"trumpetedeverhigher.Theprieststoodatthealtar,

longarms

tenaciouslyreachingtoheaven'swisdomandcomfort,aprayerofhoperisingfromhim,

evenasthemanpushedbackagainstthetidalwaveofgriefconfrontinghim.Andhe

neededmuchdivinesupport,foritwasneveraneasythingexplainingawaytragedyby

invokingGod'swill.

Thecoffinsatatthefrontofthealtar.Thepolishedmahoganywascoveredwithsprays

ofdelicatebaby'sbreath,asolidclumpofroses,andafewdistinctiveirises,andyetthat

sturdyblockofmahoganywaswhatheldone'sattention,likefivefingersagainstone's

throat.JackandAmandaCardinalhadexchangedtheirweddingvowsinthischurch.

Theyhadnotbeenbacksince,andnoonepresenttodaycouldhaveenvisionedtheir

returnbeingforafuneralmassbarelyfourteenyearslater.

LouandOzsatinthefrontpewof

thefullchurch.Ozhadhisbearcrashedtohischest,

hisgazecastdown,acollectionoftearsplunkingonthesmoothwoodbetweenskinny

legsthatdidnotreachthefloor.Abluehymnallayunopenedbesidehim;songwasreally

beyondtheboyrightnow.

LouhadonearmaroundOz'sshoulders,buthereyesneverleftthecasket.Itdidnot

matterthatthelidwasclosed.Andtheshieldofbeautifulflowersdidnothingtoobscure

forhertheimageofthebodyinside.Todayshehadchosentowearadressforoneofthe

fewtimesinherlife;thehateduniformsshehadtoweartomeettherequirementsofthe

Catholicschoolsheandherbrotherattendeddidnotcount.Herfatherhadalwaysloved

herindresses,evensketchingheronceforachildren'sbookhehadplannedbutnevergot

aroundto.Shepulledatherwhitesocks,whichreacheduncomfortablytoherbony

knees.Apairofnewblackshoespinchedherlong,narrowfeet,feetthatwerequite

firmlyonthefloor.

Louhadnotbotheredtosing"AmazingGrace."Shehadlistenedtothepriestsaythat

deathwasmerelythebeginning,thatinGod'senigmaticwaythiswasatimefor

rejoicing,notsorrow,andthenshedidnotlistenanymore.Loudidnotevenprayforthe

lostsoulofherfather.SheknewJackCardinalwasagoodman,a

wonderfulwriterand

telleroftales.Sheknewhewouldbedeeplymissed.Nochoir,nomanofthecloth,no

godneededtotellherthesethings.

Thesingingstopped,andthepriestoncemoretookuphisramblings,whileLoupicked

upontheconversationofthetwomenbehindher.Herfatherhadbeenashameless

eavesdropperinhissearchfortheauthenticringofconversation,andhisdaughtershared

thatcuriosity.NowLouhadevenmorereasontodoso.

"So,haveyoucomeupwithanybrilliantideas?"theoldermanwhisperedtohisyounger

companion.

"Ideas?We'retheexecutorsofanestatewithnothinginit"wastheagitatedresponse

fromtheyoungerman.

Theoldermanshookhisheadandspokeinanevenlowertone,whichLoustruggledto

hear.

"Nothing?Jackdidleavetwochildrenandawife."

Theyoungermanglancedtothesideandthensaidinalowhiss,"Awife?Theymightas

wellbeorphans."

ItwasnotclearwhetherOzheardthis,butheliftedhisheadandputahandonthearmof

thewomansittingnexttohim.Actually,Amandawasinawheelchair.Awide-bodied

nursesatontheothersideofher,armsfoldedacrossherflopofbosom;thenursewas

clearlyunmovedbythedeathofastranger.

AthickbandagewaswrappedaroundAmanda'shead,herauburnhaircutshort.Hereyes

wereclosed.Infact,theyhadneveronceopenedsincetheaccident.Thedoctorshadtold

LouandOzthattheirmother'sphysicalsidehadbeenmostlyrepaired.Theproblemnow

apparentlywasonlyamatterofhersoul'shavingfled.

Later,outsidethechurch,thehearsecarriedLou'sfatherawayandshedid

notevenlook.

Inhermindshehadsaidhergood-byes.Inherheartshecouldneverdoso.ShepulledOz

alongthroughthetrenchesofsombersuitcoatsandmourningdresses.Louwassotired

ofsadfaces,moisteyescatchingherdryones,telegraphingsympathy,mouthsfiringoff

broadsidesoftheliteraryworld'scollective,devastatingloss.Well,noneoftheirfathers

laydeadinthatbox.Thiswasherloss,hersandherbrother's.Andshe

waswearyof

peopleapologizingforatragedytheycouldnotbegintounderstand."I'msosorry,"they

wouldwhisper."Sosad.Agreatman.Abeautifulman.Struckdowninhisprime.So

manystoriesleftuntold."

"Don'tbesorry,"Louhadstartedsayingrightback."Didn'tyouhearthepriest?Thisisa

timetorejoice.Deathisgood.Comeonandsingwithme."

Thesepeoplewouldstare,smile

nervously,andthenmoveonto"rejoice"withsomeone

elseofamoreunderstandingnature.

Next,theyweretogotothegrave-siteservicewherethepriestwouldnodoubtsaymore

upliftingwords,blessthechildren,sprinklehissacreddirt;andthenanothersixfeetof

ordinaryfillwouldbepouredin,closingthisterriblyoddspectacle.Deathmusthaveits

ritual,becausesocietysaysitmust.Loudidnotintendtorushtoit,forshehadamore

pressingmattertoattendtorightnow.

Thesametwomenwereinthegrassyparkinglot.Freedfromecclesiasticalconfines,

theyweredebatinginnormalvoicesthefutureofwhatremainedoftheCardinalfamily.

"WishtoGodJackhadn'tnamedusasexecutors,"saidtheoldermanashepulledapack

ofcigarettesfromhisshirtpocket.Helitupandthenpressedthematchflameout

betweenhisthumbandforefinger.

"FiguredI'dbelongdeadbythetimeJackchecked

out."

Theyoungermanlookeddownathispolishedshoesandsaid,"Wejustcan'tleavethem

likethis,livingwithstrangers.Thekidsneedsomeone."

Theothermanpuffedhissmokeandgazedoffafterthebubble-toppedhearse.Upabove,

aflockofblackbirdsseemedtoformaloosesquadron,aninformalsend-offforJack

Cardinal.Themanflickedash."Childrenbelongwiththeirfamily.Thesetwojustdon't

happentohaveanyleft."

"Excuseme."

Whentheyturned,theysawLouandOzstaringatthem.

"Actually,wedohavefamily,"Lousaid."Ourgreat-grandmother,LouisaMaeCardinal.

ShelivesinVirginia.It'swheremyfathergrewup."

Theyoungermanlookedhopeful,asthoughtheburdenoftheworld,orat

leastoftwo

children,mightstillbeshedfromhisnarrowshoulders.Theolderman,though,looked

suspicious.

"Yourgreat-grandmother?She'sstillalive?"heasked.

"MyparentswerejusttalkingaboutusmovingtoVirginiatobewithherbeforethe

accident."

"Doyouknowifshe'lltakeyou?"theyoungermaneagerlywantedtoknow.

"She'lltakeus"wasLou'simmediatereply,thoughintruthshehadnoideaatallifthe

womanwould.

"Allofus?"ThisquestioncamefromOz.

LouknewherUtilebrotherwasthinkingoftheirwheelchair-boundmother.Shesaidina

veryfirmvoicetothetwomen,"Allofus."

CHAPTERFOUR

ASLOUSTAREDOUTTHEWINDOWOFTHETRAIN,IT

occurredtoherthatshehadnever

reallycaredthatmuchforNewYorkCity.Itwastruethatduringherchildhoodshehad

sampledmanyofitseclecticofferings,fillingherdayswithtripstomuseums,zoos,and

theaters.ShehadtoweredovertheworldontheobservationdeckoftheEmpireState

Building,laughedandcriedattheanticsofthecitydwellerstrappedingleeordoom,

observedscenesofemotionalintimacyandwitnessedpassionate

displaysofpublic

outcry.Shehadmadesomeofthesetrekswithherfather,whohadsooftentoldherthat

thechoicetobeawriterwasnotthemereselectionofanoccupation,butratherthe

choiceofanall-consuminglifestyle.Andthebusinessofawriter,hecarefullypointed

out,wasthebusinessoflife,inbothitsupliftinggloryanditscomplexfrailty.AndLou

hadbeenprivytotheresultsofsuchobservations,asshehadbeenenthralled

bythe

readingsandmusingsofsomeofthemostskillfulwritersoftheday,manyintheprivacy

oftheCardinals'modesttwo-bedroomwalkupinBrooklyn.

AndtheirmotherhadtakenherandOztoalltheboroughsofthecity,gradually

immersingtheminvariouseconomicandsociallevelsofurbancivilization,forAmanda

Cardinalwasaverywell-educatedwomanintenselycuriousaboutsuchthings.The

childrenhadreceivedawell-roundededucationthathadmadeLoubothrespectand

remainevercuriousaboutherfellowhumanbeings.

Still,withallthat,shehadneverreallybecomethatexcitedaboutthecity.Whereshewas

goingnow,thatshewasveryeagerabout.DespitelivinginNewYorkCityformostof

hisadultlife,wherehewassurroundedbyalargesupplyofstorymaterialthatother

writershadculledwithcriticaland

financialsuccessovertheyears,JackCardinalhad

chosentobaseallhisnovelsupontheplacethetrainwascarryinghisfamilyto:the

mountainsofVirginiathatrosehighinthetoeofthestate'stopographicalboot.Sinceher

belovedfatherhaddeemedtheplaceworthyofhislife'swork,Louhadlittledifficultyin

decidingtogotherenow.

ShemovedasidesothatOzcouldlookoutthewindowtoo.Ifeverhopeandfearcould

becompressedintooneemotionanddisplayedonasingleface,theywerenowonthe

littleboy's.Withanygivenbreath,OzCardinallookedlikehemighteitherlaughtillhis

ribspushedthroughhischest,orelsefaintdeadawayfromutterterror.Lately,though,

therehadonlybeentears.

"Itlookssmallerfromhere,"hecommented,inclininghisheadatthefast-recedingcityof

artificiallightsandconcreteblocksstackedaroundweldedthreadsofsteel.

Lounoddedinagreement."ButwaituntilyouseetheVirginiamountains—now,they're

big.Andtheystaylikethat,howeveryoulookatthem."

"Howdoyouknow?You'veneverseenthosemountains."

"OfcourseIhave.Inbooks."

"Dotheylookallthatbigonpaper?"

IfLouhadn'tknownbetter,shewouldhavethoughtOzwasbeingsmart,butsheknew

herbrotherdidnotpossessevenamildlywickedboneinhiswholebeing.

'Trustme,Oz,they'rebig.AndI'vereadabouttheminDad'sbookstoo."

"Youhaven'treadallofDad'sbooks.Hesaidyouweren'toldenough."

"Well,I'vereadoneofthem.Andhereadpartsofalltheotherstome."

"Didyoutalktothatwoman?"

"Who?LouisaMae?No,butthepeoplewhowrotetohersaidshereallywantedusto

come."

Ozponderedthis."That'sagoodthing,Iguess."

"Yes,itis."

"DoesshelooklikeDad?"

Thisstumpedhissister."Ican'tsayI'veeverseenapictureofher."

ItwasclearthisanswertroubledOz."Doyouthinkshe'smaybemeanandscary-looking?

Ifsheis,can'twecomebackhome?"

"Virginiaisourhomenow,Oz."Lousmiledathim."Shewon'tbescary-looking.And

shewon'tbemean.Ifshewere,sheneverwouldhaveagreedtotakeus."

"Butwitchesdothatsometimes,

Lou.RememberHanselandGretel?Theytrickyou.

Becausetheywanttoeatyou.Theyalldothat.Iknow;Ireadbookstoo."

"SolongasI'mthere,nowitchisgoingtobebotheringyou."Shegrippedhisarm,

showingoffherstrength,andhefinallyrelaxedandlookedoverattheotheroccupantsof

theirsleepercompartment.

ThistriphadbeenfinancedentirelybythefriendsofJackandAmandaCardinal,and

collectivelytheyhadsparednoexpenseinsendingthechildrenoffincomforttotheir

newlives.Thisincludedanursetotravelwiththem,andtostaywiththeminVirginiafor

areasonablelengthoftime,tocareforAmanda.

Unfortunately,thehirednurseseemedtohavetakenituponherselftoactasthe

disciplinarianofwaywardchildrenaswellasoverseerofmotherlyhealth.

Understandably,sheandLouhadnotparticularlyseeneyetoeye.Lou

andOzwatched

asthetall,bonywomantendedtoherpatient.

"Canwebewithherforabit?"Ozfinallyaskedinasmallvoice.Tohimthenursewas

partviper,partfairytaleevil,andshescaredhimintothenextcentury.ItseemedtoOz

thatthewoman'shandatanymomentcouldbecomeaknife,andhetheblade'sonly

target.Theideaoftheirgreat-grandmotherhavingwitchlikequalitieshadnotcome

entirelyfromtheunfortunatetaleofHanselandGretel.Ozheldoutnohopethatthe

nursewouldagreetohisrequest,but,surprisingly,shedid.

Assheslidclosedthedoortothecompartment,OzlookedatLou."Iguessshe'snotso

bad."

"Oz,shewenttotakeasmoke."

"Howdoyouknowshesmokes?"

"Jfthenicotinestainsonherfingershadn'tcluedmein,thefactthatshereeksoftobacco

would'vebeenenough."

Ozsatnexttohismother,wholayinthelowerbunkbed,armsacrosshermiddle,eyes

closed,herbreathshallowbutatleastthere.

"It'sus,Mom,meandLou."

Loulookedexasperated."Oz,shecan'thearyou."

"Yes,shecan!"Therewasabitetotheboy'swordsthatstartledLou,whowasusedto

virtuallyallofhisways.Shecrossedherarmsandlookedaway.Whenshe

glancedback,

Ozhadtakenasmallboxfromhissuitcaseandwasopeningit.Thechainnecklacehe

pulledouthadasmallquartzstoneattheend.

"Oz,please,"hissisterimplored,"willyoustop?"

Heignoredherandheldthenecklaceoverhismother.

Amandacouldeatanddrink,thoughforsomereasonunfathomabletoherchildrenshe

couldnotmoveherlimbsorspeak,

andhereyesneveropened.Thiswaswhatbothered

Ozgreatlyandalsogavehimthemosthope.Hefiguredsomesmallthingmustbeoutof

sorts,likeapebbleinashoe,acloginapipe.Allhehadtodowasclearthissimple

obstructionandhismotherwouldjointhemagain.

"Oz,youaresodumb.Don'tdothis."

Hestoppedandlookedather."Yourproblemisyoudon'tbelieveinanything,Lou."

"Andyourproblemisyoubelieveineverything."

Ozstartedtoswingthenecklaceslowlybackandforthoverhismother.Heclosedhis

eyesandstartedsayingwordsthatcouldnotbeclearlyunderstood,perhapsnotevenby

him.

Loustoodandfidgeted,butfinallycouldnottakethisfoolishnessanylonger."Anybody

seesyoudoingthat,they'llthinkyou'reloony.Andyouknowwhat?Youare!"

Ozstoppedhisincantationsandlookedathercrossly.

"Well,youruinedit.Completesilenceisnecessaryforthecuretowork."

"Cure?Whatcure?Whatareyoutalkingabout?"

"DoyouwantMomtostaylikethis?"

"Well,ifshedoes,it'sherownfault,"Lousnapped."Ifshehadn'tbeenarguingwithDad,

noneofthiswould'vehappened."

Ozwasstunnedbyherwords.Even

Loulookedsurprisedthatshecouldhavesaid

somethinglikethat.Buttruetohernature,Louwasn'tabouttotakeanyofitbackonceit

wassaid.

NeitheronelookedatAmandarightatthatmoment,butiftheyhad,thepairwouldhave

seensomething,onlyatrembleofmeeyelids,thatsuggestedAmandahadsomehow

heardherdaughter,thenfallendeeperintotheabyssthathadheldhersoverytightly

already.

Althoughmostofthepassengerswereunaware,thetraingraduallybankedleftastheline

curvedawayfromthecityonitswaysouth.Asitdidso,Amanda'sarmslidoffher

stomachanddangledoverthesideofmebed.

Ozstoodtherestunnedforamoment.Onecouldsensethattheboybelievedhehadjust

witnessedamiracleofbiblicaldimension,likeaflungstonefellingagiant.Hescreamed

out,"Mom!Mom!"andalmostdraggedLoutothefloorinhisexcitement."Lou,didyou

seethat?"

ButLoucouldnotspeak.Shehadpresumedtheirmotherincapableofsuchactivityever

again.Louhadstartedtouttertheword"Mom"whenthedoortothecompartmentslid

open,andthenursefilledthespacelikeanavalancheofwhiterock,herfaceacraggypile

ofdispleasure.Wispsofcigarettesmokehoveredaboveherhead,as

thoughshewere

abouttospontaneouslycombust.IfOzhadnotbeensofixatedonhismother,hemight

havejumpedforthewindowatthesightofthewoman.

"What'sgoingonhere?"Shestaggeredforwardasthetrainrockedsomemore,before

settlingintoitsnarrowpaththroughNewJersey.

Ozdroppedthenecklaceandpointedathismother,asifhewereabirddoginsearchof

praise."Shemoved.Mommovedherarm.Webothsawit,didn'twe,Lou?"

Lou,however,couldonlystarefromhermothertoOzandbackagain.Itwasasthough

someonehaddrivenapoledownherthroat;shecouldformnowords.

ThenurseexaminedAmandaandcameawayevenmoresour-faced,apparentiyfinding

theinterruptionofhercigarettebreakunforgivable.SheputAmanda'sarmbackacross

herstomachandcoveredherwith

thesheet.

"Thetrainwentaroundacurve.That'sall."Asshebentlowtotuckinthebedcovers,she

sawthenecklaceonthefloor,incriminatingevidenceofOz'splottohastenhismother's

recovery.

"What'sthis?"shedemanded,reachingdownandpickingupExhibitOneinhercase

againsttheUtileboy.

"IwasjustusingittohelpMom.It'ssortof—Ozglancednervouslyathis

sister—"it's

sortofmagic."

"Thatisnonsense."

'Tdlikeitback,please."

"Yourmotherisinacatatonicstate,"thewomansaidinacold,pedantictonedesignedto

strikeabsoluteterrorinallwhowereinsecureandvulnerable,andshehadaneasytarget

inOz."ThereisUtilehopeofherregainingconsciousness.Anditcertainlywon'thappen

becauseofanecklace,youngman."

"Pleasegiveitback,"Ozsaid,hishandsclenchedtogether,asthoughinprayer.

"Ihavealreadytoldyou—"Shewascutoffbythetapohhershoulder.Whensheturned,

Loustooddirectlyinfrontofher.Thegirlseemedtohavegrownmanyinchesjnthelast

severalseconds.Atleastthethrustofherhead,neck,andshouldersseemedemboldened.

"Giveitbacktohim!"

Thenurse'sfacereddenedatthisabuse."Idonottakeordersfroma

child."

QuickasawhipLougrabbedthenecklace,butthenursewassurprisinglystrongand

managedtopocketit,thoughLoustruggledhard.

'Thisisnothelpingyourmother,"thenursesnapped,puffingouttheodorofLucky

Strikeswitheachbreath."Now,pleasesitdownandkeepquiet!"

Ozlookedathismother,theagonyclearonhisfaceathavinglosthispreciousnecklace

overacurveinthetrack.

LouandOzsettlednexttothewindowandspentthenextseveralrollingmilesquietly

watchingthedeathofthesun.WhenOzstartedtofidget,Louaskedhimwhatwasthe

matter.

"Idon'tfeelgoodaboutleavingDadbyhimselfbackthere."

"Oz,he'snotalone."

"Buthewasinthatboxallbyhimself.Andit'sgettingdarknow.Hemightbescared.It's

notright,Lou."

"He'snotinthatbox,he'swithGod.They'reuptheretalkingrightnow,lookingdownon

us."

Ozlookedupatthesky.Hishandliftedtowave,butthenhelookedunsure.

"Youcanwavetohim,Oz.He'supthere."

"Crossyourheart,stickaneedleinyoureye?"

"Allofthat.Goaheadandwave."

Ozdidandthensmiledaprecious

one.

"What?"hissisterasked.

"Idon'tknow,itjustfeltgood.Thinkhewavedback?"

"Ofcourse.Godtoo.YouknowhowDadis,tellingstoriesandall.They'reprobablygood

friendsbynow."Louwavedtoo,andasherfingersdriftedagainstthecoolglass,she

pretendedforamomentthatshewascertainofallthatshehadjustsaid.Anditdidfeel

good.

Sincetheirfather'sdeath,winterhadalmostgivenovertospring.Shemissedhimmore

eachday,thevastemptinessinsideherswellingwitheverybreathLoutook.Shewanted

herdadtobefineandhealthy.Andwiththem.Butitwouldneverbe.Herfatherreally

wasgone.Itwasanimpossiblyagonizingfeeling.Shelookedtothesky.

Hello,Dad.Pleaseneverforgetme,forIwon'teverforgetyou.Shemouthedthesewords

soOzcouldn'thear.Whenshefinished,Louthoughtshemightstartbawlingherself,but

shecouldn't,notinfrontofOz.Ifshecried,therewasastrongpossibilitythatherbrother

mightalsocry,andkeeprightongoingfortherestofhislife.

"What'sitliketobedead,Lou?"Ozstaredoutintothenightasheaskedthis.

Afterafewmomentsshesaid,"Well,Iguesspartofbeingdeadisnotfeelinganything.

Butinanotherwayyoufeel

everything.Allgood.Ifyou'veledadecentlife.Ifnot,well,

youknow."

"TheDevil?"Ozasked,thefearvisibleinhisfeaturesevenashesaidtheterribleword.

"Youdon'thavetoworryaboutthat.OrDadeither."

Oz'sgazemadeitsway,bysteadymeasures,toAmanda."IsMomgoingtodie?"

"We'reallgoingtodieoneday."Louwouldnotsugar-coatthatone,notevenforOz,but

shedidsqueezehimtightly."Let'sjusttakeitonestepatatime.We'vegotalotgoing

on."

Loustaredoutthewindowassheheldtightlytoherbrother.Nothingwasforever,and

didn'tsheknowthat.

CHAPTERFIVE

ITWASVERYEARLYMORNING,WHENTHEBIRDSHADbarelyawokenandthumpedtheir

wingstolife,andcoldmistswererisingfromthewarmground,andthe

sunwasonlya

seamoffireintheeasternsky.TheyhadmadeonestopinRichmond,wherethe

locomotivehadbeenchanged,thenthetrainhadclearedtheShenandoahValley,themost

splendidlyfertilesoilandtemperateclimateforgrowingvirtuallyanything.Nowthe

angleoflandwasfarsteeper.

LouhadsleptlittlebecauseshehadsharedthetopbunkwithOz,whowasrestlessat

nightunderthebestcircumstances.Onaswayingtrainheadingtoanew,terrifying

world,herlittlebrotherhadbeenawildcatinhissleep.Herlimbshadbeenbruisedfrom

hisunconsciousflailing,despiteherholdinghimtight;herearswerehurtingfromhis

tragicscreams,inspiteofherwhisperedwordsofcomfort.Louhadfinallyclimbed

down,touchedthecoldfloorwithbarefeet,stumbledtothewindowinthedarkness,

pulledbackthecurtains,andbeenrewardedbyseeingherfirstVirginiamountainface-toface.

JackCardinalhadoncetoldhisdaughterthatitwasbelievedthattherewereactuallytwo

setsofAppalachianmountains.Thefirsthadbeenformedbyrecedingseasandthe

shrinkageoftheearthmillionsofyearsbefore,andhadrisentoagreatheightthatrivaled

thepresentRockies.Latertheseridgeshadbeenerodedawaytopeneplainbythe

poundingofunsettledwater.Thentheworldhadshakenitselfagain,Lou'sfatherhad

explainedtoher,andtherockhadrisenhighoncemore,thoughnotnearlysohighas

before,andformedthecurrentAppalachians,whichstoodlikemenacinghandsbetween

partsofVirginiaandWestVirginia,andextendedfromCanadaallthewaydownto

Alabama.

TheAppalachianshadpreventedearlyexpansionwestward,Jackhad

taughthisevercuriousLou,andkepttheAmericancoloniesunifiedlongenoughtowintheir

independencefromanEnglishmonarch.Later,themountainrange'snaturalresources

hadfueledoneofthegreatestmanufacturingerastheworldhadeverseen.Despiteall

that,herfatherhadaddedwitharesignedsmile,mannevergavethemountainsmuch

creditinshapinghisaffairs.

LouknewthatJackCardinalhadlovedtheVirginiamountains,andhad

heldhigh-angled

rockinthedeepestawe.Hehadoftentoldherthattherewassomethingmagicalabout

thisstretchofloftyearth,becausehebelieveditheldpowersthatcouldnotbelogically

explained.Shehadoftenwonderedhowamixtureofdirtandstone,despiteitselevation,

couldimpressherfatherso.Now,forthefirsttime,shehadasenseofhowitcould,for

Louhadneverexperiencedanythingquitelikeit.

Thebumpsoftree-shroudeddirtandslatepilesLouhadinitiallyseenreallyqualified

onlyassmalloffspring;behindthese"children"shecouldseetheoutlinesofthetall

parents,themountains.Theyseemedunlimitedbyskyorearth.Solargeandbroadwere

theythatthemountainsseemedunnatural,thoughtheyhadbeenborndirectlyfromthe

planet'scrust.AndouttherewasawomanLouhadbeennamedforbuthadnevermet.

Therewasbothcomfortandalarminthatthought.Foronepanickedmoment,Loufeltas

thoughtheyhadpassedrightintoanothersolarsystemonthisclickety-clacktrain.Then

Ozwasbesideher,andthoughhewasnotonetoinspireconfidenceinothers,Loudid

feelreassuranceinhissmallpresence.

"Ithinkwe'regettingclose,"shesaid,rubbinghissmallshoulders,workingoutthe

tensionofanotherroundof

nightmares.Sheandhermotherhadbecomeexpertsinthis.

Oz,Amandahadtoldher,hadtheworstcaseofnightterrorsshehadeverseen.Butit

wassomethingneithertopity,nortomakelightof,shehadtaughtherdaughter.Allone

coulddowasbetherefortheUtileboyandworkoutthementalandphysicalsnarlsas

bestonecould.

ThatcouldhavebeenLou'sownpersonalscripture:Thoushalthavenogreaterdutythan

takingcareofThybrotherOz.Shemeanttohonorthatcommandmentaboveallelse.

Thelittleboyfocusedonthelandscape."Whereisit?Wherewe'regoingtobe?"

Shepointedoutthewindow."Somewhereoutthere."

"Willthetraindriverightuptothehouse?"

Lousmiledathisremark."No.Someonewillbewaitingforusatthestation."

Thetrainpassedintoatunnelslashedthroughthesideofoneofthe

hills,throwingthem

intoevengreaterdarkness.Momentslatertheyshotclearofthetunnelandthenhowthey

climbed!TheirdegreeofascentmadeLouandOzpeeroutanxiously.Upaheadwasa

trestle.Thetrainslowedandtheneasedcarefullyontothebridge,likeafootatcold

water'sedge.LouandOzlookeddown,butcouldnotseethegroundbelowinthepoor

light.Itwasasthoughtheyweresuspendedinthesky,somehowcarried

aloftbyaniron

birdweighingmanytons.Thensuddenlythetrainwasbackonfirmground,andthe

climbwasonagain.Asthetrainpickedupspeed,Oztookadeepbreathinterruptedbya

yawn—perhaps,Louthought,tostiflehisanxiety.

"I'mgoingtolikeithere,"Ozsuddenlyproclaimedashebalancedhisbearagainstthe

window."Lookoutthere,"hesaidtohisstuffedanimal,whichhadneverhadanamethat

Louknewof.ThenOz'sthumbnervouslyprobedtheinsidesofhismouth.He'dbeen

diligentlytryingtostopsuckinghisthumb,yetwithallthatwashappeninghewas

findingittoughgoing.

"It'llbeokay,right,Lou?"hemumbled.

Sheperchedherlittlebrotheronherlap,ticklingthebackofhisneckwithherchinuntil

Ozsquirmed.

"We'regoingtobejustfine."And

Lousomehowforcedherselftobelievethatitwould

beso.

CHAPTERSIX

THETRAINSTATIONATRAINWATERRlDGEWASNOmorethanaglorifiedpine-studded

lean-to,withasinglecrackedandspiderwebbedwindowandanopeningforadoorbut

nodoortofillthespace.Anarrowjumpseparatedthiswreckofnailandboardfromthe

railroadtrack.Thechanneledwind

wasfierceasitfoughtitswaythroughthegapsin

rockandtree,andthefacesofthefewfolkhangingabout,alongwiththeruntedtrees,

evidencedthebluntforceofitschisel.

LouandOzwatchedastheirmotherwasloadedintoanancientambulance.Asthenurse

climbedintothevehicle,shescowledbackathercharges,theconfrontationoftheday

beforeobviouslystillranklingher.

Whenthedoorsofthevehicleclosed,Loupulledthequartznecklacefromhercoat

pocketandhandedittoOz.

"Islippedintoherroombeforeshegotup.Itwasstillinherpocket."

Ozsmiled,pocketedthepreciousitem,andthenreachedontiptoetogivehissisterakiss

onthecheek.

Thetwostoodnexttotheirluggage,patientlyawaitingLouisaMaeCardinal.

Theirskinwasscrubbedraw,eachhairontheirheadsassiduouslybrushed

—Louhad

takenextratimewithOz.Theyweredressedintheirverybestclothes,whichmanaged

barelytoconcealtheirpoundinghearts.Theyhadbeenthereforaminutewhenthey

sensedsomeonebehindthem.

TheNegromanwasyoungand,inkeepingwiththegeography,ruggedlybuilt.Hewas

tallandwideofshoulder,deep-chested,witharmslikeslabsofham,awaistnotsmallbut

notsofteither,andlegslongbutoneoddlypushedoutwherecalfmetknee.Hisskinwas

thecolorofdeeprustandpleasingtotheeye.Hewaslookingdownathisfeet,which

necessarilydrewLou'sgazetothem.Hisoldworkbootsweresobiganewborncould

havesleptinthemwithsomeroomtospare,thegirlobserved.Hisoverallswereasworn

astheshoes,buttheywereclean,orascleanasthedirtandwindwouldallowanythingto

beuphere.Louheldoutherhand,buthedidnottakeit.

Instead,withoneimpressivemove,hepickedupalltheirbags,thenflickedhishead

towardtheroad.Louinterpretedthisas"hello,""comeon,"and"I'lltellyoumyname

maybelater,"allwrappedintooneefficientmotion.Helimpedoff,thebulginglegnow

revealedtobeabumone.LouandOzlookedateachotherandthentrudgedafterhim.

OzclutchedhisbearandLou'shand.

Nodoubttheboywouldhavetuggedthetrainafter

themifhecouldhavesomehowmanagedit,soastoeffectaquickescapeifneeded.

Thelong-bodiedHudsonfour-doorsedanwasthecolorofasweetpickle.Thecarwas

oldbutcleaninside.Itstall,exposedradiatorlookedlikeatombstone,anditstwofront

fendersweremissing,aswastherearwindowglass.LouandOzsatinthebackseatwhile

themandrove.Heworkedthelong

stickshiftwithaneasyskill,naryageareverleft

grinding.

Afterthewoefulstateofthetrainstation,Louhadnotexpectedmuchinthewayof

civilizationuphere.However,afteronlytwentyminutesontheroadtheyenteredatown

offairsize,thoughinNewYorkCitysuchameagercollectionofstructureswouldhardly

havefilledonesorryblock.

Asignannouncedthattheywere

enteringthetownshipofDickens,Virginia.Themain

streetwastwo-lanedandpavedwithasphalt.Well-keptstructuresofwoodandbrick

linedbothsidesofit.Onesuchbuildingrosefivestories,itsvacancysignproclaimingit

tobeahotelatfairrates.Automobileswereplentifulhere,mostlybulkyFordand

Chryslersedans,andheftytrucksofvariousmakesadornedwithmud.Allwereparked

slantwiseinfrontofthebuildings.

Thereweregeneralstores,restaurants,andanopen-doorwarehousewithboxtowersof

DominosugarandQuicknapkins,PostToastiesandQuakerOatsvisibleinside.There

wasanautomobiledealershipwithshinycarsinthewindow,andnexttothatanEssogas

stationsportingtwinpumpswithbubbletopsandauniformedmanwithabigsmile

fillingupthetankofadentedLaSallesedan,withadustyNashtwo-doorwaitingbehind

it.AbigCoca-Colasodacapwashanginginfrontofonecafe,andanEvereadyBattery

signwasboltedtothewallofahardwareshop.Telephoneandelectricalpolesofpoplar

randownonesideofthestreet,blackcablessnakingoutfromthemtoeachofthe

structures.Anothershopannouncedthesaleofpianosandorgansforcashatgoodprices.

Amovietheaterwasononecorner,alaundryonanother.Gasstreetlampsrandownboth

sidesoftheroad,likebig,litmatchsticks.

Thesidewalkswerecrowdedwithfolks.Theyrangedfromwell-dressedwomenwith

stylishhairdostoppedbymodesthats,tobent,grimymenwho,Louthought,probably

toiledhereinthecoalminesshehadreadabout.

Astheypassedthrough,thelastbuildingofsignificancewasalsothegrandest.Itwasred

brickwithaneleganttwo-storypedimentportico,supportedbypaired

GreekIonic

columns,andhadasteeplypitched,hammeredtinroofpaintedblack,withabrickclock

towertop-hattingit.TheVirginiaandAmericanflagssnappedoutfrontinthefine

breeze.Theelegantredbrick,however,satonafoundationofugly,scoredconcrete.This

curiouspairingstruckLouasakintofinepantsoverfilthyboots.Thecarvedwordsabove

thecolumnssimplyread:"CourtHouse."Andthentheyleftthefinite

sprawlofDickens

behind.

Lousatbackpuzzled.Herfather'sstorieshadbeenfilledwithtalesofthebrutish

mountains,andtheprimitivelifethere,wherehunterssquattednearcampfiresofhickory

sticksandcookedtheirkillanddranktheirbittercoffee;wherefarmersrosebeforethe

sunandworkedthelandtilltheycollapsed;whereminersdugintotheearth,fillingtheir

lungswithblackthatwouldeventuallykillthem;andwherelumberjackssweptvirgin

forestscleanwiththemeasuredstrokesofaxandsaw.Quickwits,asoundknowledgeof

theland,andastrongbackwereessentialuphere.Dangerroamedthesteepslopesand

loamyvalleys,andthemagisterialhighrockpresidedoverbothmenandbeasts,sharply

definingthelimitsoftheirambition,oftheirlives.AplacelikeDickens,withitspaved

roads,hotel,Coca-Colasigns,andpianosforcashatgoodprices,hadnorighttobehere.

YetLousuddenlyrealizedthatthetimeperiodherfatherhadwrittenabouthadbeenwell

overtwentyyearsago.

Shesighed.Everything,eventhemountainsanditspeople,apparently,changed.Now

Louassumedhergreat-grandmotherprobablylivedinaquiteordinaryneighborhood

withquiteordinaryneighbors.Perhapsshehadacatandwenttohave

herhairdoneevery

Saturdayatashopthatsmelledofchemicalsandcigarettesmoke.LouandOzwould

drinkorangesodapoponthefrontporchandgotochurchonSundayandwavetopeople

astheypassedintheircars,andlifewouldnotbeallthatmuchdifferentthanithadbeen

inNewYork.Andwhiletherewasabsolutelynothingwrongwiththat,itwasnotthe

dense,breathtakingwildernessLouhadbeenexpecting.Itwasnotthelife

herfatherhad

experiencedandthenwrittenabout,andLouwasclearlydisappointed.

Thecarpassedthroughmoremilesoftrees,soaringrockanddippingvalleys,andthen

Lousawanothersign.ThistownwasnamedTremont.Thiswasprobablyit,shethought.

Tremontappearedroughlyone-thirdthesizeofDickens.Aboutfifteencarswereslantparkedinfrontofshopssimilartothoseinthelargertown,onlytherewasnohigh-rise

building,nocourthouse,andthe

asphaltroadhadgivenwaytomacadamandgravel.Lou

alsospottedtheoccasionalhorserider,andthenTremontwasbehindthem,andthe

groundmovedhigherstill.Hergreat-grandmother,Lousurmised,mustliveonthe

outskirtsofTremont.

Thenextplacetheypassedhadnosignnamingitslocation,andthescantnumberof

buildingsandfewpeopletheysawdidn'tseemenoughtojustifyaname.Theroadwas

nowdirt,andtheHudsonswayedfromsidetosideoverthishumblepackofshifting

earth.Lousawashallowpostofficebuilding,andnexttothatwasaleaningpileof

boardswithnosignoutfront,andstepsthathadtherot.Andfinallytherewasagoodsizedgeneralstorewiththename"McKenzie's"onthewall;cratesofsugar,flour,salt,

andpepperwerepiledhighoutside.InonewindowofMcKenzie'shungapairofblue

overalls,harnesses,andakerosenelamp.Andthatwasaboutalltherewas

ofthe

namelessstopalongthepoorroad.

Astheydriftedoverthesoftdirt,theypassedsilent,sunken-eyedmen,facespartially

coveredbywispybeards;theyworedirtyone-pieceoveralls,slouchhats,andlumpy

brogans,andtraveledonfoot,mule,orhorse.Awomanwithvacanteyes,adroopyface,

andbonylimbs,clothedinaginghamblouseandahomespunwoolenskirtbunchedatthe

waistwithpins,rockedalonginasmallschoonerwagonpulledbyapairofmules.Inthe

backofthewagonwasapileofchildrenridingburlapseedbagsbiggerthantheywere.

Runningparalleltotheroadherealongcoaltrainwasstoppedunderawatertowerand

takinginbiggulps,steambelchingoutfromitsthroatwitheachgreedyswallow.On

anothermountaininthedistanceLoucouldseeacoaltippleonwoodenstilts,and

anotherlineofcoalcarspassingunderneaththisstructure,likeacolumnofobedientants.

Theypassedoveralargebridge.AtinsignsaidthiswastheMcCloudRiverflowing

thirtyfeetunderneaththem.Inthereflectionoftherisingsunthewaterlookedpink,like

amiles-longcurvytongue.Themountainpeaksweresmoke-blue,themistsoffogright

belowthemformingagauzykerchief.

Withnomoretownsapparent,Lou

figureditwastimetogetacquaintedwiththe

gentlemanupfront.

"What'syourname?"sheasked.ShehadknownmanyNegroes,mostlywriters,poets,

musicians,andthosewhoactedonthestage,allherparents'friends.Buttherehadbeen

otherstoo.Duringherexcursionsthroughthecitywithhermother,Louhadmetcolored

peoplewholoadedthetrash,flaggeddownthecabs,heavedthebags,scootedafter

others'children,cleanedthestreets,washedthewindows,shinedtheshoes,cookedthe

food,anddidthelaundry,andtook,inamicablemeasures,theinsultsandtipsoftfieir

whiteclientele.

Thisfellowdriving,hewasdifferent,becauseheapparentlydidn'tliketotalk.Backin

NewYorkLouhadbefriendedonekindlyoldgentlemanwhoworkedalowlyjobat

YankeeStadium,wheresheandherfatherwouldsometimesstealawayto

games.This

oldman,onlyashadedarkerthanthepeanutshesold,hadtoldherthatacoloredman

wouldtalkyourearoffeverydayoftheweekexcepttheSabbath,whenhe'dletGodand

thewomenhavetheirshot.

Thebigfellowjustcontinuedtodrive;hisgazedidn'tevencreeptotherearviewmirror

whenLouspoke.AlackofcuriositywassomethingLoucouldnottolerateinherfellow

man.

"MyparentsnamedmeLouisaMaeCardinal,aftermygreat-grandmother.IgobyLou,

though,justLou.

MydadisJohnJacobCardinal.He'saveryfamouswriter.You'veprobablyheardof

him."

Theyoungmandidn'tgruntorevenwiggleafinger.Theroadaheadapparentlyheld

fascinationforhimthatadoseofCardinalfamilyhistorysimplycould

notcompetewith.

Gettingintohissister'sspiritedattemptatconversation,Ozsaid,"He'sdead,butour

mom'snot."

ThisindelicatecommentdrewanimmediatescowlfromLou,andjustasquicklyOz

lookedoutthewindow,ostensiblytoadmirethecountryside.

TheywerethrownforwardalittlewhentheHudsoncametoanabruptstop.

Theyoungboystandingtherewasa

littleolderthanLou,butaboutthesameheight.His

redhairwasallcrazy-angledcowlicks,whichstillfailedtocoverconicalearsthatcould

easilyhavecaughtonanail.HeworeastainedlongJohnshirtanddirtyoverallsthat

didn'tmanagetohidebonyankles.Hisfeetwerebareeventhoughtheairwasn'twarm.

Hecarriedalong,hand-whittledcanefishingpoleandadentedtacklebox,which

appearedtohaveoncebeenblue.

Therewasablack-and-tanmuttofadognexttohim,its

lumpypinktonguehangingout.TheboyputhispoleandboxthroughtheHudson'sopen

rearwindowandclimbedinthefrontseatlikeheownedit,hisdogfollowinghisrelaxed

lead.

"Howdy-howdy,HellNo,"thestrangerboysaidamiablytothedriver,who

acknowledgedthisnewcomerwithanever-so-slightnodofthehead.

LouandOzlookedateachotherinpuzzlementoverthisveryoddgreeting.

Likeapop-uptoy,thevisitorpokedhisheadovertheseatandstaredatthem.Hehad

morethananadequatecropoffrecklesonhisflatcheeks,asmallmoundofnosethat

carriedstillmorefreckles,andoutofthesunhishairseemedevenredder.Hiseyeswere

thecolorofrawpeas,andtogetherwiththehairtheymadeLouthinkofChristmas

wrappingpaper.

"IbetIknowedmewhat,y'allMissLouisa'speople,ain'tcha?"hesaidinapleasant

drawl,hissmileendearinglyimpish.

Lounoddedslowly."I'mLou.Thisismybrother,Oz,"shesaid,withaneasycourtesy,if

onlytoshowshewasn'tnervous.

Swiftasasalesman'sgrin,theboyshookhandswiththem.Hisfingerswerestrong,with

manyfineexamplesofthecountrysideimbeddedineachofthem.Indeed,ifhe'dever

hadfingernails,itwasdifficulttotellunderthisremarkablecollectionofdirt.LouandOz

bothcouldn'thelpbutstareatthosefingers.

Hemusthavenotedtheirlooks,becausehesaid,"Beentodiggingwormssinceafore

light.Candleinonehand,tincanintheother.Dirtywork,y'allknow."Hesaidthis

matter-of-factly,asthoughforyearstheyallhadkneltsidebysideunderahotsun

huntingskinnybait.

Ozlookedathisownhandandsawtherethetransfersofrichsoilfromthehandshake.He

smiledbecauseitwasasthoughthetwohadjustundertakenthebloodbrotherritual.A

brother!NowthatwassomethingOzcouldgetexcitedabout.

Thered-hairedyoungmangrinnedgood-naturedly,showingthatmostofhisteethwere

wheretheyweresupposedtobe,thoughnotmanyofthemwerewhatonecouldcall

eitherstraightorwhite.

"Name'sJimmySkinner,"hesaidbywayofmodestintroduction,"butfolkcallme

Diamond,'causemydaddysaythathowhardmyheadbe.Thisherehound'sJeb."

AtthesoundofhisnameJebpokedhisfluffyheadovertheseatandDiamondgaveeach

ofthedog'searsaplayfultug.ThenhelookedatOz.

"Thatarightfunnynameferabody.Oz."

NowOzlookedworriedunderthescrutinyofhisbloodbrother.Wastheir

partnershipnot

tobe?

Louansweredforhim."HisrealnameisOscar.AsinOscarWilde.Ozisanickname,

likeintheWizardof."

HisgazeontheceilingoftheHudson,Diamondconsideredthesefacts,obviously

searchinghismemory.

"NevertellofnoWildesuphere."Hepaused,thinkinghardagain,thewrinklesonhis

browcrazy-lined."Andwizard'a

what'xactly?"

Loucouldnothideherastonishment."Thebook?Themovie?JudyGarland?"

"TheMunchkins?AndtheCowardlyLion?"addedOz.

"Ain'tneverbeentonopitchershow."DiamondglancedatOz'sbearandadisapproving

looksimmeredonhisface."Yourightbigferthat,nowain'tcha,son?"

ThissealeditforOz.Hesadlywipedhishandcleanontheseat,annullinghisand

Diamond'ssolemncovenant.

LouleanedforwardsocloseshecouldsmellDiamond'sbreath."That'snoneofyour

business,isit?"

AchastenedDiamondslumpedinthefrontseatandletJebidlylickdirtandwormjuice

fromhisfingers.ItwasasthoughLouhadspitattheboyusingwords.

Theambulancewasfaraheadofthem,drivingslowly.

"Isorryyourmahurt,"saidDiamond,inthemannerofpassingthe

peacepipe.

"She'sgoingtogetbetter,"saidOz,alwaysnimbleronthedrawthanwasLouwith

mattersconcerningtheirmother.

Loustaredoutthewindow,armsacrossherchest.

"HellNo,"saidDiamond,"justplopmeoffovertothebridge.Catchmeanythin'good,I

bringitfersupper.TellMissLouisa?"

LouwatchedasHellNoedgedhisbluntchinforward,apparentlysignaling

abig,happy

"Okay,Diamond!"

Theboypoppedupovertheseatagain."Hey,y'allfancygoodlard-friedfishfersupper?"

Hisexpressionwashopeful,hisintentionsnodoubthonorable;however,Louwas

unwillingjustnowtomakefriends.

"Weallshorewould,Diamond.Thenmaybewecanfindusapitchershowinthisonehorsetown."

AssoonasLousaidthis,sheregrettedit.Itwasn'tjustthe

disappointedlookon

Diamond'sface;itwasalsothefactthatshehadjustblasphemedtheplacewhereher

fatherhadgrownup.Shecaughtherselflookingtoheaven,watchingforgrimlightning

bolts,ormaybesuddenrains,liketearsfalling.

"Fromsomebigcity,ain'tcha?"Diamondsaid.

Loudrewhergazefromthesky."Thebiggest.NewYork,"shesaid.

"Huh,well,y'alldon'tbetelling

folksroundherethat."

Ozgapedathisex-bloodbrother."Whynot?"

"Rightchere'sgood,HellNo.Comeonnow,Jeb."

HellNostoppedthecar.Directlyinfrontofthemwasthebridge,althoughitwasthe

puniestsuchoneLouhadeverseen.Itwasameretwentyfeetofwarpedwoodenplanks

laidoversix-by-sixtarredrailroadties,withanarchofrustedmetaloneithersideto

preventonefromplummetingalloffivefeetintowhatlookedtobeacreekfullofmore

flatrockthanwater.Suicidebybridgejumpingdidnotappeartobearealisticoption

here.And,judgingfromtheshallowwater,Loudidnotholdoutmuchhopeforalardfriedfishdinner,notthatsuchamealsoundedparticularlyappealingtoheranyway.

AsDiamondpulledhisgearfromthebackoftheHudson,Lou,whowasalittlesorryfor

whatshehadsaid,butmorecuriousthansorry,leanedovertheseatand

whisperedtohim

throughtheopenrearwindow.

"WhydoyoucallhimHellNo?"

HerunexpectedattentionbroughtDiamondbacktogoodspiritsandhesmiledather."

'Causethatbehisname,"hesaidinaninoffensivemanner."HelivewithMissLouisa."

"Wheredidhegetthatkindofaname?"

Diamondglancedtowardthefrontseatandpretendedtofiddlewithsomethinginhis

tacklebox.Inalowvoicehesaid,"HisdaddypassthroughthesepartswhenHellNoain't

nomore'nababy.Plunkedhimrightonthedirt.Well,abodysaytohim,'Yougonna

comeback,takethatchild?'Andhesay,'Hellno.'Now,HellNo,heneverdonenobody

wronghiswholelife.Ain'tmanyfolksaythat.Andnorichones."

Diamondgrabbedhistackleboxandswungthepoletohisshoulder.Hewalkedtothe

bridge,whistlingatune,andHell

NodrovetheHudsonacross,thestructuregroaningand

complainingwitheachturnofthecarwheels.DiamondwavedandOzreturneditwith

hisstainedhand,hopewellingbackformaybeafriendshipofenduringdegreewith

Jimmy"Diamond"Skinner,crimson-crownedfisherboyofthemountain.

Lousimplystaredatthefrontseat.AtamannamedHellNo.

CHAPTERSEVEN

THEDROPWASAGOODTHREETHOUSANDFEETIFitwasaninch.TheAppalachians

mightpaleinsizeifleveledagainsttheupstartRockies,buttotheCardinalchildrenthey

seemedabundantlytallenough.

AfterleavingthesmallbridgeandDiamondbehind,theninety-sixhorsesoftheHudson's

enginehadstartedtowhine,andHellNohaddroppedtoalowergear.Thecar'sprotest

wasunderstandable,fornowtheunevendirtroadheadedupatalmosta

forty-five-degree

angleandwoundaroundthemountainlikearattler'scoils.Theroad'ssupposedtwin

lanes,byanyreasonablemeasurement,werereallyonlyasinglepregnantone.Fallen

rocklayalongtheroadside,likesolidtearsfromthemountain'sface.

Ozlookedoutonlyonceatthispotentialdroptoheaven,andthenhechosetolookno

more.Loustaredoff,theirrisetotheskynotreallybotheringherany.

Then,suddenlyflyingaroundacurveatthemwasafarmtractor,mostlyrustandmissing

piecesandheldtogetherwithcoilsofrustywireandotherassortedtrash.

Itwasalmosttoobigforthenarrowroadallbyitself,muchlesswithalumbering

Hudsoncomingatit.Childrenwerehanginganddanglingeverywhichwayonthebulky

equipment,asifitwereamobilejunglegym.OneyoungboyaboutLou'sagewas

actuallysuspendedovernothingbut

air,hangingononlybyhisowntenfingersand

God'swill,andhewaslaughing!Theotherchildren,agirlofabouttenandaboyabout

Oz'sage,wereclampedtightaroundwhatevertheycouldfindtohold,theirexpressions

seizedwithterror.

Themanpilotingthiscontraptionwasfarmorefrighteningeventhanthevisionofout-ofcontrolmachineryholdingflailingchildrenhostage.Afelthatcoveredhishead,yearsof

sweathavingleachedtoallpointsof

thematerial.Hisbeardwasbristlyrough,andhis

facewasburntdarkandheavilywrinkledbytheunforgivingsun.Heseemedtobeshort,

buthisbodywasthickandmuscular.Hisclothes,andthoseofthechildren,werealmost

rags.

ThetractorwasalmostontopoftheHudson.Ozcoveredhiseyes,tooafraidevento

attemptascream.ButLoucriedoutasthetractorboredownonthem.

HellNo,withanairofpracticedcalm,somehowdrovethecaroutofthetractor'spath

andstoppedtolettheothervehiclesafelypass.Socloseweretheytotheedgethatafull

thirdoftheHudson'stiresweregrippingnothingbutthechillybraceofmountainair.

Displacedrockanddirtdribbledoverthesideandwereinstantlyscatteredintheswirlof

wind.ForamomentLouwascertaintheyweregoingover,andshegrippedOzwithall

herstrength,asthoughthatwouldmakeadifference.

Asthetractorroaredby,themanglaredatthemallbeforesettlingonHellNoand

shouting,"Stupidnig—"

Therest,thankfully,wascoveredbythewhineofthetractorandthelaughterandwhoops

ofthesuspended-in-airboy.LoulookedatHellNo,whodidn'tflinchatanyofthis.Not

thefirsttime,sheimagined—thenearfatalcollisionandtheawfulnamecalling.

AndthenlikeastrikeofhailinJuly,thisrollingcircuswasgone.HellNodroveon.

Asshegothernervessettleddown,Loucouldseeloadedcoaltrucksfarbelowthem

inchingdownonesideofaroad,whileontheothersideemptytrucksflewhellbentback

up,likehoneybees,togorgesomemore.Allaroundherethefaceofthemountainshad

beengashedopeninplaces,exposingrockunderneath,thetopsoilandtreesallgone.Lou

watchedascoaltrolleysemergedfromthesewoundsinthemountains,likedripsof

blackenedblood,andthecoalwastippledintothetruckbeds.

"Name'sEugene."

LouandOzbothstaredtowardthefrontseat.Theyoungmanwaslookingattheminthe

mirror.

"Name'sEugene,"hesaidagain."Diamond,hefergitsometime.Butheagoodboy.My

Men'."

"Hi,Eugene,"saidOz.AndthenLousaidhellotoo.

"Ain'tseefolksmuch.Wordsain'tcomeeasyforme.Isorryforthat."

"That'sokay,Eugene,"saidLou."Meetingstrangersishard."

"MissLouisaandme,werealgladyoucome.Sheagoodwoman.TakemeinwhenI

ain'tgotnohome.Youluckysheyourkin."

"Well,that'sgoodbecausewehaven'tbeenveryluckylately,"saidLou.

"Shetalk'bouty'allmuch.Andyourdaddyandmomma.Shecareforyourmomma.Miss

Louisa,shehealthesick."

OzlookedatLouwithrenewedhope,butsheshookherhead.

Moremileswentby,andthenEugeneturnedthecardownalanethatwasn'tmuchmore

thantwinrutsinthedirtspreadoverwithstilldormantgrassandbracketedbythickwild

brush.Astheywereobviouslydrawingneartotheirdestination,OzandLouexchangeda

glance.Excitement,nervousness,panic,andhopecompetedforspaceonthesmall

landscapesoftheirfaces.

Thedirtlanenudgedovertothenorthasitclearedarise.Herethelandsplayedoutintoa

broadvalleyofsimplebeauty.Greenmeadowswerebracketedbyvastforestsofevery

woodthestateboasted.Nexttothemeadowswereclearedpatchworkfieldsthatyielded

tosplit-railcorrals,weatheredgrayandwrappedwithnakedramblerrose

vines.

Anchoringthecorralswasalargetwo-storyplankbarn,toppedbyagambrelroofwith

rainhood,allcoveredbycedarshinglesfashionedwithfroeandmaul.Ithadlargedouble

doorsateachend,withasetofhaydoorsabove.Aprojectingtimberwasimmediately

abovethisportalandusedtosupportthehayforkdanglingfromit.Threecowslayinthe

grassinoneprotectedspace,whilearoanhorsegrazedaloneinasmall

snake-railcorral.

Loucountedahalfdozenshearedsheepinanotherpen.Andbehindthatwasanother

fencedspacewhereenormoushogsrolledinawallowofmud,likegiantbabiesatplay.A

pairofmulesweredoubletreedtoalargewagonthatsatbythebarn,thesunreflecting

offitstin-wrappedwoodenwheels.Nearthebarnwasafarmhouseofmodestproportion.

Therewereotherbuildingsandlean-tos,largeandsmall,scatteredhereand

there,most

ofplank.Onestructuresituatedinanoverhangofmapletreeslookedtobeformedfrom

logschinkedwithmudandseemedhalf-buriedintheearth.Theclearedfields,which

slopedattheirendslikethecurlofhair,sprangoutwardfromthecentralfarmbuildings

likespokesonawheel.AndrisinghighbehindallofthisweretheAppalachians,making

thisgood-sizedfarmpropertyseembutachild'smodelbycomparison.

Louwasfinallyhere,theplaceherfatherhadspentmuchofhislifewritingaboutyethad

neverreturnedto.Shedrewinseveralquickbreaths,andsatveryerectastheydroveon

tothehouse,whereLouisaMaeCardinal,thewomanwhohadhelpedtoraisetheir

father,awaitedthem.

CHAPTEREIGHT

INSIDETHEFARMHOUSETHENURSEWASADVISINGTHEwomanastoAmanda's

conditionandotheressentials,whilethewomanlistenedintentlyandaskedpointed

questions.

"Andwemightaswellgetmyrequirementsoutoftheway,"saidthenursefinally."I

sufferfromanimalandpollenallergies,andyouneedtomakesurethattheirpresence

hereiskepttoaminimum.Undernocircumstancesshouldanimalsbeallowedinthe

house.Ihavecertainspecificdietaryneeds.Iwillprovideyouwithalist.I

willalso

requireafreereigninoverseeingthechildren.Iknowthatfallsoutsidemyformalduties,

butthosetwoobviouslyneeddiscipline,andIintendtosoprovideit.Thatgirl,in

particular,isarealpieceofwork.I'msureyoucanappreciatemyfrankness.Nowyou

canshowmetomyroom."

LouisaMaeCardinalsaidtothenurse,"Iappreciateyoucomingout.Factis,weain'tgot

roomforyou."

Thetallnursestoodaserectasshecould,butshewasstillshorterthanLouisaMae

Cardinal."Excuseme?"shesaidwithindignation.

'TellSamouttheretotakeyouonbacktothetrainstation.Anothertrainnorthbecoming

through.Rareplaceforawalkwhileyouwait."

"Iwasretainedtocomehereandlookaftermypatient."

"IlookafterAmandajustfine."

"Youarenotqualifiedtodoso."

"SamandHank,theyneedgetonback,honey."

"Ineedtocallsomebodyaboutthis."Thenursewassored-facedthatshelookedas

thoughshemightbecomeapatient.

"NearestphoneondownthemountaininTremont.Butyoucancallthepresidentofthese

UnitedStates,stillmyhome."LouisaMaegrippedthewoman'selbowwithastrength

thatmadethenurse'seyesflutter.

"Andweain'tgottobotherAmandawiththis."She

guidedthewomanfromtheroom,closingthedoorbehindthem.

"Doyouseriouslyexpectmetobelievethatyoudon'thaveatelephone?"thenursesaid.

"Don'thavethatelectricitythingneither,butIheartheyrightfine.Thankyouagin,and

youhaveagoodtripback."Sheplacedthreeworndollarbillsinthenurse'shand."Iwish

itwasmore,honey,butitalltheeggmoneyIgot."

Thenursestareddownatthecashforamomentandsaid,"I'mstayinguntilI'msatisfied

thatmypatient—"

LouisaMaeoncemoregrippedherelbowandledhertothefrontdoor."Mostfolkhere

gotrules'bouttrespassing.Warningshot'sfiredrightclosetothehead.Getthey's

attention.Nextshotgetsalotmorepersonal.Now,I'mtoooldtowastetimefiringa

warningshot,andIain'tneveronceusedsaltinmygun.AndnowIcan't

giveitno

straighter'nthat."

WhentheHudsonpulledup,theambulancewasstillparkedinfrontofthefarmhouse,

whichhadadeep,coolporchandshadowselongatingacrossitasthesunrosehigher.

LouandOzgotoutofthecarandconfrontedtheirnewhome.Itwassmallerthanithad

appearedfromadistance.AndLounotedseveralsetsofunevenaddonstothesidesand

back,allofwhichweresetonacrumblingfieldstonebasewithstepstonerockleading

fromgroundtoporch.Theunshingledroofhadwhatlookedtobeblacktarpaperacross

it.Apicket-fencerailingranalongtheporch,whichalsosaggedinplaces.Thechimney

wasmadeofhand-formedbrick,andthemortarhadleachedoverpartsofit.The

clapboardwasinneedofpainting,heatpopswerefairlynumerous,andwoodhad

buckledandwarpedinplaceswheremoisturehadcrawledinside.

Louaccepteditforwhatitclearlywas:anoldhouse,havinggonethroughvarious

reincarnationsandsituatedinaplaceofunforgivingelements.Butthefront-yardgrass

wasneatlycut,thesteps,windows,andporchfloorwereclean,andshetalliedtheearly

bloomofflowersinglassjarsandwoodenbucketssetalongtheporchrailandinwindow

boxes.Climbingrosevinesranup

theporchcolumns,ascreenofdormantmaypops

coveredpartoftheporch,andahuskyvineofsleepinghoneysucklespreadagainstone

wall.Therewasarough-hewnworkbenchontheporchwithtoolsscatteredacrossits

surfaceandasplit-bottomhickorychairnexttoit.

Brownhensstartedsingingaroundtheirfeet,andacoupleofmean-lookinggeesecame

calling,sendingthehensoffscreechingfortheirlives.Andthena

yellow-footedrooster

stompedbyandscaredthegeeseoff,cockeditsheadatLouandOz,gaveacrow,and

stompedbackfromwhenceithadcome.Themarewhinniedagreetingfromitscorral,

whilethepairofmulesjuststaredatnothing.Theirhairyskinwascaveblack,theirears

andsnoutsnotquitebalancedwitheachother.Oztookasteptowardthemforabetter

lookandthenretreatedwhenoneofthemulesmadeanoiseOzhadnever

heardbefore

yetwhichclearlysoundedthreatening.

Lou'sandOz'sattentionshiftedtothefrontdoorwhenitwasthrownopenwithfarmore

thrustthanwasnecessary.Theirmother'snursecameclompingout.Shestalkedpast

them,herlongarmsandlegscockingandfiringoffroundsofsilentfury.

"Neverinallmylife,"shewailedtotheAppalachians.Withoutanotherwordorgrimace,

flapofarmorkickofleg,sheclimbedintotheambulance,closedthedoors,whichmade

twomodestthunksasmetalhitmetal,andthevolunteerbrigadebeatatimidretreat.

Beyondperplexed,LouandOzturnedbacktothehouseforanswersandfound

themselvesstaringather.

StandinginthedoorwaywasLouisaMaeCardinal.Shewasverytall,andthoughalso

verylean,shelookedstrongenoughtostrangleabear,anddetermined

enoughtodoso.

Herfacewasleathern,thelinescreasingittheetchofwoodgrain.Althoughshewas

approachinghereightiethyear,theballsofhercheeksstillrodehigh.Thejawwasalso

strong,thoughhermouthdroopedsome.Hersilverhairwastiedwithasimplecordatthe

nape,andthenplungedtoherwaist.

Louwasheartenedtoseethatsheworenotadress,butinsteadbaggydenimtrousers

fadedtonearwhiteandanindigoshirtpatchedinvariousplaces.Oldbroganscovered

herfeet.Shewasstatue-likeinhermajesty,yetthewomanhadaremarkablepairofhazel

eyesthatclearlymissednothingintheirrange.

LouboldlysteppedforwardwhileOzdidhisbesttomeltintohissister'sback."I'm

LouisaMaeCardinal.Thisismybrother,Oscar."TherewasatrembletoLou'svoice.

Shestoodherground,though,only

inchesfromhernamesake,andthisproximity

revealedaremarkablefact:Theirprofileswerealmostidentical.Theyseemedtwins

separatedbyamerethreegenerations.

Louisasaidnothing,hergazetrailingtheambulance.

Lounotedthisandsaid,"Wasn'tshesupposedtostayandhelplookafterourmother?

Shehasalotofneeds,andwehavetomakesurethatshe'scomfortable."

Hergreat-grandmothershiftedherfocustotheHudson.

"Eugene,"LouisaMaesaidinavoicepossessedofnegligibletwang,yetwhichseemed

undeniablysouthernstill,"bringthebagsin,honey."OnlythendidshelookatLou,and

thoughthestarewasrigid,therewassomethingprowlingbehindtheeyesthatgaveLoua

reasontofeelwelcome."Wetakegoodcareofyourmother."

LouisaMaeturnedandwentbackinthehouse.Eugenefollowedwiththeir

bags.Ozwas

fullyconcentratingonhisbearandhisthumb.Hiswide,blueeyeswereblinkingrapidly,

asureindicationthathisnerveswereracingatafeverishpitch.Indeed,helookedlikehe

wantedtorunallthewaybacktoNewYorkCityrightthatminute.AndOzverywell

mighthave,ifonlyhehadknowninwhichdirectionithappenedtobe.

CHAPTERNINE

THEBEDROOMGIVENTOLOU

WASSPARTANANDALSOtheonlyroomonthesecond

floor,accessedbyarearstaircase.Ithadonelargewindowthatlookedoutoverthe

farmyard.Theangledwallsandlowceilingwerecoveredwitholdnewspaperand

magazinepagespastedtherelikewallpaper.Mostwereyellowed,andsomehungdown

wherethepastehadwornaway.Therewasasimpleropebedofhickoryandapine

wardrobescarredinplaces.And

therewasasmalldeskofrough-hewnwoodbythe

window,wherethemorninglightfelluponit.Thedeskwasunremarkableindesign,yet

itdrewLou'sattentionasthoughcastfromgoldandtrimmedbydiamonds.

Herfather'sinitialswerestillsovivid:"JJC."JohnJacobCardinal.Thishadtobethe

deskatwhichhehadfirststartedwriting.Sheimaginedherfatherasalittleboy,lipsset

firm,handsworkingprecisely,ashe

scoredhisinitialsintothewood,andthensetout

uponhiscareerasastoryteller.Asshetouchedthecutletters,itwasasthoughshehad

justputherhandontopofherfather's.

ForsomereasonLousensedthathergreat-grandmotherhaddeliberatelygivenherthis

room.

Herfatherhadbeenreservedabouthislifehere.However,wheneverLouhadaskedhim

abouthernamesake,JackCardinalhadbeeneffusiveinhisanswer."Afinerwoman

neverwalkedtheearth."Andthenhewouldtellaboutsomeofhislifeonthemountain,

butonlysome.Apparently,helefttheintimatedetailsforhisbooks,allbutoneofwhich

Louwouldhavetowaituntiladulthoodtoread,herfatherhadtoldher.Thusshewasleft

withmanyunansweredquestions.

Shereachedinhersuitcaseandpulledoutasmall,wood-framed

photograph.Her

mother'ssmilewaswide,andthoughthephotographwasblackandwhite,Louknewthe

swellofhermother'sambereyeswasnearhypnotic.Louhadalwayslovedthatcolor,

evensometimeshopingthattheblueinherswoulddisappearonemorningandbe

replacedwiththiscollisionofbrownandgold.Thephotohadbeentakenonhermother's

birthday.ToddlerLouwasstandinginfrontofAmanda,andmotherhad

botharms

aroundherchild.Inthephototheirsmilesweresuspendedtogetherforalltime.Lou

oftenwishedshecouldremembersomethingofthatday.

OzcameintotheroomandLouslippedthephotographbackintoherbag.Asusual,her

brotherlookedworried.

"CanIstayinyourroom?"heasked.

"What'swrongwithyours?"

"It'snexttohers."

"Who,Louisa?"Ozansweredyesverysolemnly,asthoughhewastestifyingincourt.

"Well,what'swrongwiththat?"

"Shescaresme,"hesaid."Shereallydoes,Lou."

"Sheletuscomelivewithher."

"AndI'mrightgladyoudidcome."

Louisacameforwardfromthedoorway."SorryIwasshortwithyou.Iwasthinking'bout

yourmother."ShestaredatLou."Andherneeds."

"That'sokay,"Ozsaid,asheflitted

nexttohissister."Ithinkyouspookedmysistera

little,butshe'sallrightnow."

Loustudiedthewoman'sfeatures,seeingiftherewasanyofherfatherthere.She

concludedthattherewasn't.

"Wedidn'thaveanyoneelse,"Lousaid.

"Y'allalwayshaveme,"LouisaMaeansweredback.Shemovedincloser,andLou

suddenlysawfragmentsofherfatherthere.Shealsonowunderstood

whythewoman's

mouthdrooped.Therewereonlyafewteeththere,allofthemyellowedordarkened.

"SorryasIcanbeIain'tmadethefuneral.Newscomesslowlyherewhenitbothersto

comea'tall."Shelookeddownforamoment,asthoughgrippedbysomethingLou

couldn'tsee."You'reOz.Andyou'reLou."Louisapointedtothemasshesaidthenames.

Lousaid,"Thepeoplewhoarrangedourcoming,Iguesstheytoldyou."

"Iknewlongaforethat.Y'allcallmeLouisa.They'schorestobedoneeachday.We

makeorgrow'boutallweneed.Breakfast'satfive.Supperwhenthesunfalls."

"Fiveo'clockinthemorning!"exclaimedOz.

"Whataboutschool?"askedLou.

"CalledBigSpruce.Nomore'ncouplemilesoff.Eugenetakeyouinthewagonfirstday,

andtheny'allwalkafterthat.Ortakethemare.Ain'tsparethemules,fortheydothe

pullingroundhere.Butthenagwilldo."

Ozpaled."Wedon'tknowhowtorideahorse."

"Y'allwill.Horseandmulebestestwaytogetbyuphere,otherthantwogoodfeet."

"Whataboutthecar?"askedLou.

Louisashookherhead."T'ain'tpractical.Takemoneywesurelyain'tgot.Eugeneknow

howitworksandbuiltalittlelean-toforit.Hestartitupeverynowandagin,'causehe

sayhehavetosoitrunwhenweneedit.Wouldn'thavethatdurnthing,'ceptWilliam

andJaneGilesondowntheroadgiveittouswhentheymovedon.Can'tdriveit,no

planstoeverlearn."

"IsBigSprucethesameschoolmydadwentto?"askedLou.

"Yes,onlytheschoolhousehewenttoain'ttherenomore.'Boutasoldasme,itfall

down.Butyougotthesameteacher.Change,likenews,comesslowlyhere.You

hungry?"

"Weateonthetrain,"saidLou,unabletodrawhergazefromthewoman'sface.

"Fine.Yourmommasettledin.Y'allg'onseeher."

Lousaid,"I'dliketostayhereandlookaroundsome."

Louisaheldthedooropenforthem.Hervoicewasgentlebutfirm."Seeyourmomma

first."

Theroomwascomfortable—goodlight,windowopen.Homespun

curtains,curledbythe

dampandbleachedbythesun,werelightlyflappinginthebreeze.AsLoulooked

around,sheknewithadprobablytakensomeefforttomakethisintowhatamountedtoa

sickroom.Someofthefurniturelookedworkedon,thefloorfreshlyscrubbed,thesmell

ofpaintstilllingering;achippedrockingchairsatinonecornerwithathickblanket

acrossit.

Onthewallswereancientferrotypesofmen,women,andchildren,alldressedinwhat

wasprobablytheirfinestclothing:stiffwhite-collaredshirtsandbowlerhatsforthemen;

longskirtsandbonnetsforthewomen;lacefrillsfortheyounggirls;andsmallsuitsand

stringtiesfortheboys.Loustudiedthem.Theirexpressionsranthegamutfromdourto

pleased,thechildrenbeingthemostanimated,thegrownwomenappearingthemost

suspicious,asthoughtheybelievedtheirlivesweretobetaken,insteadofsimplytheir

photographs.

Amanda,inabedofyellowpoplar,wasproppeduponfatfeatherpillows,andhereyes

wereshut.Themattresswasfeather-filledtoo,lumpybutsoft,housedinastripedticking.

Apatchworkquiltcoveredher.Afadeddruggetlaynexttothebedsobarefeetwouldn't

havetotouchacoldwoodfloorfirstthinginthemorning.Louknewher

motherwould

notbeneedingthat.Onthewallswerepegswithitemsofclothinghungfromthem.An

olddresserwasinonecorner,apaintedchinapitcherandbowlrestingonit.Lou

wanderedaroundtheroomidly,lookingandtouching.Shenotedthatthewindowframe

wasslightlycrooked,thepanesofglassfilmy,asthoughafoghadinfiltratedthematerial

somehow.

Ozsatnexttohismother,leanedover,andkissedher.

"Hi,Mom."

"Shecan'thearyou,"Loumutteredtoherselfasshestoppedherwanderingandlooked

outthewindow,smellingairpurerthananyshehadbefore;inthedraftwereamedleyof

treesandflowers,woodsmoke,longbluegrass,andanimalslargeandsmall.

"Itsureisprettyherein..."OzlookedatLou.

"Virginia,"Louanswered,without

turningaround.

"Virginia,"Ozrepeated.Thenhetookoutthenecklace.

Fromthedoorway,Louisawatchedthisexchange.

Louturnedandsawwhathewasdoing."Oz,thatstupidnecklacedoesn'twork."

"Sowhy'dyougetitbackformethen?"hesaidsharply.

ThisstoppedLoudead,forshehadnoreadyanswer.Ozturnedbackandbeganhisritual

overAmanda.Butwitheachswing

ofthequartzcrystal,witheachsoftlyspoken

utterancebyOz,Loujustknewhewastryingtomeltanicebergwithasinglematch;and

shewantednopartofit.Sheracedpasthergreat-grandmotheranddownthehall.

LouisasteppedintotheroomandsatdownnexttoOz."What'sthatfor,Oz?"sheasked,

pointingtothejewelry.

Ozcuppedthenecklaceinhishand,eyeditclosely,likeitwasatimepieceandhewas

checkingwhato'clockitwas."Friendtoldmeaboutit.SupposedtohelpMom.Lou

doesn'tbelieveitwill."Hepaused."Don'tknowifIdoeither."

Louisaranahandthroughhishair."Somesaybelievingapersongetbetterishalfthe

battle.I'monewhosubscribestothatnotion."

Fortunately,withOz,afewsecondsofdespairwereusuallyfollowedbyreplenished

hope.Hetookthenecklaceandsliditunderhismother'smattress."Maybe

it'llkeep

oozingitspowerthisway.She'llgetwell,won'tshe?"

Louisastaredatthelittleboy,andthenathismotherlyingsostillthere.ShetouchedOz's

cheekwithherhand—veryoldagainstverynewskin,anditsmixseemedpleasingto

both."Youkeeprightonbelieving,Oz.Don'tyouneverstopbelieving."

CHAPTERTEN

THEKITCHENSHELVESWEREWORN,KNOTHOLEDPINE,floors

thesame.Thefloorboards

creakedslightlyasOzsweptwithashort-handledbroom,whileLouloadedlengthsofcut

woodintotheironbellyoftheSearscataloguecookstovethattookuponewallofthe

smallroom.Fadingsunlightcamethroughthewindowandalsopeeredthrougheachwall

crevice,andthereweremany.Anoldcoal-oillamphungfromapeg.Fatblackiron

kettleshungfromthewall.Inanothercornerwasafoodsafewith

hammeredmetal

doors;astringofdriedonionslayatopitandaglassjugofkerosenenexttothat.AsLou

examinedeachpieceofhickoryoroak,itwasasthoughshewasrevisitingeachfacetof

herpriorlife,beforethrowingitinthefire,sayinggood-byeastheflamesateitaway.

Theroomwasdarkandthesmellsofdampandburntwoodequallypungent.Loustared

overatthefireplace.Theopeningwaslarge,andsheguessedthatthe

cookinghadbeen

donetherebeforetheSearscookstovehadcome.Thebrickrantotheceiling,andiron

nailsweredriventhroughthemortarallover;toolsandkettles,andoddpiecesofother

thingsLoucouldn'tidentifybutthatlookedwell-used,hungfromthem.Inthecenterof

thebrickwallwasalongriflerestingontwinbracesangledintothemortar.

Theknockonthedoorstartledthemboth.Whowouldexpectvisitorssofar

abovesea

level?LouopenedthedoorandDiamondSkinnerstaredbackatherwithavastsmile.He

heldupamessofsmallmouthbass,asthoughhewasofferingherthecrownsofdead

kings.LoyalJebwasbesidehim,hissnoutwrinklingashedrewinthefinefishyaroma.

Louisacamestridinginfromoutside,herbrowglisteningwithsweat,herglovedhands

coatedwithrichdirt,aswereherbrogans.Sheslippedoffherglovesand

dabbedather

facewithasweatragpulledfromherpocket.Herlonghairwaspulledupunderacloth

scarf,wispsofsilverpeekingoutinspots.

"Well,Diamond,Ibelievethat'sthenicestmessofsmallmouthIeverseen,son."She

gaveJebapat."Howyoudoing,Mr.Jeb?YouhelpDiamondcatchallthemfish?"

Diamond'sgrinwassowideLoucouldalmostcountallhisteeth."Yes'm.DidHellNo—

"

Louisaheldupafingerandpolitelybutfirmlycorrected,"Eugene."

Diamondlookeddown,collectinghimselfafterthisblunder."Yes'm,sorry.DidEugene

tellyou—"

"Thatyou'dbebringingsupper?Yes.Andyou'llbestayingforitseeingyoucaughtit.

AndgettoknowLouandOzhere.Surey'allbegoodfriends."

"We'vealreadymet,"Lousaidstiffly.

LouisalookedbetweenherandDiamond."Well,that'srightgood.Diamondandyou

closeinyears.AndbegoodforOztohaveanotherboyround."

"He'sgotme,"Lousaidbluntly.

"Yes,hedoes,"Louisaagreed."Well,Diamond,yougonnastayforthemeal?"

Heconsideredthematter."Iain'tgotmenomore'point-mentstoday,soyep,Isetmyself

down."DiamondglancedatLou,andthenhewipedathisdirtyfaceandattemptedtotug

downoneofadozencowlicks.Louhadturnedaway,however,completelyunawareof

hiseffort.

ThetablewassetwithDepressionglassplatesandcups,collectedovertheyearsby

Louisa,shetoldthem,fromCrystalWinteroatmealboxes.Thedishesweregreen,pink,

blue,amber,androse.Howeverprettytheymightbe,noonewasreallyfocusingonthe

dishes.Instead,tinforkandknifeclashedastheyalldugintothemeal.

WhenLouisahad

saidthemealprayer,LouandOzcrossedthemselves,whileDiamondandEugenelooked

oncuriouslybutsaidnothing.Jeblayinthecorner,surprisinglypatientwithhisportion.

Eugenesatatoneendofthetable,methodicallychewinghisfood.Ozabsorbedhisentire

mealsofastLouseriouslyconsideredcheckingtomakesurehisforkhadnotdisappeared

downhisthroat.LouisadishedOzthelastpieceoflard-friedfish,therest

ofthecooked

vegetables,andanotherpieceofcooked-in-greasecorn-bread,which,toLou,tasted

betterthanicecream.

Louisahadnotfilledherplate.

"Youdidn'thaveanyfish,Louisa,"Ozsaid,ashestaredguiltilyathissecondhelping.

"Aren'tyouhungry?"

"Mealbyitselfseeingaboyeatinghiswayuptoagrowedman.EtwhileIcooked,

honey.Alwaysdo."

EugeneglancedquestioninglyatLouisawhenshesaidthisandthenwentbacktohis

meal.

Diamond'sgazekeptslidingbetweenLouandOz.Heseemedeagertomakefriends

again,yetseemedunsurehowtoaccomplishit.

"Canyoushowmesomeoftheplacesmydadwouldgoaroundhere?"LouaskedLouisa.

"Thethingshelikedtodo?See,I'mawritertoo."

"Iknowthat,"shesaid,andLougaveherasurprisedlook.Louisaputhercupofwater

downandstudiedLou'sface."Yourdaddyheliketotell'bouttheland.Butaforehedone

thathedonesomethingrealsmart."ShepausedasLouconsideredthis.

"Likewhat?"thegirlfinallyasked.

"Hecometounnerstandtheland."

"Understand...dirt?"

"Itgotlotsofsecrets,andnotallgoodones.Thingsupherehurtyoubadifyouain't

careful.Weathersofickle,likeitbreakyourheart'boutthetimeitdoyourback.Land

don'thelpnonewhodon'tneverbothertolearnit."OnthissheglancedatEugene."Lord

knowsEugenecouldusehelp.Thisfarmain'tgoingoneminutemorewithouthisstrong

back."

Eugeneswallowedapieceoffishandwasheditdownwithagulpofwaterhehadpoured

directlyintohisglassfromabucket.AsLouwatchedhim,Eugene'smouth

trembled.She

interpretedthatasabigsmile.

"Factis,"Louisacontinued,"youandOzcominghereisablessing.Somefolkmightsay

Ihelpingyouout,butthatain'tthetruth.Youhelpingmealotmore'nIcanyou.Forthat

Ithankyou."

"Sure,"saidOzgallantiy."Gladtodoit."

"Youmentionedtherewerechores,"Lousaid.

LouisalookedoveratEugene.

"Bettertoshow,nottell.Comemorning,Icommence

showing."

Diamondcouldcontainhimselfnolonger.

"JohnnyBooker'spasaidsomefellersbeenlookingroundhisplace."

"Whatfellers?"askedLouisasharply.

"Ain'tknow.Butthey'saskingquestions'boutthecoalmines."

"Getyourearsontheground,Diamond."LouisalookedatLouandOz."Andyoutoo.

Godputusonthisearthandhetakeusawaywhenhegoodandready.Meantime,family

gottolookoutforeachother."

Ozsmiledandsaidhe'dkeephisearssolowtotheground,they'dberegularlyfilledwith

dirt.EveryoneexceptLoulaughedatthat.ShesimplystaredatLouisaandsaidnothing.

Thetablewascleared,andwhileLouisascrapeddishes,Louworkedthesinkhandpump

hard,thewayLouisahadshownher,tomakeonlyaverythinstreamof

watercomeout.

Noindoorplumbing,shehadbeentold.Louisahadalsoexplainedtothemtheouthouse

arrangementandshownthemthesmallrollsoftoiletpaperstackedinthepantry.Shehad

saidalanternwouldbeneededafterdarkifthefacilitieswererequired,andshehad

shownLouhowtolightone.Therewasalsoachamberpotundereachoftheirbedsifthe

callofnaturewasofsuchurgencythattheycouldn'tmakeittothe

outhouseintime.

However,Louisainformedthemthatthecleaningofthechamberpotwasstrictlythe

responsibilityoftheoneusingit.LouwonderedhowtimidOz,achampionuserofthe

bathroominthemiddleofthenight,wouldgetalongwiththisaccommodation.She

imaginedshewouldbestandingoutsidethisouthousemanyaneveningwhilehedidhis

business,andthatwasawearythought.

RightaftersupperOzandDiamondhadgoneoutsidewithJeb.Lounowwatchedas

Eugeneliftedtherifleoffitsrackabovethefireplace.Heloadedthegunandwent

outside.

LousaidtoLouisa,"Where'shegoingwiththatgun?"

Louisascrubbedplatesvigorouslywithahardenedcorncob."Seetothelivestock.Now

wedoneturnedoutthecowsandhogs,OldMo'scominground."

"OldMo?"

"Mountainlion.OldMo,he'boutasoldasme,butthatdurncatstillbeabother.Notto

people.Letsthemareandthemulesbetoo,'speciallythemules,HitandSam.Don't

nevercrossnomule,Lou.They'sthetoughestthingsGodevermade,andthemdurn

critterskeepgrudgestillkingdomcome.Don'tneverforgetonesmackofthewhip,or

slipofashoeingnail.Somefolkssaymules'boutassmartasaman.

Mebbethatwhy

theygetsomean."Shesmiled."ButModoesgoafterthesheep,hogs,andcows.Sowe

gottoprotect'em.Eugenegonnafirethegun,scareOldMooff."

"DiamondtoldmeaboutEugene'sfatherleavinghim."

Louisaglancedathersternly."Alie!TomRandallwereagoodman."

"Whathappenedtohimthen?"LoupromptedwhenitappearedLouisawasnotinclined

togoon.

Louisafinishedwithaplatefirstandsetitdowntodry."Eugene'smotherdieyoung.

TomleftthebabywithhissisterhereandwentonovertoBristol,Tennessee,forwork.

Heacoalminerhere,butlotoffolksstartedcomingroundtodothattoo,andtheyalways

lettheNegroesgofirst.HegotkiltinanaccidentaforehecouldsendforEugene.When

Eugene'sauntpassedon,Itookhimin.Theother'sjustliesbyfolkswhohavehatein

theirhearts."

"DoesEugeneknow?"

"Coursehedoes!Itoldhimwhenhewereoldenough."

"Sowhydon'tyoutellpeoplethetruth?"

"Peopledon'twant'alisten,ain'tnogoodwhatyoutrytell'em."SheshotLouaglance.

"Unnerstandme?"

Lounodded,butintruthshewasn'tconvincedshedid.

CHAPTERELEVEN

WHENLOUWENTOUTSIDE,SHESAWDIAMONDandOzoverbythesplit-railcorralwhere

thehorsewasgrazing.WhenDiamondsawLou,hepulledasheetofpaperandatinof

tobaccooutofhispocket,rolledthesmoke,lickeditclosed,struckamatchagainstarail,

andlitup.

OzandLoubothgaped,andsheexclaimed,"You'retooyoungtodothat."

Diamondcasuallywavedoffherprotest,apleasedsmileOnhisface.

"Aww,Iallgrowed

up.Manaman."

"Butyou'renotmucholderthanme,Diamond."

"Differentuphere,yousee."

"Wheredoyouandyourfamilylive?"askedLou.

"Ondowntheroadapieceaforeyougetsomewhere."

Diamondpulledacover-lessbaseballfromhispocketandtossedit.Jebracedafterthe

ballandbroughtitback.

"Mangivemethatball'causeItellhimhisfuture."

"Whatwashisfuture?"askedLou.

"ThathegonnagiveafellernamedDiamondhisoldball."

"It'sgettinglate,"Lousaid."Won'tyourparentsbegettingworried?"

Diamondstubbedoutthehomemadesmokeonhisoverallsandstuckitbehindhisearas

hewounduptothrowagain."Naw,likeIsay,allgrowedup.Ain'tgottodonothingifn

don'twantto."

LoupointedtosomethingdanglingonDiamond'soveralls."What'sthat?"

Diamondlookeddownandgrinned."Lefthindfootofagraveyardrabbit.Asidefur

heart'acalf,luckiestthingtheyis.Shoot,don'ttheyschoolyounuthin'inthecity?"

"Agraveyardrabbit?"Ozsaid.

"Yessir.Caughtandkiltingraveyardinblackofnight."Heslippedthefootoffitsstring

andgaveittoOz."Here,son,Ialwaysgetme'nuther,anytimeIwantIcan."

Ozhelditreverently."Gosh,thanks,Diamond."

OzwatchedJebraceaftertheball."Jebsureisagooddog.Getsthatballeverytime."

WhenJebbroughttheballanddroppeditinfrontofDiamond,hepickeditupandtossed

itovertoOz."Prob'lyain'tmuchroomtothrownuthin'inthecity,butgiveitawhirl,

son."

Ozstaredattheballasthoughhe'dneverheldone.ThenheglancedatLou.

"Goahead,Oz.Youcandoit,"shesaid.

Ozwoundupandthrewtheball,hisarmsnappinglikeawhip,andthatballsprangforth

fromhissmallhandlikeafreedbird,soaringhigherandhigher.Jebracedafterit,butthe

dogwasn'tgaininganyground.AnastonishedOzjuststaredatwhathe'ddone.Loudid

thesame.

ThecigarettefelloffastartledDiamond'sear."Goddog,where'dyoulearntotosslike

that?"

Ozcouldonlyofferupthewonderfulsmileofaboywhohadjustrealizedhemightbe

athleticallygifted.Thenheturnedandracedaftertheball.LouandDiamondweresilent

forabitandthentheballcamesailingback.Inthegarneringdarknesstheycouldn'teven

seeOzyet,buttheycouldhearhimandJebcoming,atotalofsixspiritedlegsflyingat

them.

"Sowhatdoyoudoforexcitementinthisplace,Diamond?"askedLou.

"Fishingmostly.Hey,youeverskinny-dipinagravelpit?"

"TherearenogravelpitsinNewYorkCity.Anythingelse?"

"Well"—hepauseddramatically—"course,there'sthehauntedwell."

"Ahauntedwell?"exclaimedOz,whohadjustrunup,Jebathisheels.

"Where?"askedLou.

"Comeonnow."

CaptainDiamondandhiscompanyofinfantryclearedthetreelineand

plungedacrossan

openfieldoftallgrasssofineanduniformlyplaced,itlookedlikecombedhair.Thewind

waschilly,buttheyweremuchtooexcitedtobebotheredbymatslightdiscomfort.

"Whereisit?"askedLou,runningbesideDiamond.

"Shhh!Gettingclose,so'swegottoberealquiet.Spooksround."

Theykeptmovingforward.SuddenlyDiamondcalledout,"Hittheground!"

Theyalldroppedasthoughattachedbytautrope.

Ozsaidinatremblingvoice,"Whatisit,Diamond?"

Diamondhidasmile."ThoughtmebbeIhearsomething,isall.Can'tneverbetoocareful

roundspooks."Theyallrose.

"Whaty'alldoinghere?"

Themanhadsteppedfrombehindastandofhickorytrees,theshotguninhisrighthand.

UnderthemoonlightLoucouldmakeouttheglowofanevilpairof

eyesstaringdeadat

them.Thethreestoodfrozenasthefellowapproached.Lourecognizedhimasthecrazy

manonthetractorrecklesslyflyingdownthemountain.Hestoppedinfrontofthemand

hismouthdeliveredashotofchewspitneartheirfeet.

"Gotnobiznessroundhere,"themansaid,ashelifteduptheshotgunandrestedthe

barrelonhisleftforearmsuchthatthemuzzlewaspointedatthem,hisforefingernear

thetrigger.

Diamondsteppedforward."Ain'tdoingnuthin',GeorgeDavis,'ceptrunninground,and

ain'tnolawaginthat."

"Youshetyourmouth,DiamondSkinner,aforeIputmyfisttoit."Hepeeredoverat

quakingOz,whodrewbackandclutchedhissister'sarm.

"You'emchillinLouisatakein.Gotthecrippledma.Ain'tcha?"Hespitagain.

Diamondsaid,"Youain'tgotno

biznesswith'em,soleave'embe."

DavismovedclosertoOz."Mountaincatround,boy,"hesaid,hisvoicelowand

taunting.Andthenhecriedout,"Youwantitgityou!"Atthesametimehesaidthis,

DavisfeignedalungeatOz,whothrewhimselfdownandhuddledinthehighgrass.

Daviscackledwickedlyattheterrifiedboy.

Loustoodbetweenherbrotherandtheman."Youstayawayfromus!"

"Gawddamnyou,girl,"Davissaid."Tellingamanwhattodo?"HelookedatDiamond.

"Youonmyland,boy."

'Tain'tyourland!"saidDiamond,hishandsmakingfists,hisanxiousgazefixedonthat

shotgun."Don'tbelongnobody."

"Callingmealiar?"snappedDavis,inafearsomevoice.

Thenthescreamcame.ItrosehigherandhigheruntilLoufiguredthetreesmustsurely

topplefromtheforce,ortherocks

wouldworklooseandslidedownthemountainand

maybe,withluck,crushtheirantagonist.Jebcamearoundgrowling,hishacklesup.

Davisstaredoffanxiouslyintothetrees.

"Yougotyouagun,"saidDiamond,"thengogityouroldmountaincat.'Ceptmebbeyou

scared."

Davis'sgazeburnedintotheboy,butthenthescreamcameagain,andhitthemalljustas

hard,andDavistookoffatahalf-trottowardthetrees.

"Comeonnow!"criedoutDiamond,andtheyranasfastastheycouldbetweentreesand

alongmoreopenfields.Owlshootedatthem,andabobwhitebobwhitedatthem.Things

theycouldn'tseeranupanddowntalloaks,orflittedinfrontofthem,yetnoneofitcame

closetoscaringthemasmuchastheyalreadyhadbeenbyGeorgeDavisandhisshotgun.

Louwasablur,fastereventhan

Diamond.ButwhenOztrippedandfell,sherounded

backandhelpedhim.

Theyfinallystoppedandsquattedinthehighgrass,breathingheavyandlisteningfora

crazymanorawildcatcomingafterthem.

"Whoisthatawfulman?"askedLou.

Diamondcheckedbehindhimbeforeanswering."GeorgeDavis.HegotafarmnextMiss

Louisa's.Heahardman.Abad

man!Droppedonhisheadwhenhewereababy,or

mebbemulekickedhim,don'tknowwhich.Hegotacornliquorstilluphereinoneof

thehollows,so'shedon'tlikepeoplecominground.Iwishsomebodyjustshoothim."

Theysoonreachedanothersmallclearing.Diamondhelduphishandforthemtostop

andthenproudlypointedupahead,asthoughhehadjustdiscoveredNoah'sArkona

simplemountaintopinVirginia.

"Theresheis."

Thewellwasmoss-crustedbrick,crumblinginplaces,andyetundeniablyspooky.The

threeglideduptoit;Jebguardedtheirrearflankwhilehuntingsmallpreyinthehigh

grass.

Theyallpeeredovertheedgeofthewell'sopening.Itwasblack,seeminglywithout

bottom;theycouldhavebeenstaringattheothersideoftheworld.Allsortsofthings

couldhavebeenpeeringback.

"Whydoyousayit'shaunted?"Ozaskedbreathlessly.

Diamondsprawledinthegrassnexttothewellandtheyjoinedhim.

"'Boutathousandmillionyearsago,"hebeganinathickandthrillingvoicethatmade

Oz'seyeswiden,fast-blink,andwaterallatthesametime,"theywasamanandwoman

liveupchere.Now,theywasinlove,ain'tnodenyingthat.Andso'stheywantedtoget

hitchedo'-course.Butthey'sfamilyhatedeachother,wouldn'tlet'emdoit.Nosir.So

theycomeupwithaplantorunoff.Onlysomethin'wentbadandthefellerthoughtthe

womanhaddonegotherselfkilt.Hewassobrokeup,hecametothisherewelland

jumpedin.It'swaydeep,shoot,youseedthat.Andhedrownedhisself.Nowthegirl

foundoutwhatwaswhat,andshecomeandjumpedinherselftoo.Neverfound'em

'causeitwasliketheywasploppedonthesun.Notadurnthingleft."

Louwascompletelyunmovedbythissadtale."ThatsoundsalotlikeRomeoandJuliet."

Diamondlookedpuzzled."Thatkinofyours?"

"You'remakingthisup,"shesaid.

Allaroundthemsoundsofpeculiarqualitystartedup,likemillionsoftinyvoicesall

tryingtojabberatonce,asthoughantshadsuddenlyacquiredlarynxes.

"What'sthat?"Ozsaid,clingingto

Lou.

"Don'tbedoubtingmywords,Lou,"Diamondhissed,hisfacethecolorofcream."You

rilingthespirits."

"Yeah,Lou,"saidOz,whowaslookingeverywherefordemonsofhellcomingforthem.

"Don'tberilingthespirits."

Thenoisesfinallydieddown,andDiamond,regaininghisconfidence,stared

triumphantlyatLou."Shoot,anyfoolcanseethiswell'smagic.Yousee

ahouse

anywhereround?No,andItellyouwhy.Thiswellgroweduprightoutoftheearth,that's

why.Anditain'tjustahauntedwell.Itwhatyoucallawishingwell."

Ozsaid,"Awishingwell?How?"

"Themtwopeoplelosteachother,butthey'sstillinlove.Now,peopledie,butlovedon't

neverdie.Madethewellmagic.Anybodydonegotawish,theycomehere,wishforit,

andit'llhappen.Evertime.Rainor

shine."

Ozclutchedhisarm."Anywish?You'resure?"

"Yep.'Ceptthey'sonelittlecatch."

Louspokeup,"Ithoughtso.Whatisit?"

"'Causethemfolksdiedtomakethishereawishingwell,anybodywantawish,they's

gottogiveupsome-thin'too."

"Giveupwhat?"ThiscamefromOz,whowassoexcitedtheboyseemedtofloatabove

thesupplegrasslikeatethered

bubble.

DiamondliftedMsarmstothedarksky."Likejustthemostgrandest,importantestthing

theygotinthewholedangworld."

Louwassurprisedhedidn'ttakeabow.Sheknewwhatwascomingnow,asOztuggedat

hersleeve.

"Lou,maybewecan—"

"No!"shesaidsharply."Oz,youhavegottounderstandthatdanglingnecklacesand

wishingwellswon'twork.Nothing

will."

"But,Lou."

Thegirlstoodandpulledherbrother'shandfree."Don'tbestupid,Oz.You'lljustendup

cryingyoureyesoutagain."

Louranoff.Afterasecond'shesitationOzfollowedher.

Diamondwasleftwiththespoilsofsomething,surelynotvictory,judgingbyhis

disappointedface.Helookedaroundandwhistled,andJebcamerunning."Let'sgeton

home,Jeb,"hesaidquietly.

ThepairranoffintheoppositedirectionfromLouandOz,asthemountainsheadedfor

sleep.

CHAPTERTWELVE

THEREWASNOTRACEOFOUTSIDELIGHTASYET,whenLouheardthecreakoffooton

stair.ThedoortoherroomopenedandLousatupinbed.Theglowoflanternlighteased

intothespace,followedbyLouisa,alreadyfullydressed.Withherflowof

silverhairand

thegentleilluminationaroundher,thewomanseemedamessengerfromheaventoLou's

sleepymind.Theairintheroomwaschilly;Louthoughtshecouldseeherownbreath.

"ThoughtI'dletyouandOzsleepin,"LouisasaidsoftlyasshecameandsatnexttoLou.

Loustifledayawnandlookedoutthewindowattheblackness."Whattimeisit?"

"Nearlyfive."

"Five!"Loudroppedbackagainstherpillowandpulledthecoversoverherhead.

Louisasmiled."Eugene'smilkingthecows.Begoodyoulearnhow."

"Ican'tdoitlater?"Louaskedfromundertheblanket.

"Cowsdon'tcaretowaitroundforuspeople,"Louisasaid."Theymoantillthebag's

dry."Sheadded,"Ozisalreadydressed."

Loujoltedupright."Momcouldn'tgethimoutofbedbeforeeight,andeventhatwasa

fight."

"He'srightnowhavingabowlofmolassesovercorn-breadandfreshmilk.Begoodif

you'djoinus."

Louthrewoffthecoversandtouchedthecoldfloor,whichsentashiverdirectlytoher

brain.Nowshewasconvincedshecouldseeherbreath."Givemefiveminutes,"shesaid

bravely.

Louisanotedthegirl'sobviousphysicaldistress."Hadusafrostlast

night,"Louisasaid.

"Stayscoldupherelonger.Worksintoyourboneslikealittleknife.Bewarmaforelong,

andthenwhenwintercomes,wemoveyouandOzdowntothefrontroom,rightbythe

fire.Fillitwithcoal,keepyouwarmallnight.We'llmakeitrightgoodforyouhere."

Shepausedandlookedaroundtheroom."Can'tgiveyouwhatyouhadinthecity,butwe

doourbest."Sheroseandwenttothedoor."Iputhotwaterinthe

washbowlearlierso's

youcancleanup."

"Louisa?"

Sheturnedback,thearcoflanternlightthrowingandthenmagnifyinghershadow

againstthewall."Yes,honey?"

"Thiswasmydad'sroom,wasn'tit?"

Louisalookedaroundslowlybeforecomingbacktothegirl,andthequestion."From

timehewasfourtillhegoneaway.Ain'tnobodyusethisroomsince."

Loupointedtothecoveredwalls."Didmydaddothat?"

Louisanodded."He'dwalktenmilestogetaholdofapaperorabook.Read'emalla

dozentimesandthenstuckthemnewspapersupthereandkeptrightonreading.Never

sawaboythatcuriousinallmylife."ShelookedatLou."Betyoujustlikehim."

"IwanttothankyoufortakingOzandmein."

Louisalookedtowardthedoor.'Thisplacebegoodforyourmothertoo.We

allpitchin,

shebefine."

Loulookedaway,startedtofumblewithhernightdress."I'llbedowninaminute,"she

saidabruptly.

Louisaacceptedthischangeinthegirl'smannerwithoutcommentandsoftlyclosedthe

doorbehindher.

Downstairs,OzwasjustfinishingthelastofhisbreakfastwhenLouappeared,dressed,

ashewas,infadedoveralls,long

Johnshirt,andlace-upbootsLouisahadlaidoutfor

them.Alanternhangingonawallhook,andthecoalfire,gavetheroomitsonlylight.

Loulookedatthegrandmotherclockonthefireplacemantel,itselfasix-by-sixtimberof

planedoak.Itwasindeedalittlepastfive.Whowouldhavethoughtcowswouldbeupso

early?shethought.

"Hey,Lou,"Ozsaid."You'vegottotastethismilk.It'sgreat."

LouisalookedatLouandsmiled."Thoseclothesfitrealgood.Saidaprayertheywould.

If'nthebootstoobig,wefill'emwithrags."

"They'refine,"saidLou,thoughtheywereactuallytoosmall,pinchingherfeetsome.

Louisabroughtoverabucketandaglass.Sheputtheglassonthetable,drapedacloth

overit,andpouredthemilkfromthebucketintoit,foambubblinguponthecloth."Want

molassesonyourcornbread?"she

asked."Realgoodthatway.Lineyourbelly."

"It'sgreat,"gushedOzasheswallowedthelastbiteofhismealandwasheditdownwith

therestofhismilk.

Loulookedatherglass."What'stheclothfor?"

"Takethingsoutthemilkyoudon'tneedinyou,"answeredLouisa.

"Youmeanthemilk'snotpasteurized?"LousaidthisinsuchadistressedtonethatOz

gapedathisemptyglass,lookingas

thoughhemightdropdeadthatveryinstant.

"What'spastures?"heaskedanxiously."Canitgetme?"

"Themilk'sfine,"Louisasaidinacalmtone."I'vehaditthiswayallmylife.Andyour

daddytoo."

Atherwords,arelievedOzsatbackandcommencedbreathingagain.Lousniffedather

milk,tasteditgingerlyacoupleoftimes,andthentookalongerswallow.

"Itoldyouitwasgood,"Ozsaid.

"Puttingitouttopastureprobablymakesittastebad,I

bet."

Lousaid,"PasteurizationisnamedafterLouisPasteur,thescientistwhodiscovereda

processthatkillsbacteriaandmakesmilksafetodrink."

"I'msurehewereasmartman,"saidLouisa,asshesetdownabowlofcornbreadand

molassesinfrontofLou."Butweboiltheclothinbetween,andwegetbyjustfine."The

wayshesaidthismadeLounotwanttowrestletheissueanymore.

Loutookaforkfulofthecornbreadandmolasses.Hereyeswidenedatthetaste."Where

doyoubuythis?"sheaskedLouisa.

"Buywhat?"

"Thisfood.It'sreallygood."

"Toldyou,"saidOzagainsmugly.

Louisasaid,"Don'tbuyit,honey.Makeit."

"Howdoyoudothat?"

"Show,remember?Alotbetter'n

telling.Andbestwayofallisdoing.Now,hurryupand

yougetyourselftogetherwithacowbythenameofBran.OldBran'sgottroubleyoutwo

canhelpEugenefix."

Withthisenticement,Louquicklyfinishedherbreakfast,andsheandOzhurriedtothe

door.

"Wait,children,"Louisasaid."Platesinthetubhere,andyougonnaneedthis."She

pickedupanotherlanternandlitit.

Thesmellofworkingkerosenefilledtheroom.

'Thishousereallydoesn'thaveelectricity?"Louasked.

"KnowsomefolksdownTremontgotthedangthing.Itgooffsometimesandtheygotno

ideawhattodowiththeirselves.Liketheyforgothowtolightkerosene.Justgivemea

goodlanterninhandandIbefine."

OzandLoucarriedtheirplatestothesink.

"Afteryoudoneinthebarn,Ishow

youthespring-house.Wherewegetourwater.Haul

ituptwiceaday.Beoneofyourchores."

Loulookedconfused."Butyouhavethepump."

"Thatjustfordishesandsuch.Needwaterforlotsofthings.Animals,washing,tool

grinder,bathing.Pumpain'tgotnopressure.Takeyouadaytofillupagood-sizedlard

bucket."Shesmiled."Sometimesseemswespendmostourbreathhaulingwoodand

water.Firsttenyears'amylife,Ithoughtmynamewas'git.'"

Theywereabouttogooutthedooragain,Loucarryingthelantern,whenshestopped.

"Uh,whichone'sthecowbarn?"

"How's'boutIshowyou?"

Theairwasbone-hurtingcoldandLouwasgratefulforthethickshirt,butstillwedged

herbarehandsunderherarmpits.WithLouisaandherlanternleadingtheway,theywent

pastthechickencoopandcorrals

andovertothebarn,abigA-framebuildingwitha

widesetofdoubledoors.Thesedoorsstoodopenandasolitarylightwasoninside.From

thebarnLouheardthesnortsandcallsofanimals,theshufflingofrestlesshoofsondirt,

andfromthecoopcametheflappingofskittishwings.Theskywascuriouslydarkerin

someplacesthaninothers,andthenLourealizedtheseebonypatcheswerethe

Appalachians.

Shehadneverencounterednightsuchasthis.Nostreetlights,nolightsfrombuildings,no

cars,noilluminationofanykindgrantedbybatteryorelectricity.Theonlylightswere

thefewstarsoverhead,thekerosenelampLouisawascarrying,andtheoneEugene

presumablyhadoninthebarn.Thedarknessdidn'tfrightenLouatall,though.Infactshe

feltoddlysafehereasshefollowedthetallfigureofhergreat-grandmother.Oztrailed

close,andLoucouldsensehewasnotnearlysocomfortablerightnow.Shewellknew

that,giventimetothinkaboutit,herbrothercouldimagineunspeakableterrorinjust

aboutanything.

Thebarnsmelledofstackedhay,wetearth,largeanimalsandtheirwarmmanure.The

floorwasdirtcoveredwithstraw.Onthewallshungbridlesandharnesses,somecracked

andwornout,otherswelloiledandsupple.Thereweresingle-and

doubletreesstacked

ontopofeachother.Ahayloftwasreachedbyawoodenladderwithabrokensecond

step.Thelofttookupmostoftheupperlevelandwasfilledwithbothlooseandbaled

hay.Therewerecenterpolesofpoplar,whichLouassumedhelpedholdupthebuilding.

Thebarnhadsmallwingsbuiltontoitonthesidesandrear.Stallsandpenshadbeen

constructedthere,andthemare,mules,hogs,andsheeploiteredintheir

respectiveareas.

Loucouldseecloudsofcoldaireruptingfromwarmanimalnostrils.

Inonestall,Eugenesatonasmallthree-leggedstoolthatwasbarelyvisibleunderhis

bulk.Rightnexttohimwasacow,whitewithblackpatches.Hertailtwitchedbackand

forth,herheaddippingintothemangerbox.

LouisaleftthemtherewithEugeneandreturnedtothefarmhouse.Ozcrowdedcloseto

Louasthecowinthenextstallbumpedintothepartitionandletoutamoo.Eugene

lookedupatthem.

"OldBrangotthemilkfever,"hesaid."GottohepOldBranout."Hepointedtoarusty

tirepumpinonecornerofthestall."Handmethattherepump,MissLou."

Lougaveittohim,andEugeneheldthehosetightlyagainstoneofBran'steats.

"Nowg'onpump."

OzpumpedwhileEugenewent

aboutholdingthehoseendagainsteachofthefourteats

andrubbingthecow'sudder,whichwasinflatinglikeaball.

"Thatagoodgirl,neverheldyourmilkafore.Wetakecareofyou,"Eugenesaid

soothinglytoBran."Okay,that'srightgood,"hesaidtoOz,whostoppedpumpingand

steppedback,waiting.EugenesetthepumpasideandmotionedforLoutotakehisplace

onthestool.HeguidedherhandstoBran'steatsandshowedherhowtogrip

them

properlyandalsohowtorubthemtogetthemsuppletohelptheflow.

"Wedonepumpedherup,nowwegottogetherdry.Youpullhard,MissLou,OldBran

ain'tcaringnone.Gottogethermilktorun.Thatwhatbehurtingherbad."

Loupulledtentativelyatfirst,andthenstartedtohitherstride.Herhandsworked

efficiently,andtheyallheardtheairescapingfromtheudder.Itmadesmall,warm

cloudsinthecoldair.

Ozsteppedforward."CanItry?"

LougotupandEugenemovedOzin,sethimup.SoonhewaspullingaswellasLou,and

finallydripsofmilkappearedattheendsoftheteats.

"Youdoinggood,Mr.Oz.Youdonepulledcowteatupthereinthecity?"

Theyalllaughedoverthatone.

Threehourslater,LouandOzwerenolongerlaughing.Theyhadmilkedtheothertwo

cows—oneheavywithcalf,Louisa

toldthem—whichhadtakenhalfanhoureach;

carriedfourlargebucketsofwaterintothehouse;andthenluggedfourmorefromthe

springhousefortheanimals.Thatwasfollowedbytwoloadsofwoodandthreeofcoalto

fillthehouse'swoodandcoalbins.Nowtheyweresloppingthehogs,andtheirchorelist

onlyseemedtobegrowing.

OzstruggledwithhisbucketandEugenehelpedhimgetitoverthetoprail.Loudumped

hersandthensteppedback.

"Ican'tbelievewehavetofeedpigs,"shesaid.

"Theysureeatalot,"addedOz,ashewatchedthecreaturesattackwhatappearedtobe

liquidgarbage.

"They'redisgusting,"saidLou,asshewipedherhandsonheroveralls.

"Andtheygiveusfoodwhenweneedit."

TheybothturnedandsawLouisastandingthere,afullbucketofcomfeedforthe

chickensinhand,herbrowalreadydampwithsweat,despitethecoolness.Louisapicked

upLou'semptyslopbucketandhandedittoher."Snowcomethere'snogoingdownthe

mountain.Havetostoreup.Andthey'rehogs,Lou,notpigs."LouandLouisahelda

silentstare-downforahalfdozenheartbeats,untilthesoundofthecarcomingmade

themlooktowardthefarmhouse.

ItwasanOldsmobileroadster,packingallofforty-sevenhorsepower

andarumbleseat.

Thecar'sblackpaintwaschippedandrustedinnumerousplaces,fendersdented,skinny

tiresnearbald;andithadaconvertibletopthatwasopenonthiscoldmorning.Itwasa

beautifulwreckofathing.

Themanstoppedthecarandgotout.Hewastall,withalankybodythatbothforetolda

certainfragilityandalsopromisedexceptionalstrength.Whenhetookoffhishat,hishair

wasrevealedasdarkandstraight,cuttingafineoutlinearoundhishead.Anicelyshaped

noseandjawline,pleasantlightblueeyes,andamouththathadanabundanceoflaugh

linesshimmyingarounditgavehimafacethatwouldpromptasmileevenonatrying

day.Heappearedclosertofortythanthirty.Hissuitwasatwo-piecegray,withablack

vestandagentleman'swatchthesizeofasilverdollarhangingfromaheavychainriding

acrossthefrontofthevest.Thepantswerebaggyattheknee,andtheman'sshoeshad

longsincegivenbacktheirshineforgood.Hestartedtowalktowardthem,stopped,went

backtohiscar,andpulledoutafatandbatteredbriefcase.

Absentminded,Louthoughttoherselfasshewatchedhimclosely.Aftermeetingthe

likesofHellNoandDiamond,shewonderedwhatoddmonikerthisstrangermighthave.

"Who'sthat?"Ozasked.

Louisasaidinaloudvoice,"Lou,Oz,thishere'sCottonLongfellow,thefinestlawyer

round."

ThemansmiledandshookLouisa'shand."Well,sinceI'malsooneoftheveryfew

lawyersroundhere,that'sadubiousdistinctionatbest,Louisa."

Hisvoice,amixtureofsoutherndrawlandaNewEnglandrhythm,wasuniquetoLou.

Shecouldnotplacehimtoaparticulararea,andshewasusuallyquitegoodatthat.

CottonLongfellow!Lord,shehadnotbeendisappointedwiththename.

Cottonputdownhisbriefcaseandshooktheirhandssolemnly,thoughtherewasaneasy

twinkleinhiseyeashedidso."Veryhonoredtomeetyouboth.IfeellikeIknowyou

fromallthatLouisahastoldme.I'vealwayshopedtomeetyouoneday.AndI'mright

sorryithastobeunderthesecircumstances."Hesaidthelastwithagentlenessthatnot

evenLoucouldfault.

"CottonandIgotthingstotalkabout.Afteryouslopthehogs,youhelpEugeneturnthe

restofthelivestockoutanddrophay.Thenyoucanfinishgatheringtheeggs."

AsCottonandLouisawalkedoff,Ozpickeduphisbucketandhappilywentforsome

moreslop.ButLoustaredafterCottonandLouisa,clearlynotthinkingofhogs.Shewas

wonderingaboutamanwiththestrangenameofCottonLongfellow,whospokesortof

oddlyandseemedtoknowsomuchaboutthem.Finally,sheeyedafour-hundred-pound

hogthatwouldsomehowkeepthemfromallstarvingcomewinter,andtrudgedafterher

brother.Thewallsofmountainsseemedtoclosearoundthegirl.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

COTTONANDLOUISAENTEREDTHEHOUSETHROUGHthebackdoor.Astheyheaded

downthehallwaytothefrontroom,Cottonstopped,hisgazeholdingthroughthe

partiallyopeneddoorandintotheroomwhereAmandalayinbed.

Cottonsaid,"Whatdothedoctorssay?"

"Men...taltrau...ma."Louisaformedthestrangewordsslowly."Thatwhatthenurse

callit."

Theywenttothekitchenandsatdowninstump-leggedchairsofhand-planedoakworn

sosmooththewoodfeltlikeglass.Cottonpulledsomepapersfromhisbriefcaseandslid

apairofwire-rimmedspectaclesfromhispocket.Heslippedthemonandstudiedthe

papersforamoment,andthensettledback,preparedtodiscussthem.Louisapouredout

acupofchicorycoffeeforhim.Hetookaswallowandsmiled."Ifthisdon'tgetyou

going,thenyoumustbedead."

Louisapouredherselfacupandsaid,"Sowhat'dyoufindoutfromthemfellers?"

"Yourgrandsondidn'thaveawill,Louisa.Notthatitmatteredmuch,

becausehealso

didn'thaveanymoney."

Louisa looked bewildered."Withallbisfinewriting?"

Cotton nodded. "Aswonderful as they were, thebooksdidn'tsellallthatwell.Hehadto

take on other writingassignments to make endsmeet. Also, Oz had somehealthproblems

when he was born. Lot ofexpenses. And New YorkCityisnotexactlycheap."

Louisa looked down. "Andthat ain't all," she said. Helookedathercuriously."Jacksent

memoneyall theseyears,hedid. I wrote him back once,told him it weren't right forhim

to be doing it. Got his ownfamilyandall.Buthesayhewerearichman.Hetoldme

that!Wantedmetohaveit,hesay, after all I done for him.ButIain'treallydone

nothing."

"Well, it seems Jack wasplanning to go write for amovie studio in Californiawhenthe

accidenthappened."

"California?" Louisa said theword like it was amalignancy,andthensatbackand

sighed. "That little boyalways run circles roundme.But giving me money whenheain't

got it. And curse me fortakingit."Shestaredofffora

bit before speaking again. "Igot

me a problem, Cotton. Lastthree years of drought andain'tnocropscomein.Downto

five hogs and gotta butcherme one purty soon. Got methree sows and one boar leftover.

Last Utter more runts than

anythin'. Three passablemilking cows. Had onestuddedout,

butsheain'tdroppedhercalfyet and I getting rightworried. And Bran got thefever.

Sheep getting to be morebother than anything. Andthatoldnagain'tdoa lickofworkno

more, and eats me out ofhouseandhome.Andyetthatold girl done worked herselfto

deathall theseyearsforme."She paused and drew abreath. "And McKenzie ondownat

the store, he ain't giving nomore credit to us folk uphere."

"Hard times, Louisa, nodenyingthat."

"I know I can't complainnone, this oldmountain givemeallitcanovertheyears."

Cotton hunched forward."Well, the one thing you dohave, Louisa, is land. Now,there's

anasset."

"Can't sell it, Cotton. Whentime comes, it'll go to Louand Oz. Their daddy lovedthis

place as much as me. AndEugene too. He my family.He work hard. He gettingsomeof

this landso'shecanhavehisown place, raise his ownfamily.Onlyfair."

Cottonsaid,"Ithinksotoo."

"When them folks wrote tosee if'n I'd take the children,howcouldInot?Amanda's

people all gone, I'm all theygot left.Anda sorry savior Iam, long past being worth aspit

for farming." Her fingersclustered nervously together,and she stared anxiously out

the

window. "I been thinking'bout them all these years,wondering what they waslike.

Reading Amanda's letters,seeingthempicturesshesent.Justbustingwithprideover

what Jack done. And thembeautiful children." She letout a troubled sigh, the

deeplycut

wrinklesonherlongforeheadliketinyfurrowsinafield.

Cotton said, "You'll get by,Louisa. You need me foranything, come up and helpwiththe

planting, the children, youjust let me know. I'd bebeyondproudtohelpyou."

"G'on now, Cotton, you abusylawyer."

"Folks up here don't havemuch need for the likes ofme. And maybe that's notsuchabad

thing. Got a problem, godown to Judge Atkins overthecourthouseandjusttalkitout.

Lawyers just make things

complicated." He smiled andpattedherhand."It'llbeokay,

Louisa.

Those children being herewith you is the right thing.Foreverybody."

Louisa smiled, and then herexpressionslowlychanged toafrown."Cotton,Diamond

saidsomemencominground

folks' coal mines. Don't likethat."

"Surveyors, mineral experts,soI'veheard."

"Ain't they cutting themountains up fast enough?Makemesickever'timeIseeanother

hole. I never sell out to thecoal folk. Rip all that'sbeautifulout."

"I've heard these folks arelookingforoil,notcoal."

"Oil!" she said in disbelief."Thisain'tTexas."

"JustwhatI'veheard."

"Can't worry about thatnonsense." She stood. "Youright,Cotton,it'llbejustfine.

Lord'11giveusrainthisyear.If not, well, I figger

somethingout."

As Cotton rose to leave, helooked back down thehallway. "Louisa, do youmindifIstop

in and pay my respects toMissAmanda?"

Louisa thought about this."Another voicemight do hergood.Andyougotaniceway

aboutyou,Cotton.Howcomeyouain'tnevermarried?"

"I've yet to find the goodwoman who could put upwiththesorrylikesofme."

In Amanda's room, Cottonput down his briefcase andhat and quietly approachedthe

bed. "Miss Cardinal, I'mCottonLongfellow.It'sareal

pleasure to meet you. I feellikeI

knowyoualready,forLouisahas read me some of thelettersyousent."Amandaof

course moved not onemuscle, and Cotton lookedoveratLouisa.

"Ibeentalkingtoher.Oztoo.But she ain't never saynothing back. Don't never

even

wiggleafinger."

"AndLou?"askedCotton.

Louisashookherhead."Thatchild'sgonnabustoneday,allshekeepinside."

"Louisa, it might be a goodidea to have Travis Barnesfrom Dickens come up andlookat

Amanda."

"Doctors cost money,Cotton."

"Travis owes me a favor.He'llcome."

Louisa said quietly, "I thankyou."

He looked around the roomand noted a Bible on thedresser. "Can I come back?"

he

asked. Louisa looked at himcuriously."I thought Imight,well,thatImightreadtoher.

Mentalstimulation.I'veheardof such. There are noguarantees. But if I can donothing

elsewell,Icanread."

Before Louisa could answer,

Cotton looked at Amanda."It'll be my real privilege toread

toyou."

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

AS DAWN BROKE,LOUISA, EUGENE, LOU,ANDOz stood in one of thefields.Hit,themule,

washarnessedonasingletree

to a plow with a turnoverblade.

Lou andOz had already hadtheir milk and cornbread ingravyforbreakfast.Thefood

was good, and filling, buteating by lantern light hadalready grown old. Oz hadgathered

chicken eggs while Lou hadmilked the two healthy cows

underLouisa'swatchfuleye.

Eugene had split wood, andLou andOz had hauled it inforthecook-stoveandthen

carried buckets of water forthe animals. Livestock hadbeen turned out and haydropped

for them. And now,apparently,therealworkwasabouttobegin.

"Gottoplowunnerthiswholefield,"saidLouisa.

Lou sniffed the air. "What'sthatawfulsmell?"

Louisabent down, pickedupsome earth, and crumbled itbetween her fingers."Manure.

Muckthestallseverfall,dropit here.Makes rich soil evenbetter."

"Itstinks,"saidLou.

Louisa let the bits of dirt inher hand swirl away in themorningbreezeasshestared

pointedly at the girl. "You'llcometolovethatsmell."

Eugene handled the plowwhileLouisaandthechildrenwalkedbesidehim.

'Thishere'saturnoverblade,"

Louisa said, pointing to theoddlyshapeddiscofmetal.

"You run it down one row,turn mule and plow round,kickthebladeover,godownthe

row again. Throws up samefurrowsofdirtonbothsides.Itkicksupbigclodsofearth

too. So's after we plow, wedragthefield tobreakupthe

clods. Then we harrow,makes

thedirtrealsmooth.Thenweuse what's called a laid-offplow.Givesyoufinerows.

Thenweplant."

She had Eugene plow onerow to show them how, andthen Louisa kicked at theplow.

"You lookpurty strong,Lou.Youwant'agiveitago?"

"Sure," she said. "It'll beeasy."

Eugene set her up properly,put the guide straps aroundher waist, handed her thewhip,

and then stepped back. Hitapparentlysummedherupasan easy mark, because he

took

off unexpectedly fast. StrongLou very quickly got a tasteoftherichearth.

As Louisa pulled her up andwiped her face, she said,"That old mule had the bestofyou

thistime.Betitwon'tnextgoround."

"I don't want to do thisanymore," Lou said, hidingher face with her sleeve,spittingup

chunks of things she didn'twant to think about. Hercheeks were red, and tearsedged

fromunderhereyelids.

Louisa knelt in front of her."First time your daddy tried

to plow, he your age. Muletook

him on a ride ended in thecrick.Tookmethebetterpartof a day to get him and thatdurn

animal out. Your daddy saidthesamethingyoudid.AndIdecidedtolethimbeabout

it."

Lou stopped brushing at herface, her eyes drying up."Andwhathappened?"

"Fortwodayshewouldn'tgonear the fields.Or thatmule.AndmenIcomeouthereto

work one morning and therehewas."

"And he plowed the wholefield?"Ozguessed.

Louisashookherhead."Muleand your daddy ended up inthehogpenwithenoughslop

onbothchokeabear."OzandLoulaughed,andthenLouisacontinued,"Nexttime,boy

and mule reached anunnerstanding. Boy had paidhis dues, and mule had hadhisfun,

and them two made the best

plowteamIeversaw."

From across the valley therecame the sound of a siren. ItwassoloudthatLouandOz

had to cover their ears. Themule snorted and jerkedagainst its harness. Louisafrowned.

"Whatisthat?"Loushouted.

"Coal mine horn," said

Louisa.

"Wasthereacave-in?"

"No,hushnow,"Louisasaid,her eyes scanning the slopes.Fiveanxiousminutespassed

by and the siren finallystopped. And then from allsides they heard the lowrumbling

sound. It rose around them

like an avalanche coming.Louthoughtshecouldseethetrees,

even the mountain, shaking.She gripped Oz's hand andwas thinking of fleeing, butshe

didn't because Louisa hadn'tbudged. And then the quietreturned.

Louisa turned back to them.

"Coal folks sound the hornaforetheyblast.Theyuse

dynamite. Sometimes toomuch and they's hill slides.And people get hurt. Notminers.

Farmers working the land."Louisascowledoncemoreinthedirectionwheretheblast

seemed to have come from,and then they went back to

farming.

Atsupper, theyhadsteamingplates of pinto beans mixedwithcornbread,grease,and

milk, andwashed downwithspringwater so cold it hurt.The night was chilly, thewind

howlingfiercelyasitattackedthe structure, but the wallsand roof withstood this

charge.

The coal firewaswarm, andthelanternlightgentleontheeye. Oz was so tired healmost

fell asleep in his CrystalWinters Oatmeal plate thecolorofthesky.

AftersupperEugenewentoutto the barn, while Oz lay infront of the fire, his little

body

so obviously sore and spent.Louisa watched as Louwentover to him, put his head inher

lap, and stroked his hair.Louisa slid a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles over hereyesand

workedonmendingashirtbythe firelight. After a while,

shestoppedandsatdown

besidethechildren.

"He's just tired," Lou said."He'snotusedtothis."

"Can't say a body ever getsused to hard work." Louisarubbed at Oz's hair too. Itseemed

the little boy just had a headpeople liked to touch.Maybe

forluck.

"Youdoingagood job.Realgood. Better'n me when Iyour age. And I ain't comefrom

no big city. Make it harder,don'tit?"

The door opened and thewind rushed in. Eugenelooked worried. "Calfcoming."

In the barn the cow calledPurty lay on her side in awide birthing stall, pitchingand

rolling in agony. Eugeneknelt and held her down,while Louisa got in behindherand

pried with her fingers,looking for the slickedpackage of a fresh calfemerging.Itwasa

hard-fought battle, the calfseeming not towant to enterthe world just yet. ButEugene

and Louisa coaxed it out, aslippery mass of limbs, eyesscrunched tight. The eventwas

bloody, and Lou's and Oz'sstomach took another joltwhenPurtyate theafterbirth,but

Louisa told them that wasnatural. Purty started lickingherbabyanddidn'tstopuntilits

hairwasstickingoutallover.With Eugene's help, the calfroseontotteringsticklegs,

whileLouisagotPurty readyfor the next step, which thecalf took to as the mostnatural

endeavor of all: suckling.Eugene stayed with themother and her calf whileLouisaand

thechildrenwentbackinside.

LouandOzwerebothexcitedand exhausted, thegrandmotherclockshowingitwas

nearingmidnight.

"I've never seen a cow bornbefore,"saidOz.

"You've never seen anythingbornbefore,"saidhissister.

Ozthoughtaboutthis."Yes,Idid. I was there when / wasborn."

"That doesn't count," Loushotback.

"Well, it should," countered

Oz. "It was a lot of work.Momtoldmeso."

Louisa put another rock ofcoalon the fire,drove it intotheflameswithanironpoker,

and then sat back downwithher mending. The woman'sdark-veined and knottedhands

moved slowly yet withprecision.

"You get on to bed, both ofyou,"shesaid.

Oz said, "I'm going to seeMomfirst.Tellherabout thecow."HelookedatLou."My

secondtime."Hewalkedoff.

His sister made no move toleavethefire'swarmth.

"Lou, g'on see your mothertoo,"saidLouisa.

Lou stared into thedepthsofthecoalfire."Ozistooyoungtounderstand,butIdo."

Louisa put down hermending."Unnerstandwhat?"

"The doctors in New Yorksaid that each day there wasless chance Mom wouldcome

back.It'sbeentoolongnow."

"But you can't give up hope,honey."

Lou turned to look at her."Youdon'tunderstandeither,Louisa.Ourdad'sgone.Isaw

him die. Maybe"— Louswallowed with difficulty—"maybe I was partly thereasonhe

did die." She rubbed at hereyes and then Lou's hands

curled to fists. "And it's notlike

she'slayingintherehealing.Ilistened to the doctors. Iheard everything all thegrownups said about her,eventhoughtheytriedtohideitfromme.Likeitwasn'tmybusiness!

They let us take her home,because there was nothingmore they could do for her."

She

paused, took a long breath,and slowly grew calm. "Andyou just don't know Oz. Hegets

his hopes up so high, startsdoing crazy things. Andthen..." Lou's voice trailedoff,and

shelookeddown."I'llseeyouinthemorning."

In the fade of lantern lightand the flickering coal fire,Louisa could only stare afterthe

younggirlasshetrudgedoff.When her footsteps fadedaway, Louisa once morepicked

uphersewing,buttheneedledid notmove.When Eugenecameinandwenttobed,she

wasstillthere,thefirehavingdieddownlow,asthoughtsashumblingasthemountains

outsideconsumedher.

After a bit, though, Louisarose and went into herbedroom, where she pulledoutashort

stack of letters from herdresser. She went up thestairs to Lou's room and

foundthegirl

wide awake, staring out thewindow.

Lou turned and saw theletters.

"Whatarethose?"

"Lettersyourmotherwrotetome.Iwantyoutoread'em."

"Whatfor?"

"'Causewordssayalotaboutaperson."

"Words won't changeanything.Ozcanbelieveifhewantsto.Buthedoesn'tknowany

better."

Louisa placed the letters onthe bed. "Sometime olderfolksdo rightgood to followthe

young'uns. Might learn 'emsomething."

AfterLouisaleft,Louputthelettersinherfather'solddeskandveryfirmlyshutthe

drawer.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

LOU GOT UPESPECIALLYEARLYANDWENT INTO HER mother's

room,whereshewatched

forabittheevenriseandfallofthewoman'schest.Perchedonthebed,Loupulledback

thecoversandmassagedandmoved her mother's arms.Then she spent considerabletime

exercising her mother's legsthe way the doctors back inNew York City had shown

her.

Lou was just about finishedwhen she caught Louisawatching her from thedoorway.

"We have to make hercomfortable," explained Lou.She covered her mother andwent

into the kitchen. Louisatrailedher.

WhenLou put on a kettle toboil, Louisa said, "I can dothat,honey."

"I'vegotit."Loumixedsomeoatflakesinthehotwaterandaddedbuttertakenfroma

lard bucket. She took thebowl back into her mother'sroom and carefully spoonedthe

foodintohermother'smouth.

Amandaateanddrankreadilyenough,withjustatapof

spoonorcupagainstherlips,though she could onlymanage soft food. Yet thatwasall

shecoulddo.Louisasatwiththem,andLoupointed to theferrotypesonthewall."Who

arethosepeople?'

"Mydaddyandmomma.Thatme with 'em when I just aspit.Someofmymomma's

folks too. First time I everhad my pitcher took. I likedit.ButMommascared."She

pointed to another ferrotype."That pitcher mere mybrotherRobert.Hedeadnow.They

alldeadnow."

"Your parents and brotherweretall."

"Run in the line. Funny howthat get passed down. Yourdaddy, he were already sixfeet

when he weren't more'nfourteen. I still tall, but Igrowed down some fromwhatIwas.

Yougonnabebigtoo."

Lou cleaned the bowl andspoon and afterward helpedLouisamakebreakfastfor

everyoneelse.Eugenewasinthe barn now, and they bothheardOzstirringinhisroom.

Lousaid,"IneedtoshowOzhowtomoveMom'sarmsandlegs.Andhecanhelpfeed

hertoo."

"That right fine." She laid ahand on Lou's shoulder."Now, did you read any ofthem

letters?"

Lou looked at her. "I didn'twant to lose my mother andfather. But I have. Now I'vegot

to look afterOz.And I havetolookahead,notback."She

addedwiUifirmness,"You

may not understand that, butit'swhatIhavetodo."

After morning chores,Eugene took Lou and Oz bymuleandwagontotheschooland

menlefttocontinuehiswork.In old burlap seed bags, LouandOzcarriedtheirworn

books, a few sheets ofprecious paper tucked insidethepages.Theyeachhadonefatlead

pencil, with dire orders fromLouisa to trim it down onlywhen absolutely necessary,and

to use a sharp knife whendoingso.Thebookswerethesameonestheirfatherhad

learnedwith,andLouhuggedherstoherchestlikeitwasapresentdirectfromJesus.

They also carried a dentedlard bucket with somecornbreadchunks,asmall jarofapple

butterjelly,andajugofmilkfortheirlunch.

The Big Spruce schoolhousewas only a few years old. It

hadbeenbuiltwithNewDeal

dollars to replace the logbuildingthathadstoodonthesame spot for almost eightyyears.

The structure was whiteclapboard with windowsdown one side, and was setoncinder

blocks. Like Louisa'sfarmhouse, the roof had no

shingles, just a "roll ofroofing"that

came in long sheets andwastacked down in overlappingsectionslikeshingles.The

school had one door, with ashort overhang. A brickchimney rose through theA-frame

roof.

On any given day schoolattendance was roughly halfof the number of studentswho

should have been there, andthat was actually a highnumber compared to theattendance

figures in the past. On themountain, farming alwaystrumpedbooklearning.

The schoolyard was dirt, asplit-trunk walnut tree in thecenterofit.Therewereabout

fifty children milling aboutoutside, ranging in age fromOz's to Lou's. Most weredressed

inoveralls,thoughafewgirlswore floral dresses madefromChopbags,whichwere

hundred-pound sacks of feed

for animals. The bags werebeautiful and of sturdymaterial,

and a girl always felt extraspecial having a Chop bagoutfit.Somechildrenwere inbare

feet,othersinwhatusedtobeshoes but were now sandalsofsorts.Someworestraw

hats,otherswerebareheaded;

a few of the older boys hadalreadyupgradedtodirtyfelt,

no doubt hand-me-downsfrom their daddies. Somegirls favored pigtails, otherswore

their hair straight, and stillothershadthesausagecurlattheend.

The children all stared at thenewcomers with what Lou

perceivedasunfriendlyeyes.

One boy stepped forward.Lou recognized him as theone who had dangled on thetractor

overthesideofthemountaintheir first day here. ProbablythesonofGeorgeDavis,the

crazy man who hadthreatened them with theshotgun in the woods. Lou

wonderedifthe

fellow's offspring alsosufferedfrominsanity.

"What's thematter,y'allcan'twalkbyyourselves?HellNogottobringyou?"theboy

said.

"His name is Eugene," saidLou right to the boy's face.Then she asked, "Can

anybody

tellmewherethesecond-andsixth-gradeclassesare?"

"Why sure," the same boysaid, pointing. "They's bothrightoverthere."

Lou and Oz turned and sawthe listing wooden outhousebehindtheschoolbuilding.

"Course,"theboyaddedwith

aslygrin,"that'sjustforyouYankees."

This set all the mountainchildren to whooping andlaughing, and Oz nervouslytooka

stepclosertoLou.

Lou studied the outhouse fora moment and then lookedbackattheboy.

"What's your name?" sheasked.

"Billy Davis," he saidproudly.

"Are you always thatscintillating,BillyDavis?"

Billy frowned. "What's thatmean? You call me a name,girl?"

"Didn'tyoujustcallusone?"

"Ain't said nuthin' 'cept thetruth. Yankee once is aYankeeforlife.Cominghereain't

changingthat."

The crowd of rebels voicedtheir complete agreementwith this point of view, andLou

and Oz found themselvesencircledbytheenemy.They

were saved only by theringingof

the school bell, which sentthe children dashing for thedoor. Lou and Oz looked ateach

other and then trudged afterthismob.

"I don't think they like usmuch,Lou,"Ozsaid.

"I don't think I much care,"hissistersaidback.

The number of classroomswas one, they immediatelydiscovered,whichservedall

grades from first to seventh,the students separated indiscreteclustersbyage.The

number of teachers matchedthe number of classrooms.Her name was Estelle

McCoy,

and she was paid eighthundreddollarsaschoolyear.Thiswastheonlyjobshehadever

had, going on thirty-nineyears now, which explainedwhy her hair was far morewhite

thanmouseybrown.

Wide blackboards coveredthree walls. A potbelliedstovesatinonecorner,alongpipe

fromitrunningtotheceiling.And, seemingverymuchoutofplaceinthesimple

confines,abeautifullycraftedmaple bookcase with anarched top took up anothercorner

of the room. It had glass-paned doors, and inside Loucouldseeanumberofbooks.A

handwritten sign on the wallnext to the cabinet read:"Library."

EstelleMcCoystood in frontof them all with her applecheeks,canyonsmile,and

chubby figure draped in a

brightfloraldress.

"I have a real treat for y'all,today. I'd like to introducetwo new students: LouisaMae

Cardinal and her brother,Oscar. Louisa Mae andOscar, will you stand upplease?"

As someone who routinelybowed to the slightest

exercise of authority, Ozimmediately

leapttohisfeet.However,hestared down at the floor, onefootshiftingovertheother,as

though he had to pee reallybadly.

Lou, however, remainedsitting.

"LouisaMae,"EstelleMcCoy

said again, "stand up and letthemseeyou,honey."

"MynameisLou."

Estelle McCoy's smile wentdown a bit inwattage. "Yes,um,theirfatherwasavery

famous writer named JackCardinal."

Here, Billy Davis piped inloudly, "Didn't he die?

Somebody say that man'sdead."

Lou glared at Billy, whomadeafacerightbackather.

Their teacher now lookedcompletely flustered. "Billy,please. Uh, as I was saying,he

was famous, and I helpedteach him. And in my ownhumbleway,IhopematIhad

some

influence over hisdevelopmentasawriter.Andthey do say the early yearsarethemost

important. Anyway, did youknow thatMr. Jack Cardinalevensignedoneofhisbooksin

Washington,forthepresidentoftheseUnitedStates?"

As Lou looked around theroom, she could tell thismeant absolutely nothing tothe

children of the mountain. Infact,mentioningthecapitaloftheYankeenationwas

probablynotasmart thing todo. It didn't make her angrythattheywerenotproperlyin

awe of her father's

accomplishments; instead itmade Lou pity theirignorance.

Estelle McCoy was ill-prepared for the prolongedsilence. "Uh, well, wewelcomeyou,

Louisa Mae, and you too,Oscar.I'msureyou'lldoyourfather proud here, at his ...alma

mater."

Now Lou stood, even as Ozhastily dropped back into hisseat,hisfacedown,hiseyes

scrunched closed. One couldtellhewasafraidofwhateveritwashissisterwasaboutto

do.Louneverdidanythinginasmallway,Ozwellknew.Itwaseitherbothbarrelsofthe

shotgun in your face, or yougottoliveanotherday.Therewasrarelyanymiddleground

withthegirl.

Andyetallshesaidwas"Myname is Lou." And then shetookherseat.

Billy leaned over and said,"Welcome to the mountain,MissLouisaMae."

The school day ended atthree, and the children didn'trushtogohome,sinceitwas

certain only more choresawaited them there. Instead,they milled about in smallpacksin

the schoolyard, the boysswapping pocket knives,hand-whittled yo-yos, andhomemade

burley chew. The girlsexchanged local gossip andcooking and sewing secrets,and

talked about boys. BillyDavis did pull-ups on asapling that had been laidacrossthelow

branches of the walnut tree,to the admiring look of onewide-hipped girl withcrooked

teeth, but also rosy cheeksandprettyblueeyes.

AsLouandOzcameoutside,Billystoppedhisworkoutandstrolledovertothem.

"Why, it'sMiss LouisaMae.You been up see thepresident,MissLouisaMae?"hesaid

inaloud,mockingvoice.

"Keepwalking,Lou,please,"saidOz.

Billyspokeevenlouder."Didhegetyoutosignoneofyourdaddy'sbooks,himbeing

deadandall?"

Loustopped.Oz,sensingthatfurther pleading was futile,steppedback.Louturnedto

lookathertormentor.

"What's the matter, you stillsore because us Yankeeskickedyourtail,youdumb

hillbilly?"

The other children, sensingblood,quietlyformedacircleto shield from the eyes ofMrs.

McCoy a potentially goodfight.

Billyscowled."Youbesttakethatback."

Lou dropped her bag. "Youbest make me, if you thinkyoucan."

"Shoot,Iain'thittingnogirl."

This made Lou angrier thaneverathrownfistcouldhave.ShegrabbedBillybyhis

overall straps and threw him

to the dirt, where he laystunned,probablybothather

strength and at her audacity.Thecrowdmovedcloser.

"I'llkickyourtailifyoudon'ttakethatback,"Lousaid,andsheleaneddownandduga

fingerinhischest.

Ozpulledatherasthecrowdclosedeventighter,asthough

ahandbecomingafist.

"Come on, Lou, please don'tfight.Please."

Billy jumped up andproceededtocommitamajoroffense. Instead of swingingatLou,

hegrabbedOzandthrewhimdownhard.

"No-good stinking

northerner."

His look of triumph wasshort-lived because it ransmack into Lou's bony rightfist.Billy

joined Oz on the ground,bloodspurtingfromhisnose.Lou was straddling Billybefore

the boy could take a breath,bothherfistspoundingaway.

Billy,howlinglikeawhipped

dog, swung his arms wildlyback. One blow caught Louon the lip, but she keptslugging

until Billy finally stoppedswingingandjustcoveredhisface.

Then the seas parted, andMrs. McCoy poured throughthisgap.Shemanagedtopull

Lou

off Billy, but not without aneffort that left her breathinghard.

"Louisa Mae! What wouldyourdaddythink?"shesaid.

Lou'schestroseandfellhard,her hands still balled intomighty,boy-bashing

instruments.

Estelle McCoy helped Billyup.Theboycoveredbis facewith his sleeve, quietlysobbing

into his armpit. "Now, youtell Billy you're sorry," shesaid.

Lou's response was to lungeand take another furiousswing at him. Billy jumpedback

like a rabbit cornered by asnakeintentoneatingit.

Mrs. McCoy pulled hard onLou'sarm. "LouisaMae,youstop that right now and tellhim

you'resorry."

"He can go straight on tohell."

Estelle McCoy looked ready

to keel over in the face ofsuch language from thedaughter

ofafamousman.

"LouisaMae!Yourmouth!"

Lou jerked free and ran likethewinddowntheroad.

Billy fled in the otherdirection.AndEstelleMcCoystood there empty-handed on

the

fieldofbattle.

Oz, forgotten in all this,quietly got off the ground,picked up his sister's burlapbag,

brushed it off, and went andtuggedonhis teacher'sdress.Shelookeddownathim.

"Excuseme,ma'am,"Ozsaid.

"ButhernameisLou."

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

LOUISA CLEANED THECUT ON LOU'S FACEWITHWATERandlyesoap,andappliedsome

homemadetincturethatstunglike fire, but Lou madeherselfnotevenflinch.

"Gladyougotyourselfoff to

suchagoodstart,Lou."

"TheycalledusYankees!"

"Well, good Lord," Louisasaid with mock indignity."Ain'tthatevil!"

"AndhehurtOz."

Louisa's expression softened."You got to go to school,honey.Yougottolearntoget

along."

Louscowled."Whycan'ttheygetalongwithus?"

"'Causethistheirhome.Theyact like that 'causeyou'renotlikenobodytheyeverseen."

Lou stood. "You don't knowwhat it's like to be anoutsider." She ran out thedoor,while

Louisa looked after her,shakingherhead.

Ozwaswaiting for his sisteronthefrontporch.

"I put your bag in yourroom,"hetoldher.

Lou sat on the steps andrestedherchinonherknees.

"I'm okay, Lou." Oz stoodand spun in a circle to show

her and almost fell off theporch.

"See,hedidn'thurtmeany."

"Good thing, or I reallywould'vepoundedhim."

Ozcloselystudiedhercutlip."Doesithurtmuch?"

"Don't feel a thing. Shoot,they might be able to milkcows and plow fields, but

mountain

boys sure can't hit worthanything."

They looked up as Cotton'sOldsmobile pulled into thefrontyard.Hegotout,abook

cradledunderonearm.

"I heard about your littleadventure over at the schooltoday,"hesaid,walkingup.

Lou looked surprised. "Thatwasfast."

Cottonsatnexttothemonthesteps. "Upherewhenagoodfightbreaksoutpeoplewill

moveheavenandearthtogetthewordaround."

"Wasn'tmuchofafight,"saidLou proudly. "Billy Davisjustcurledupandsquawked

likeababy."

Oz added, "He cut Lou's lip,butitdoesn'thurtany."

She said, "They called usYankees, like it was somekindofdisease."

"Well, if it makes you feelanybetter, I'maYankee too.FromBoston.Andthey've

accepted me here. Well, at

leastmostofthemhave."

Lou's eyes widened as shemade the connection andwondered why she hadn'tbefore.

"Boston? Longfellow. Areyou—"

"Henry WadsworthLongfellow was mygrandfather's great-grandfather.Iguessthat'sthe

easiestwaytoputit."

"Henry WadsworthLongfellow.Gosh!"

"Yeah, gosh!" Oz said,thoughinfacthehadnoideawhotheyweretalkingabout.

"Yes, gosh indeed. I wantedto be a writer since I was achild."

"Well, why aren't you?"

askedLou.

Cotton smiled. "While I canappreciate inspired, well-crafted writing better thanmost,I'm

absolutely confounded whenattempting to do it myself.Maybethat'swhyIcamehere

afterIgotmylawdegree.AsfarfromLongfellow'sBostonasonecanbe.I'mnota

particularly good lawyer, butIgetby.Anditgivesmetimetoreadthosewhocanwrite

well." He cleared his throatand recited in a pleasantvoice: "Often I think of thebeautiful

town, that is seated by thesea; Often in thought go upanddown—"

Lou took up the verse: "The

pleasant streets of that dearold town. And my youthcomes

backtome."

Cotton looked impressed."YoucanquoteLongfellow?"

"He was one of my dad'sfavorites."

He held up the book hewascarrying. "And this is one of

myfavoritewriters."

Lou glanced at the book."That'sthefirstnovelmydadeverwrote."

"Haveyoureadit?"

"Mydadreadpartofittome.Amother losesheronly son,thinksshe'sallalone.It'svery

sad."

"But it's also a story ofhealing, Lou.Of one helpinganother." He paused. "I'mgoingto

readittoyourmother."

"Dad already read all hisbookstoher,"shesaidcoldly.

Cotton realized what he hadjust done. "Lou, I'm nottryingtoreplaceyourfather."

She stood. "He was a realwriter. He didn't have to goaroundquotingotherpeople."

Cotton stood too. "I am sureif your father were here hewouldtellyouthatthereisno

shameinrepeatingthewordsofothers.That it's a showofrespect, in fact. And I havethe

greatest respect for your

father'stalents."

"You think it might help?Readingtoher,"saidOz.

"Waste your time if youwant."Louwalkedoff.

"It'sokaywithmeifyoureadtoher,"saidOz.

Cotton shook theboy's hand."Thank you much for yourpermission, Oz. I'll do my

best."

"Comeon,Oz, there's chorestodo,"calledLou.

AsOzranoff,Cottonglanceddown at me book and thenwent inside. Louisa was inthe

kitchen.

"You here to do yourreading?"sheasked.

"Well, thatwasmy thinking,but Lou made it very clearshe doesn't want me to readfrom

her father's books. Andmaybeshe'sright."

Louisa looked out mewindowandsawLouandOzdisappear into the barn."Well,Itell

youwhat,Igot lotsof letters

Jack wrote to me over theyears. They's some he sentme

from college that I alwaysliked.HeusesomebigwordsthenIain'tknowwhatthey

mean, but the letters' stillnice. Why don't you readthosetoher?See,Cotton,mythinking

is it ain't what folks read to

her that's important. I thinkthe best thing is for us tospend

timewithher, to letAmandaknowweain'tgiveuphope."

Cotton smiled. "You are awise woman, Louisa. I thinkthat'safineidea."

Loucarriedthecoalbucketinand filled the bin next to thefireplace.Thenshecreptto

the hallway and listened.Murmurs of a single voicedrifted down the hall. Shescooted

back outside and stared atCotton'scar,thecuriositybugfinally getting the better ofher.

Sheranaroundthesideofthehouseandcameupunderhermother'sbedroomwindow.

Thewindowwasopen,but itwas too high for her to lookin. She stood on tiptoe, butthat

didn'tworkeither.

"Heythere."

She whirled around and sawDiamond. She grabbed hisarm and pulled him awayfrom

the window. "You shouldn'tsneakuponpeoplelikethat,"shesaid.

"Sorry,"hesaid,smiling.

Shenoticedhehadsomethingbehind his back. "What doyouhavethere?"

"Where?"

"Right there behind yourback,Diamond."

"Oh,that.Well,youseeIwasjust walking down by themeadow, and,well, theywasjust

sitting there all purty like.And swear to Jesus theywassayingyourname."

"Whatwas?"

Diamond pulled out a bunchof yellow crocuses andhandedthemtoher.

Lou was touched, but ofcourse she didn't want toshowit.Shesaidthankyouto

Diamondandgavehimahardsmackon theback thatmadehimcough.

"I didn't see you at schooltoday,Diamond."

"Oh, well." He pawed theground with one bare foot,gripped his overalls, and

looked

everywhere except at Lou."Hey, what you be doing atthat window when I comeup?"he

finallysaid.

Lou forgot about school fornow. She had an idea, andlike Diamond, she wished todefer

the explanation behind heractions. "You want to helpmewithsomething?"

A few moments later,Diamond fidgeted some, andLousmackedhimontheheadto

make him be still. This waseasy for her to do since shewas sitting on his shoulderswhile

peering into her mother'sroom. Amanda was proppedinthebed.Cottonwasinthe

rocking chair next to her,reading. Lou noted withsurprise that he was notreadingfrom

thenovelhehadbrought,butramer from a letter he washolding. And Lou had toadmit,

themanhadapleasantvoice.

Cottonhadselected the letterhe was reading from anumber Louisa had givenhim.This

letter, he had thought, wasparticularlyappropriate.

"Well, Louisa, you'll bepleasedtoknowthememoriesofthemountainareasstrongright

now as the day I left threeyearsago.Infact,itisrathereasy for me to transportmyself

back to the high rock inVirginia. I simply close myeyes, and I immediately seemany

examples of reliable friendsparceled here and there, likefavoritebookskeptinspecial

places.Youknowthestandofriverbirchdownbythecreek.Well,whentheirbranches

pressed together, I alwaysimaginedtheywereimpartingsecretstoeachother.Then

rightinfrontofmeawispofdoes and fawns creep alongthefringewhereyourplowed

fields snuggle up against thehardwood.ThenI looktothe

skyandfollowthejagged

flight of irascible blackcrows,andthensettleuponasolitary hawk tacked againstasky

ofcobaltblue.

"That sky. Oh, that sky. Youtoldmesomanytimesthatuponthemountainitseemsyou

canjustreachupandtakeit,

holditinyourhand,strokeitlikeadozingcat,admireits

abundant grace. I alwaysfound it to be a generousblanketIjustwantedtowrapmyself

in,Louisa,takealongnaponthe porch with as I settledunderitscoolwarmth.And

when night came, I wouldalways hold the memory of

that sky tight and fast, asthoughan

honored dream, right up tothe smoldering pink ofsunrise.

"I also remember you tellingme that you often looked outuponyourlandknowingfull

well that it never trulybelonged to you, no morethan you could hold deed to

thesunlight

or save up the air youbreathed. I sometimesimagine many of our linestandingatthe

door of the farmhouse andstaring out at that sameground. But, at some point,the

Cardinal family will all begone. After that, my dear

Louisa,youtakeheart,forthesweep

of open land across thevalley,theraceofbusyrivers,and the gentle bumps ofgreen-

shrouded hills, with littlebeadsoflightpokingouthereandthere,likebitsofslygold—

theyallwillcontinueon.And

theywon'tbeworseoffeither,forourmortaldabblingin

theirforeverexistence,seeingthat God made them to lastforever, as you've also toldme

somanytimes.

"Though I have a new lifenow,andamenjoyingthecityforthemostpart,Iwillnever

forget that the passing downof memories is the strongestlink in the gossamer bridgethat

binds us as people. I plan todevote my life to doing justthat.Andifyoutaughtme

anything, it's that what weholdinourheartsistrulythefiercestcomponentofour

humanity."

Cottonheardanoise,glancedtoward thewindow, and sawaglimpseofLourightbefore

she ducked down. Cottonsilently read the last part ofthe letterand thendecided toreadit

in a very loud voice. Hewouldbespeakingasmuchtothe daughter, who the manknew

lurked right outside thewindow, as to the motherlyinginbed.

"And from watching you allthose years conduct your lifewithhonesty,dignity,and

compassion,Iknowthatthereisnothingsopowerfulas theemboldenedkindnessofone

humanbeing reachingout toanother, who is held only by

despair.Ithinkofyouevery

day,Louisa,andsoIwill,aslongasmyheartcontinuestobeat.Withmuchlove,Jack."

Loupokedherheadover thesill again. Inch by inch sheturned until she was lookingat

hermother.But therewasnochangeinthewoman,noneatall.Louangrilypushedaway

from the window. PoorDiamond was teeteringmightily now, for her shoveagainstthe

windowsill had done hisbalancingeffortsnokindness.Diamond finally lost thebattle,

and both he and Lou wenttumblingover, theirplummetending in a series of gruntsand

groans as they sprawled ontheground.

Cotton rushed to thewindowin time to see the pair racearoundthehouse.Heturned

back to the woman in bed."You really must come andjoin us, Miss Amanda," hesaid,

and then added quietly, asthough afraid that anyone

other than himself wouldhear,"fora

lotofreasons."

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

THE HOUSE WAS DARK,THE SKY A MESS OFCLOUDS that promised agoodraincome

morning. However, whenskittish clouds and fragile

currents bumped over highrock,the

weather often changedquickly: snow became rainand clear became foul, and abodygot

wet or cold when he leastexpected to.The cows, hogs,and sheepwere safely in thebarn,

for Old Mo, the mountain

lion, had been seen around,andtherehadbeentalkoftheTyler

farm losing a calf, and theRamsey's a pig.All those onthemountainhandywitha

shotgunorriflewerekeepingtheir eyes peeled for the oldscavenger.

SamandHitstoodsilentlyintheir own corral. Old Mo

wouldneverpreyonthepair.An

ornery mule could kick justabout anything to death in amatterofminutes.

The front door of thefarmhouse opened. Oz madenot a sound when he closedthedoor

behind him. The boy wasfullydressedandhadhisbear

clutched tight. He lookedaround

for a few seconds and thentook off past the corral,cleared the fields, andplungedinto

thewoods.

The night was a bucket ofcoal, the wind rattled treelimbs, the underbrush wasthickwith

soundsofstealthymovement,and the tall grass seemed toclutchatOz'spantlegs.The

little boy was certain thatregimentsofhobgoblinswereroaming nearby in fullterrifying

splendor, he their sole targeton earth. Yet somethinginside Oz had clearly risensuperior

to these horrors, for he didnot once think of turningback. Well, maybe once, headmitted

tohimself.Orperhapstwice.

He ran hard for a while,making his way over knolls,navigating crisscross gullies,and

stumblingthroughthejumbleof dense woods. He cleared

onelastgroveoftrees,

stopped, stooped low,waitedabit,and theneasedout intothe meadow. Up ahead hesaw

what he had come for: thewell. He took one last deepbreath, gripped his bear, andboldly

walkedrightup to it.ButOzwas no fool, so just in case,

hewhispered,"It'sawishing

well,notahauntedwell.It'sawishing well, not a hauntedwell."

He stopped and stared at thebrick-and-mortar beast, thenspit on one hand and rubbedit

onhisheadforluck.Henextlookedathisbelovedbearforalongtime,andthenlaidit

gently down against the baseofthewellandbackedaway.

"Good-bye, bear. I love you,but I've got to give you up.Youunderstand."

Now Oz was unsure of howto proceed. Finally, hecrossed himself and put hishands

together as though in prayer,figuring that would satisfy

eventhemostdemandingof

spiritswhograntedwishes tolittleboysdesperatelyinneedofthem.Staringattheskyhe

said, "Iwish thatmymotherwill wake up and love meagain." He paused and thenadded

solemnly,"AndLoutoo."

Hestood therewith thewind

slicing into him and withpeculiar sounds emergingfroma

thousand hidden crevices, allpotentwithevil,hewassure.Andyetwithallthat,Ozwas

unafraid;hehaddonewhathecametodo.

He concluded with "Amen,Jesus."

MomentsafterOzturnedandranoff,Lousteppedfromthetreesandlookedafterher

little brother. She walked upto the well, reached down,andpickeduphisbear.

"Oz, you are so dumb." Butshe didn't have her heart inthe insult, and her voicebroke.

And ironically it was iron-

tough Lou and not open-souledOzwhokneltthereonthe

damp ground and sobbed.Finallywipingherfaceonhersleeve, Lou rose and turnedher

back to the well. With Oz'sbearheldtightlytoherchest,shestartedtowalkaway.

Something made her stop

though—she wasn't exactlysurewhat.But,yes,thefiercewind

truly seemed to be blowingher backward, toward mething Diamond Skinner hadso

foolishly called a wishingwell. She turned and lookedatit,andonanightwhenthe

moon seemed to have totally

abandoned her and the well,thebrickseemedtoglowas

thoughafire.

Louwasted no time. She setthe bear back down, reachedinthepocketofheroveralls,

andpulleditout:thephotoofherandhermother,stillintheframe.Louplacedthe

precious photograph next to

the beloved bear, steppedback,andtakingapagefromher

brother's book, clasped herhands together and looked tothe sky. Unlike Oz, though,she

did not bother to crossherself, or to speak loud andclear to that well or to theheavens

above.Hermouthmoved,butno words could be heard, asthoughherfaithinwhatshe

wasdoingwerelackingstill.

Finished, she turned and ranafter her brother, though shewouldbecarefultokeepher

distance. She didn't want Ozto know he'd been followed,eventhoughshehadcome

alongonlytowatchoverhim.Behind her the bear and thephoto lay forlornly againstthe

brick, resembling nothing somuchasatemporaryshrinetothedead.

AsLouisahadpredicted,Louand Hit finally reachedmiddle ground. Louisa hadproudly

watched as Lou rose eachtime Hit knocked her down,the girl growing not moreafraid

through each tussle with thewily beast, but rather moredetermined. And smarter.Now

plow, mule, and Lou movedwithafluidmotion.

For his part Oz had become

an expert at riding the bigsled that Sam the muledragged

through the fields. Since Ozwas lacking in girth, Eugenehad piled rocks all aroundhim.

The big clods of dirt gaveway and broke up under theconstant dragging, and thesled

eventuallysmoothedthefieldlike icing on a cake. Afterweeks of work, sweat, andtired

muscles, the four of themstoodbackand took stockofgood ground that was readynow

toacceptseed.

Dr. Travis Barnes had comeupfromDickens tocheckon

Amanda.Hewasaburly

man—red hammy face, shortlegs—with gray sidewhiskers,dressedallinblack.ToLou,

he looked more like anundertaker coming to bury abodythanamantrainedin

preserving life. However, heturnedouttobekindly,withasenseofhumordesignedto

makethemallcomfortableinlight of his bleak mission.Cotton and the childrenwaitedin

the front room while LouisastayedwithTravisduringhisexamination.

Hewasshakinghisheadandclutchinghisblackbagwhenhejoinedtheminthefront

room. Louisa trailed him,

trying to look cheerful. Thedoctorsatatthekitchentableand

fingered the cup of coffeeLouisahadpoured.Hestaredinto his cup for a bit, asthough

looking for some comfortingwords floating among thestrains of beans and chicoryroot.

"Good news," he began, "isthat far as I can tell, yourmomma'sfinephysically.Her

injuries all healed up. She'syoungandstrongandcaneatanddrink,andsolongasyou

keepexercisingherarmsandlegs, the muscles won't gettooweak."Hepausedandset

hiscupdown."ButI'mafraidthat's also the bad news, for

thatmeanstheproblemlies

here." He touched hisforehead. "And there's notmuch we can do about that.Certainly

beyond me. We can onlyhopeandpraythatshecomesoutofitoneday."

Oz took this in stride, hisoptimism barely tarnished.Lou absorbed this

information

simply as further validationofwhatshealreadyknew.

School had been goingmoresmoothly than Lou hadthoughtitwould.SheandOzfound

the mountain children to befar more accepting of themnow than before Lou hadthrown

her punches. Lou didn't feelshe would ever be close toanyofthem,butatleastthe

outright hostility had waned.Billy Davis did not return toschool for several days. Bythe

time he did, the bruises shehad inflicted were mostlyhealed, though there werefresh

ones which Lou suspectedhadoriginatedwiththeawfulGeorgeDavis.Andthatwas

enough to make her feel acertain guilt. For his part,Billyavoidedherlikeshewasa

watermoccasinlookingtogetthejumponhim,yetLouwasstillonherguard.Sheknew

by now: It was right when

you least expected it thattrouble tended to smack youinthe

head.

Estelle McCoy, too, wassubdued around her. It wasapparent that Lou and Ozwerewell

ahead of the others in termsof book learning. They didnot flaunt this advantage,

though,

and Estelle McCoy seemedappreciative of that.And sheneveragainreferredtoLouas

LouisaMae.LouandOzhadgiventheschoollibraryaboxoftheirownbooks,andthe

children had slipped by oneafter theother tothankthem.Itwasasteadyifnot

spectaculartruceallaround.

Lourosebeforedawn,didherchores, then went to schoolanddidherworkthere.At

lunchtime she ate hercornbreadanddrankhermilkwith Oz under the walnuttree,which

was scored with the initialsand names of thosewho haddonetheirlearninghere.Lou

neverfeltanurgetocarvehernamethere,foritsuggestedapermanencyshewasfar

fromwilling to accept. Theywentbacktothefarmtoworkintheafternoon,andthen

went to bed, exhausted, notlongafterthesunset.Itwasasteady,uninspiredlifemuch

appreciatedbyLourightnow.

Headlicehadmadetheirwaythrough Big Spruce, though,andbothLouandOzhad

endured shampoos inkerosene. "Don't get near thefire,"Louisahadwarned.

"Thisisdisgusting,"saidLou,fingeringthecoatedstrands.

"When I was at school andgot me the lice, they putsulfur, lard, and gunpowder

onmy

hair,"Louisatoldthem.

"I couldn't bear to smellmyself, and I was terribleafraid somebody'd strike amatchand

myheadwouldblow."

"They had school when youwerelittle?"Ozasked.

Louisa smiled. "They hadwhat was called subscriptionschool,Oz.Adollaramonthfor

three month a year, and Iwerearightgoodstudent.Wewas a hunnerd people in aoneroom log cabin with apuncheon floor that wassplinteryonhotdays and iceoncold.

Teacher quick with the whip

or strap, some bad childstanding on tippy-toe a goodhalf

hourwithhisnosestuck inacircle the teacher drawed ontheboard.Iain'tneverhadto

stand on tippy-toe. I weren'talwaysgood,butIain'tnevergot caught neither. Somewere

growed men not long from

the War missing arms andlegs, come to learn they'sletters

andnumbers.Usedtosayourspelling words out loud. Gotsothedurnnoisespookedthe

horses." Her hazel eyessparkled. "Had me oneteacher who used themarkingsonhiscow

tolearnusgeography.Tothis

day, I can't never look at nomapwithoutthinkingofthat

durn animal." She looked atthem."Iguessyoucanfillupyour head just aboutanywhere.

Soyoulearnwhatyougotto.Just like your daddy done,"sheadded,mostlyforLou's

benefit, and the girl finallystopped complaining about

herkerosenehair.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

LOUISAFELTSORRYFORTHEM ONE MORNINGAND GAVE Lou and Oz amuchneeded

Saturday off to do as theypleased. The day was fine,with a clean breeze from thewest

across a blue sky, treesflushedwithgreenswayingtoits touch. Diamond and Jebcame

calling thatmorning,becauseDiamond said there was aspecialplaceinthewoodshe

wanted to show them, andtheystartedoff.

His appearance was httlechanged:sameoveralls,same

shirt, no shoes. The bottomsof

his feetmust have had everynerve deadened like hoofs,Louthought,becauseshesaw

him run across sharp rocks,overbriars,andeventhroughathornythicket,andnever

oncedidsheseeblooddrawnor face wince. He wore anoilycappulledlowonhis

forehead.She askedhim if itwas his father's, but receivedonlyagruntinresponse.

Theycametoatalloaksetina clearing, or at least whereunderbrush had been cutaway

some. Lou noted that piecesof sawed wood had beennailed into the tree's trunk,forming

a rough ladder.Diamond putafootuponthefirstrungandstartedtoclimb.

"Where are you going?"askedLou,asOzkeptagriponJebbecausethehoundwas

acting as though he toowanted to head up the treebehindhismaster.

"SeeGod,"Diamondholleredback, pointing straight up.

LouandOzlookedtothesky.

Far up a number of strippedscrubpineswere laidsidebysideonacoupleoftheoak's

massive branches, forming afloor.Acanvastarphadbeenflungoverasturdylimb

above,andthesideshadbeentied down to the pines withropetoformacrudetent.

While promising all sorts ofpleasanttimes, thetreehouselookedagoodpuffofwind

awayfromhittingtheground.

Diamond was already three-quarters up, moving with aneasy grace. "Come on now,"he

said.

Lou, who would have

preferred to die a death ofimpossible agony rather thanconcede

thatanythingwasbeyondher,putahandandafootontwoofthepiecesofwood."You

can stay down here if youwant, Oz," she said. "Weprobablywon'tbe long."Shestarted

up.

"I gotme neat stuff up here,yes sir," Diamond saidenticingly. He had reachedthe

summit, his bare feetdanglingovertheedge.

Ozceremoniouslyspitonhishands,grippedawoodpiece,andclamberedupbehindhis

sister. They sat cross-leggedon the laid pines, which

formed about a six-by-sixsquare,

the canvas roof throwing anice shade, and Diamondshowed themhiswares.Firstout

wasaflintarrowheadhesaidwasatleastonemillionyearsoldandhadbeengivento

himinadream.Thenfromacloth bag rank with outside

damp he pulled the skeletonofa

smallbirdthathesaidhadnotbeen seen since shortly afterGodputtheuniverse

together.

"Youmean it's extinct," Lousaid.

"Naw, I mean it ain't roundnomore."

Ozwasintriguedbyahollowlength of metal that had athick bit of glass fitted intoone

end. He looked through it,and while the sights weremagnified some, the glasswasso

dirty and scratched, it startedgivinghimaheadache.

"See a body coming from

miles away," proclaimedDiamond, sweeping a handacrosshis

kingdom. "Enemyor friend."Henextshowedthemabulletfiredfromwhathesaidwas

an 1861 U.S. Springfieldrifle.

"How do you know that?"saidLou.

" 'Cause my great-granddaddy five timesremoved passed it on downandmygranddaddy

give it to me afore he died.My great-granddaddy fivetimes removed,he fought forme

Union,youknow."

"Wow,"Ozsaid.

"Yep,turnedhispitchertothewall andeverythin', theydid.Butheweren'ttakingupa

gun for nobody owningnobodyelse.T'ain'tright."

"That'sadmirable,"saidLou.

"Look here now," saidDiamond. From a smallwoodenbox,hepulledforthalumpof

coal and handed it to Lou."What d'ya think?"he asked.She looked down at it. Therock

wasallchippedandrough.

"It'salumpofcoal,"shesaid,givingitbackandwipingherhandcleanonherpantsleg.

"No,itain'tjustthat.Yousee,they's a diamond in there. Adiamond,justlikeme."

Oz inched over and held therock."Wow"wasagainallhecouldmanage.

"A diamond?" Lou said."Howdoyouknow?"

"'Causethemanwhogimmeitsaiditwas.Andheain'taskfornotadurnthing.And

man ain't even know myname was Diamond. Sothere," he added indignantly,

seeingthe

disbelief on Lou's features.He took the coal lump backfrom Oz. "I chip me off alittle

pieceeverday.AndonetimeI gonna tap it and there it'llbe,thebiggest,purtiest

diamond anybody's eversaw."

Oz eyed the rock with thereverenceheusuallyreservedfor grown-ups and church."Then

whatwillyoudowithit?"

Diamond shrugged. "Ain'tsure. Mebbe nothing. Mebbekeep it right up here.Mebbegive

ittoyou.Youlikethat?"

"If there is a diamond inthere, you could sell it for alot of money," Lou pointedout.

Diamond rubbed at his nose."Ain't need no money. Gotme all I need right here onthis

mountain."

"Haveyoueverbeenoff thismountain?"Louasked.

He stared at her, obviouslyoffended. "What, you thinkI'a hick or somethin'? Goneon

downtoMcKenzie'snear thebridgelotsoftimes.AndovertoTremont."

Lou looked out over thewoods below. "How aboutDickens? You ever beenthere?"

"Dickens?" Diamond almostfell out of the tree. 'Take adaytowalkit.'Sides,why'da

bodywant'agothere?"

"Because it's different thanhere.BecauseI'mtiredofdirtandmulesandmanureand

haulingwater,"saidLou.Shepatted her pocket. "Andbecause I've got twentydollarsI

brought with me from NewYork that's burning a hole inmy pocket," she added,staring

athim.

This gigantic sum staggeredDiamond,yetevenheseemedto understand thepossibilities.

'Too fer to walk," he said,fingering the coal lump, as

though trying to hurry thediamond

intohatching.

"Thenwedon'twalk,"repliedLou.

He glanced at her. "Tremontrightcloser."

"No,Dickens.IwanttogotoDickens."

Oz said, "We could take ataxi."

"If we get to the bridge atMcKenzie's," Lou ventured,"then maybe we can hitch arideto

Dickens with somebody.How far is the bridge onfoot?"

Diamond considered this."Well,byroaditagoodfour

hour. Time git down there,gotto

come back. And that be atiringway tospendadayofffromfarming."

"Whatwayisthereotherthantheroad?"

"You really want'a get ondownthere?"hesaid.

Lou took a deep breath. "I

reallywantto,Diamond."

"Well, then, we going. Iknowedmeashortcut.Shoot,get us there quick as asneeze."

Sincethemountainshadbeenformed, water had continuederodingthesoftlimestone,

carving thousand-foot-deepgullies between the harderrocks. The line of finger

ridges

marched next to the three ofthem as they walked along.The ravine they finally cameto

was wide and seemedimpassableuntilDiamondledthem over to the tree. Theyellow

poplarsheregrewtoimmenseproportion, gauged by a

caliper measured in feetinsteadof

inches. Many were thickerthanamanwastall,androseuptoahundredandfiftyfeetin

height. Fifteen thousandboardfeetoflumbercouldbegottenfromasinglepoplar.A

healthy specimen lay acrossthisgap,formingabridge.

"Going 'cross here cuts thetrip way down," Diamondsaid.

Ozlookedovertheedge,sawnothingbutrockandwaterattheendofalongfall,and

backed away like a spookedcow. Even Lou lookeduncertain. But Diamondwalkedright

uptothelog.

"Ain'tnoproblem.Thickandwide.Shoot,walk 'crosswithyoureyesclosed.Comeon

now."

He made his way across,neveroncelookingdown.Jebscootedeasilyafterhim.

Diamondreachedsafegroundand looked back. "Come onnow,"hesaidagain.

Lou put one foot up on thepoplarbutdidn't takeanotherstep.

Diamond called out fromacross the chasm. "Just don'tlookdown.Easy."

Lou turned to her brother."You stay here, Oz. Let memake sure it's okay." Louclenched

herfists,steppedontothelog,

and started across. She kepthereyesleveledonnothing

butDiamondandsoonjoinedhim on the other side. Theylooked back atOz.Hemadeno

movetowardthelog,hisgazefixedonthedirt.

"Yougoonahead,Diamond.I'llgobackwithhim."

"No, we ain't gonna do that.You said you want'a go totown?Well,dangit,wegoingto

town."

"I'mnotgoingwithoutOz."

"Ain'tgotto."

Diamond jogged back acrossthepoplarbridgeafter tellingJebtostayput.HegotOzto

climb on his back and Louwatched in admiration asDiamondcarriedhimacross.

"You sure are strong,Diamond," said Oz as hegingerly slid down to thegroundwitha

relievedbreath.

"Shoot,thatain'tnuthin'.Bearchasedme'crossthattreeonetimeandIhadJebanda

sack of flour on my back.And it were nighttime too.And the rainwas pouring sohard

God must've been bawling'bout somethin'. Couldn't seea durn thing. Why, I almostfell

twice."

"Well,goodLord,"saidOz.

Lou hid her smile well."Whathappenedtothebear?"she asked in seeminglyhonest

excitement.

"Missedmeandlandedinthewater, and that durn thingneverbotheredmenomo'."

"Let'sgototown,Diamond,"she said, pulling on his arm,"before that bear comes

back."

They crossed one morebridge of sorts, a swingingone made from rope andcedarslats

with holes bored in them sothe hemp could be pulledthrough and then knotted.Diamond

told them that pirates,colonialsettlers,andlateron,

Confederate refugees hadmadethe

old bridge and added to it atvarious points in time. AndDiamondsaidheknewwhere

theywere all buried, but hadbeen sworn to secrecy by apersonhewouldn'tname.

They made their way downslopes so steep they had tohang on to trees, vines, and

each

other to stop from tumblingdownhead-first.Loustoppedeveryonceinawhiletogaze

out as she clutched a saplingforsupport.Itwassomethingtostandonsteepgroundand

look out at land of evengreaterangles.Whenthelandbecame flatter and Oz grewtired,

Lou andDiamond took turnscarryinghim.

At the bottom of themountain, they wereconfronted with anotherobstacle.Theidhng

coal train was at least ahundred cars long, and itblockedthewayasfarastheycouldsee

in either direction. Unlike

thoseofapassengertrain,thecoal train's cars were tooclose

together to step between.Diamond picked up a rockand hurled it at one of thecars.It

struck right at the nameemblazoned across it:Southern Valley Coal andGas.

"Now what?" said Lou."Climb over?" She looked atthe fully loaded cars and thefew

handholds, and wonderedhowthatwouldbepossible.

"Shoot naw," said Diamond."Unner." He stuck his hat inhis pocket, dropped to hisbelly,

and slid between the car

wheels and under the train.LouandOzquicklyfollowed,asdid

Jeb.Theyall emergedon theother side and dustedthemselvesoff.

"Boy got hisself cut in halflast year doing that verything," saidDiamond. "Trainstartup

whenhewereunner it.Now,

Iain'tseeit,butIhearitweresurelynotpurty."

"Why didn't you tell us thatbefore we crawled under thetrain?"demandedastunned

Lou.

"Well, if I'd done that, youain't never crawled unner,nowwouldyou?"

Onthemainroadtheycaught

a ride in a Ramsey Candytruck and each was given aBlue

Banner chocolate bar by thechubby, uniformed driver."Spread the word," he toldthem.

"Goodstuff."

"Surewill," saidDiamondashe bit into the candy. Hechewedslowly,methodically,

as

though suddenly aconnoisseurof fine chocolatetesting a fresh batch. "Yougiveme

'nutheroneandIgetthewordouttwiceasfast,mister."

After a long, bumpy ride thetruckdroppedthemoffinthemiddleofDickensproper.

Diamond's bare toes hadhardly touched asphalt whenhequicklyliftedfirstonefootand

thentheother."Feelsfunny,"hesaid."Ain'tlikingitnone."

"Diamond, I swear, you'dwalk on nails without aword,"Lousaidasshelookedaround.

Dickens wasn't even a bump

intheroadcomparedtowhatshe was used to, but aftertheir

time on the mountain itseemed like the mostsophisticated metropolis shehadeverseen.

The sidewalks were filledwith people on this fineSaturday morning, and smallpockets

of them spilled onto thestreets.Mostweredressed innice clothes, but the minerswere

easy enough to spot,lumbering along with theirwrecked backs and the loud,hacking

coughs coming from theirruinedlungs.

A huge banner had been

stretched across the street. Itread"CoalIsKing"inlettersblack

asthemineral.Directlyunderwhere the banner had beentied off to a beam juttingfrom

one of the buildings was aSouthern Valley Coal andGas office. There was a lineofmen

going in, and a line of themcoming out, all with smileson their faces, clutchingeither

cash, or, presumably,promisesofagoodjob.

Smartly dressed men infedoras and three-piece suitschuckedsilvercoinstoeager

children in the streets. Theautomobile dealership was

doing a brisk business, andthe

shops were filled with bothquality goods and folksclamoringtopurchasethem.

Prosperity was clearly aliveand well at the foot of thisVirginia mountain. It was ahappy,

energetic scene, and it madeLouhomesickforthecity.

"How come your parentshaveneverbroughtyoudownhere?"LouaskedDiamondas

theywalkedalong.

"Ain'tneverhadnoreasontocome here, that's why." Hestuffed his hands in hispockets

and stared up at a telephonepole with wires sproutingfromitandsmackingintoone

building. Then he eyed adroop-shouldered man in asuit and a little boy in darkslacks

andadressshirtastheycameoutofastorewithabigpaperbagofsomething.Thetwo

wentovertooneoftheslant-parked cars that lined bothsides of the street, and theman

openedthecardoor.Theboystared over at Diamond andasked him where he wasfrom.

"How you know I ain't fromright here, son?" saidDiamond,glaringat thetownboy.

The child looked atDiamond's dirty clothes andface, his bare feet and wildhair,then

jumped in thecarand lockedthedoor.

They kept walking andpassed the Esso gas stationwith its twin pumps and asmilingman

in crisp company uniformstanding out front as rigidlyas a cigar store Indian. Nextthey

peered through theglassofa

Rexall drugstore. The storewas running an "all-in-thewindow" sale. The twodozen or so varied itemscould be had for the sum ofthreedollars.

"Shoot, why? You canmakeall that stuff yourself. Ain'tgot to buy it," Diamondpointed

out, apparently sensing thatLouwastemptedtogoinside

andcleanoutthedisplay.

"Diamond, we're here tospendmoney.Havefun."

"I'mhavingfun,"hesaidwithascowl."Don'tbe tellingmeIain'thavingnofun."

They headed past theDominion Cafe with itsChero Cola and "Ice CreamHere"signs,

andthenLoustopped.

"Let's go in," she said. Lougripped the door, pulled itopen, setting a bell totinkling,and

stepped inside. Oz followedher. Diamond stayed outsidefor a long enough time toshow

his displeasure with thisdecision and then hurried in

afterthem.

The place smelled of coffee,woodsmoke,andbakingfruitpies.Umbrellasforsalehung

fromtheceiling.Therewasabench down one wall, andthreeswivelchromebarstools

withpaddedgreenseatswerebolted to thefloor in frontofawaist-highcounter.Glass

containers filled with candyrestedonthedisplaycabinets.Therewasamodestsodaand

ice cream fountain machine,and through a pair of saloondoors they could hear theclatter

of dishes and smell thearomas of food cooking. Inone corner was a potbelliedstove,its

smokepipesupportedbywireandcuttingthroughonewall.

A man dressed in a whiteshirtwithsleevesrolledtotheelbows,ashortwidetie,and

wearing an apron passedthroughmesaloondoorsandstood behind the counter.Hehada

smooth face and hair partedequally to either side, held

down with what appeared toLou

tobeaslopbucketofgrease.

He lookedat themas thoughtheywereabrigadeofUniontroopssentdirectlyfrom

GeneralGranttorubthegoodVirginians' noses in it a littlemore.Heedgedbackabitas

theymovedforward.Lougot

up on one of the stools andlookedatthemenuneatly

written in loopycursiveon ablackboard. The man movedbackfarther.Hishandglided

out and one of his knucklesrappedagainstaglasscabinetset against the wall. Thewords

"NoCredit"hadbeenwrittenin thickwhite strokes on the

glass.

In response to this not-so-subtlegesture,Loupulledoutfive one-dollar bills andaligned

them neatly on the counter.The man's eyes went to thefoldingcashandhesmiled,

showing off a gold fronttooth.Hecameforward,nowtheirgoodfriendforalltime.

Oz

scooted up on another of thebarstools, leaned on thecounter, and sniffed thewonderful

smells coming through thosesaloondoors.

Diamond hung back, asthoughwanting to be nearestthe door when they had tomakea

runforit.

"How much for a slice ofpie?"Louasked.

"Nickel," the man said, hisgaze locked on the fiveWashingtonsonhiscounter.

"Howaboutawholepie?"

"Fiftycents."

"SoIcouldbuytenpieswith

thismoney?"

'Ten pies?" exclaimedDiamond."Goddog!"

"That's right," the man saidquickly. "And we can make'emforyoutoo."Heglanced

over at Diamond, his gazedescending from the boy'sexplosion of cowlicks to hisbare

toes."Hewithyou?"

"Naw, they with me," saidDiamond,amblingovertothecounter, fingers tuckedaround

hisoverallstraps.

Ozwasstaringatanothersignon the wall. "Only WhitesServed,"hereadoutloud,and

then glanced in confusion at

the man. "Well, our hair'sblond, andDiamond's is red.Does

thatmeanonlyoldpeoplecangetpie?"

The fellow lookedatOz likethe boy was "special" in thehead, stuck a toothpickbetween

his teeth,andeyedDiamond."Shoes are required in my

establishment. Where youfrom,

boy?Mountain?"

"Naw, the moon." Diamondleanedforwardandflashedanexaggeratedsmile."Want'a

seemygreenteeth?"

As thoughbrandishinga tinysword, the man waved thetoothpick in front of

Diamond's

face. "Yousmartmouth. Justmarch yourself right outtahere.Goon.Gitbackupthat

mountain where you belongandstaythere!"

Instead,Diamondwentuponhistoes,grabbedanumbrellaofftheceilingrack,and

openedit.

The man came around frombehindthecounter

"Don't you do that now.That'sbadluck."

"Why, I doing it. Mebbe achunk of rock'll fall off themountainandsquashyouto

poultice!"

Before theman reachedhim,Diamond tossed the opened

umbrellaintotheairandit

landed on the soda machine.Astreamofgooshotoutandpaintedonecabinetanice

shadeofbrown.

"Hey!" the man yelled, butDiamondhadalreadyfled.

Lou scooped up her money,and she and Oz stood toleave.

"Wherey'allgoing?"themansaid.

"Idecided Ididn'twantpie,"Lousaidamiablyandshutthedoorquietlybehindherand

Oz.

Theyheard themanyell out,"Hicks!"

They caught up withDiamond, and all three bent

over laughing while peoplewalked

around them, staringcuriously.

"Nice to see you having agoodtime,"avoicesaid.

They turned and saw Cottonstanding there, wearing vest,tie, and coat, briefcase inhand,

yetwithaclearlookofmirthinhiseyes.

"Cotton,"Lousaid,"whatareyoudoinghere?"

He pointed across the street."Well,Ihappentoworkhere,Lou."

They all stared at where hewaspointing.Thecourthouseloomedlargebeforethem,

beautiful brick over uglyconcrete.

"Now, what are y'all doinghere?"heasked.

"Louisa gave us the day off.Been working pretty hard,"saidLou.

Cotton nodded. "So I'veseen."

Lou looked at the bustle of

people."ItsurprisedmewhenIfirstsawthisplace.Really

prosperous."

Cotton glanced around."Well, looks can bedeceiving. Thing about thispartofthestate,

we're generally one industry-moving-on from totalcollapse.Lumberfolksdidit,andnow

most jobsare tied to thecoaland not just theminers.Andmostofthebusinesseshere

relyonthosepeoplespendingthose mining dollars. If thatgoesaway,thenitmightnot

seemsoprosperousanymore.Ahouseofcardsfallsswiftly.Whoknows,infiveyears'

timethisplacemightnotevenbe here." He eyed Diamond

andgrinned."Butthe

mountain folk will. Theyalways get by." He lookedaround. "I tell youwhat, I'vegot

somethingstodoovertothecourthouse. Court's not insessiontodayofcourse,but

always some work to bedone. Suppose you meet methere in two hours. Then I'd

be

proud to buy you somelunch."

Loulookedaround."Where?"

"A place I think you'd like,Lou. Called the New YorkRestaurant.Opentwenty-four

hours, breakfast, lunch, orsupperanytimeofthedayornight.Now,therearen'tmany

folk in Dickens who stay uppast nine o'clock, but Isuppose it's comforting tohavethe

option of eggs, grits, andbaconatmidnight."

"Two hours," repeated Oz,"but we don't have anythingtotelltimewith."

"Well, the courthouse has aclock tower, but it tends to

run a little slow. I tell youwhat,

Oz,here."Cottontookoffhispocketwatchandhandedittohim."Youusethis.Take

good care of it. My fathergaveittome."

"When you left to comehere?"Louasked.

"That'sright.HesaidI'dhave

plenty of time onmy hands,andIguesshewantedmeto

keep good track of it." Hetipped his hat to them. 'Twohours." And then he walkedaway.

"So what we gonna do fortwohours?"saidDiamond.

Lou looked around and hereyeslitup.

"Comeon,"shesaidandtookoff running. "You're finallygoingtoseeyourselfapicture

show,Mr.Diamond."

For almost two hours theywere in a place far removedfromDickens,Virginia,the

mountainsofAppalachia,andthe troublesome concerns ofreallife.Theywereinthe

breathtaking land of TheWizard of Oz, which washaving a long run at moviehouses

across the land. When theycameout,Diamondpepperedthem with dozens ofquestions

about how any of what theyhadjustseenwaspossible.

"HadGoddoneit?"heasked

more than once in a hushedtone.

Lou pointed to thecourthouse. "Come on, orwe'llbelate."

Theydashedacrossthestreetand up thewide steps of thecourthouse.Auniformed

deputy sheriff with a thickmustachestoppedthem.

"Whoa,now,whereyouthinky'allgoing?"

"It'sallright,Howard,they'rewith me," Cotton said,coming out the door. "Theyall

might be lawyers one day.Comingtocheckoutthehallsofjustice."

"God forbid,Cotton,weain'tneeding us no more fine

lawyers," Howard said,smiling,

andthenmovedon.

"Having a good time?"Cottonasked.

"I just seen a lion, a durnscarecrow, and a metal manonabigwall,"saidDiamond,"and

I still ain't figgered out how

theydoneit."

"Y'allwanttoseewhereIdomy daily labor?" askedCotton.

They all clamored that theydid indeed.Before theywentinside, Oz solemnly handedthe

pocketwatchbacktoCotton.

"Thanksfortakingsuchgood

careofit,Oz."

"It's been two hours, youknow,"saidthelittleboy.

"Punctuality is a virtue,"repliedthelawyer.

They went inside thecourthouse while Jeb laydown outside. There weredoorwaysup

anddownthebroadhall,and

hanging above the doorsvariousbrassplatesthatread:

"Marriage Registrar," "TaxCollections," "Births andDeaths,""Commonwealth's

Attorney," and so on.Cottonexplained their variousfunctions and then showedthemthe

courtroom, which Diamondsaid was the largest such

spacehehadeverseen.Theywere

introducedtoFredthebailiff,whohadpoppedoutofsomeroomorotherwhentheyhad

come in. Judge Atkins, heexplained,hadgonehomeforlunch.

Onthewallswereportraitsofwhite-haired men in blackrobes.Thechildrenrantheir

handsalong thecarvedwoodand took turns sitting in thewitnessandjuryboxes.

Diamond asked to sit in thejudge's chair, but Cottondidn't think that was a goodidea,

and neither did Fred. Whenthey weren't looking,Diamond grabbed a sitanywayand

came away puff-chested likearooster,untilLou,whohadseenthisoffense,pokedhim

hardintheribs.

They left the courthouse andwent next door to a buildingthathousedasmallnumberof

offices, including Cotton's.Hisplacewasonelargeroomwithcreakyoakflooringthat

had shelves on three sideswhich held worn law books,will and deed boxes, and afineset

of theStatutesofVirginia.Abig walnut desk sat in themiddle of the room, alongwitha

telephone and drifts ofpapers. There was an oldcrateforawastebasket,andalistinghat

and umbrella stand in onecorner.Therewerenohatsonthehooks,andwherethe

umbrellas should have beenwas an old fishing pole.Cotton let Diamond dial asingle

numberonthephoneandtalkto Shirley the operator. Theboynearlyjumpedoutofhis

skin when her raspy voice

tickledhisear.

Next, Cotton showed themtheapartmentwherehe livedat the top of this samebuilding.

It had a small kitchen thatwas piled high with cannedvegetables, jars of molassesand

bread and butter pickles,sacks of potatoes, blankets,

and lanterns, among manyother

items.

"Where'd you get all thatstuff?"askedLou.

"Folks don't always havecash. Pay their legal bills inbarter." He opened the smallicebox

and showed them the cuts of

chicken, beef, and bacon inthere."Can'tputnoneofitinthe

bank, but it sure tastes a lotbetter'nmoney."Therewasatinybedroomwitharopebed

andareadinglightonasmallnightstand, and one largefront room utterly buriedunder

books.

Astheystaredatthemounds,Cotton took off his glasses."NowonderI'mgoingblind,"

hesaid.

"You read all them books?"Diamondaskedinawe.

"Ipleadguiltytothat.InfactI've readmanyof themmorethanonce,"Cottonanswered.

"Ireadmeabookonetime,"

Diamondsaidproudly.

"What was the title?" Louasked.

"Don't recall 'xactly, but ithad lots of pictures. No, Itakethatback,Ireadmetwobooks,

ifyoucounttheBible."

"Ithinkwecansafelyincludethat, Diamond," said Cotton,

smiling."Comeoverhere,

Lou."Cottonshowedheronebookcase neatly filled withvolumes,manyofthemfine

leatherbound ones of notableauthors. "This is reserved formyfavoritewriters."

Lou lookedat the titles thereand immediately saw everynovelandcollectionofshort

storiesherfatherhadwritten.It was nice, conciliatory baitCotton was throwing out,only

Louwasnotinaconciliatorymood.Shesaid,"I'mhungry.Canweeatnow?"

The New York RestaurantservednothingremotelyclosetoNewYorkfarebutitwas

good food nonetheless, and

Diamond had what he saidwashisfirstbottleof"soder"pop.

He liked it so much he hadtwo more. Afterward theywalked down the street,peppermint

candyrollingintheirmouths.Theywent into the five-and-dimeand25-centstoreand

Cotton showed them how

because of the land grade allsixstoriesoftheplaceopenedout

ontoground level, a fact thathad actually been discussedinthenationalmediaatone

point. "Dickens's claim tofame," he chuckled, "uniqueanglesofdirt."

The store was stacked highwith dry goods, tools, and

foodstuffs. The aromas oftobacco

and coffee were strong andseemed to have seeded intothebonesoftheplace.Horse

collars hung next to racks ofspooled thread, which satalongside fat barrels ofcandies.

Lou bought a pair of socksfor herself and a pocketknife

for Diamond, who wasreluctant

toacceptituntilshetoldhimthat in return he had towhittle something for her.She

purchased a stuffed bear forOz and handed it to himwithoutcommentingonthe

whereaboutsoftheoldone.

Lou disappeared for a fewminutesandreturnedwithanobjectwhichshehandedto

Cotton. It was a magnifyingglass. "For all that reading,"she said and smiled, andCotton

smiled back. "Thank you,Lou. This way I'll think ofyou every time I open abook."She

bought a shawl for Louisaand a straw hat for Eugene.Oz borrowed some moneyfrom

herandwentoffwithCottonto browse. When they cameback, he held a parcelwrapped

in brown paper andsteadfastly refused to revealwhatitwas.

After wandering the town,Cotton showing them thingsthatLouandOzhadcertainly

seen before, but Diamondnever had, they piled intoCotton's Oldsmobile, whichsat

parked in front of thecourthouse.They headed off,Diamond and Lou squeezedintothe

rumbleseatwhileOzandJebrodewithCottoninfront.Thesunwasjustbeginningits

descent now and the breezefelt good to all. There didn'tseemtobeanythingsoprettyas

sunsettingovermountain.

TheypassedthroughTremontand awhile later crossedmetinybridgenearMcKenzie's

and startedup the first ridge.They came to a railroadcrossing, and instead ofcontinuing

on the road, Cotton turnedanddrove theOldsmobileondownthetracks.

"Smoother than the roads uphere," he explained. "We'llpick it back up later on.They've

got asphalt and macadam atthefoothills,butnotuphere.Thesemountainroadswere

builtbyhandsswingingpicksand shovels. Law used to beeveryable-bodiedman

betweensixteenandsixtyhadto help build the roads tendaysayearandbringhisown

toolsandsweattodoit.Onlyteachers and preachers were

exemptfromhavingtodoit,

although I imagine thoseworkers could've used somepowerful prayers every nowand

again. They did a right goodjob,builteightymilesofroadoverfortyyears,butit'sstill

hardonone'sbottomtotravelacross the results of all thatfinework."

"What if a train comes?"askedananxiousOz.

"ThenIsuspectwe'llhave togetoff,"Cottonsaid.

Theyeventuallydid"hearthewhistleandCottonpulledthecartosafetyandwaited.A

few minutes later a fullyloaded train rolled past,lookinglikeagiantserpent.Itwas

moving slowly, for the trackwascurvyhere.

"Isthatcoal?"Ozsaid,eyeingthe great lumps of rockvisibleintheopentraincars.

Cotton shook his head."Coke.Madefromslackcoalandcookedintheovens.Shipitout

to the steelmills." He shookhisheadslowly.'Trainscome

uphereemptyandleavefull.

Coal, coke, lumber. Don'tbring anything here exceptmorebodiesforlabor."

On a spur off the main line,Cotton showed them a coalcompany town made up ofsmall,

identical homes, with a traintrackdeadcenteroftheplaceandacommissarystorethat

had goods piled floor toceiling, Cotton informedthem, because he had beeninside

before. A long series ofconnected brick structuresshapedlikebeehivesweresetalong

onehighroad.Eachonehadametal door and a chimneywithfilldirtpackedaroundit.

Smoke belched from eachstack, turning the darkeningsky ever blacker. "Cokeovens,"

Cotton explained. There wasone large housewith a shinynewChryslerCrownImperial

parked out front. The minesuperintendent's home,Cottontoldthem.Nexttothishouse

was a corral with a fewgrazingmaresandacoupleofenergetic yearlings leapingand

gallopingaround.

"I got to take care of somepersonal business," saidDiamond, already pulling hisoverall

strapsdown.'Toomuchsoderpop. Won't be one minute,

justduckbehindthatshed."

Cotton stopped the car andDiamondgotoutandranoff.Cotton and the childrentalked

while they waited, and thelawyer pointed out someotherthingsofinterest.

"This is a Southern Valleycoal mining operation. TheClinch Number Two mine,

they

call it. Coal mining payspretty good, but the work isterribly hard, and with thewaythe

companystoresaresetuptheminersendupowingmoretothecompanythantheyearn

in wages." Cotton stoppedtalking and lookedthoughtfully in the direction

ofwhere

Diamond had gone, a frowneasing across his face. Hecontinued,"Andthemenalsoget

sickanddieoftheblacklung,or from cave-ins, accidents,andsuch."

A whistle sounded and theywatched as a group ofcharcoal-faced, probably

bone-tired

men emerged from the mineentrance.A group ofwomenand children ran to greetthem,

and they all walked towardthe copycat houses, the menswinging metal dinner pailsand

pulling out their smokes andliquor bottles.Another group

ofmen,lookingastiredasthe

other, trudged past them totake their place under theearth.

"Theyusedtorunthreeshiftshere,butnowtheyonlyhavetwo,"saidCotton."Coal's

startingtorunout."

Diamond returned andvaultedintotherumbleseat.

"You all right, Diamond?"askedCotton.

"Am now," said the boy, asmile pushing against hischeeks, his feline green eyeslighted

up.

Louisa was upset when shelearned they had gone totown. Cotton explained thathe

should not have kept thechildren as long as he had,therefore she should blamehim.But

thenLouisa said she recalledthat theirdaddyhaddonetheverysamething,andthe

pioneer spiritwasahardoneto dodge, so it was okay.Louisa accepted the shawlwith

tearsinhereyes,andEugenetried on the hat andproclaimed it the nicest gifthehadever

gotten.

After supper that night Ozexcused himself and went tohis mother's room. Curious,Lou

followed him, spying on herbrother as usual from the

narrowopeningbetweendoorand

wall.Ozcarefullyunwrappedthe parcel he had purchasedin town and held thehairbrush

firmly. Amanda's face waspeaceful,hereyes,asalways,shut.ToLou,hermotherwasa

princess reclining in a

deathlike state, and none ofthempossessed thenecessaryantidote.

Oz knelt on the bed andbegan brushing Amanda'shairandtellinghismotheroftheir

wonderfullyfinedayintown.Lou watched him strugglewiththebrushingforafew

momentsand thenwent in to

help. She held out hermother'shair and showedOzhowto

properly perform the strokes.Their mother's hair hadgrown out some, but it wasstill

short.

Later that night Lou went toherroom,putawaythesocksshe had bought, lay on the

bed

fully dressed down to herboots, thinking about theirtrip to town, and never onceclosed

her eyes until it was time tomilk the cows the nextmorning.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

THEYALLWERESITTING

DOWNTODINNERAFEWnights later while the rainpoured

down outside. Diamond hadcome for supper, wearing atatteredpieceofworncanvas

with a hole cut out for hishead, his homegrownmackintosh of sorts. Jeb hadshaken

himselfoffandheadedforthe

fire as though he owned theplace.WhenDiamondfreed

himselffromthecanvascoat,Lou saw something tiedaround his neck. And itwasn't

particularlysweet-smelling.

"What is that!" Lou asked,herfingerspinchinghernose,forthestenchwasawful.

"Asafetida,"Louisaansweredfortheboy."Aroot.Wardoffsickness.Diamond,honey,I

thinkifyouwarmyourselfbythe fire, you can give that tome.Ithankyou."While

Diamondwasn't looking, shecarried the root out to thebackporchandflungthefoul

thingawayintothedarkness.

Louisa's frying pan held thedual aromas of popping lardand ribs cut thick with somuch

fat they didn't dare curl. Themeat had come from one ofthehogstheyhadhadto

slaughter. Usually a wintertask, they had beencompelled, by a variety ofcircumstances,

toperformthedeedinspring.Actually, Eugene had donethekillingwhilethechildren

were at school. But at Oz'sinsistenceEugenehadagreedto let him help scrape downthe

hog and get off the ribs,middle meat, bacon, andchitlins. However, when Ozsawthe

dead animal strung up on awooden tripod, a steel hookthroughitsbloodymouth,anda

cauldron of boiling waternearby—just waiting, he nodoubt believed, for the hideofa

little boy to give it the rightspice, he had run off. Hisscreams echoed back andforth

across the valley, as thoughfromacarelessgiantwhohadstubbedhistoe.Eugenehad

admiredboth theboy's speedand lung capacity and thengoneontoworkthehog

himself.

They all ate heartily of themeat, and also of cannedtomatoesandgreenbeansthathad

marinated for the better partof six months in brine andsugar,andthelastofthepinto

beans.

Louisa kept all plates full,except her own. She nibbledonsomeofthetomatochunksand

beans,anddippedcorn-breadintoheated lard,but thatwasall.Shesippedonacupof

chicory coffee and lookedaround the table where allwere enjoying themselves,laughing

hard at something sillyDiamond had said. Shelistened to the rain on theroof.Sofarso

good,thoughrainnowmeantnothing; if none fell in Julyand August, the crop wouldstill

bedust,blownoffinagentlebreeze, and dust had neverlined anyone's belly. Verysoon

theywouldbe laying in theirfood crops: corn, pole beans,tomatoes,squash,rutabaga,

late potatoes, cabbage, sweetpotatoes, and string beans.Irish potatoes and onionswere

already in the ground, andduly hilled over, frost notbotheringthemany.Thelandwould

be good to them this year; itwas their due this timearound.

Louisa listened to the rainsomemore.Thankyou,Lord,but be sure to send us somemore

ofyourbountycomesummer.Not too much so's thetomatoesburstandrotonthevines,

andnottoolittlethatthecornonlygrowswaisthigh.Iknowit'saskingalot,butit'dbe

muchappreciated.Shesaidasilent amen and then did herbesttojoininthefestivities.

Therecamearaponthedoor

and Cotton walked in, hisouter coat soaked througheven

though the walk from car toporch was a quick one. Hewas not his usual self; theman

did not even smile. Heacceptedacupofcoffee,abitofcornbread,andsatnextto

Diamond. The boy stared up

at him as though he knewwhatwascoming.

"Sheriff came by to see me,Diamond."

Everyone looked at Cottonfirst and then they all staredat Diamond. Oz's eyes wereopen

so wide the boy looked likeanowlwithoutfeathers.

"Isthatright?"Diamondsaid,as he took a mouthful ofbeansandstewedonions.

"Seems a pile of horsemanure got in the minesuperintendent's brand-newChrysleratthe

Clinch Number Two. Theman sat in it withoutknowing, it still being darkandall,andhe

had the bad cold in the noseandcouldn't smell it.Hewasunderstandablyupsetbythe

experience."

"Dum, how 'bout that," saidDiamond. "Wonder how thehorsedonegotthatinthere?

Pro'bly just backed itself upto the window and let fly."That said, Diamond wentrighton

eating, though none of theothersdid.

"IrecallIdroppedyouoff todo some personal businessright around there on ourdrive

backfromDickens."

"You tell the sheriff that?"Diamondaskedquickly.

"No, my memory curiously

abandonedmeaboutthetimeheasked."Diamondlooked

relievedasCottoncontinued."ButIspentasorryhouroveratthecourthousewiththe

superintendent and a coalcompany lawyer who wereall-firesurethatyouhaddoneit.

Now upon my careful cross-examination I was able to

demonstrate that there wereno

eyewitnesses and no otherevidence tying you to thesceneofthis...littlesituation.And,

fortunately, one can't takefingerprints from horsemanure. Judge Atkins heldwithmy

side of things, and so there

we are. But those coal folkhavelongmemories,son,you

knowthat."

"Not so long as mine,"counteredDiamond.

"Whywouldhedosomethinglikethat?"saidLou.

Louisa looked at Cotton andhe looked at her, and thenCotton said, "Diamond, my

heart's

withyouonthis,son,itreallyis. You know that. But thelaw'snot.Andnexttime,it

might not be so easy to getoutofit.Andfolkmightstarttakingmattersintotheirown

hands.Somyadvicetoyouisto get on with things. I'msayingitforyourowngood,

Diamond, you know that Iam."

WiththatCottonroseandputhis hat back on. He refusedallfurtherquestionsfromLou

and declined an invitation tostay.HepausedandlookedatDiamond,whowas

considering the rest of hismealwithoutenthusiasm.

Cotton said, "Diamond, afterthose coal folk left thecourtroom, me and JudgeAtkinshad

us a long laugh. I'd say thatwas a right good one to endyourcareeron,son.Okay?"

Diamondfinallysmiledatthemanandsaid,"Okay."

CHAPTERTWENTY

LOU ROSE EARLY ONEMORNING,EVENBEFORELOUISA and Eugene, shebeheved,for

she heard no stirring below.She had grown used todressing in thedarknowandher

fingers moved swiftly,arranging her clothes andlacingherboots.Shesteppedtothe

window and looked out. Itwas sodark shehad a vaguefeeling of being deepunderwater.

Sheflinched,forLouthoughtshe had seen something slipoutfromthebarn.Andthen,

like a frame of spentlightning, it was gone. Sheopened the window for abetterlook,but

whatever it was wasn't thereanymore. It must have beenherimagination.

She went down the stairs asquietly as she could, startedtoward Oz's room to wakehim,

butstoppedatthedoorofhermother's instead. It waspartially open, and Lou juststood

thereforamoment,asthoughsomething blocked herpassage. She leaned againstthe

wall, squirmed a bit, slid herhands along the door frame,pushedherselfaway,andthen

leaned back. Finally, Louedged her head into thebedroom.

Louwassurprisedtoseetwo

figures on the bed. Oz waslyingnexttotheirmother.He

wasdressedinhislongJohns,abitofhisthincalvesvisiblewherethebottomshad

inched up, his feet in thickwool socks he had broughtwithhimtothemountain.Histiny

rear endwas stuck up in theair,hisfaceturnedtotheside

soLoucouldseeit.Atender

smilewasonhis lips,andhewasclenchinghisnewbear.

Lou crept forward and laid ahand on his back. He neverstirred,andLouletherhand

slide down and gently touchher mother's arm. When sheexercised hermother's limbs,a

part ofLouwould alwaysbefeeling for her mother to bepushingbackjustalittle.Butit

wasalways justdeadweight.And Amanda had been sostrongduringtheaccident,

keeping her and Oz frombeing hurt. Maybe in savingherchildren,Louthought,shehad

used up all she had.Lou leftthe two and went to thekitchen.

She loaded the coal in thefront-room fireplace, got theflamegoing, thensat infrontof

thefirefora time, lettingtheheat melt the chill from herbones. At dawn she openedthe

door and felt the cool air onher face. There werecorpulent gray cloudsloiteringabout

from a passed storm, theirunderbellies outlined inflaming reddish-pink. Rightbelowthis

was the broad sweep ofmountainousgreenforestthatstepped right to the sky. Itwasone

ofthemostgloriousbreakupsofnightshecouldeverrecall.Loucertainlyhadneverseen

dawnslikethisinthecity.

Though it had not been thatlongago,itseemedlikemanyyearssinceLouhadwalked

the concrete pavement ofNew York City, ridden thesubway, raced for a cabwithher

father and mother, pushedthrough the crowds ofshoppers at Macy's the dayafter

Thanksgiving, or gone toYankee Stadium to lunge forwhiteleatherballsandgobblehot

dogs. Severalmonths ago allof that had been replaced bysteepland,dirtandtrees,and

animals that smelled andmade you earn your place.Corner grocers had beenexchanged

for crackling bread andstrained milk, tap water forwater pumped or in buckethauled,

grand public libraries for apretty cabinet of few books,tall buildings for tallermountains.

Andforareasonshecouldn'tquitegetat,Loudidnotknowifshecouldstayherefor

long.Maybetherewasagoodreason her father had nevercomeback.

She went to the barn andmilked the cows, carrying afull bucket into the kitchenandthe

rest to the spring-house,

where she laid it in the coolstream ofwater. The airwasalready

growingwarmer.

Lou had the cookstove hotandthepanwithlardfiredupwhenhergreat-grandmother

walked in. Louisa wasfretting that she and Eugenehad slept late. Then Louisaeyedthe

full buckets on the sink, andLou told her she had alreadymilkedthecows.Whenshe

saw the restof theworkLouhad done, Louisa smiledappreciatively. "Next thing Iknow

you'll be running this placewithoutme.

"I doubt that will everhappen," said the girl in a

way that made Louisa stopsmiling.

Cotton showed upunannouncedahalfhourlaterdressed in patched workpants,anold

shirt, and worn brogans. Hedidn't wear his wire-rimglasses, and his fedora hadbeen

replaced with a straw hat,

which, Louisa said, wasforesight on his part becauseitlooked

like the sun would burn abrightonetoday.

They all said their hellos tothe man, though Lou hadmumbled hers.He had cometoread

to her mother regularly, aspromised, and Lou was

resenting it more each time.However,

Lou appreciated his gentleways and courtlymanners. Itwasaconflicted,troubling

situationforthegirl.

Thetemperature,thoughcoldthe night before, had notcome close to freezing.Louisa

didn't have a thermometer,but, as she said, her boneswere just as accurate asbottled

mercury. The crops weregoing in, she declared to all.Late to plant often meantneverto

harvest.

Theytruckedovertothefirstfield to be sown, a sloped

rectangleoftenacres.The

vigilant wind had chased themalingeringgraycloudsovertheridgeline,leavingthesky

clear.Themountains,though,looked markedly flat thismorning, as if they wereprops

only.Louisacarefullypassedout bags of seed com fromtheseasonbefore,shelledand

thenkeptinthecorncriboverthewinter.She instructed thetroopscarefullyastotheir

usage."Thirtybushelsofcornanacreiswhatwewant,"shesaid."More,ifwecan."

For a while things went allright. Oz walked his rows,meticulously counting outtihree

seeds per hill as Louisa had

told them. Lou, though, waslettingherselfbecomesloppy,

dropping twoatsomeplaces,fouratothers.

"Lou," Louisa said sharply."Threeseedsperhill,girl!"

Lou stared at her. "Like itreallymakesadifference."

Louisa rested fists on herhaunches. "Difference twixt

eatingandnot!"

Loustoodthereforamomentandthenstartedupagain,ataclipofthreeseedsperhill

about nine inches apart.Twohours later, with the five ofthemworkingsteadily,only

about half the field had beenlaid. Louisa had them spendanother hour using hoes tohill

theplantedcorn.OzandLousoonhadpurplebloodblistersinthecrooksoftheirhands,

despite thegloves theywore.AndCotton toohaddone thesametohis.

"Lawyering is poorpreparationforhonestwork,"heexplained,showingoffhistwinsore

prizes.

Louisa's and Eugene's handswere so heavily callused thattheyworenoglovesatall,

hilled twice as much as theothers, and came away withpalmsbarelyreddenedbythe

tools'coarsehandles.

With the last dropped seedhilled, Lou, far more boredthantired,satontheground,

slapping her gloves againsther leg. "Well, that was fun.Whatnow?"

A curved stick appeared infront of her. "Before you geton to school, you and Ozgonna

findsomewaywardcows."

Lou looked up into Louisa'sface.

LouandOz tramped throughthewoods.Eugenehadletthecowsandthecalfoutto

graze in the open field, and,as cows, like people, werewont to do, they werewandering

the countryside looking forbetterprospects.

Lou smacked a lilac bushwith the stick Louisa had

givenhertoscareoffsnakes.Shehad

not mentioned the threat ofserpents to Oz, because shefigured ifheknew,she'dendup

carrying her brother on herback."Ican'tbelievewehaveto find some stupid cows,"she

saidangrily."If they'redumb

enough to get lost, theyshouldstaylost."

They pushed through tanglesof dogwood and mountainlaurel.Ozswungonthelower

branchofascragglypine,andthen gave out a whistle as acardinalflittedby,though

mostfolksfromthemountainwouldhavecertainlycalleditaredbird.

"Look, Lou, a cardinal, likeus."

Keepingan eyeoutmore forbirdsthancows, theyquicklysawmanyvarieties,mostof

which they did not know.Hummingbirds twitted overbeds of morning glories andwood

violets;thechildrenscaredupa mess of field larks from

thick ground-cover. Asparrow

hawk let them know it wasaround,whileapackofnastybluejaysbotheredeverybody

and everything. Wild, bushyrhododendrons werebeginning to bloom in pinkandred,as

were the lavender-tippedwhite flowers of Virginia

thyme.On the sides of steepslopes

theycouldseetrailingarbutusand wolfsbane among thestackedslateandother

protrusions of rocks. Thetrees were in full, showyform, and the sky a cap ofblueto

finish it off. And here theywere, hunting aimless

bovines,thoughtLou.

Acowbellclunkedtotheeastofthem.

Oz looked excited. "Louisasaid to follow the bell thecowswear."

Lou chased Oz throughgroves of beech, poplar, andbasswood,thestrongvinesof

wisteria clutching at them

like irksomehands, their feettripping over bumps ofshallow

roots clinging to uneven,shiftingground.Theycametoasmallclearingringedwith

hemlock and gum and heardthe bell again, but saw nocows. A goldfinch dartedpast,

startlingthem.

"Moo. Moooo!" came thevoice,andthebellclunked.

The pair looked around inbewilderment until Louglanced up in the crook of amapleand

saw Diamond swinging thebell and speaking cow. Hewasbarefoot,sameclothesas

always, cigarette behind hisear, hair reaching to the sky,

as though a mischievousangel

was tugging at the boy's redmop.

"What are you doing?" Loudemandedangrily.

Diamond gracefully swungfrom branch to branch,dropped to the ground, andclunked

thebelloncemore.Lounotedthat he had used a piece oftwine to tie the pocketknifeshe

had given him to a loop onhisoveralls.

"BelievingIwereacow."

"That's not funny,"Lou said."Wehavetofindthem."

"Shoot,that'seasy.Cowsain't

never really lost, they justmoseyroundtillsomebody

come get 'em." He whistledand Jeb broke through thetangleofbrushtojointhem.

Diamond led them through aswathofhickoryandash;onthetrunkofthelatterapairof

squirrels were having anargument, apparently oversomedivisionofspoils.They

all

stopped and stared inreverence at a golden eagleperchedona limbofa ruler-straight

eighty-footpoplar.Inthenextclearing, they saw the cowsgrazinginanaturalpenof

fallentrees.

"I knowed they was Miss

Louisa's right off. Figgeryou'd probably cometraipsing

throughafter'em."

With Diamond's and Jeb'shelp, they drove the cowsbacktotheirfarmpen.Alongthe

way, Diamond showed themhowtoholdontotheanimals'tails,letthecowspullthem

uphill, to make them payback a litde, he said, forwandering off. When theyshutthe

corral gate, Lou said,"Diamond, tell me why youput horse manure in thatman'scar."

"Can't tell you, 'cause I ain'tdoit."

"Diamond, come on. You as

good as admitted you did toCotton."

"Got me oak ears, can't hearnuthin'yousaying."

AfrustratedLoudrewcirclesin the dirt witii her shoe."Look, we have to get toschool,

Diamond.Youwant to comewithus?"

"Don't go to no school," hesaid, slipping the unlitcigarettebetweenhislipsand

becominganinstantadult.

"How come your parentsdon'tmakeyougo?"

In response to this Diamondwhisded for Jeb and the pairtookoffrunning.

"Hey, Diamond," Lou called

afterhim.

Boyanddogonlyranfaster.

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

LOU AND Oz RACEDPAST THE EMPTY YARDAND IN-side theschoolhouse.Breathless,

theyhustledtotheirseats.

"I'm sorry we're late," Lou

said to Estelle McCoy, whowas already chalkingsomething

on the board. "We wereworking in the fields and ..."She lookedaroundandnotedthat

fully half the seats wereempty.

"Lou, it's all right," said herteacher. "Planting time's

starting, I'm just glad youmadeitin

atall."

Lou sat down in her seat.From the corner of her eyeshesaw thatBillyDaviswasthere.

Helookedsoangelicthatshetold herself to be cautious.When she lifted up her desktop

to put away her books, shecould not stifle the scream.The snake coiled in her desk—a

three-footbrownandyellow-banded copperhead—wasdead. However, the piece ofpaper

tied around the serpent, withthe words "Yankee GoHome"scrawleduponit,waswhat

reallymadeLouangry.

"Lou," called Mrs. McCoyfrom the blackboard, "isanythingwrong?"

Lou closed the desk andlooked at Billy, who pursedhis lips and attended to hisbook.

"No,"saidLou.

Itwas lunchtime, and the air

wascool,butwithawarmingsun,andthechildrengathered

outside to eat, lard bucketsand other like containers inhand.Justabouteveryonehad

something to line his or herstomach, even if it was justscrapsofcornbreadorbiscuit,

and many a hand cradled asmall jug of milk or jar ofspringwater. Children settled

back

on the ground to do theireating, drinking, and talking.Someoftheyoungeronesran

around in circles until theyweresodizzytheyfelldown,andthenoldersiblingspicked

themupandmadethemeat.

Lou and Oz sat under thedeepshadeofthewalnuttree,

the breeze slowly lifting theends

of Lou's hair. Oz bit heartilyinto his buttered biscuit anddrankdownthecold

springwater theyhadbroughtinacanningjar.Lou,though,didnoteat.Sheseemedtobe

waiting for something, andstretchedherlimbsasthoughpreparingforarace.

Billy Davis strutted throughthe small clumps of eaters,prominentlyswinginghis

woodenlunchpailmadefroma small nail keg with a wiredriventhroughitforahandle.

Hestoppedatonegroup,saidsomething, laughed, glancedoveratLou,andlaughed

some more. He finallyclimbed into the lower

branches of a silver mapleandopenedhis

lunch pail. He screamed out,fellbackwardoutof the tree,and landed mostly on hishead.

Thesnakewasonhim,andherolled and pitched trying togettheserpentoff.Thenhe

realized it was his own deadcopperheadthathadbeentied

tothelidofthepail,whichhe

still clutched in his hand.When he stopped squealinglikeastabbedpig,herealized

everyone in the schoolyardwasbelly-laughingathim.

All except Lou, who just satthere with her arms crossedpretendingtoignorethis

spectacle.Thenshebrokeout

into a smile so wide itthreatened to block the sun.When

Billy stood, so did she. Ozpushed the biscuit into hismouth, gulped down the restofthe

water, and scooted to safetybehind the walnut tree. Fistscocked,LouandBillymetin

the very center of the

schoolyard.Thecrowdclosedaroundthem,andYankeegirland

mountainboywentforroundtwo.

Lou, theother sideofher lipcut this time, sat atherdesk.Shestuckhertongueoutat

Billy, who sat across fromher,hisshirttornandhisrighteyeanicepurplishblack.

EstelleMcCoystood in frontof them, arms crossed, ascowlonherface.Rightafter

stopping the championshipbout, the angry teacher hadended school early and sentword

to the fighters' respectivefamilies.

Lou was in high spirits, forshe had clearly licked Billy

again in front of everybody.He

didn't look too comfortable,though, fidgeting in his chairandglancingnervouslyatthe

door. Lou finally understoodhis anxiety when theschoolhouse door crashedopenand

GeorgeDavisstoodthere.

"What in the hell's going onhere?"heroaredloudenoughtomakeevenEstelleMcCoy

cower.

As he stalked forward, theteacherdrewback."Billywasinafight,George,"Mrs.

McCoysaid.

"You called me in here on'count of a damn fight?" he

snarled at her, and thentowered

menacingly over Billy. "Iwere out in the field, youlittle bastard, ain't got timeforthis

crap." When George sawLou,hiswildeyesgrewevenmore wicked, and then theman

threwabackhandthatcaught

Billy on the side of his headandknockedhimtothefloor.

Father stood over the fallenson. "You let a damngirl dothattoyou?"

"George Davis!" EstelleMcCoy cried out. "You letyoursonbe."

Heheld up amenacing handto her. "Now on, boy worksthefarm.Nomorethisdamn

school."

"Why don't you let Billydecidethat?"

Louisasaidthisasshewalkedinto the room, Oz followingcloselybehindherclutching

atthewoman'spantsleg.

"Louisa," the teacher saidwithgreatrelief.

Davisstoodhisground."Heaboy,hedamnwelldowhat Isay."

Louisa helped Billy into hisseat and comforted him,before turning to the father."You

see a boy? I see me a fineyoungman."

Davis snorted. "He ain't nogrowedman."

Louisa took a step towardhim and spoke in a quietvoice, but her look was sofierceLou

forgot to breathe. "But youare. So don't you never hithimagin."

Davis pointed right in herfacewithanail-lessfinger.

"Don'tyougotellingmehowto handle my boy. You had

yourselfonechild.Hadme

nine,'nutherontheway."

"Numberofchildrenfatheredgot little enough to do withbeingagooddaddy."

"YougotthatbigniggerHellNo livin' with you. God'11strike you down for that.Must

be thatCherokee blood.You

don'tbelonghere.Neverdid,Injunwoman."

A stunned Lou looked atLouisa.Yankee.AndIndian.

"His name is Eugene," saidLouisa."AndmydaddywerepartApache,notCherokee.

AndtheGodIknowpunishesthe wicked. Like men whobeattheirchildren."Louisa

took one more step forward."Youever layahandon thatchildagin,bestprayto

whatever god you counselwithIain'tfindyou."

Davis laughed nastily. "Youscaringme,oldwoman."

"Then you smarter than Ithought."

Davis's hand curled to a fist

andhelookedreadytoswinguntil he saw big Eugenefilling

thedoorway,andhiscourageseemedtopeteraway.

Davis grabbed Billy. "Boy,you git on home. Git!" Billyracedoutoftheroom.Davis

followed slowly, taking histime. He looked back atLouisa. "This ain't over. No

sir."He

banged the door shut on hiswayout.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

SCHOOL HAD ENDEDFORTHEYEAR,ANDTHEHARD work of farming hadbegun.Each

day Louisa rose particularly

early, before the night evenseemedtohavesettledin,and

madeLougetuptoo.Thegirldid both her andOz's choresaspunishmentforfighting

with Billy, and then they allspent the day working thefields. They ate simplelunches

and drank cold springwaterunder the shade of a

cucumber magnolia, none ofthem

saying much, the sweatseepingthroughtheirclothes.DuringthesebreaksOzthrew

rockssofar theotherswouldsmile and clap their hands.Hewasgrowingtaller,the

muscles in his arms andshouldersbecomingmoreandmore pronounced, the hard

work

fashioninginhimalean,hardstrength. As it did in hissister.Asitseemedtoinmost

who struggled to survivehere.

The dayswerewarm enoughnow that Oz wore only hisoverallsandnoshirtorshoes.

Louhadonoveralls andwas

barefootaswell,butsheworeanoldcottonundershirt.The

sun was intense at thiselevation and they werebecomingblonder anddarkereveryday.

Louisa kept teaching thechildren things: Sheexplained how blue lakebeanshaveno

strings,butpolebeans,grown

aroundthecornstalks,do,andthey'llchokeyouifyou

don't first string them. Andthat they could raisemost oftheir crop seed, except foroats,

which required machinery tothresh them, machinery thatsimple mountain farmerswould

neverhave.Andhowtowash

the clothes using thewashboard and just enoughsoapmade

fromlyeandpigfat—butnottoo much—keeping the firehot,rinsingtheclothes

properly, and adding bluingon the third rinse to geteverything good and white.Andthen

at night, by firelight, how to

darn with needle and thread.Louisaeventalkedofwhen

wouldbeagoodtimeforLouandOz to learn the fine artsofmuleshoeingandquilting

byframe.

Louisaalsofinallyfoundtimeto teach Lou and Oz to rideSuethemare.Eugenewould

hoist them, by turns, up on

the mare, bareback, withoutevenablanket.

"Where's the saddle?" Louasked."Andthestirrups?"

"Your saddle's your rump.Apair of strong legs yourstirrups,"Louisaanswered.

Lou sat up on Sue whileLouisastoodbesidethemare.

"Now,Lou, hold the reins in

your right hand like I doneshowedyou,likeyoumeanit

now!"saidLouisa."Sue'll letyou get by with some, butyougottoletherknowwho's

boss."

Louflickedthereins,proddedthe horse's sides, generallykicked up a good row, andSue

remained absolutelymotionless, as though sheweresoundasleep.

"Dumb horse," Lou finallydeclared.

"Eugene," Louisa called outtothefield."Comegivemeaboostup,please,honey."

Eugene limped over andhelped Louisa up on thehorse, and she settled in

behindLouand

tookthereins.

"Now, the problem ain't thatSue'sdumb,it's thatyouain'tspeakingherwayyet.Now,

when you want Sue to go,yougiveher a nicepunch inthe middle and make a littlechk-

chk noise.To her thatmeans

go. When you want her toturn, you don't jerk on thereins,

you just glide them like. Tostop,alittlequicktugback."

LoudidasLouisahadshownher, and Sue startedmoving.Lou glided the reins to theleft

and the horse actually wentthat way. She fast-tugged

back on the reins and Suecametoa

slowstop.

Lou broke into a big smile."Hey,lookatme.I'mriding."

From Amanda's bedroomwindow, Cotton leaned hishead out and watched. Thenhe

looked to the beautiful sky,

and then over at Amanda inthebed.

Afewminuteslater,thefrontdoor opened and Cottoncarried Amanda outside andput

herintherockingchairthere,next to a screen of maypopsthatwereinfullbloomof

leatherypurple.

Oz,whowasnowuponSuewith his sister, looked over,saw his mother, and almostfell

off the horse. "Hey, Mom,look at me. I'm a cowboy!"Louisa stood next to thehorse,

staring over atAmanda. Loufinally looked, but she didn'tseemveryexcitedtoseeher

motheroutside.Cotton'sgazewent from daughter tomother, and evenCottonhadto

admit, the woman lookedpitifully out of place in thesunshine,hereyesclosed,the

breeze not lifting her shorthair, as though even theelements had abandoned her.He

carriedherbackinside.

It was a bright summer'smorningafewdayslater,andLouhadjustfinishedmilkingthe

cows andwas comingout ofthe barn with full buckets inherarms.Shestoppeddeadas

shestaredacrossatthefields.She ran so fast to the housethatthemilksplashedaround

her feet. She set the bucketson theporchandran into thehouse, past Louisa andEugene

and down the hall yelling atthetopofherlungs.Sheburstintohermother'sroom,and

there was Oz sitting next toher,brushingherhair.

Lou was breathless. "It'sworking. It's green.

Everything. The crops arecomingup.Oz,

go see." Oz raced out of theroomsofastheforgotheonlyhadonhisunderwear.Lou

stood there in the middle ofthe room, her chest heaving,her smile wide. As herbreathing

calmed,Louwentovertohermotherandsatdown,tookup

alimphand."Ijustthought

you'd like to know. See,we've been working reallyhard."Lousatthereinsilencefora

minutemore,andthenputthehand down and left, herexcitementspent.

Inherbedroom thatnight, ason so many other evenings,Louisa worked the Singer

pedal

sewing machine she hadbought for ten dollars oninstallment nine years back.She

wouldn't reveal to thechildren what she wasmaking,andwouldn'tevenletthemguess.

Yet Lou knew it must besomething for her and Oz,

which made her feel evenguiltier

about the fight with BillyDavis.

After supper the nextevening, Oz went to see hismother, and Eugene went toworkon

somescythes in thecorncrib.Lou washed the dishes, andthen sat on the front porch

next

toLouisa.Forawhile,neitherventured to talk. Lou saw apairoftitmiceflyoutofthe

barn and land on the fence.Their gray plumage andpointed crests were glorious,butthe

girlwasn'tmuchinterested.

"I'msorryaboutthefighting,"

Lou said quickly, and let outarelievedbreaththather

apologywasfinallydone.

Louisa stared at the twomules in the pen. "Good toknow,"shesaid,andthensaidno

more.Thesunwasstartingitsfall and the sky was fairlyclear,withnotmanyclouds

worthnoting.Abigcrowwassky-surfing alone, catchingonedriftofwindandthen

another, like a lazily fallingleaf.

Lou cupped some dirt andwatched a battalion of antstrailacrossherhand.The

honeysucklevinewas in full,scentedmorningglory,fillingtheairalongwiththe

fragrances of cinnamon roseand clove pinks, and thepurple wall of maypopsdutifully

shaded the porch. Ramblingrosehadtwisteditselfaroundmostofthefencepostsand

lookedlikeburstsofstillfire.

"George Davis is an awfulman,"saidLou.

Louisa leaned her backagainst the porch railing."Workhischildrenlikemulesandtreats

his mules better'n hischildren."

"Well,Billydidn'thavetobemean to me," Lou said, andthengrinned."Anditwas

funny to see him fall out ofthat tree when he saw the

deadsnake Iput inhis lunchpail."

Louisa leaned forward andlookedathercuriously."Youseeanythin'elseinthatpail?"

"Anythingelse?Likewhat?"

"Likefood."

Louappearedconfused. "No,the pail was empty." Louisaslowlynodded,settledback

againsttherailingoncemore,andlookedtothewest,wherethesunwascommencingits

creep behind the mountains,kindlingtheskypinkandred.

Louisasaid,"YouknowwhatI find funny? That childrenbelieve they should beshamed

'causetheirdaddydon'tseefittogivethemfood.Soshamed

they'dhaulanemptypailto

schoolandpretendtoeat,so'snobodycatchontheyain'tgotnothingtoeat.Youfindthat

funny?"

Loushookherhead,hergazeat her feet. "No." "I know Iain'ttalkedtoyou'boutyour

daddy.Butmyheartgoesoutto you and Oz, and I love

both of you even more, on'count

ofIwanttomakeupforthatloss, even though I know Ican't." She put a hand onLou's

shoulderandturnedthegirltoher. "But you had a finedaddy.Amanwholovedyou.

And Iknow thatmakes it allthehardertogetby,andmat's

bothablessingandacurse

thatweall justgot tobear inthis life. But thing is, BillyDavis got to live with hisdaddy

everday.I'drutherbeinyourshoes. And I know BillyDavis would. I pray for allthem

children ever day. And youshouldtoo."

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

THE GRANDMOTHERCLOCK HAD JUSTSTRUCK MJD-night whenthepebbleshitLou's

window. The girl was in themiddle of a dream thatdisintegrated under thesudden

clatter. Lou stepped to the

window and looked out,seeing nothing at first. Thenshe

spottedhercallerandopenedthewindow.

"What do you think you'redoing, Diamond Skinner?""Comegetyou,"saidtheboy,

standing there next to hisfaithful hound. "For what?"In answer he pointed at the

moon.

It glowedmore brightly thanLouhadeverseenbefore.Sofinewasherview,shecould

see dark smudges on itssurface.

"I can see the moon all bymyself, thank you verymuch,"shesaid.

Diamond smiled. "Naw, not

just that. Fetch your brother.Come on, now, it be funwhere

wegoing.Yousee."

Loulookedunsure."Howfaris it?" "Not fer. Ain't scaredofthedark,areya?""Wait

rightthere,"shesaidandshutthewindow.

Infiveminutes'timeLouand

Oz were fully dressed andhad crept out of thefarmhouse

andjoinedDiamondandJeb.

Lou yawned. 'This better begood, Diamond, or youshould be scared for wakingusup."

Theysetoutatagoodpacetothe south. Diamond kept upananimatedchatterthewhole

way,yetabsolutelyrefusedtodivulge where they weregoing.Loufinallyquit tryingand

looked at the boy's bare feetas he stepped easily oversome sharp-edged rocks. Sheand

Ozwerewearingtheirshoes.

"Diamond, don't your feetever get sore or cold?" she

asked as they paused on asmall

knolltocatchtheirbreath.

"Snow comes, then mebbey'all see something on myfeet, but only if it drifts tomore'n

tenfootorso.Comeonnow."

They set off again, andtwentyminuteslater,Louand

Oz could hear the quickenedrush

of water. A minute laterDiamondputuphishandandthey all stopped. "Got to goreal

slow here," he said. Theyfollowed him closely as theymovedoverrocksthatwere

becomingmore slipperywitheach step; and the sound of

the rushing water seemed tobe

coming at them from allquarters,asthoughtheywereabout to be confronted by atidal

wave.LougrippedOz'shandfor it was all a littleunnervingtoher,andthussheassumed

herbrothermustbesuffering

stark terror. They cleared astandoftoweringbirchand

weeping willow heavy withwater, and Lou and Ozlookedupinawe.

Thewaterfallwasalmostonehundred feet high. It pouredoutfromacropofworn

limestone and plummetedstraight down into a pool offoamy water, which then

snaked

off into the darkness. Andthen Lou suddenly realizedwhat Diamond had meantabout

the moon. It glowed sobrightly,andthewaterfallandpoolwereplacedsoperfectly,that

thetrioweresurroundedbyasea of illumination. The

reflected lightwas so strong,in

fact, that night seemed tohavebeenturnedintoday.

Theymovedbackfarther,toaplace where they could stillsee everything but the noiseof

thefallswasn'tasintenseandthey could speak withouthaving to shout over the

thunder

ofthewater.

"FeederlinefortheMcCloudRiver is all," said Diamond."Righthigher'nmostthough."

"It looks like it's snowingupwards," said Lou, as shesat, amazed, upon a moss-covered

rock. And with the frothing

water kicking high and thenseized by the powerful light,it

did look like snow wassomehow returning to thesky.Atonecornerofthepoolthewater

wasespeciallybrilliant.Theygatheredatthisplace.

Diamondsaidverysolemnly,"Right there's where God

donetouchedtheearth."

Lou leaned forward andexamined the spot closely.She turned to Diamond andsaid,

"Phosphorus."

"What?"hesaid.

"I think it's phosphorus rock.I'vestudieditinschool."

"Say that word agin," saidDiamond.

And she did, and Diamondsaid it over and over until itslippedquiteeasilyoutofhis

mouth. He proclaimed it agrand and pleasing word tosay, yet still defined it as athing

God had touched, and Loudid not have the heart to say

otherwise.

Oz leaned forward anddippedhishandintothepool,then pulled it backimmediatelyand

shivered.

"Always that way," saidDiamond, "even on thehottest durn day."He lookedaround,a

smileonhisUps."Butitsurepurty."

"Thanksforbringingus,"saidLou.

'Toteallmyfriendshere,"hesaidamiablyandthenlookedtothesky."Hey,y'allknowed

yourstarsgood?"

"Some of them," Lou said."The Big Dipper, and

Pegasus."

"Ain't never heard'a none ofthem." Diamond pointed tothe northern sky. 'Turn yourhead

alittleandrightthere'swhatIcall the bear what missingone leg. And over to there'sthe

stone chimbly. And rightthere"—hestabbedhis finger

more to the south—"nowright

thereisJesusa'sittingnext toGod. Only God ain't there,'cause he off doing good.'Cause

he God. But you see thechair." He looked back atthem. "Ain'tcha' now? Seeit?"

Oz said that he could see

themall, clear asday thoughitwasnight.Louhesitated,

wondering whether it wasbettertoinstructDiamondonproper constellations or not.She

finally smiled. "You know alotmore about stars thanwedo,Diamond.Nowthatyou

pointed them out, I can seethemalltoo."

Diamond grinned big. "Well,uphereonthemountain,wealotcloserto'emthandown

to the city. Don't worry, Iteachyougood."

They spent a pleasant hourthereandthenLouthought itwould be best if they gotback.

They were about halfwayhome when Jeb started

growling and making slowcirclesinthe

tall grass, his snoutwrinkledandhisteethbared.

"What's wrong with him,Diamond?"askedLou.

"Justsmellssomething.Lottacritters round.Don't pay himnomind."

Suddenly Jeb took off

running hard and howling soloudithurttheirears.

"Jeb!" Diamond called afterhim. "You come back herenow."Thedogneverslowed,

though, and they finally sawwhy. The black bear wasmovinginlongstridesacrossthe

farfringeofthemeadow.

"Dang it, Jeb, leave thatbearbe."Diamond raced after thedog,andLouandOzranafter

Diamond. But dog and bearsoon left the two-legs in thedust. Diamond finallystopped,

gasping for air, and Lou andOz ranup tohimand fellontheground,theirlungsnear

bursting.

Diamond smacked his fistinto his palm. "Dang thatdog."

"Will that bear hurt him?"askedOzanxiously.

"Shoot, naw. Jeb pro'bly treethe durn thing and then gettired and go on home."Diamond

didn'tlookconvincedthough."Comeonnow."

Theywalkedbrisklyforsomeminutes, until Diamondslowed, looked around, andheld

uphishandfor themtostop.Heturned,putafinger tohislips, and motioned for themto

follow,buttokeeplow.Theyscootedalongforaboutthirtyfeet,andthenDiamondwent

down on his belly and LouandOzdidtoo.Theycrawledforwardandweresoononthe

rim of a little hollow. It wassurrounded by trees andunderbrush, the limbs andvines

overhanging me place andforming a natural roof, butthe shafts of moonlight hadbroken

throughinplaces,leavingthespacewellilluminated.

"What is it?" Lou wanted toknow.

"Shh," Diamond said, andthen cupped his hand aroundher ear and whispered."Man's

still."

Loulookedagain,andpicked

up on the bulky contraptionwith its big metal belly,copper

tubing, and wooden blocklegs.Jugstobefilledwiththecornwhiskeysatonboards

placed over stacked stone.Alitkerosenelampwashookedtoaslenderpostthrustinto

themoistground.Steamrosefrom the still. They heard

movement.

LouflinchedasGeorgeDavisappearednext to the still andfloppeddownaforty-pound

burlap bag. The man wasintent on his work andapparently never heard them.Lou

looked at Oz, who wasshaking so hard Lou wasafraid George Davis might

feelthe

ground vibrating. She tuggedat Diamond and pointed towheretheyhadcomefrom.

Diamond nodded inagreement and they began toslither backward. Louglancedbackat

the still, but Davis haddisappeared. She froze. Andthen she nearly screamed

becauseshe

heard something coming andfearedtheworst.

The bear flashed by her lineof sight first and into thehollow. Then came Jeb. Thebear

cut a sharp corner, and thedog skidded into the postholding the lamp andknockedit

over.Thelamphitthegroundand smashed. The bearcareened into the still, andmetal

gave way under threehundredpoundsofblackbearand fell over, breaking openand

tearing loose the coppertubing. Diamond raced intothehollow,yellingathisdog.

The bear apparently wasweary of being chased andturnedandroseuponitshindlegs,

itsclawsand teethnowquiteprominent. Jeb stopped deadatthesightofthesix-foot

blackwallthatcouldbitehimin half, and backed up,growling. Diamond reachedthe

houndandpulledathisneck.

"Jeb,youfoolthing!"

"Diamond!"Loucalledoutasshe too jumped up and sawthemancomingatherfriend.

"What the hell!" Davis hademerged from the darkness,shotguninhand.

"Diamond, look out!"screamedLouagain.

The bear roared, the dogbarked, Diamond hollered,and Davis pointed hisshotgunand

swore. The gun fired twice,and bear, dog, and boy tookoffrunningliketheholyhell.

Lou ducked as the buckshottore through leaves andimbedded in bark. "Run,Oz,run,"

screamedLou.Ozjumpedupand ran, but the boy wasconfused, for he headed intothe

hollow instead of away fromit. Davis was reloading hisshotgunwhenOzcameupon

him. The boy reahzed hismistake too late, and Davissnagged him by the collar.Louran

toward them. "Diamond!"screamed Lou once more."Help!"

Davis hadOz pinned againsthislegwithonehandandwastryingtoreloadhisgunwith

theother.

"Gawd damn you," the manthundered at the coweringboy.

Lou flung her fists into himbutdidn'tdoanydamage,forthoughhewasshort,George

Daviswashardasbrick.

"Youlethimgo,"Louyelled."Lethimgo!"

Davis did let go of Oz, butonly so he could strike Lou.She crumpled to the ground,her

mouthbleeding.But themanneversawDiamond.Theboypickedupthefallenpost,

swungit,andclippedDavis'slegs out from under him,sending the man down hard.Then

Diamond conked Davis onthe head with the post forgood measure. Lou grabbedOz,and

Diamond grabbed Lou, andthethreeweremorethanfiftyyardsfromthehollowbythe

time George Davis regainedhis legs in a lathered fury.Afewsecondsafterthat,they

heardonemoreshotgunblast,but they were well out ofrangebythen.

They heard running behindthem and picked up their

pace. Then Diamond lookedback

and said that it was okay, itwasonlyJeb.Theyranallthewaybacktothefarmhouse,

where they collapsed on thefront porch, their breathingtortured,theirlimbsshaking

frombothfatigueandfright.

When they sat up, Lou

considered taking up the runonce more because Louisawas

standing there in hernightdress looking at themandholdingakerosenelamp.Shewanted

to know where they'd been.Diamond tried to answer forthem,butLouisatoldhimto

hush in a tone so sharp it

struck the always chattyDiamondmute.

"The truth,Lou,"ordered thewoman.

And Lou told her, includingthealmostdeadlyrun-inwithGeorgeDavis."Butitwasn't

our fault," she said. "Thatbear—"

Louisa snapped, "Get

yourself to the barn,Diamond.Andtakethatdangdogwithyou."

"Yes'm," said Diamond, andheandJebslunkaway.

Louisa turned back to Louand Oz. Lou could see shewastrembling."Oz,youget

yourselftobed.Rightnow."

Oz glanced once at Lou and

fled inside. And then it wasjustLouandLouisa.

Loustoodthereasnervousasshehadeverbeen.

"Youcould'agotyourselfkilttonight. Worse'n that youcould'a got you and yourbrother

kilt."

"But, Louisa, it wasn't our

fault.Yousee—"

"Is your fault!" Louisa saidfiercely,andLoufeltthetearsrush to her eyes at thewoman's

tone.

"I didn't have you come tothis mountain to die at thesorryhandsofGeorgeDavis,girl.

You gone off on your ownbad enough. But taking yourlittle brother too—and hefollow

you cross fire, not knowingno better—I'm ashamed ofyou!"

Lou bowed her head. "I'msorry.I'mreallysorry."

Louisa stood very erect. "Iain'tnever raisedmyhand to

a child, though my patiencerun

soreovertheyears.Butifyouever do somethin' like thatagin,yougonnafindmyhand

'crossyourskin,missy,anditbe somethin' you ain't neverforget.Youunnerstandme?"

Lou nodded dumbly. "Thengettobed,"saidLouisa."Andwespeaknomoreofit."

The next morning GeorgeDavis rode up on his wagonpulled by a pair of mules.Louisa

cameoutsidetofacehim,herhandsbehindherback.

Davis spit chew onto theground next to the wagonwheel."Themdevilsbrokeupmy

propity.Heretogetpaid."

"You mean for busting upyourstill."

LouandOzcameoutsideandstaredattheman.

"Devils!" he roared. "Gawddamnyou!"

Louisasteppedoff theporch."If you gonna talk that way,gityourselfoffmyland.

Now!"

"I want my money! And Iwant thembeat bad forwhattheydone!"

"Youfetchthesheriffandgoshow himwhat they done toyourstill,andthenhecantell

mewhat'sfair."

Davis stared at her dumbly,the mule whip clenched inone hand. "You knowed Ican'tdo

that,woman."

"Thenyouknow thewayoffmyland,George."

"How 'bout Iput the torch toyourfarm?"

Eugene came outside, a longstickinhisbighand.

Davisheldupthewhip."HellNo,youkeepyourniggerselfrightthereaforeIputthe

whip to you just like yourgranddaddy had 'cross hisback!" Davis started to getdown

from the wagon. "Mebbe I'lljust do it anyway, boy.Mebbeall'ayou!"

Louisa pulled the rifle frombehindherbackandleveleditatGeorgeDavis.Theman

stopped halfway off his

wagon when he saw theWinchester's long barrelpointedathim.

"Get off my land," Louisasaid quietly, as she cockedtheweaponandresteditsbutt

against her shoulder, herfingeronthetrigger."AforeIlose my patience, and youlose

someblood."

"I pay you, George Davis,"Diamond called out as hecame out of the barn, Jebtrailing

him.

Davis visibly shook, he wasso angry. "My damn head'sstillringingfromwhereyou

donewallopedme,boy."

"Youdurn lucky then, 'causeI could'a hit you a lot harderif'nIwantedto."

"Don't you smartmouthme!"Davisroared.

"You want'a git your moneyornot?"saidDiamond.

"Whatyougot?Youain'tgotnuthin'."

Diamond put his hand in hispocket and drew out a coin."Gotmethis.Silverdollar."

"Dollar!Youwreckmy still,boy. Think a damn dollargonnafixthat?Fool!"

"Itdonecomefrommygreat-granddaddy five timesremoved.Ahunnerdyearolditis.

Man down Tremont say he

gimmetwentydollarforit."

Davis's eyes lighted up atthis."Lemmeseeit."

"Naw. Take it or leave it. Itelling the truth. Twentydollar. Man named MonroeDarcy.

He run the store downTremont.Youknowedhim."

Davis was silent for a bit.

"Gimmeit."

"Diamond," Lou called out,"don'tdoit."

"Man got to pay his debts,"said Diamond. He saunteredover to the wagon. WhenDavis

reached out for the coin,Diamond pulled it back."Look here, George Davis,thismeans

we square. You ain't cominground to Miss Louisa fornuthin' if'n I give you this.Yougot

toswear."

Davis looked like he mightput the whip to Diamond'sback instead, but he said, "Iswear.

Nowgimmeit!"

Diamond flipped the coin toDavis,whocaught it, studiedit,bitonit,andthenstashedit

inhispocket.

"Now git yourself gone,George,"saidLouisa.

Davis glared at her. "Nexttime,mygundon'tmiss."

He turned mules and wagonaround and left in awhirl of

dust. Lou stared at Louisa,who

held the rifle on Davis untilthe man was out of sight."Would you really have shothim?"

sheasked.

Louisauncockedtherifleandwent inside withoutansweringthequestion.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

LOU WAS CLEANING UPTHE SUPPER DISHESTWO NIGHTS later whileOzcarefullywrote

out his letters on a piece ofpaper at the kitchen table.Louisa sat next to him,helping.She

looked tired, Lou thought.

Shewasold,andlifeupherewasn't easy; Lou hadcertainly

experienced that firsthand.One had to fight for eachlittle thing. And Louisa hadbeen

doing this all her life. Howmuchlongercouldshe?

BythetimeLouhaddriedthelastplate,therecameaknock

onthedoor.Ozrantoopen

it.

Cotton was standing at thefront door, wearing his suitandtie,alargeboxcradledinhis

arms. Behind him wasDiamond. The boy wasdressedinacleanwhiteshirt,face

scrubbed,hairpoundeddownwithwater andmaybe stickysap,andLoualmostgasped,

because theboywaswearingshoes. It was true she couldseehis toes,but stillmostofthe

boy's feet were covered.Diamondnoddedshylytoall,asthoughbeingscrubbedand

shod made him a circus

spectacleofsorts.

Oz eyed the box. "What's inthere?"

Cotton set the box on thetable and took his timeopening it. "While there ismuchtobe

saidforthewrittenword,"hetold them, "we must neverforgetthatothergreatcreative

body of work." With aflourish to rival the best ofvaudeville performances, heunveiled

thegramophone.

"Music!"

Cottontookarecordoutofaslipcase and carefully placedit on the gramophone. Thenhe

vigorously turned the crankandsettheneedleinplace.Itscratched the wobbly recordfor

amoment,andthentheroomwas filled with what Lourecognizedasthemusicof

Beethoven. Cotton lookedaround the room and thenmoved a chair against thewall.He

motioned to the other men."Gentlemen, if you please."Oz,Diamond,andEugene

pitchedin,andtheysoonhadan open space in the middleoftheroom.

Cotton went down thehallway and openedAmanda's door. "MissAmanda,wehavea

variety of popular tunes for

your listening pleasuretonight."

Cottoncamebacktothefrontroom.

"Why did you move thefurniture?"Louasked.

Cotton smiled and removedhis suit coat. "Because youcan't simply listen to music,you

mustbecomeonewithit."HeboweddeeplytoLou."MayIhavethisdance,ma'am?"

Loufoundherselfblushingatthis formal invitation."Cotton, you're crazy, youreally

are."

Oz said, "Go ahead, Lou,you're a good dancer." Headded,"Momtaughther."

Andtheydanced.Awkwardlyat first, but then they pickeduptheirpaceandsoonwere

spinningaroundtheroom.Allsmiled at the pair, and Loufound herselfgigglingOvercome withexcitement, as he so oftenwas, Oz ran to his mother'sroom."Mom,we're

dancing,we'redancing."Andthen he raced back to see

somemore.

Louisawasmovingherhandstothemusic,andherfootwastappingagainstthefloor.

Diamond came up. "Care tostrollthefloor,MissLouisa?"Shetookhishands."Best

offer I hadme in years." Asthey joined Lou and Cotton,Eugene stoodOzon the topsof

his shoes, and they clompedaroundwiththeothers.

The music and laughterdrifteddownthehallandintoAmanda's room. Since theyhad

been here, winter had turnedto spring and spring hadgiven way to summer. Andduring

all that time, Amanda's

condition had not changed.Lou interpreted that aspositiveproof

that her mother would neverrejoin them, while Oz, evertheoptimist,sawitasagood

thing, because his mother'sconditionhadnotbecomeanyworse.Despiteherbleak

opinion of her mother'sfuture, Lou helped Louisa

sponge-bathe Amanda everydayand

also wash her hair once aweek.And both Lou andOzchangedtheirmother'sresting

positions frequendy andexercised her arms and legsdaily. Yet there was neverany

reaction from their mother;she was just there, eyes

closed,limbsmotionless.Shewasnot

"dead," but what her motherwascouldsurelynotbecalled"living"either,Louhadoften

thought.However,somethingwasa littleoddnowwiththemusicandlaughterfiltering

into her room. Perhaps if itwaspossibletosmilewithoutmovingonefacialmuscle,

Amanda Cardinal had justaccomplishedit.

Backin thefrontroomafewrecords later, the music hadchangedtotunesdesignedto

make one kick up his heels.The partners had alsochanged: Lou and Diamondjumped

and spun with youthfulenergy; Cotton twirled Oz;

andEugene—bad leg and all—and

Louisa were doing a modestjitterbug.

Cotton left the dance floorafter a while and went toAmanda's bedroom and satnextto

her. He spoke to her veryquietly, relaying news of theday, how the children were

doing,

the next book he intended toread to her. All just normalconversation, really, andCotton

hoping that she could hearhimandbeencouragedbyit."I have enjoyed the lettersyou

wrote to Louisa immensely.Yourwords showabeautiful

spirit. However, I lookforward

to getting to know youpersonally, Amanda." Hetook her hands very gentlyandmoved

themslowlytothemusic.

The sounds drifted outside,and the light spilled into thedarkness.Foronestolen

moment, all in the houseseemedhappyandsecure.

The small coal mine onLouisa's land was about twomiles from the house. Therewasa

matted-down path leading toit, and that connectedwith adirtroadthatsnakedbackto

the farm.The opening of themine was broad and tall

enough for sled and mule toenter

easily, which they did eachyear tobringoutcoal for thewinter'sheat.Withthemoon

nowshieldedbyhighclouds,the entrance to theminewasinvisibletothenakedeye.

Off in thedistance therewasawinkof light, likeafirefly.Thencameanotherflashand

then another. Slowly thegroup of men emerged fromthedarknessandcametowardthe

mine, theblinksof lightnowrevealed as lit kerosenelamps. The men wore hardhatswith

carbide lamps strapped tothem. In preparation forentering the mine, each mantookoff

hishat,filledthelamppouchwith moistened carbidepellets, turned the handle,which

adjusted the wick, struck amatch, and a dozen lampstogetherignited.

A man bigger than all theothers called the workersaround, and they formed atight

huddle. His name was JuddWheeler, and he had beenexploring dirt and rocklookingfor

things of value most of hisadult life. Inonebighandheheld a long roll of paperwhich

he spread open, and one ofthemenshonealanternuponit.Thepaperhelddetailed

markings, writing anddrawings.Thecaptionon thepaper was printed boldlyacrossthe

top: "Southern Valley CoalandGasGeologicalSurvey."

As Wheeler instructed hismenontonight'sduties,fromout of the darkness anotherman

joined them. He wore the

samefelthatandoldclothes.GeorgeDavisalsohelda

kerosene lamp and appearedquite excited at all theactivity. Davis spokeanimatedlywith

Wheeler for a few minutes,and then they all headedinsidethemine.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

LOU WOKE EARLY THENEXT MORNING. THESOUNDS of music hadstayedwithher

through the night, and herdreams had been pleasantones.Shestretched,gingerly

touchedthefloor,andwenttolookoutthewindow.Thesunhadalreadybegunitsrise

and she knew she had to get

tothebarntomilk,ataskshehadrapidlytakenasherown,

forshehadgrownto like thecoolness of the barn in themorning, and also the smellof

the cows and the hay. Shewouldsometimesclimbtotheloft,pushopenthehaydoors,

and sit on the edge there,gazing out at the land from

her high perch, listening tothe

sounds of birds and smallanimalsdartingthroughtrees,cropfield,andhighgrassand

catching the breeze thatalwaysseemedtobethere.

This was just such anothermorning of flaming skies,brooding mountains, theplayfullift

ofbirds,theefficientbusinessofanimals,trees,andflowers.However,Louwasnot

prepared for the sight ofDiamondandJebslippingoutof the barn and heading offdown

theroad.

Loudressedquicklyandwentdownstairs. Louisa had foodonthetable,thoughOzhad

notyetappeared.

"Thatwasfunlastnight,"Lousaid,sittingatthetable.

"You prob'ly laugh now, butwhenFs younger, I could domesomestompin',"remarked

Louisa, as she put a biscuitcovered with gravy and aglassofmilkon the table forLou.

"Diamondmusthave slept inthebarn,"saidLouasshebitintoherbiscuit."Don'this

parents worry about him?"She gave Louisa a sidewaysglanceandadded,"OrIguessI

shouldbeaskingifhehasanyparents."

Louisasighedandthenstaredat Lou. "His mother passed

whenhewasborn.Happen

rightoftenuphere.Toooften.His daddy joined her fouryearago."

Lou put down her biscuit."Howdidhisfatherdie?"

"Nobusinessofours,Lou."

"Does this have anything todowithwhatDiamonddidtothatman'scar?"

Louisa sat and tapped herfingersagainstthetable.

"Please, Louisa, please. Ireally want to know. I careabout Diamond. He's myfriend."

"Blasting at one of themines," Louisa said bluntly.'Took down a hillside. Ahillside

Donovan Skinner was

farming."

"Who does Diamond livewiththen?"

"Heawildbird.Puthiminacage, he just shrivel up anddie. He need anythin', heknow

tocometome."

"Did the coal company havetopayforwhathappened?"

Louisa shook her head."Played legal tricks. Cottontriedtohelpbutweren'tmuchhe

coulddo.SouthernValley'sapowerfulforcehereabouts."

"PoorDiamond."

"Boy suredidn't take it lyingdown," Louisa said. "Onetime the v/heels of amotorman's

car felloffwhen it comeoutthe mine. And then a coaltipplewouldn'topenandtheyhad

tosendforsomepeoplefromRoanoke.Founda rockstuckinthegears.Thatsamecoal

mine boss, he was in anouthouseone timegot tippedover. Durn door wouldn'topen,and

hespentasorryhourinthere.To this day nobody everfiggered out who tipped itoveror

howthatropegotroundit."

"Did Diamond ever get introuble?"

"Henry Atkins the judge. Hea goodman, knowwhatwaswhat, so's nothing ever comeof

it.ButCottonkept talking toDiamond, and the mischieffinally quit." She paused."Least

it did till the horse manuregotinthatman'scar."

Louisa turned away, butLouhadalreadyseenthewoman'sbroadsmile.

Lou and Oz rode Sue everyday and had gotten to the

point where Louisa hadproclaimed

themgood, competent riders.Lou loved riding Sue. Shecouldseeforever,itseemed,

from that high perch, themare'sbodywideenoughthatfalling off seemedimpossible.

After morning chores, theywould go swimming with

Diamond at Scott's Hole, apatchof

water Diamond hadintroduced them to, andwhich he claimed had nobottom.Asthe

summer went along Lou andOzbecamedarkbrown,whileDiamondsimplygrewlarger

freckles.

Eugene came with them asoften as he could, and Louwassurprisedtolearnhewasonly

twenty-one.Hedidnotknowhowtoswim,butthechildrenremediedthat,andEugene

was soon performingdifferent strokes, and evenflips, in the cool water, hisbadlegnot

holdinghimbackany in thatenvironment.

They played baseball in afield of bluegrass they hadscythed. Eugene hadfashionedabat

from an oak plank shavednarrowatoneend.TheyusedDiamond'scover-lessballand

another made from a bit ofrubber wound round with

sheep's wool and knittedtwine.The

baseswerepiecesofshalesetin a straight line, this beingtheproperwayaccordingto

Diamond, who termed itstraight-town baseball. NewYorkYankees'fanLousaid

nothingaboutthis,andlettheboy have his fun. It got sothatnoneofthem,noteven

Eugene, could hit a ball thatOz threw, so fast and trickydiditcome.

They spent many afternoonsrunning through theadventures of the Wizard ofOz,making

up parts they had forgotten,or which they thought, withyouthfulconfidence,couldbe

improved upon. Diamond

was quite partial to theScarecrow;Oz,ofcourse,hadtobethe

cowardly Hon; and, bydefault,Louwastheheartlesstinman.Theyunanimously

proclaimedEugene theGreatand Mighty Wizard, and hewouldcomeout frombehinda

rockandbellowoutlinesthey

had taught him so loud andwithsuchadepthoffeigned

anger that Oz, the CowardlyLion, asked Eugene, theMighty Wizard, if he couldplease

tone it down a bit. Theyfought many pitched battlesagainst flying monkeys andmelting

witches, and with a little

ingenuity and some luck atjust the rightmoments, goodalways

triumphed over evil on thegloriousVirginiamountain.

DiamondtoldthemofhowinthewinterhewouldskateonthetopofScott'sHole.And

howusingashort-handledaxhewouldcleaveoffastripofbarkfromanoakandusethat

ashissledtogosailingdownthe iced slopes of themountains at speeds neverbefore

achieved by a human being.He said hewould be glad toshowthemhowhedidit,but

wouldhave to swear them tosecrecy,lestthewrongsortoffolksfoundoutandmaybe

tookovertheworldwithsuch

valuableknowledge.

Lou did not once let on thatshe knew about Diamond'sparents. After hours of fun,they

wouldsaytheirgoodbyesandLouandOzwouldridehomeonSueortaketurnswith

Eugene when he came withthem. Diamond would staybehind and swim somemore

or

hittheball,doing,asheoftensaid,justashepleased.

On the ride back home afterone of these outings, Loudecided to take a differentway.A

fine mist hung over themountains as she and Ozapproached the farmhousefromtherear.

They cleared a rise, and ontop of a little knoll about ahalf-milefromthehouse,Lou

reined Sue to a halt. Ozsquirmedbehindher.

"Come on, Lou, we need togetback.We'vegotchores."

Instead,thegirlclamberedoffSue,leavingOztograbatthereins,whichalmostmade

him fall off the animal. Hecalled crossly after her, butsheseemednottohear.

Lou went over to the littleclearedspaceunderthedenseshade of an evergreen andknelt

down. The grave markerswere simple pieces of woodgrayed by the weather. Andclearly

much time had passed. Louread the names of the deadandthebracketdatesoftheir

existence,whichwerecarveddeeply into the wood andwere probably about asdistinctas

thedaytheywerechiseled.

The first name was JoshuaCardinal.ThedateofhisbirthanddeathmadeLoubelieve

that he must have beenLouisa's husband, Lou andOz's great-grandfather. Hehadpassed

in his fifty-second year—notthat long of a life, Louthought. The second gravemarker

was a name that Lou knewfrom her father. JacobCardinal was her father'sfather,herand

Oz's grandfather. As sherecited the name, Oz joinedher and knelt down in thegrass.He

pulled off his straw hat andsaid nothing. Theirgrandfather had died faryoungerthan

even his father. Was theresomething about this place?Louwondered.Butthenshe

thought of how old Louisawas, and the wonderingstoppedthere.

The third grave markerlooked to be the oldest. Itonly had a name on it, nodatesofbirth

ordeath.

"Annie Cardinal," Lou saidout loud. For a time the twojust knelt there and stared at

the

pieces of board marking theremains of family they hadneverknown.ThenLourose,

wentovertoSue,grippedthehorse's bushy mane, climbedup,andthenhelpedOzon

board. Neither spoke all thewayback.

At supper that night, more

than once Lou was about toventure a question to Louisaabout

what they had seen, but thensomething made her not. Ozwasobviouslyjustascurious,

yet, like always, he wasinclined to follow his sister'slead. They had time, Loufigured,

foralloftheirquestionstobe

answered.Beforeshewenttosleepthatnight,Louwent

out on the back porch andlookeduptothatknoll.Evenwithanicesliceofmoonshe

could not see the graveyardfromhere,yetnowsheknewwhereitwas.Shehadnever

much been interested in thedead,particularlysincelosingherfather.Nowsheknewthat

she would go back soon tothatburyinggroundand lookonce more at those bits ofplain

boardsetindirtandengravedwith the names of her fleshandblood.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

COTTON SHOWED UPWTTHDIAMONDAWEEKLATERandhandedoutsmall

American

flagstoLou,Oz,andEugene.He had also brought a five-gallon can of gas, which heput

in the Hudson's fuel tank."Weallcan'tfit intheOlds,"heexplained."AndIhandledan

estate problem for LeroyMeekins who runs the Esso

station. Leroy doesn't like topayin

cash, though, so one couldsay I'm flush with oilproductsrightnow."

WithEugenedriving,thefivewent down to Dickens towatch the parade. Louisastayed

behind to keep watch overAmanda, but they promised

tobringherbacksomething.

They ate hot dogswith greatsplotches of mustard andketchup, swirls of cottoncandy,

andenoughsodapoptomakethechildrenrun to thepublictoiletwithgreatfrequency.

Therewerecontestsofskillatboothssetupwhereverspacewasavailable,andOz

cleaned up on all those thatinvolved throwing somethinginordertoknocksomething

else down. Lou bought apretty bonnet for Louisa,which she let Oz carry in apaperbag.

Thetownwasdoneupinred,white, and blue, and bothtownfolkandthosefromthe

mountain lined both sides of

the street as the floats camedown.Thesebarges0nland

were pulled by horse, mule,or track and displayed themostimportantmomentsin

America's history, which, tomost native Virginians, hadnaturallyalloccurredinthe

Commonwealth.Therewasagroupofchildrenononesuchfloatrepresentingthe

original thirteen colonies,with one boy carrying theVirginia colors, which werefar

biggerthantheflagstheotherchildrencarried,andheworetheshowiestcostumeas

well.Aregimentofdecoratedwar veterans from the areatroopedby,includingseveral

men with long beards and

shriveledbodieswhoclaimedtohaveservedwithboththe

honorableBobbyLeeandthefanatically pious StonewallJackson.Onefloat,sponsored

by Southern Valley, wasdevotedtotheminingofcoaland was pulled by acustomized

Chevrolet track painted gold.There wasn't a black-faced,

wrecked-backminerinsight,

but instead, smack in thecenterofthefloat,onaraisedplatform simulating a coaltipple,

stood a pretty young womanwith blond hair, a perfectcomplexion, and brilliantwhite

teeth,wearingasashthatread"MissBituminousCoal1940"

andwavingherhandas

mechanically as a windupdoll. Even themost dense inthe crowd could probablygrasp

the implied connectionbetween lumps of black rockandthepotofgoldpullingit.And

the men and boys gave theexpected reaction of cheers

and some catcalls to thepassing

beauty. There was one oldand humpbacked womanstandingnexttoLouwhotoldher

that her husband and threesonsalllaboredinthemines.Theoldwomanwatchedthe

beauty queen with scornfuleyes and then commented

that that young gal hadobviously

never been near a coal minein her entire life. And shewouldn'tknowalumpofcoalifit

jumpedupandgrabbedherinthebituminous.

High-ranking representativesof the town made importantspeeches,motivatingthe

citizens into bursts ofenthusiastic applause. Themayor held forth from atemporary

stage, with smiling,expensivelydressedmennexttohim,who,CottontoldLou,were

Southern Valley officials.The mayor was young andenergetic, with slicked hair,wearing

a nice suit and fashionablewatchandchain,andcarryingboundlessenthusiasminhis

beaming smile and handsreachingtothesky,asthoughready to snag on anyrainbows

tryingtoslipby.

"Coal is king," the mayorannounced into a clunkymicrophone almost as big as

hishead.

"And what with the warheatingupacrosstheAtlanticand themightyUnitedStatesof

America building ships andgunsandtanksforourfriendsfightingHitier,thesteelmill's

demands for coke, our good,patriotic Virginia coke, willskyrocket.Andsomesayit

won't be long beforewe jointhe fighting. Yes, prosperityishereinfineabundanceand

here it will stay," said themayor. "Not only will ourchildren live the gloriousAmerican

dream,but theirchildrenwillaswell.Anditwillbeallduetothegoodworkoffolkslike

Southern Valley and their

unrelentingdrivetobringouttheblack rock that is drivingthis

town to greatness. Restassured, folks, we willbecometheNewYorkCityofthesouth.

Onedaysomewilllookbackand say, 'Who knew theoutstanding things thatdestinyheld

for the likes of Dickens,Virginia?' But y'all alreadyknow,becauseI'mtellingyouright

now. Hip-hip hooray forSouthernValleyandDickens,Virginia."Andtheexuberant

mayor threwhisstrawboaterhathighinto theair.Andthecrowd joined him in thecheer,

and more hats werecatapulted into the swirlingbreeze.AndthoughDiamond,Lou,Oz,

Eugene, and Cotton allapplauded too, and thechildren grinned happily ateachother,

Lou noticed that Cotton'sexpression wasn't one ofunbridledoptimism.

Asnight fell, theywatchedadisplayoffireworkscolorthesky,andthenthegroup

climbed in the Hudson andheadedoutoftown.Theyhadjustpassedthecourthouse

whenLouaskedCottonaboutthe mayor's speech and hismutedreactiontoit.

"Well, I've seen this towngoboom and bust before," he

said."Anditusuallyhappens

when the politicians and thebusiness types are cheeringthe loudest. So I just don'tknow.

Maybe it'll be different thistime,butIjustdon'tknow."

Lou was left to ponder thiswhile the cheers of the finecelebration receded and thenthose

sounds were gone entirely,replacedwithwindwhistlingthroughrockandtree,asthey

headedbackupthemountain.

There had not been muchrain, but Louisa wasn'tworried yet, though sheprayedevery

nightfortheskiestoopenupand bellow hard and long.Theywereweedingthe

cornfield,anditwasahotdayand the flies and gnats wereparticularlybothersome.Lou

scrapedatthedirt,somethingjust not seeming right. "Wealready planted the seeds.Can't

theygrowbythemselves?"

"Lot of things go wrong infarmingandoneor twomostalwaysdo,"Louisaanswered.

"And the work don't neverstop, Lou. Just the way it ishere."

Lou swung the hoe over hershoulder. "All I can say is,thiscornbettertastegood."

"This here's field corn,"Louisa told her. "For theanimals."

Lou almost dropped her hoe."We'redoingall thiswork to

feedtheanimals?"

"They work hard for us, wegot to do the same for them.Theygottoeattoo."

"Yeah, Lou," said Oz as heattacked the weeds withvigorous strokes. "How canhogsget

fat if they don't eat?Tellmethat."

They worked the hills ofcorn, side by side under thefierce sun, which was socloseit

almost seemed to Lou thatshecouldreachupandpocketit.Thekatydidsandcrickets

scrapedtunesatthemfromallcorners. Lou stopped hoeingandwatchedCottondriveup

tothehouseandgetout.

"Cotton coming every dayand reading to Mom ismakingOz believe that she'sgoingto

get better," said Lou toLouisa, taking care that herbrotherdidnothearher.

Louisawieldedthehoebladewith the energy of a youngpersonandtheskillofanold.

"Youright,it'ssoterriblebad

having Cotton helping yourmomma."

"I didn't mean it like that. IlikeCotton."

Louisastoppedandleanedonher hoe. "You should,because Cotton Longfellow'sagood

man,nonebetter.He'shelpedmethroughmanyahardtimesincehecomehere.Notjust

with his lawyering, but withhis strong back. WhenEugene hurt his leg bad, hewashere

ever day for a month doingfield work when he could'vebeen in Dickens makinghimself

good money. He's helpingyourma 'cause he wants hertogetbetter.Hewantshertobe

able to hold you and Ozagin."

Lou said nothing to this, butwas having trouble gettingthehoeingdown,chopping

insteadofslicing.Louisatooka minute to show her again,andLoupickeduptheproper

techniquequickly.

They worked for a while

longerinsilence,untilLouisastraightenedupandrubbedather

back. "Body's telling me toslowdownabit.Butmybodywantstoeatcomewinter."

Lou stared out at thecountryside. The sky lookedpainted inoils today,and thetrees

seemed to fill every spare

inchwithalluringgreen.

"How comeDad never cameback?"Louaskedquietly.

Louisa followed Lou's gaze."No law say a person got tocomebacktohishome,"she

said.

"But hewrote about it in allhisbooks.Iknowhelovedithere."

Louisa stared at the girl andthen said, "Let's go get us acool drink." She told Oz torest

some, and they would bringhim back some water. Heimmediatelydroppedhishoe,

picked up some rocks, andstartedheavingandwhoopingateachtoss,inamannerit

seemedonlyUtileboyscould

successfully accomplish. Hehadtakentoplacingatincan

on top of a fence post andthenthrowingrocksatituntilheknockeditoff.Hehad

becomesogoodthatonehardtosswouldnowsend the canflying.

They left him to his fun andwent to the springhouse,which clung to one side of a

steep

slope below the house andwas shaded by leaning oakand ash trees and a wall ofgiant

rhododendrons. Next to thisshack was a split poplarstump, the tip of a largehoneycomb

protrudingfromit,aswellofbeesabovethat.

They took metal cups fromnails on the wall and dippedthem in the water, and thensat

outside and drank. Louisapickedupthegreenleavesofa mountain spurge growingnext

to the springhouse, whichrevealed beautiful purpleblossomscompletelyhidden

underneath. "One of God'slittle secrets," she explained.Lousatthere,cupcradled

between her dimpled knees,watchingand listening tohergreat-grandmotherinthe

pleasant shade as Louisapointed out other things ofinterest. "Right there's anoriole.

Don't see them much no

more. Don't know why not."She pointed to another birdona

maple branch. "That's achuck's-will-widder. Don'task me how the durn thinggotits

name, 'cause I don't know."Finally, her face and tonegrewserious.

"Your daddy's momma was

never happy here. She fromdowntheShenandoahValley.

My son Jake met her at acakewalk she come up for.They got married, way toofast,put

upalittlecabinnearhere.ButIknowshewasallsetforthecity,though.TheValleywas

backwardforher.Lord,thesemountains must've seemed

like the birth of theworld tothe

poor girl. But she had yourdaddy, and for the next fewyears we had us the worstdrought

I ever seen. The less rainthere was, the harder weworked.Myboysoonlosthisstake,

and they moved in with us.

Still no rain. Went throughour animals. Went throughdurn

near everything we had."Louisa clenched her handsand then released them. "Butwestill

got by. And then the rainscome and we fine after that.But when your daddy wasseven,

his momma had had enoughof this life and she left. Sheain't never bothered to learnthe

farm,andeventhewayrounda fryingpan, so's sheweren'tmuchhelptoJakea'tall."

"But didn't Jake want to gowithher?"

"Oh, I 'xpect he did, for shewas a real purty little thing,

and a youngman is a youngman.

They ain't 'xactly made'awood. But she didn't wanthimalong,ifyouun-nerstandme

right, him being from themountains and all. And shedidn't want her own childneither."

Louisashookherheadatthis

painfulremembrance.

"Course, Jake never got overthat. Then his daddy diedsoonafter,whichdidn'thelp

matters none for any of us."Louisa smiled. "But yourfather were the shiny star inour

days.Evenwith that, though,wewatched amanwe loveddiealittlemoreeachday,and

there weren't nothing wecoulddo.Twodaysafteryourdaddywastenyearsold,Jake

died.Somesayheartattack.Isay heartbreak. And then itwas just me and your daddyup

here.We had us good times,Lou,lotoflovetwixtus.Butyourdaddysufferedalotta

pain too." She stopped and

tookadrinkofthecoolwater."ButIstillwonderwhyhe

nevercomebacknotonce."

"Do I remind you of him?"Louaskedquietly.

Louisa smiled. "Same fire,same bullheadedness. Bigheart too. Like how you arewith

your brother. Your daddy

alwaysmademe laugh twicea day. When I got up andright

aforeIwenttobed.Hesayhewant me begin and end mydaywithasmile."

"IwishMomhadletuswriteyou. She said shewould oneday,butitneverhappened."

"Like toknockmeoverwitha stick when the first letter

come.Iwroteherbacksome,but

my eyes ain't that good nomore. And paper and stampscarce."

Lou looked veryuncomfortable. "Mom askedDad to move back toVirginia."

Louisa looked surprised."And what'd your daddy

say?"

Lou could not tell her thetruth. "I don't know." "Oh"was all Louisa offered inresponse.

Lou found herself growingupset with her father,something she could neverremember

doingbefore. "I can't believehe just left you here by

yourself.""Imadehimgo.

Mountain no place forsomebody like him. Got tosharethatboywiththeworld.And

your daddy wrote to me allthese years. And he givememoney he ain't got. He doneright

byme.Don'tyouneverthinkbadlyofhimforthat."

"But didn't it hurt, that henevercameback?"Louisaputan arm around the girl. "Hedid

comeback.Igotmethethreepeople he loved most in thewholeworld."

Ithadbeenahard trekalonga narrow trail that oftenpetered out to harsh tangles,forcing

Loutodismountandwalkthemare. It was a nice ride,though, for the birdswere infull

warbling splendor, andfloweringhorsemintpokedupfrom piles of slate. She hadpassed

secret coves overhung withwillowandcorralledbyrock.Many of the coves weregraced

with cups of frothingspringwater. There wereneglected fields of long-vanished

homesteads the broomsedgeflourishing there around therock bones of chimneyswithout

houses.

Finally, following thedirections Louisa had given

her, Lou found herself at thesmall

house in the clearing. Shelooked over the property. Itappeared likely that inanother

couple of years thishomestead would alsosurrender to the wild thatpressedagainstiton

allsides.Treesstretchedover

the roof that had almost asmanyholesasshingles.

Windowglasswasmissingatvarious spots; a sapling wasgrowingupthroughan

opening in the front porch,and wild sumac clung to thesplintered porch rails. Thefront

doorwashangingbyasinglenail; in fact it had been tied

backsothatthedooralways

stoodopen.Ahorseshoewasnailed over the doorway, forluck,Louassumed,andthe

placelookedlikeitcouldusesome.Thesurroundingfields,too,wereallovergrown.And

yet the dirt yard was neatlyswept, there was no trashabout, and a bed of peoniessatnext

to the house, with a lilacbehind that, and a largesnowballbushflourishedbyasmall

hand-crank well. A rosebushranupatrellisononesideofthehouse.Louhadheardthat

roses thrived on neglect. Iftrue, this was the mostignored rosebush Lou hadeverseen,

since it was bent over withthe weight of its deep redblooms. Jebcamearound thecorner

andbarkedatriderandhorse.When Diamond came out ofthehouse,hestoppeddead

andlookedaround,seeminglyforaplace tohidequick,butcomingupempty.

"What you doing here?" he

finallysaid.

Lou slid off the horse andknelt to play with Jeb. "Justcame to pay a visit. Whereare

yourfolks?"

"Paworking.Mawent downtoMcKenzie's."

'Tell'emIsaidhello."

Diamond thrust his hands inhispockets,bentonebaretoeovertheother."Look,Igot

thingstodo."

"Like what?" asked Lou,rising.

"Like fishing. I got to gofishing."

"Well,I'llgowithyou."

He cocked his head at her."Youknowhowtofish?"

"They have lots of fishingholesinBrooklyn."

They stood on a makeshiftpier built from a few planksofrough-hewnoaknoteven

nailed together but merelywedged into the rocks thatstuckoutfromthebankofthewide

stream. Diamond strung theline with a squirmy pinkwormwhileLoulookedonin

disgust. A tomboy was atomboy, but apparently aworm was a worm. Hehandedthe

extrapoletoher.

"G'on cast your line outthere."

Lou took the pole andhesitated.

"Youwanthep?"

"Icandoit."

"See this here's a southernpole,andI 'xpectyouprob'lyusedtothemnewfangled

northernpoles."

"You're right, that's all I use.

Northernpole."

Tohiscredit,Diamondnevercrackedasmile,butjusttookthepole,showedherhowto

holdit,andthenthrewanearperfectcast.

Lou watched his techniquecarefully, took a couple ofpractice tosses, and thensaileda

prettycastherself.

"Why,thatwas 'boutgoodasanyIthrowed,"Diamondsaidwithallduesouthern

modesty.

"Give me a couple moreminutesandI'lldobetterthanyou,"shesaidslyly.

"You still got to catch thefish," Diamond gamely

replied.

A half hour later Diamondhad hooked his third small-mouthandworkedittoshorewith

steadymotions.Loulookedathim, properly in awe of hisobviousskill,buther

competitive streak ran long,andsheredoubledhereffortstotrumpherfish-mate.

Finally,withoutwarning, herline went tight and she waspulledtowardthewater.Witha

whiplikeeffort,sherearedthepoleback,andathickcatfishcamehalfwayoutofthe

stream.

"Holy Lord," said Diamondas he saw this creature riseand then fall back into the

water.

"Biggest catfish I ever seed."Hereachedforthepole.

Lou cried out, "I got it,Diamond." He stepped backand watched girl and fishfightingit

out on roughly equal terms.Lou appeared to be winningatfirst,thelinegoingtautand

thenslacking,whileDiamondcalled out words of adviceandencouragement.Lou

slipped and slid all over theunsteady pier, once morealmost going in the water,before

Diamond yanked on heroverallsandpulledherback.

Finally, though, Lou grewwearyandgaspedout,"Ineed

somehelphere,Diamond."

Withbothpullingonpoleandline, the fish quickly wasdraggedtoshore.Diamond

reached down, hauled it outof the water, and dropped iton the boards, where itflopped

from side to side. Fat anddiick, it would be goodeating, he said. Lou squatted

downand

looked proudly at herconquest,aidedthoughithadbeen. Right as she peeredreally

closely, the fish shimmiedonce more, then jumped inthe air, and spat water, thehook

working free from its mouthat the same time. Lou

screamed and jumped back,knocked

intoDiamond, and they bothwenttumblingintothewater.Theycameupsputteringand

watched as the catfishfloppeditselfovertotheedgeof the pier, fell in thewater,andwas

goneinablink.DiamondandLoulookedateachotherfora

torturedmomentandthen

commenced a titanicsplashing battle. Their pealsoflaughtercouldprobablybeheardon

thenextmountain.

Lou sat in front of thefireplacewhileDiamondbuiltup the flames so they coulddryoff.

He went and got an oldblanketthatsmelledtoLouofeither Jeb, mildew, or both,butshe

toldDiamondthankyouasheput it around her shoulders.The inside of Diamond'shouse

surprised her because it wasneat and clean, though thepieces of furniture were fewand

obviously handmade. On thewall was an old photo ofDiamond and a man Louassumed

washisfather.Therewerenophotos Lou could see of hismother.Whilethefirepicked

up, Jeb laydownnext to herandstartedattendingtosomefleasinhisfur.

Diamond expertly scaled the

bass, ran a hickory stickthrough each, mouth to tail,and

cooked them over the fire.Next he cut up an apple andrubbed the juice into themeat.

DiamondshowedLouhowtofeel the rib cage of the fishand pry thick white meatfrom

tiny bones. They ate withtheirfingers,anditwasgood."Your dad was realnicelooking," Lou said,pointingtothepicture.

Diamond looked over at thephoto. "Yep, he was." HecaughtabreathandglaredatLou.

"Louisatoldme,"shesaid.

Diamond rose and poked the

fire with a crooked stick."Ain't right playing no trickson

me."

"Why didn't you tell me onyourown?"

"WhyshouldI?"

"Becausewe'refriends."

This took the sting out of

Diamond and he sat backdown.

"You miss your mom?" Louasked.

"Naw, how could I? Neverknowed the woman." He ranhishandalongthecrumpling

brick, mud, and horsehair ofthefireplace,andhisfeaturesgrewtroubled."See,shedied

whenFsborn."

"That's okay, Diamond. Youcanstillmissher,evenifyoudidn'tknowher."

Diamond nodded, his thumbnowidlyscratchingatadirtycheek."Idothink'boutwhat

my momma were like. Ain'tgot no pitchers. My daddytoldmecourse,butitain'tthe

same."Hestopped,nudgedapiece of firewood with astick,andthensaid,"Ithink

mostly 'bout what her voicewas like. And how shesmelled. The way her eyesandhair

could'acatchthelightjustso.But I miss my daddy too,'causehewereagoodman.

Schooled me all's I need to

know. Hunting, fishing." Helookedather."Ibetyoumiss

yourdaddytoo."

Lou looked uncomfortable.She closed her eyes for amoment and nodded. "Imisshim."

"Good thing you got yourmomma."

"No, I don't. I don't,

Diamond."

"Looks bad now, but it beokay.Folksdon'tneverleaveout,lesswefergit'em.Iain't

knowedmuch, but I knowedthat."

Louwantedtotellhimthathedidn'tunderstand.Hismotherwasgonefromhim,without

question. Lou sat atop

quicksand with her mother.And Lou had to be there forOz.

They sat listening to thesoundsofthewoods,astrees,bugs,animals,andbirdswent

abouttheir lives."Howcomeyoudon'tgo toschool?"Louasked."I'sfourteenyearold,

and doing just fine." "Yousaidyouhadread theBible."

"Well, some folks read partsofit

to me." "Do you even knowhow to sign your name?""Why, everybody up hereknowed

who I is." He stood andpulled out the pocketknifeand carved an "X" in a barewallstud.

"That'showmydaddydoneit

all his life, and it be goodenoughferhim,itbegood

enoughferme."

Lou wrapped the blanketaround her and watched thedance of flames, a wickedchill

eatingintoher.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ONEESPECIALLYWARMNIGHT THERE CAME APOUND-ing on the dooraboutthetime

Lou was thinking of goingupstairs to bed. Billy Davisalmost fell into the roomwhen

Louisaopenedthedoor.

Louisa gripped the shakingboy."What'swrong,Billy?"

"Ma'sbabycoming."

"Iknewsheweregettingon.Midwifegotthere?"

The boy was wild-eyed, hislimbs twitching like he washeatstroked."Ain'tnone.Pa

won'tlet'em."

"Lord,whynot?"

"Say they charge a dollar.

Andheain'tpayingit."

"That a He. No midwife uphereeverchargeadime."

"Pasaidno.ButMasaybabyain'tfeelright.Rodethemulecomegetyou."

"Eugene, get Hit and Samdoubletreed to the wagon.Quicknow,"shesaid.

Before Eugene went out, he

tooktherifleofftherackandheld it out toLouisa. "Betterbe

taking this, you got to dealwiththatman."

Louisa, though, shook herhead as she looked at anervousBilly, finallysmilingatthe

boy. "I'll be watched over,Eugene.Ifeelit.Itbefine."

Eugeneheldontothegun."Igowith you, then. Thatmancrazy."

"No, you stay with thechildren.Goon now, get thewagon ready." Eugenehesitatedfora

moment, and then did as shetoldhim.

Louisa grabbed some thingsandputtheminalardbucket,

slippedasmallpacketof

cloths in her pocket, bundledtogether a number of cleansheets, and started for thedoor.

"Louisa, I'm coming withyou,"saidLou.

"No, ain't a good place foryou."

"I'm coming, Louisa.

Whether in the wagon or onSue, but I'm coming. I wanttohelp

you." She glanced at Billy."Andthem."

Louisa thought for a minuteand then said, "Prob'ly coulduse another set of hands.Billy,

yourpathere?"

"Gotta mare gonna drop itsfoal. Pa said he ain't comingoutthebarntillitborn."

Louisa stared at the boy.Then, shaking her head, sheheadedforthedoor.

They followed Billy in thewagon.Herodeanoldmule,its muzzle white, part of itsright

ear torn away. The boy

swungakerosenelampinonehand to help guide them. Itwasso

dark, Louisa said, a handright in front of your facecould still get the drop onyou.

"Don't whip up the mulesnone, Lou. Ain't do no goodforSallyDavisweendup ina

ditch." "That's Billy'smother?"

Louisanodded,as thewagonswayed along, the woodsclose oji either side of them,their

onlylightthatarcinglamp-ToLou it appeared either as abeacon, true and reliable, oras

aSirenofsorts,leadingthem

to shipwreck. "First wife dieinchildbirth.Hischildrenby

that poor woman got awayfrom George fast as theycould,aforehecouldworkorbeator

starve 'em to death." "WhydidSallymarryhimifhewassobad?""'Causehegothis

own land, livestock, and hewereawidowerwithastrong

back. Up here, 'bout all ittakes.

And weren't nothing else forSally.Shewereonlyfifteen."

"Fifteen! That's only threeyearsolderthanme.""Peopleget married quick up here.Start

birthing, raising a family tohelp work the land. How itgoes.Iwasinfrontofthe

preacher at fo'teen." "Shecouldhaveleftthemountain.""All she ever know. Scarything

leave that." "Did you everthink of leaving themountain?" Louisa thoughtaboutthisfora

numberofturnsofthewagonwheel. "I could'a if'n Iwanted.But I ain'tbelieve inmy

heart I be happier anywhereelse. Went down the Valleyonetime.Windblowstrange

over flat land. Ain't liked ittoo much. Me and thismountaingetalongright fineforthe

mostpart."Shefellsilent,hereyes watching the rise andfallofthelightupahead.Lou

said, "I saw the graves up

behind the house." Louisastiffened a bit. "Did you?""Who

wasAnnie?"

Louisa stared at her feet."Annieweremydaughter."

"I thought you only hadJacob."

"No. I had me my littleAnnie."

"Didshedieyoung?"

"Shelivedbutaminute."

Lou could sense her distress."I'msorry. Iwas justcuriousaboutmyfamily."

Louisa settled back againstthe hard wood of the wagonseat and stared at the blackskyas

though it was the first time

she'devergazeduponit.

"Ialwayshadmeahardtimecarrying the babies. Wantedmeabigfamily,butIkepton

losing 'em long afore theyready to be born. LongesttimeIthoughtJakebeit.Butthen

Annie were born on a coolspring evening with a fullmane'a black hair. She come

quick,

notimeformidwife.Itwereaterrible hard birth. But oh,Lou,sheweresopurty.So

warm. Her little fingerswrapped tight round mine,tipsnoteventouching."HereLouisa

stopped. The sounds of themules trotting along and theturnofwagonwheelwerethe

only noises. Louisa finallycontinued in a low voice, asshe eyed the depthless sky."And

her Utile chest rose and fell,roseand fell, and then it justforgittoriseagin.Itt'were

amazing how quick she tookcold, but then she were sotiny." Louisa took a numberof

quick breaths, as though stilltryingtobreatheforherchild."Itwerelikeabitoficeon

your tongue on a hot day.Feelsogood,andthenitgoneso fast you ain't sure it wasever

there."

Lou put her hand overLouisa's."I'msorry."

"Long time ago, though itdon't never seem it." Louisaslid a hand across her eyes."Her

daddy made her coffin, nomore'n a little box. And Istayedupallnightand\sewedher

thefinestdressIeverstitchedin my whole life. ComemorningIlaidheroutinit.I

would'a give all I had to seeher eyes looking at me justone time. It ain't seem rightthata

momma don't get to see herbaby's eyes just one time.Andthenherdaddyputherinthat

little box, we carried her onup to that knoll, and laid herto rest and prayed over her.And

thenweplantedanevergreenon the south end so she'dhave her shade all yearround."

Louisaclosedhereyes.

"Didyouevergoupthere?"

Louisa nodded. "Ever day.But I ain't been back since Iburiedmyother child. It justgot

tobetoolongawalk."

She took the reins from Louand, despite her own earlierwarning, Louisa whipped upthe

mules. "We best get on.Wegot a child to help into theworldthisnight."

Loucouldnotmakeoutmuchof theDavis farmyard or thebuildingsbecauseofthe

darkness,andsheprayedthatGeorge Davis would stay inthebarnuntilthebabywas

bornandtheyweregone.

The house was surprisinglysmall.Theroomtheyenteredwasobviouslythekitchen,

because the stove was there,but therewere also cotswithbaremattresseslineduphere.

In three of the beds were alike number of children, twoof them, who looked to betwin

girls about five, lying nakedand asleep. The third, a boyOz'sage,hadonaman's

undershirt, dirty and sweat-stained, and he watched Louand Louisa with frightenedeyes.

Lou recognized him as theother boy from the tractorcoming down the mountain.Inan

apple crate by the stove ababy barely a year old layunder a stained blanket.Louisawent

to the sink, pumped water,and used the bar of lye soapshehadbroughttothoroughly

cleanherhandsandforearms.Then Billy led them down anarrowhallwayandopeneda

door.

SallyDavislayinthebed,herknees drawn up, low moansshootingfromher.Athingirl

often,dressedinwhatlookedlikeaseedsack,herchestnuthairhackedshort,stood

barefootnext tothebed.Lourecognized her too from thewildtractorencounter.She

looked just as scared now asshehadthen.

Louisanoddedather. "Jesse,you heat me up some water,twopots,honey.Billy,allthe

sheets you got, son. Andthey'sgottoberealclean."

Louisaputthesheetsshehadbroughtonawobblyoakslatchair,satnexttoSally,and

took her hand. "Sally, it'sLouisa. You be just fine,honey."

LoulookedatSally.Hereyeswere red-rimmed, her fewteeth and her gums staineddark.

Shecouldn'tbethirtyyet,but

thewoman looked twice thatold,hairgray,skindrawnand

wrinkled, blue veinsthrobbing throughmalnourished flesh, facesunkenlikeawinter

potato.

Louisa lifted the covers andsaw the soaked sheetunderneath. "How long sinceyour

waterbagbroke?"

Sally gasped, "After Billygoneferyou."

"How far apart your pains?"Louisaasked.

"Seemlikejustonebigone,"thewomangroaned.

Louisa felt around theswollenbelly."Babyfeellikeitwant'acome?"

Sally gripped Louisa's hand."Lord I hope so, afore it killme."

Billy came in with a coupleof sheets, dropped them onthe chair, looked once at hisma,

andthenfled.

"Lou, help me move Sallyover so we can lay cleansheets." They did so,

maneuvering

the suffering woman asgently as they could. "Nowgohelp Jessewith thewater.And

takethese."ShehandedLouanumber of cloth pads thatwerelayeredoneoverthetopof

the other, along with somenarrow bobbin string. "Wrap

thestringinthemiddleofthe

cloths, and put it all in theoven and cook it till theoutside part be scorchedbrown."

LouwentintothekitchenandassistedJesse.Louhadneverseenheratschool,northe

seven-year-old boy whowatched them with fearfuleyes. Jesse had a wide scar

that

looped around her left eye,and Lou didn't even want toventure toguesshowthegirlhad

comebyit.

The stove was already hot,andthekettlewatercametoaboil in a few minutes. Loukept

checking the outside of thecloth that she placed in theovendrawer,andsoonitwas

sufficiently brown. Usingrags,theycarriedthepotsandtheballofclothsintothe

bedroomandsetthemnexttothebed.

Louisa washed Sally withsoap and warm water wherethe baby would be coming

and

thendrewthesheetoverher.

ShewhisperedtoLou,"Babytakingitslastrestnow,andsocanSally.Ain'ttell'xactly

how it lies yet, but it ain't across birth." Lou looked ather curiously. "Where thebabyhe

crossways along the belly. I

callyouwhenIneedyou."

"Howmany babies have youdelivered?"

'Thirty-two over fifty-sevenyears," she said. " 'Membereveroneof'em."

"Didtheyalllive?"

"No," Louisa answeredquietly, and then toldLou togoonout,thatshewouldcall

her.

Jesse was in the kitchen,standingagainstawall,handsclasped in front of her, facedown,

a side of her hacked hairpositioned over the scar andpartofhereye.

Louglancedattheboyinthebed.

"What's your name?" Louasked him. He said nothing.When Lou stepped towardhim,he

yelled and threw the blanketover his head, his little bodyshakinghardunderthecover.

Lou retreatedall thewayoutofthecrazyhouse.

She looked around until shesaw Billy over at the barn

peering in the open doubledoors.

She crossed the yard quietlyandlookedoverhisshoulder.GeorgeDaviswasnomore

than ten feet from them.Themarewas on the straw floor.Protrudingfromher,and

covered in the co-coonishwhite birth sac, was oneforeleg and shoulder of the

foal.Davis

was pulling on the slickedleg, cursing. The barn floorwas plank, not dirt. In theblazeof

a number of lanterns, Loucouldseerowsofshinytoolsneatlyliningthewalls.

Unable to stand Davis'scoarse language and themare's suffering, Lou went

andsaton

the front porch. Billy cameand slumped next to her."Yourfarmlooksprettybig,"she

said.

"Pa hire men to help himworkit.ButwhenIgettobeaman,heain'tneed'em.Idoit."

They heard George Davishollerfromthebarn,andtheybothjumped.Billylooked

embarrassed and dug at thedirtwithhisbigtoe.

"I'm sorry for putting thatsnakeinyourpail."

Helookedather,surprised."Idoneittoyoufirst."

"That still doesn't make it

right."

"Pakillamanifhedonethattohim."

Loucouldseetheterrorintheboy'seyes,andherheartwentouttoBillyDavis.

"You'renotyourpa.Andyoudon'thavetobe."

Billy lookednervous. "I ain'ttell him I was fetchingMiss

Louisa.Don'tknowwhathe

saywhenheseesy'all."

"We're just here tohelpyourmother. He can't have aproblemwiththat."

"Thatright?"

They lookedup into the faceof George Davis, who stoodbefore them, equine bloodand

slime coating his shirt anddripping down both arms.Dust swirled around his legslike

visible heat, as thoughmountain had been shuckedtodesert.

Billy stood in front of Lou."Pa.How'sthefoal?"

"Dead." The way he said itmade every part of Lou

shake. He pointed at her."Whatthe

hellisthis?"

"Igotthemtocomehelpwiththe baby. Miss Louisa's inwithMa."

George looked over at thedoor and then back at Billy.The look in his eye was soterrible

that Lou was sure the manwas going to kill her rightthere.

"That woman in my house,boy?"

"It's time." They all lookedtowardthedoorwhereLouisanowstood."Baby'scoming,"

shesaid.

Davis shoved his son aside,

and Lou jumped out of theway as he stalked up to thedoor.

"Gawd damnit, you got nobusiness here, woman. Getthehelloffmylandaforeyouget

the butt of my shotgun aginyourhead,andthatdamngirltoo."

Louisa took not one step

back."Youcanhelpwiththebaby coming, or not. Up toyou.

Come on, Lou, and you too,Billy.Gonnaneedbothy'all."

It was clear though thatGeorge wasn't going to letthem go. Louisa was verystrongfor

herage,andtallerthanDavis,butstill,itwouldnotbemuch

ofafight.

And then from the woodstheyheardthescream.Itwasthe same sound Lou hadheard

thefirstnightatthewell,buteven more horrifyingsomehow, as thoughwhateveritwas,

was very close and bearingdown on them. Even Louisa

staredoutapprehensivelyinto

thedarkness.

George Davis took a stepback, his hand clenched, asthoughhopingforaguntobethere.

Louisa clutched the childrenand pulled them in with her.Davismadenomovetostop

them, but he did call out,

"You just make sure it's adamnboythistime.If'nit'sagirl,you

just let it die. You hear me?Don'tneedmenomoregawddamngirls!"

As Sally pushed hard,Louisa's pulse quickenedwhen she first saw thebuttocksofthe

baby, followed by one of its

feet. She knew she didn'thavelongtogetthechildout

before the cord was crushedbetween the baby's head andSally'sbone.Asshewatched,

the pains pushed the otherfootout.

"Lou," she said, "over here,quick, child." Louisa caughtthe baby's feet in her righthand

andliftedthebodyupsothatthe contractions would nothave to carry the weight ofthe

baby, and so as to better theangle of the head comingthrough.Sheknewtheywere

fortunate that after so manybirths, Sally Davis's boneswouldbespreadwide."Push,

Sally, push, honey," Louisa

calledout.

Louisa took Lou's hands anddirected them to a spot onSally's lower abdomen. "Gotto

gettheheadoutfast,"shetoldLou, "push right there, hardasyoucan.Don'tworry,ain't

hurtthebabynone,bellywallhard."

Lou bore down with all herweight while Sally pushedand screamed and Louisaliftedthe

baby'sbodyhigher.

Louisacalledoutlikeshewasmarking water depth on ariverboat.Neckshowing,she

said, and then she could seehair.Andthentheentireheadshowed,andthenshewas

holding the child, and tellingSallytorest,thatitwasover.

Louisasaidaprayerofthankswhenshesawitwasaboy.Itwasawfullysmall,though,

and its color poor. She hadLouandBillyheatupcansofwater while she tied off thecord

in two spotswith the bobbinstringandthencutthecordin

betweenthesepointswitha

pair of boiled scissors. Shewrapped me cord in one oftheclean,dryclothsthatLouhad

baked in the oven and tiedanother of the baked clothssnugly against thebaby's leftside.

She used sweet oil to cleanthe baby off, washed him

with soap and warm water,andthen

wrappedhiminablanketandgavetheboytohismother.

Louisa placed a hand onSally'sbellyandfelttoseeifthe womb was hard andsmall,

which iswhat shewanted. Ifit was large and soft, thatmight mean bleeding inside,

she

told Lou in a small voice.However,thebellywassmallandtight."Wefine,"shetolda

relievedLou.

Next, Louisa took thenewborn and laid it on thebed. She took a small waxampulefrom

her lard bucket and from ittook out a small glass vial.She had Lou hold the baby'seyes

openwhileLouisaplacedtwodrops inside each one, whilethechildsquirmedandcried

out.

She told Lou, "So baby ain'tgo blind. Travis Barnesgimmeit.Lawsayyougotto

do

this."

Using thehot cans and someblankets, Louisa fashioned acrude incubator and placedthe

baby in it.Hisbreathingwassoshallowshekeptstickingagoosefeatherunderhis

mouthtoseetherippleofair

grazeit.

Thirty minutes later the lastcontractions pushed theafterbirthoutandLouisaandLou

cleaned thatup,changing thesheets once more andscrubbing the mother downforthe

finaltimeusingthelastofthebakedcloths.

The last things Louisa tookout from her bucket were apencilandaslipofpaper.She

gavethemtoLouandtoldherto write down the day's dateand time. Louisa pulled anold

windup pocket watch fromher trousersand toldLou thetimeofbirth.

"Sally, what you be calling

thebaby?"Louisaasked.

Sally looked over at Lou."She call you Lou, that beyour name, girl?" she askedina

weakvoice.

"Yes. Well, sort of," saidLou.

"Then it be Lou. After you,child.Ithankyou."

Lou looked astonished."Whataboutyourhusband?"

"Heain'tcareif'nitgotnameorain'tgotone.Onlyif'nitaboyanditwork.AndIain't

seed him in here hepping.Name's Lou. Put it downnow,girl."

Louisa smiled as Lou wrotedownthenameLouDavis.

"We give that to Cotton,"Louisa said. "He take it ondown the courthouse so'severybody

know we got us anotherbeautiful child on thismountain."

Sally fell asleep and Louisasattherewithmotherandsonall night, rousing Sally tonurse

when Lou Davis cried andsmacked his lips. GeorgeDavisneveronceentered theroom.

They could hear himstomping around in the frontfor some time, and then thedoor

slammedshut.

Louisa slipped out severaltimes to check on the other

children. She gave Billy,Jesse,and

the other boy, whose nameLouisa didn't know, a smalljar of molasses and somebiscuits

she had brought with her. Itpainedhertoseehowfastthechildrendevouredthissimple

meal. She also gave Billy ajar of strawberry jelly and

some corn-bread to save forthe

other children when theywoke.

Theyleftinthelatemorning.Mother was doing fine, andthebaby'scolorhadimproved

greatly. He was nursingfeverishly, and the boy'slungsseemedstrong.

Sally and Billy said theirthanks, and even Jessemanaged a grunt. But Lounoticedthat

the stovewas cold and therewasnosmelloffood.

George Davis and his hiredmen were in the fields. Butbefore Billy joined them,Louisa

tooktheboyasideandtalked

with him about things Loucouldnothear.

Astheydrovethewagonout,theypassedcorralsfilledwithenoughcattletoqualifyasa

herd, and hogs and sheep, ayard full of hens, four finehorses, and double thatnumberof

mules. The crop fieldsextended as far as the eye

could see, and dangerousbarbedwire

encircled all of it. Lou couldsee George and his menworking the fields withmechanized

equipment, clouds of dirtbeing thrown up from theswiftpaceofthemachines.

"They have more fields andlivestock than we do," Lou

said. "So how come theydon't

haveanythingtoeat?"

" 'Cause their daddy want itthatway.AndhisdaddywerethesamewaywithGeorge

Davis. Tight with a dollar.Didn'tletnonegotillhisfeetwedgedaginroot."

They rattled by one building

and Louisa pointed out asturdypadlockonthedoor.

"Man'11 let the meat in thatsmokehouserotaforehegiveituptohischildren.George

Davis sells every last bit ofhis crop down at the lumbercamp,andtotheminers,and

hauls it to Tremont andDickens." She pointed to alargebuilding thathad a line

ofdoors

allaroundthefirstfloor.Thedoorswereopen, andplainlyvisible inside were largegreen

plant leaves hanging fromhooks."That'sburleytobaccocuring. It weakens the soil,and

whathedon'tchewhisself,hesells.Hegotthatstillandain't

neverdrunkadropofthe

corn whiskey, but sells thatwicked syrup to other menwho ought be spending theirtime

andmoneyonthey'sfamilies.Andhegoesroundwithafatrollofdollarbills,andgot

this nice farm, and all themfancymachines, andman lethisfamilystarve."Sheflicked

the reins. "But I got to feelsorryforhiminaway,forhebethemostmiserablesoulI

ever come across. Now, oneday God'll let George Davisknow 'xactly what He thinksof

it all. But that day ain't hereyet."

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

EUGENE WAS DRIVINGTHEWAGONPULLEDBYTHE mules. Oz, Lou, andDiamondwere

in the back, sitting on sacksof seed and other suppliespurchasedfromMcKenzie's

Mercantile using egg moneyand some of the dollars Louhad left over from hershopping

excursioninDickens.

Their path took them near agood-sized tributary of theMcCloudRiver,andLouwas

surprised to see a number ofautomobiles and schoonerwagons pulled up near theflat,

grassy bank. Folks werehanging about by the river'sedge,andsomewereactually

inthe

brown water, its surfacechoppy from an earlier rainand good wind. A man withrolledupsleeveswasjustthensubmerging a young womaninthewater.

"Dunking," Diamondexclaimed. "Let's have alook." Eugene pulled themulestoastop

andthethreechildrenjumpedoff. Lou looked back atEugene,whowasmaking nomove

to join them. "Aren't youcoming?"

"Youg'on,MissLou,Igonnarest my bones here." Loufrownedatthis,butjoinedthe

others.

Diamond had made his waythroughacrowdofonlookersandwaspeeringanxiouslyat

something. As Oz and Loudrew next to him and sawwhatitwas,theybothjumpedback.

Anelderlywoman,dressedinwhat looked to be a turbanmadefrompinned-together

homespun sheets and a long

pieceofhempwithatieatthewaist,wasmovinginsmall,

deliberate circles,unintelligible chants driftingfrom her, her speech that ofthedrunk,

insane, or fanaticallyreligious in full, floweringtongues. Next to her a manwas in a Tshirt and dressslacks, a cigarette danglinglike a fall leaf from his

mouth.Aserpentwas

in either of the man's hands,the reptiles rigid, unmov-ing,likebentpiecesofmetal.

"Are they poisonous?"whisperedLoutoDiamond.

"Course! Don't work lessenuseviper."

A coweringOz had his gazefixed on the motionless

creatures and seemedpreparedto

leap for the trees once theystarted swaying. Lou sensedthis,andwhenthesnakesdid

start to move, she grippedOz's hand and pulled himaway.Diamondgrudgingly

followed,tilltheywereoffbythemselves.

"What stuff are they doingwith those snakes,Diamond?"askedLou.

"Scaring off bad spirits,making itgoodfordunking."Helookedatthem."Youtwobeen

dunked?"

"Christened, Diamond," Louanswered. "We werechristened in a Catholic

Church.And

thepriest justsprinkleswateronyourhead."Shelookedtotheriverwherethewoman

wasemergingandspittingupmouthfuls of the tributary."He doesn't try to drownyou."

"Catolick?Ain'tneverheard'athatone.Itnew?"

Lou almost laughed. "Notquite. Our mom is Catholic.Dad never really cared forchurch

allthatmuch.Theyevenhavetheir own schools. Oz and IwenttooneinNewYork.It's

really structured and youlearn things like theSacraments, the Creed, theRosary,the

Lord'sPrayer.Andyou learnthe Mortal Sins. And theVenial Sins. And you haveFirst

Confession and FirstCommunion. And thenConfirmation."

"Yeah," said Oz, "and whenyou're dying you get the --whatthat'sthing,Lou?"

"The Sacrament of Extreme

Unction.TheLastRites."

"Soyouwon'trotinhell,"OzinformedDiamond.

Diamond pulled at three orfour of his cowlicks andlooked truly bewildered."Huh.

Who'd thunk believing inGod be such hard work?Prob'lywhyain'tnoCatolicksupthis

way.Taxtheheadtoomuch."

Diamondnoddedatthegroupnear the river. "Now, themfolkPrimitiveBaptists.They

got some right funny beliefs.Likeyouain'tgoandcutyourhair,andwomenain'tbe

puttingonnofacepaint.Andthey got some 'ticular ideasongoingtohellandsuch.

People break the rules, theyain't too happy. Live and diebytheScriptures.Prob'lyain't

as 'ticular as you Catolicks,but theystillbeapainwherethesundon'tshine."Diamond

yawned and stretched hisarms."See,thatwhyIain'tgotochurch.FiggerIgotmea

churchwhereverIbe.Want'atalk to God, well I say,

'Howdy-howdy,God,'andwejaw

ferabit."

Lou just stared at him,absolutely dumbstruck in thefaceofthisoutpouringof

ecclesiastical wisdom fromProfessor of ReligionDiamondSkinner.

Diamond suddenly stared off

in wonder. "Well, will youlookatthat."

They all watched as Eugenewalked down to the water'sedge and spoke withsomeone,

who in turn called to thepreacher out in the river, ashe was pulling up a freshvictim.

The preacher came ashore,

spoke with Eugene for aminute or two, and then ledhimout

intothewater,dunkedhimsothat nothing was showing ofhisperson,andthenpreached

over him. The man keptEugene down so long, LouandOz started toworry.Butwhen

Eugene came up, he smiled,

thanked the man, and thenwent back to the wagon.Diamond

set off on a dead run towardthe preacher, who waslooking around for othertakersof

divineimmersion.

Lou and Oz crept closer asDiamond went out in thewaterwith the holyman and

was

fully plunged under too. Hefinally surfaced, talked withthemanforaminute,slipped

somethinginhispocket,and,soaking wet and smiling,rejoined them, and they allheaded

tothewagon.

"You've never been baptized

before?"saidLou.

"Shoot," said Diamond,shaking the water from hishair, the cowlick of whichhadnot

been disturbed in the least,"that's my ninth timedunked."

"You're only supposed to doitonce,Diamond!"

"Well, ain't hurt keep doingit. Plan to work me up to ahunnerd. Figger I be a lockfor

heaventhen."

"That's not how it works,"exclaimedLou.

"Isso,"heshotback."Saysoin the Bible. Ever time yougetdunkeditmeansGod's

sending an angel to comelook after you. I figger I gotme a right good regiment bynow."

"That is not in the Bible,"insistedLou.

"Maybe you ought'n readyourBibleagin."

"WhichpartoftheBibleisitin?Tellmethat."

"Front part." Diamondwhistled for Jeb, ran the restofthewaytothewagon,andclimbed

on.

"Hey,Eugene,"hesaid,"Iletyou knowed next time they'sdunking.Wegoswimming

together."

"You were never baptized,

Eugene?" asked Lou as sheandOzclamboredontothe

wagon.

He shook his head. "Butsitting here I got me ahankering to do just that.'Bouttime,I

'xpect."

"I'm surprised Louisa neverhadyoubaptized."

"Miz Louisa, she believe inGodwithallhersoul.Butshedon'tsubscribetochurch

much.Shesay thewaysomefolk ran they's churches, ittakeGodrightoutchaheart."

As the wagon pulled off,Diamondslidfromhispocketa small glass jar with a tinscrew

cap. "Hey,Oz, I gotme this

from the preacher. Holydunkingwater."HehandedittoOz,

who looked down at itcuriously. "I figger you putsome on your ma from timetotime.

Betithep."

Lou was about to protest,when she received the shockofher life.Ozhandedthejar

back

toDiamond.

"No, thanks," he said quietlyandlookedaway.

"You sure?" askedDiamond.Ozsaidhewasrealsure,andsoDiamondtippedthebottle

over and poured out theblessed water. Lou and Ozexchanged a glance, and the

sadlook

onhisfacestunnedheragain.Lou looked to the sky,becauseshefiguredifOzhadgiven

uphope,theendoftheworldmust not be far behind. Sheturned her back to them alland

pretended to be admiring thesweepofmountains.

It was late afternoon. Cottonhad just finished reading toAmanda and it was apparentthat

he was experiencing agrowingsenseoffrustration.

Atthewindow,Louwatched,standing on an overturnedlardbucket.

Cotton looked at thewoman."Amanda, now I just know

you can hear me. You havetwo

childrenwhoneedyoubadly.You have to get out of thatbed.Forthemiffornoother

reason." He paused, seemingtoselecthiswordswithcare."Please,Amanda.Iwould

giveallIwilleverhaveifyouwouldget up rightnow."Ananxiousfewmomentswent

by, and Lou held her breath,yet the woman didn't budge.Cottonfinallybowedhishead

indespair.

WhenCottoncameoutofthehouse later and got in hisOldstoleave,Louhurriedup

carryingabasketoffood.

"Reading probably gives amananappetite."

"Well,thankyou,Lou."

He put the basket of food inthe seat next tohim. "Louisatellsmeyou'reawriter.What

doyouwanttowriteabout?"

Lou stood on the roadster'srunning board. "My dadwrote about this place, butnothing's

reallycomingtome."

Cotton looked out over themountains. "Your daddywasactuallyoneofthereasonsI

camehere.WhenIwasinlawschool at the University ofVirginia,Ireadhisveryfirst

novelandwasstruckbybothits power and beauty. AndthenIsawastoryinthe

newspaper about him. Hetalked about how the

mountains had inspired himso.Ithought

coming here would do thesame for me. I walked allover thesepartswithmypadand

pencil, waiting for beautifulphrases to seep intomyheadsoIcouldputthemdownon

the paper." He smiledwistfully. "Didn't exactly

workthatway."

Lousaidquietly,"Maybenotformeeither."

"Well, people seem to spendmost of their lives chasingsomething.Maybe that's partof

what makes us human."Cotton pointed down theroad."Youseethatoldshackdown

there?"Loulookedatamud-chinked, falling-down logcabintheynolongerused.

"Louisatoldmeaboutastoryyour father wrote when hewasa littleboy. Itwasabouta

family that survived onewinter up here in that littlehouse. Without wood, orfood."

"How'dtheydoit?"

"Theybelievedinthings."

"Likewhat?Wishingwells?"shesaidwithscorn.

"No, they believed in eachother.Andcreatedsomethingof amiracle. Some say truthis

stranger than fiction. I thinkthat means that whatever a

person can imagine reallydoes

exist, somewhere. Isn't that awonderfulpossibility?"

"I don't know if myimagination is that good,Cotton. In fact, I don't evenknowifI'm

muchofawriter.ThethingsIputdownonpaperdon'tseemtohavemuchlifetothem."

"Keep at it, you mightsurprise yourself. And restassured, Lou, miracles dohappen.You

and Oz coming here andgettingtoknowLouisabeingoneofthem."

Lou sat on her bed later thatnight,lookingathermother'sletters. When Oz came in,Lou

hurriedly stuffed them underherpillow.

"CanIsleepwithyou?"askedOz. "Kind'a scary in myroom.PrettysureIsawatrollin

thecorner."

Lou said, "Get up here." Ozclimbednexttoher.

Ozsuddenlylookedtroubled.

"Whenyougetmarried,whoamIgoingtocomegetinbed

withwhenI'mscared,Lou?"

"One day you're gonna getbigger than me, then I'mgoing to be running to youwhen/get

scared."

"Howdoyouknowthat?"

"Because that's the deal Godmakes between big sistersandtheirlittlebrothers."

"Me bigger than you?Really?"

"Lookatthoseclodhoppersofyours. You grow into thosefeetalltheway,you'llbe

biggerthanEugene."

Oz snuggled in, happy now.

Thenhesawthelettersunderthepillow.

"Whatarethose?"

"Just some old letters Momwrote,"Lousaidquickly.

"Whatdidshesay?"

"I don't know, I haven't readthem."

"Willyoureadthemtome?"

"Oz,it'slateandI'mtired."

"Please,Lou.Please."

HelookedsopitifulLoutookout a single letter and turnedupthewickonthekerosene

lampthatsatonthetablenexttoherbed.

"Allright,butjustone."

OzsettleddownasLoubegan

toread.

"DearLouisa, Ihopeyouaredoingwell.Weallare.Oz isoverthecroupandissleeping

throughthenight."

Oz jumped up. "That's me!Mom wrote about me!" Hepausedandlookedconfused.

"What'scroup?"

"You don't want to know.Now,doyouwantmetoreaditornot?"Ozlaybackdown

while his sister commencedreadingagain."Louwonfirstplaceinboththespellingbee

and the fifty-yard dash atMayDay.Thelatterincludedtheboys!She'ssomething,

Louisa. I've seenapictureofyou that Jack had, and the

resemblanceisremarkable.

They're both growing up sofast.Soveryfastitscaresme.Lou is so much like herfather.

Her mind is so quick, I'mafraid she finds me a littleboring. That thought keepsmeup

nights. I love her somuch. Itry to do so much with her.

And yet, well, you know, afather

andhisdaughter....Morenexttime.And pictures too. Lovetoyou.Amanda.P.S.My

dreamistobringthechildrento the mountain, so that wecanfinallymeetyou.Ihope

that dream comes true oneday."

Oz said, "That was a goodletter.Night,Lou."

As Oz drifted off to sleep,Lou slowly reached foranotherletter.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

LOU AND OZ WEREFOLLOWING DIAMONDANDJEBthroughthewoodsonagloriousday

in early fall, the dappledsunlight in their faces,acoolbreeze tracking them alongwith

thefadingscentsofsummer'shoneysuckleandwildrose.

"Wherearewegoing?"askedLou.

Diamond would only saymysteriously,"Yousee."

They went up a little inclineand stopped. Fifty feet awayandonthepathwasEugene,

carrying an empty coalbucket and a lantern. In hispocket was a stick ofdynamite.

Diamond said, "Eugeneheaded to the coal mine.Gonna fill up that bucket.Aforewinter

come, he'll take a drag downthere with themules and getoutabigload'acoal."

"Gee, that's aboutasexcitingaswatchingsomebodysleep,"wasLou'sconsidered

opinion.

"Huh!Wait till thatdynamiteblows,"counteredDiamond.

"Dynamite!"Ozsaid.

Diamondnodded."Coaldeepin that rock. Pick can't git toit.Gottablastitout."

"Isitdangerous?"askedLou.

"Naw. He knowed what hedoing.Doneitmyself."

As they watched from adistance, Eugene pulled thedynamite out of his pocketand

attached a long fuse to it.Then he lit his lantern andwent inside the mine.Diamondsat

back against a redbud, tookoutanapple,andcutitup.Heflicked a piece to Jeb, whowas

messing around someunderbrush. Diamond notedtheworriedlooksonmefacesofLou

andOz.

"That fuse slow-burning.Walk to the moon and backaforeitgooff."

A while later Eugene cameoutofthemineandsatdownonarockneartheentrance.

"Shouldn't he get away fromthere?"

"Naw. Don't use that much

dynamite for a bucketful.After it blow and the dustsettles,I

showyouroundinthere."

"What's to see in some oldmine?"askedLou.

Diamond suddenly hunchedforward. "I tell you what. Iseed some fellers down herelate

one night poking round.'MemberMissLouisatoldmetokeepmyeyesopen?Well,I

done that. They had lanternsand carrying boxes into themine.Wegoinandseewhat

they'supto."

"But what if they're in theminenow?"

"Naw. I come by just a bitago, looked round, threw arockinside.Andthey'sfresh

footprints in the dirt headingout. 'Sides, Eugene would'aseed'em."Hehadasudden

idea. "Hey, mebbe theyrunningshine,usingtheminetostorethestillandcornand

such."

"More likely they're justhobosusingtheminetokeepdryatnight,"saidLou.

"Ain't never heard tell of nohobosuphere."

"So why didn't you tellLouisa?"Louchallengedhim.

"She got enough to worry'bout.Checkitoutfirst.Whatamando."

Jebflushedoutasquirrelandchased it arounda treewhiletheyallwatchedandwaited

fortheexplosion.

Lou said, "Why don't youcomelivewithus?"

Diamondstaredather,clearlytroubledby this question.Heturnedtohishound."Cutit

out, Jeb. That squirrel ain't

doingnuthin'toyou."

Louadded,"Imean,wecoulduse the help. Another strongmanaround.AndJebtoo."

"Naw. I a feller what needshisfreedom."

"Hey, Diamond," said Oz,"youcouldbemybigbrother.Then Lou wouldn't have tobeat

upeverybodybyherself."

Lou and Diamond smiled ateachother.

"Maybe you should thinkaboutit,"saidLou.

"MebbeIwill."He lookedatthe mine. "Ain't be longnow."

They sat back and waited.Then the squirrel broke free

from the woods and flashedright

intothemine.Jebplungedinafterit.

Diamond leapt to his feet."Jeb! Jeb! Git back here!"The boy charged out of thewoods.

Eugenemadeagrabforhim,butDiamonddodgedhimandranintothemine.

Lou screamed, "Diamond!Don't!"

Sheranforthemineentrance.

Oz shouted, "Lou, no!Comeback!"

Before she could reach theentrance, Eugene grabbedher. "Wait here. I git him,Miss

Lou."

Eugene fast-limped into themine, screaming, "Diamond!Diamond!"

Lou and Oz looked at eachother, terrified. Time tickedby. Lou paced in nervouscircles

near the entrance. "Please,please. Hurry." She went totheentrance,heardsomething

coming."Diamond!Eugene!"

But it was Jeb that cameracing out of the mine afterthe squirrel. Lou grabbed atthedog,

and then the con-cussiveforce of the explosionknocked Lou off her feet.Dustanddirt

poured out of the mine, andLou coughed and gagged inthis maelstrom. Oz raced tohelp

her while Jeb barked andjumped.

Lougotherbearingsandherbreath and stumbled to theentrance. "Eugene!Diamond!"

Finally, she could hearfootsteps coming.They drewcloser and closer, and theyseemed

unsteady. Lou said a silent

prayer. It seemed to takeforever, but then Eugeneappeared,

dazed, covered with dirt,bleeding.He looked at them,tearsonhisface.

"Damn,MissLou."

Lou tookonestepback, thenanother, and then another.Then she turned and randown

the trail as fast as she could,herwailscoveringthemall.

Some men carried thecovered body ofDiamond toa wagon. They had had towaitfora

while to let the smoke clearout, and tomake certain thatthe mine would not collapseon

them. Cotton watched the

mentakeDiamondaway,andthen went over to Eugene,who

satonalargerock,holdingawet cloth to his bloodiedhead.

"Eugene,sureyoudon'tneedanythingelse?"

Eugene looked at the minelike he expected to seeDiamond walk out with his

stuck-up

hair and silly smile. "All Ineed,Mr.Cotton,isthisbeabaddreamIwakemyselfup

from."

Cottonpattedhisbigshoulderand then glanced at Lousittingonalittlehumpofdirt,her

backtothemine.Hewent to

herandsatdown.

Lou's eyes were raw fromcrying, her cheeks stainedwith tears. She was hunchedoverin

alittleball,likeeverypartofherwasinwrenchingpain.

"I'm sorry, Lou. Diamondwasafineboy."

"Hewasaman.Afineman\"

"I suppose you're right. Hewasaman."

Lou eyed Jeb, who satmournfully at the mineentrance.

"Diamonddidn'thavetogointhatmineafterJeb."

"Well, that dog was allDiamondhad.Whenyoulovesomething, you can't just sitbyand

notdoanything."

Lou picked up some pineneedles and then let a fewtrickle out between herfingers.

Minutes passed before shespoke again. "Why do thingslikethishappen,Cotton?"

Hesigheddeeply."IsupposeitmaybeGod'swayoftellingustolovepeoplewhile

they're here, becausetomorrow theymay be gone.I guess that's a pretty sorryanswer,but

I'm afraid it's the only oneI'vegot."

They were silent for a bitlonger.

"I'dliketoreadtomymom,"saidLou.

Cottonsaid,"That'sthefinestideaI'veeverheard."

"Why is it a fine idea?" shedemanded. "I really need toknow."

"Well, if someone she knew,someone she... loved wouldreadtoher,itmightmakeall

thedifference."

"Do you really think she

knows?"

"When I carriedyourmotheroutside that day, I washolding a living personfightinglike

the devil to get out. I couldfeel it.Andshewilloneday.Ibelieveitwithallmyheart,

Lou."

She shook her head. "It's

hard, Cotton. To let yourselflove something you knowyoumay

neverhave."

Cotton nodded slowly."You're wise beyond youryears. And what you saymakesperfect

sense. But I think when itcomestomattersoftheheart,perfectsensemaybethelast

thingyouwanttolistento."

Loulettherestoftheneedlesfall and wiped her handsclean. "You're a good mantoo,

Cotton."

He put his arm around herand they sat there together,neitheroneofthemwillingtolook

at the blackened, swollencavity of the coal mine thathad taken their friend fromthem

forever.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

THERE WAS ENOUGHSTEADY RAIN, ANDSOME THUN-derstormsaddedtotheplenty,such

that virtually all the cropscame in healthy and inabundance. One fiercehailstorm

damaged some of the corn,butnottoanygreatextent.Astretchofpowerfulraindid

washagullyoutofahill,likea scoop of ice cream, but noperson,animal,orcropwas

hurtbyit.

Harvesting time was fullupon them, and Louisa,Eugene,Lou,andOzworkedhardand

long, which was good,because it gave them littletime to think aboutDiamondnotbeing

with them anymore.Occasionallytheywouldheartheminesiren,andthenabitlaterthe

slow rumbling of theexplosion would come. Andeach time Louisawould leadthemall

in a song to take theirmindsoff Diamond's having beenkilledbysuchanawfulthing.

LouisadidnotspeakmuchofDiamond's passing. Yet Lounoted that she readherBiblea

lot more often by thefirelight,andhereyesswelledwithtearswheneverhisnamewas

mentioned, or when shelookedatJeb.Itwashardforallofthem,yetalltheycoulddo

was keep going, and therewasmuchtodo.

They harvested the pinto

beans, cast them in Chopbags,stompedthemtogetthehusks

off, and had them for dinnerevery night with gravy andbiscuits.Theypickedthepole

beans, which had grown uparoundthecornstalks,careful,asLouisaschooledthem,to

avoid the green stingerworms that lived under the

leaves. They scythed thecornfieldand

bundled the cornstalks intoshocks, which they stood inthe field, and which wouldlater

be used for livestock feed.They shucked the corn,hauled it by sled to thecorncrib,and

filled it to almost

overflowing.Fromadistancethe tumble of cobs lookedlikeyellowjackets at frenziedplay.

The potatoes came in thickand fat, and with churnedbutter were a meal bythemselves.

The tomatoes came in too,plump and blood red, eatenwhole or sliced, and also cutup

and canned in jars in a greatironkettleonthestove,alongwithbeansandpeppersand

many other vegetables. Theystacked the jars in thefoodsafeandunderthestairs.They

filled lard buckets with wildstrawberries andgooseberries, and apples bythebushel,

made jams and pies, andcanned the rest.Theygrounddown the cane stalks andmade

molasses,andshelledsomeofthe corn and made cornmealandfriedcracklingbread.

ItseemedtoLouthatnothingwas wasted; it was anefficient process and sheadmiredit,

even as she and Oz workedthemselvestoneardeathfrombeforesunuptolongafter

sundown. Everywhere theyturnedwithtoolorhand,foodwas flying at them. Thismade

Lou thinkofBillyDavisandhis family having nothing toeat.Shethoughtaboutitso

much she talked to Louisa

aboutit.

"Youstayuptomorrownight,Lou, and you'll find that youandmethinkingonthesame

line."

All of themwere waiting bythe barn late that nightwhentheyheardawagoncoming

down the road. Eugene heldupalanternandthelightfell

uponBillyDavisashepulled

the mules to a halt andnervously stared at Lou andOz.

Louisa approached thewagon. "Billy, I thought wemight need some help. Iwant'amake

sure you get a good load.Landbeenrealfinetousthisyear."

Billy looked embarrassed foramoment,butthenLousaid,"Hey,Billy,comeon,I'm

goingtoneedyourmuscletoliftthisbucket."

Thus encouraged, Billyjumped down to help. Theyallspentasolidhour loadingbagsof

cornmeal,canningjarsfullofbeans and tomatoes, and

buckets of rutabagas, col-lards,

cucumbers, potatoes, apples,plumpcabbages,pears,sweetpotatoes,onions,andeven

somecutsofsaltedhogmeatonthatwagon.

While Lou was loading, shesaw Louisa take Billy to acornerofthebarnandlookathis

facewitha lantern.Thenshehad him raise his shirt, andshedidanexaminationthere

and came away apparentlysatisfied.

WhenBillyturnedthewagonaround and left, the mulesstrained under the newweight,

and the boy carried a bigsmile as he flicked the whip

and disappeared into thenight.

"Theycan'thideall thatfoodfrom George Davis," Lousaid.

"I been doing this many ayear now. Man never oncefretted about where thebounty

comefrom."

Loulookedangry."That'snotfair. He sells his crop andmakes money, and we feedhis

family."

"What'sfair isamommaandher children eating good,"answeredLouisa.

"Whatwereyoucheckingforunderhisshirt?"askedLou.

"Georgeissmart.Mosttimeshits where the clothingcovers."

"Why didn't you just askBillyifhehadhithim?""Justlike an empty lunch pail,children

willliewhentheyshamed."

Withall theirsurplus,Louisadecided the fourwould drivethewagonladenwithcrops

downtothelumbercamp.Onthe day of the trip Cottoncame over to look afterAmanda.

The lumber folks wereexpecting them, for quite acrowd had gathered by thetimethey

arrived.Thecampwas large,with its own school, store,andpostoffice.Becausethe

camp was forced to movefrequently when forests hadbeen exhausted, the entiretown

was on rails, including theworkers' homes, the school,andthestore.Theywerelaidout

on various spurs like aneighborhood.When amovewas called for, thelocomotives

hookeduptothecarsandoffthe entire townwent in shortorder.

The lumber camp familiespaidfor thecropseitherwithcash money or with barteritems,

such as coffee, sugar, toiletpaper, stamps, pencils andpaper,somethrow-offclothesand

shoes, and old newspapers.Lou had ridden Sue down,and she and Oz took turnsgiving

the camp children rides freeof charge, but the patronscould "donate" peppermintsticks

and other delicacies if theysawfit,andmanydid.

Later, from atop the sharp

spine of a ridge, they lookeddownwhereashaftofthe

McCloud River flowed. Asplashdamofstoneandwoodhadbeencreateddownriver,

artificially backing the waterupandcoveringbouldersandotherobstructionsthatmade

log transport by riverdifficult. Here the water wasfilledbanktobankwithtrees,

mostly

mightypoplar,thebottomsofthe trunks scored with thelumber company's brand.They

looked like pencils from thisgreatheight,but thenOzandLounotedthatthesmall

specksoneachof themwereactually full-grown menriding the logs. They would

float

down to the splashdam,whereavitalwedgewouldbekicked out, and thethundering

water would carry the treesdownriver,where theywouldbetiedoffandVirginialogs

would ride on to Kentuckymarkets.

As Lou surveyed the landfrom this high perch,something seemed to bemissing.Ittook

her a moment to realize thatwhat was absent was thetrees.Asfarasshecouldsee,there

were just stumps.When theywentbackdowntothecamp,shealsonotedthatsomeof

theraillineswereempty.

"Sucked just 'bout all thewoodwecanfromhere,"oneofthelumberjacksproudly

explained. "Be heading outsoon." He didn't seembothered by this at all. Loufiguredhe

was probably used to it.Conquer and move on, theonly trace of their presence

thebutts

ofwoodleftbehind.

On the trip home they tiedSue to the wagon and LouandOzrodeinthebackwith

Eugene. It had been a gooddayforeveryone,butOzwasthe happiest of them all, forhe

had"won"anofficialbaseball

fromoneofthecampboysbythrowingitfartherthanany

of them.He told them itwashis proudest possessionbehind the graveyard rabbit'sfoot

Diamond Skinner had givenhim.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

IN READING TO HER

MOTHER, LOU CHOSENOTBOOKS,butratherGritnewspapers,and

some copies of the SaturdayEveningPost theyhadgottenfromthelumbercamp.Lou

would stand against the wallof her mother's room, thepaper or magazine held infrontof

her,andreadoftheeconomy,

world catastrophes, Hitler'sbludgeoningwaracross

Europe, politics, the arts,movies,andthelatestnewsofwriting and writers, whichmade

Lou realize how long it hadbeen since she had actuallyread a book. School wouldstart

againverysoon;evenso,she

had ridden Sue over to BigSpruceafewdaysbeforeand

borrowed some readingmaterial forherandOz fromthe "lending library," withEstelle

McCoy's permission ofcourse.

Louisa had taught Eugene toreadwhenhewasachild,andsoLoubroughtabookfor

him too. He was concernedhewouldfindnotimetoreadit,andyethedid,lateatnight

under lamplight, hismoistened thumb slowlyturning the pages as heconcentrated.Other

times Lou helped him withhiswordsastheyworkedthefieldsinpreparationforthe

coming winter, or when

milkingthecowsbykerosenelamp. Lou would take himthrough

the Grits and the Posts andEugene particularly likedsaying "Roooosevelt,President

Roooosevelt," a name thatappeared often in the Gritpages. The cows looked athim

strangely whenever he said"Roooosevelt," as thoughtheythoughthewasactually

mooingat them in apeculiarway. And Lou couldn't helpbutgapewhenEugeneasked

her why somebody wouldnametheirchildPresident.

"You ever think about livingsomewhere else?" Lou askedhimonemorningwhilethey

weremilking.

Hesaid,"MountainallIseed,butIknowedtheyalotmo'tothisworld."

"I could take you to the cityoneday.Buildingssotallyoucan'twalkupthem.Youride

in an elevator."He lookedather curiously. "A little carthatpullsyouupanddown,"she

explained.

"Car? What, like'n theHudson?"

"No, more like a little roomyoustandin."

Eugene thought thatinteresting, but said he'dprobablyjuststicktofarmingonthe

mountain. "Want'a get

hitched, have me a family,raisethechillingood."

"You'd make a good dad,"shesaid.

Hegrinned."Well,you'dbeafine ma. How you is withyourbrotherandall."

Lou stared at him and said,"My mother was a greatmom." Lou tried to recall ifshehad

ever actually told hermotherthat.Louknewshehadspentmostofheradorationonher

father.Itwasaverytroublingthought to her, since it wasnowbeyondremedy.

A week after her ride to theschool library, Lou had justfinishedreadingtoAmanda,

whenshewentouttothebarntobebyherself.Sheclimbed

tomehayloftandsatinthe

opening of the double doorsand looked across the valleytothemountainsbeyond.

Pondering her mother'sdepressingfuture,Loufinallyturnedherthoughtstothelossof

Diamond.Shehadtriedtoputit out of her mind, but sherealized she never really

could.

Diamond'sfuneralhadbeenastrange yet heartfelt affair.Peoplehademergedfrom

slivers of farms and crevicesof homesteads that Lou wasunawareevenexisted,andall

thesepeoplecametoLouisa'shome by horse, ox, mule,foot, and tractor, and evenone

battered Packard with all itsdoorsmissing. Folks troopedthroughwithplatesofgood

foodandjugsofcider.Therewere no formal preachers inattendance,butanumberof

folks stood and with shyvoicesofferedcomfortforthefriends of the deceased. Thecedar

coffin sat in the front room,

its lid securely nailed down,fornoonehadadesiretosee

what dynamite had done toDiamondSkinner.

Louwasnot sure that all theolder folks were reallyDiamond's friends, yet sheassumed

they had been friends of hisfather. In fact she had heardoneoldgentbythenameof

BufordRose,whohadaheadof thick white hair and fewteeth,mutterabouttheblunt

irony of both father and sonhaving been done in by thedamnmines.

They laid Diamond to restnext to the graves of hisparents, their mounds longsince

pulled back into the earth.

VariouspeoplereadfromtheBible and there were morethana

few tears. Oz stood in thecenterofmemallandboldlyannounced that his often-baptized

friendwasa lockforheaven.Louisa laidabundleofdriedwildflowersinthegrave,

stepped back, started to talk

butthencouldn't.

Cotton offered up a fineeulogy to his young friendand recited a few examplesfroma

storyteller he said he muchadmired: Jimmy "Diamond"Skinner. "In his own way,"said

Cotton, "he would put toshame many of the finest

taletellersoftheday."

Lou said a few quiet words,addressing themreally toherfriendintheboxunderthe

freshly turned dirt thatsmelled sweet yet sickenedher. But hewas not betweenthose

planks of cedar, Lou knew.He had gone on to a placehigher even than the

mountains.He

wasbackwithhisfather,andwasseeinghismotherfortheveryfirsttime.Hemust

surely be happy. Lou raisedher hand to the sky andwaved good-bye once againtoa

person who had come tomean so much to her, andwhowasnowgoneforever.

A few days after the burial,Lou and Oz had ventured toDiamond's tree house andtook

an accounting of hisbelongings. Lou saidDiamond would naturallywantOztohavethe

bird skeleton, the Civil Warbullet, the flint arrowhead,andthecrudetelescope.

"Butwhatdoyouget?"askedOz, as he examined hisinheritedspoils.

Lou picked up the box andtookoutthelumpofcoal,theoneallegedlycontainingthe

diamond. Shewouldmake ithermission to chip carefullyawayatit,foraslongasit

took,until thebrilliantcenterwasfinallyrevealed,andthen

shewouldgoandburyit

with Diamond. When shenotedthesmallpieceofwoodlyingonthefloorinthebackof

the tree house, she sensedwhat it was before ever shepickeditup.Itwasawhittled

piece,notyetfinished.

It was cut from hickory,

shape of a heart, the letter Lcarvedononeside,analmost

finished D on the other.DiamondSkinnerhadknownhis letters. Lou pocketed mewood

and coal, climbed down thetree, and didn't stop runninguntilshewasbackhome.

Theyhad,ofcourse, adoptedthe loyal Jeb, and he seemed

comfortablearoundthem,

though he would sometimesgrow depressed and pine forhisoldmaster.Yethetoo

seemedtoenjoythetripsLouandOztooktoseeDiamond'sgrave,andthedog,inthe

mysteriouswayofthecaninepet,wouldstarttoyipanddospinsintheairwhenthey

drew near to it. Lou and Ozwouldspreadfall leavesoverthemoundandsitandtalkto

Diamond and to each otherandretellthefunnythingstheboy had done or said, andthere

wasnoshortsupplyofeither.Then they would wipe theireyesandheadhome,surein

theirheartsthathisspiritwas

roamingfreelyonhisbelovedmountain,hishairjustas

stuck up, his smile just aswide, his feet just as bare.DiamondSkinnerhadhadno

material possessions to hisname and yet had been thehappiest creature Lou hadever

met. He and God would nodoubtgetalongfamously.

They prepared for winter bysharpening tools with thegrinder and rattail files,mucking

out the stalls and spreadingthemanure over the plowed-underfields.Louisahadbeen

wrongaboutthat, though,forLou never grew to love thesmell of manure. Theybrought

the livestock in, kept themfed and watered, milked thecows, and did their otherchores,

which now all seemed asnatural as breathing. Theycarried jugs of milk andbutter,and

jars of mixed pickles invinegarandbrine,andcannedsauerkrautandbeansdowntothe

partially underground dairyhouse, which had thick logwalls, daubed and chinked,and

paperstuffedwheremudhadfallen away. And theyrepaired everything on thefarmthat

calledforit.

School started, and, true tohisfather'swords,BillyDavis

nevercameback.Nomention

was made of his absence, asthough the boy had neverexisted. Lou found herselfthinking

of him from time to time,though,andhopedhewasallright.

After chores were done onelate fall evening, Louisa sentLou and Oz down to the

creek

that ran on the south side ofthe property to fetch ballsfrom the sycamore trees thatgrew

inabundancethere.Theballshadsharpstickers,butLouisatoldthemtheywouldbeused

for Christmas decorations.Christmas was still a waysoff, but Lou and Oz did as

they

weretold.

When they got back, theyweresurprisedtoseeCotton'scar in front. The house wasdark

and they cautiously openedthedoor,unsureofwhattheywould find. The lights flewup

as Louisa and Eugene tookthe black cloths from aroundthe lanterns and they andCotton

called out "HappyBirthday,"inamostexcitedtone.Anditwastheirbirthday,bothof

them, for Lou and Oz hadbeen born on the same day,five years apart, as Amandahad

informedLouisainoneofherletters. Lou was officially ateenagernow,andOzhad

survivedtotheripeoldageofeight.

Awild-strawberrypiewasonthe table, alongwith cups ofhotcider.Twosmallcandles

were in the pie and Oz andLou together blew them out.Louisapulledoutthepresents

she had been working on allthis time, on her Singersewingmachine: aChop bagdress

for Lou that was a prettyfloral pattern of red andgreen, and a smart jacket,trousers,and

white shirt for Oz that hadbeen created from clothesCottonhadgivenher.

Eugene had carved twowhistles for them that gaveoff different tunes, such thatthey

could communicate whenapart in the deep woods oracross acres of field. Themountains

wouldsendanechotothesunand back, Louisa told them.Theygavetheirwhistlesa

blast,whichtickledtheirlips,makingthemgiggle.

Cotton presented Lou with abook of poems by WaltWhitman. "My ancestor'ssuperiorin

the arena of the poem, if Imay so humbly admit," hesaid.Andthenhepulledfromabox

something that made Oz

forget to breathe. Thebaseballmittswere things ofbeauty, welloiled, worn toperfection, smelling of fineleather, sweat, and summergrass,andnodoubt

holding timeless andcherished childhood dreams."They were mine growingup,"Cotton

said."ButI'membarrassedtoadmit thatwhile I'm not that

goodofalawyer,I'mafar

better lawyer thanIeverwasa ballplayer. Two mitts, foryouandLou.Andmetoo,if

you'll put upwithmy feebleathletic skills from time totime."

Ozsaidhewouldbeproudto,and he hugged the glovestight to his chest. Then theyate

heartily of the pie and drankdownthecider.AfterwardOzputonhissuit,whichfitvery

nicely; he looked almost likea tiny lawyer. Louisa hadwiselytuckedextramaterial

under the hems to allow forthe boy's growth, whichseemed now to occur daily.So

dressed,Oz tookhisbaseball

gloves and his whistle andwent to show his mother. Alittle

whilelaterLouheardstrangesounds coming fromAmanda's bedroom. Whenshewentto

check, she saw Oz standingonastool,asheetaroundhisshoulders,abaseballgloveon

his head like a crown, and

brandishingalongstick.

"And thegreatOz thebrave,and not cowardly lionanymore, killed all thedragonsand

saved all themoms and theyall livedhappilyeverafter inVirginia."Hetookoffhis

crown of oiled leather andgave a series of sweepingbows."Thankyou,myloyal

subjects,notroublea'-tall."

Oz sat next to his mother,lifted a book off the night-stand,andopenedittoaplace

marked by a slip of paper."Okay,Mom," saidOz, "thisis the scary part, but just soyou

know, the witch doesn't eatthechildren."Heinchedclosetoher,drapedoneofherarms

aroundhiswaist,andwithbigeyes started to read the scarypart.

Louwentbacktomekitchen,sat at the table in her Chopbagdress,whichalsowell

suited her, and read thebrilliant words of Whitmanby the glow of reliablekerosene.It

became so late that Cotton

stayed,andsleptcurledupinfrontofthecoalfire.And

another fine day had passedonthemountain.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

WITHOUT EITHERLOUISA OR EUGENEKNOWING, Lou took alanternandamatchandshe

andOzrodeSuedowntothe

mine.Lou jumpeddown,butOzsatonmehorseandstared

at the mouth of that cave asthough it were the directportal to hell. "I'm not goingin

there,"hedeclared

"Thenwaitouthere,"saidhissister.

"Why do you want to go in

there? After what happenedtoDiamond?Themountain

might fall in on you. And Ibetit'dhurtbad."

"IwanttoknowwhatthemenDiamondsawwereupto."

Lou lit the lantern and wentin. Oz waited near theentrance, pacing nervously,andthen

heranin,quicklycatchinguptohissister.

"I thought you weren'tcoming,"Lousaid.

"I thought you might getscared," Oz answered, evenasheclutchedathershirt.

Theymovedalong, shiveringfrom the cool air and theirtendernerves.Loulooked

around and saw whatappeared to be new supportbeams along the walls andceilingof

the shaft. On the walls shealso sawvariousmarkings inwhat looked to be whitepaint.A

loud hissing sound reachedouttothemfromupahead.

"Asnake?"askedOz.

"If it is, it's about the sizeofthe Empire State Building.Come on." They hurriedahead

and the hissing sound grewlouder with each step. Theyturned one corner, and thesound

became even louder, likesteamescaping.Theyclearedone more turn, ran forward,edged

around a final bend in therock, and stopped. The menwore hard hats and carriedbatterypowered lights, andtheirfaceswerecoveredwithmasks. In the floor of theminewasa

hole,with a largemetal pipeinsertedinit.Amachinethatlookedlikeapumpwas

attachedbyhoses to thepipeand was making the hissing

soundtheyhadheard.The

masked men were standingaroundthehole,butdidn'tseethechildren.LouandOz

backed up slowly and thenturned and ran. Right intoJudd Wheeler. Then theydodged

aroundhimandkeptrightonrunning.

A minute later Lou and Ozburst out of the mine. Loustopped next to Sue andscrambled

on, but Oz, apparentlyunwillingtotrusthissurvivalto something as slow as ahorse,

flewbysisterandmarelikearocket. Lou punched Sue intheribswithhershoesand

tookoffafterherbrother.Shedidn'tgainanygroundontheboy,however,asOzwas

suddenlyfasterthanacar.

Cotton, Louisa, Lou, and Ozwere having a powwowaroundthekitchentable.

"You crazy to go in thatmine,"saidLouisaangrily.

"Thenwewouldn'thaveseen

thosemen,"repliedLou.

Louisa struggled with thisandthensaid,"G'onnow.MeandCottonneedtotalk."

After Lou and Oz left, shelookedatCotton.

"So what you think?" sheasked.

"FromhowLou described it,I think theywere looking for

naturalgasinsteadofoil.And

foundit."

"Whatshouldwedo?"

"They're on your propertywithoutyourpermission, andthey know that we know. Ithink

they'llcometoyou."

"I ain't selling my land,

Cotton."

Cotton shook his head. "No,what you can do is sell themineralrights.Andkeepthe

land. And gas isn't like coalmining. They won't have todestroytheland."

She shook her headstubbornly. "Had us a goodharvest. Don't need no helpfrom

nobody."

Cotton looked down andspokeslowly."Louisa,Ihopeyououtliveallofus.But thefact

is,ifthosechildrencomeintothe farm while they're stillunder age, it'd be rightdifficult

for them to get along." Hepaused and then added

quietly, "And Amanda mayneed

specialcare."

Louisa nodded slightly at hiswordsbutsaidnothing.

Later, she watched Cottondrive off, while Oz and Louplayfully chased hisconvertible

down the road, and Eugene

diligently worked on somefarmequipment.Thiswasthesum

total of Louisa's world.Everything seemed to movealongsmoothly,yetitwasallvery

fragile, she well knew. Thewoman leaned against thedoorwithamostwearyface.

The Southern Valley men

cametheverynextafternoon.

Louisa opened the door andJudd Wheeler stood there,and beside him was a littleman

with snake eyes and a slicksmile, dressed in a well-cutthree-piecesuit.

"Miss Cardinal, my name'sJudd Wheeler. I work forSouthern Valley Coal and

Gas.This

is Hugh Miller, the vicepresidentofSouthern."

"And you want my naturalgas?"shesaidbluntly.

"Yes, ma'am," repliedWheeler.

"Well, it's a right good thingmy lawyer's here," she said,glancingatCotton,whohad

come into the kitchen fromAmanda'sbedroom.

"Miss Cardinal," said HughMiller as they sat down, "Idon't believe in beatingaroundthe

bush.Iunderstandthatyou'veinherited some additionalfamilyresponsibilities,andI

knowhowtryingthatcanbe.So I ammost happy to offer

you...ahundredthousand

dollarsforyourproperty.AndI've got the check, and thepaperwork for you to sign,right

here."

Louisa had never held morethan five dollars cashmoneyinherwholelife,so"My

goodness!"was all she could

manage.

"Just so we all understand,"Cotton said, "Louisa wouldjustbesellingtheunderlying

mineralrights."

Miller smiled and shook hishead."I'mafraidforthatkindof money, we expect to getthe

landtoo."

"I ain't gonna do that," saidLouisa.

Cotton said, "Why can't shejust convey the mineralrights?It'sacommonpracticeup

here."

"We have big plans for herproperty. Gonna level themountain,putinagoodroad

system, and build anextraction, production, andshipping facility. And thelongestdurn

pipeline anybody's seenoutsideofTexas.We'vespenta while looking. Thispropertyis

perfect. Don't see onenegative."

Louisa scowled at him. "

'Cept I ain't selling it to you.You ain't scalping this landlike

youdoneeverywhereelse."

Miller leaned forward. "Thisarea is dying,Miss Cardinal.Lumbergone.Minesclosing.

Folks losing their jobs.Whatgood are the mountainsunless you use them to helppeople?

It'sjustrockandtrees."

"Igotmeadeed to this landsays I own it, but nobodyreally own the mountains. Ijust

watching over 'em while Ihere.And they giveme all Ineed."

Miller looked around. "Allyou need? Why, you don'teven have electricity or

phonesup

here.AsaGodfearingwomanI'm sure you realize that ourcreatorgaveusbrainssothat

wecantakeadvantageofoursurroundings. What's amountaincomparedtopeople

making a good living?Why,what you're doing is goingagainsttheScriptures,Ido

believe."

Louisastaredatthelittlemanand looked as though shemight laugh. "God madethese

mountains so's they lastforever.Yetheputuspeoplehereforjustalittle-bittytime.

Now, what does that tellyou?"

Miller looked exasperated."Look here now, mycompanyislookingtomakeasubstantial

investment in bringing thisplace back to life. How canyou stand in the way of allthat?"

Louisa stood. "Just like Ialwaysdone.Onmyowntwofeet.

Cotton followed Miller andWheelertotheircar.

"Mr. Longfellow," saidMiller, "you ought to talkyourclientintoacceptingour

proposal."

Cottonshookhishead."OnceLouisa Mae Cardinal makesuphermind,changingitis

akin to trying to stop the sun

fromrising."

"Well, the sun goes downeverynighttoo,"saidMiller.

Cotton watched as theSouthern Valley men droveoff.

The small church was in ameadowafewmilesfromtheCardinalfarm.Itwasbuiltof

rough-hewn timbers and had

a small steeple, one modestwindow of ordinary glass,and

an abundance of charm. Itwas time for a down-on-the-ground church service andsupper,

and Cotton had driven Lou,Oz, andEugene. They calledit down-on-the-ground,Cotton

explained,becausetherewereno tables or chairs, but onlyblankets,sheets,andcanvas;

one large picnic under theguiseofchurchgoing.

Louhadofferedtostayhomewith her mother so Louisacouldgo,butthewoman

wouldn'thearofit."IreadmemyBible,IpraytomyLord,butIain'tneedingtobe

sittingandsingingwithfolkstoprovemyfaith."

"WhyshouldIgothen?"Louhadasked.

“ 'Cause after church issupper, and that food ain't tobe beat, girl," Louisaansweredwith

asmile.

Oz had on his suit, and Lou

woreherChopbagdressandthickbrownstockingsheldup

by rubber bands, whileEugeneworethehatLouhadgiven him and a clean shirt.There

were a few other Negroesthere, including one petiteyoung woman withremarkableeyes

and beautifully smooth skin

with whom Eugene spentconsiderable time talking.Cotton

explained that there were sofew Negroes up this way,they didn't have a separatechurch.

"And I'm right glad of that,"hesaid."Notusuallythatwaydownsouth,andinthetowns

theprejudiceissurelythere."

"We saw the 'Whites Only'signinDickens,"saidLou.

"I'm sure you did," saidCotton. "But mountains aredifferent. I'm not sayingeverybody

up here is a saint, becausethey're surely not, but life ishard and folks just trying toget

by. Doesn't leave much time

to dwell on things theyshouldn'tdwelloninthefirstplace."

He pointed to the first rowand said, "George Davis anda few others excepted, thatis."

Lou looked on in shock atGeorge Davis sitting in thefrontpew.Hehadonasuitofclean

clothes,hishairwascombed,and he had shaved. Lou hadtogrudginglyadmitthathe

looked respectable. None ofhis family was with him,though.His headwas bowedin

prayer. Before the servicestarted, Lou asked Cottonaboutthisspectacle.

He said, "George Davis

almost always comes toservices, but he never staysforthemeal.

And he never brings hisfamily because that's just theway he is. I would hope hecomes

andpraysbecausehefeelshehasmuch to atone for. But Ithinkhe'sjusthedginghis

bets. A calculating man, he

is."

Lou looked at Davis therepraying like God was in hisheart and home, while hisfamily

remained behind in rags andfear and would have starvedexceptforthekindnessof

Louisa Cardinal. She couldonly shake her head. ThenshesaidtoCotton,"Whatever

you

do, don't stand next to thatman."

Cottonlookedather,puzzled."Whynot?"

"Lightning bolts," sheanswered.

For too many hours theylistened to the circuitminister, their rumps worn

sorebyhard

oak benches, their nosestickled by the scents of lyesoap, lilac water, and grittiersmells

from those who had notbothered to wash beforecoming.Oznoddedofftwice,andLou

had tokickhimeach time torousehim.Cottonofferedup

aspecialprayerforAmanda,

whichLouandOzverymuchappreciated. However, itseemedtheywerealldoomedto

hell according to this fleshyBaptist minister. Jesus hadgivenhislifeforthem,anda

sorry lot they were, he said,himself included. Not goodfor much other than sinning

and

similar lax ways. Then theholymanreallygotgoingandreduced every human beingin

theplacetoneartears,ortoatleast the shakes, at theirextreme uselessness and atthe

guilt dwelling in their awfulsinned-outsouls.Andthenhe

passed the collection plateand

asked very politely for thecoldhardcashof all the finefolks there today, their awfulsin

and extreme uselessnessnotwithstanding.

Afterservicestheyallheadedoutside."Myfather'sapastorinMassachusetts,"said

Cotton, as theywalkeddownthe church steps. "And he'salso right partial to the fireand

brimstonemethodofreligion.OneofhisheroeswasCottonMather,whichiswhereIgot

myrathercuriousname.AndI know that my father wasgreatlyupsetwhenIdidnot

follow him on to the pulpit,

butsuchislife.IhadnogreatcallingfromtheLord,and

didn'twanttodotheministryany disservice just to pleasemyfather.Now,I'mnoexpert

on the subject, yet a bodydoes get weary of beingdragged through the holybriarpatch

only to have his pocketregularly picked by a pious

hand." Cotton smiled as hesurveyed

thefolksgatheringaroundthefood. "But I guess it's a fairprice to pay to sample someof

thesegoodvittles."

ThefoodindeedwassomeofthebestLouandOzhadeverhad: baked chicken,sugarcured Virginia ham,

collard greens and bacon,fluffy grits heaped withchurnedbutter,

fried crackling bread,vegetable casseroles, many-kind beans, and warm fruitpies—allno

doubt created with the mostsacredandcloselyguardedoffamilyrecipes.Thechildren

ate until they could eat no

more, and then lay under atreetorest.

Cotton was sitting on thechurch steps, working on achicken leg and a cup of hotcider,

and enjoying the peace of agoodchurchsupper,whenthemenapproached.Theywere

all farmers,with strong armsand blocky shoulders, a

forward lean to all of them,their

fingerscurledtight,asthoughthey were still working thehoe or scythe, toting bucketsof

waterorpullingudderteats.

"Evening, Buford," saidCotton, inclining his head atoneofthemenwhostepped

forward from the pack, felthat in hand. Cotton knewBufordRose tobea toiler indirt

and seed of long standinghere,andagood,decentman.His farm was small, but heranit

efficiently.HewasnotsooldasLouisa,buthehadsaidsolongtomiddleageyearsago.

Hemadenomovetotalk,hisgaze fixed on his crumblingbrogans.Cottonlookedatthe

othermen,mostofwhomheknewfromhelpingthemwithsomegalproblem,usuallyto

dowith their deeds,wills, ortaxes. "Something on yourminds?"heprompted.

Bufordsaid,"Coalfolkcomeby toseeusall,Cotton.Talk

'bouttheland.Sellingit,that

is."

"Hear they're offering goodmoney,"saidCotton.

Buford glanced nervously athis companions, his fingersdigging into his hat brim."Well,

theyain'tgotthatferyet.See,thing is, they ain't a'wanting

tobuyourland'lessLouisa

sell.Sayitgottodowithhowthe gas lie and all. I ain'tunnerstand it none, but thatwhat

theysay."

"Good crops this year," saidCotton."Landgeneroustoall.Maybeyoudon'tneedto

sell."

"What 'bout next year?" saidamanwhowasyoungerthanCottonbutlookedagoodten

years older. He was a third-generation farmer up here,Cotton knew, and he didn'tlookall

thathappyaboutitrightnow."Onegoodyearain'tmakeupferthreebad."

"Whyain'tLouisawant'asell,

Cotton?" asked Buford. "Shewayolder'nmeeven,andI

done allworked out, andmyboyheain'twanttodothisnomore.Andshegotthem

chillin, and the sick womancarefor.Ain'tmakenosensetomesheain'tpartialtosell."

"This is her home, Buford.Just like it is yours. And itdoesn'thavetomakesenseto

us.

It's her wishes. We have torespectthat."

"Butcan'tyoutalktoher?"

"She'smadeuphermind.I'msorry."

The men stared at him insilence, clearly not a singleoneofthempleasedwiththis

answer.Thentheyturnedandwalked away, leaving a verytroubledCottonLongfellow

behind.

Oz had brought his ball andgloves to the church supper,and he threw with Lou andmen

with some of the other boys.The men gawked at hisprowess and said O had an

armlike

z

they had never seen before.Then Lou happened upon agroup of children talkingabout

the death of DiamondSkinner.

"Stupid as a mule, gettinghisself blowed up like that,"

saidonefat-cheekedboyLou

didn'tknow.

"Going in a mine withdynamite lit," said another."GoodLord,whatafool."

"Course, he never went toschool," saidagirlwithdarkhair rolled in sausage curlswho

wore an expensive wide-

brimmed hat with a ribbonarounditandafrillydressofsimilar

cost. Lou knew her asCharlotte Ramsey, whosefamilydidn't farmbutownedoneofthe

smaller coal mines, and didwell with it. "So poor thingprobably didn't know anybetter."

After listening to this, Loupushed her way into thegroup. She had grown tallerinthe

time she had been living onthe mountain, and shetowered over all of them,thoughthey

wereallcloseinagetoher.

"Hewentinthatminetosavehisdog,"saidLou.

Thefat-cheekedboylaughed."Riskhislifetosaveahound.Boywasdumb."

Lou's fist shot out, and theboy was on the groundholding one of those fatcheeksthat

had just grown a littleplumper. Lou stalked awayandkeptrightonwalking.

Oz saw what had happened

and he collected his ball andgloves and caught up withher.

He said nothing but walkedsilentlybesideher,lettingheranger cool, surely nothingnew

for him. The wind waspicking up and the cloudswere rolling in as a stormfrontcleared

themountaintops.

"Arewewalking all thewayhome,Lou?"

"You can go back and ridewith Cotton and Eugene ifyouwant."

"Youknow,Lou,assmartasyouare, youdon't havekeephittingpeople.Youcanbeat

'emwithwords."Sheglanced

at him and couldn't help butsmileathiscomment."Since

whendidyougetsomature?"

Oz thought about this for afewmoments."SinceIturnedeight." They walked on. Ozhad

strung his gloves around hisneck with a piece of twine,andhe idly tossed theball inthe

air and caught it behind hisback. He tossed it again butdidnotcatchit,andtheball

dropped to the ground,forgotten.

George Davis had steppedfrom the woods quiet as afog.ForLou,hisniceclothesand

clean face did nothing tosoftentheevilintheman.Oz

was instantly cowed by him,but

Lou said fiercely, "What doyou want?" "I know 'boutthem gas people. Louisagonna

sell?""That'sherbusiness."

"My bizness! I bet I got megas on my land too." "Thenwhydon'tyousellyour

property?""Roadtomyplacegoes cross her land. Theycan'tgittome'lessshesell."

"Well, that's your problem,"said Lou, hiding her smile,for she was thinking thatperhaps

God had finally turned hisattentiontotheman.

"You tell Louisa if sheknowed what's good for her

she better sell. You tell her,shebetter

damn well sell." "And youbetter get away from us."Davis raised his hand."Smartmouthed cuss!" Quickas a snake, a hand grabbedDavis'sarmandstopped it inmidair.

Cotton stood there, holdingon to that powerful arm andstaringattheman.

Davisjerkedhisarmfreeandballed his fists. "You gonnagethurtnow,lawyer."

Davis threw a punch. AndCotton stopped the fist withhis hand, and held on. Andthis

timeDaviscouldn'tbreaktheman's grip, though he triedawfullyhard.

WhenCottonspoke,itwasin

atonethatwasquietandsentadeliciouschilldownLou's

back."ImajoredinAmericanliterature in college. But Iwas also captain of theboxing

team. If you ever raise yourhand to these children again,I'llbeatyouwithinaninchof

yourlife."

Cotton let go of the fist andDavis stepped back,obviouslyintimidatedbyboththecalm

manner and strong hands ofhisopponent.

"Cotton, he wants Louisa tosell her property so he cantoo.He'skindof insistingonit,"

saidLou.

"She doesn't want to sell,"saidCotton firmly. "So that'stheendofit."

"Lot of things happen, makesomebodywant'asell."

"Ifthat'sathreat,wecantakeit upwith the sheriff.Unlessyou'dliketoaddressitwith

merightnow."

With a snarl, George Davis

stalkedoff.

AsOzpickeduphisbaseball,Lou said, "Thank you,Cotton."

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

LOUWASONTHEPORCHTRYING HER HAND ATDARN-ing socks, but notenjoyingit

much. She liked workingoutside better than anythingelse and looked forward tofeeling

the sun and wind upon her.There was an orderlinessabout farming that muchappealedto

her. In Louisa's words, shewas quickly coming tounderstand and respect theland.The

weather was getting coldereverydaynow,andsheworea heavy woolen sweaterLouisa

had knitted for her. Lookingup, she saw Cotton's carcoming down the road, andshe

waved. Cotton saw her,waved back, and, leaving hiscar, joined her on the porch.They

both looked out over thecountryside. "Sure isbeautiful here this time ofyear,"he

remarked. "No other placelikeit,really."

"Sowhydoyouthinkmydadnever came back?" Cottontook off his hat and rubbedhis

head. "Well, I've heard of

writers who have livedsomewhere while young andthenwrote

about it therestof their liveswithouteveroncegoingbacktotheplacethatinspired

them. I don't know, Lou, itmay be they were afraid ifthey ever returned and sawthe

placeinanewlight,itwould

rob themof thepower to telltheirstories."

"Like tainting theirmemories?"

"Maybe. What do you thinkabout that? Never comingbacktoyourrootssoyoucanbea

greatwriter?"

Lou did not have to ponder

this long. "I think it's toobigapricetopayforgreatness."

Before going to bed eachnight, Lou tried to read atleast one of the letters hermotherhad

written Louisa. One night aweek later, as she pulled outthe desk drawer she'd putthem

in, it slid crooked and

jammed.Sheputherhandonthe inside of the drawer togain

leverage to right it, and herfingers brushed againstsomething stuck to theundersideof

thedesk top.Shekneltdownandpeeredin,probingfartherwithherhandasshedidso.

A few seconds later she

pulled out an envelope thathadbeentapedthere.Shesatonher

bed and gazed down at thepacket.Therewasnowritingontheoutside,butLoucould

feel the pieces of paperinside. She drew them outslowly. They were old andyellowed,

aswas the envelope.Lou sat

on her bed and read throughthe precise handwriting onthe

pages, the tears creepingdown her cheeks long beforeshe had finished. Her fatherhad

been fifteen years old whenhewrotethis,forthedatewaswrittenatthetopofthepage.

Lou went to Louisa and sat

withherbythefire,explainedtoherwhatshehadfoundand

read the pages to her in asclearavoiceasshecould:

"My name is John JacobCardinal, though I'm calledJackforshort.Myfatherhasbeen

dead five years now, andmymother,well, I hope that sheisdoingfinewhereversheis.

Growing up on a mountainleavesitsmarkuponallthosewhosharebothitsbountyand

itshardship.Lifehereisalsowell known for producingstories that amuse and alsoexact

tears.InthepagesthatfollowI recount a tale thatmy ownfathertoldmeshortlybefore

he passed on. I have thought

about his words every daysincethen,yetonlynowamI

finding the courage to writethem down. I remember thestoryclearly,yetsomeofthe

wordsmaybemyown,ratherthanmyfather's,thoughIfeelIhaveremainedtruetothe

spriritofhistelling.

"TheonlyadviceIcangiveto

whoever might happen uponthesepagesistoreadthem

with care, and to make upyourownmindaboutthings.Ilovethemountainalmostas

muchasIlovedmyfather,yetI know that one day I willleavehere,andonceIleaveI

doubt I will ever come back.Withthatsaid,itisimportanttounderstandthatIbelieveI

couldbeveryhappyhere fortherestofmydays."

Lou turned the page andbegan reading her father'sstorytoLouisa.

"It had been a long, tiringday for theman, thoughasafarmer he had known noother

kind With crop fields dust,hearth empty, and children

hungry, and wife not happyabout

anyofit,hesetoutonawalk.Hehadnotgonefarwhenhecameuponamanofthecloth

sitting upon a high rockoverlooking stagnant water.'You are a man of the soil,'saidhe

inavoicegentleandseemingwise. The farmer answered

thatindeedhedidmakehis

living with dirt, though hewould not wish such a lifeuponhischildrenorevenhis

dearest enemy. The preacherinvitedthefarmertojoinhimuponthehighrock,sohe

settled himself next to theman. He asked the farmerwhy he would not wish hischildren

tocarryonaftertheir father.The farmer looked to the skypretendingthought,forhis

mind well knew what hismouth would say. 'For it isthemostmiserablelifeofall,'he

said. 'But it is so beautifulhere,' the preacher replied.'Think of thewretched of thecity

living in squalor.How canaman of the open air and thefineearthsaysuchathing?'

The farmeranswered that hewas not a learned man suchasthepreacher,yethehad

heardof thegreatpoverty inthe cities where the folksstayedintheirhovelsallday,for

therewasnoworkforthemto

do. Or they got by on thedole. They starved— slowly,but

they starved. Was that nottrue? he asked. And thepreacher nodded his greatandwise

head at him. 'So that isstarvationwithouteffort,'saidthe farmer. 'A miserableexistence

if ever I heard of one,' saidtheholyman.Andthefarmeragreed with him, and thensaid,

'AndIhavealsoheardthatinother parts of the countrytherearefarmssogrand,on

land so flat that the birdscannot fly over them in oneday.' "This too is true,'repliedthe

other man. The farmercontinued. 'And that whencropscomeinonsuchfarms,theycan

eatlikekingsforyearsfromasingle harvest, and sell therestandhavemoneyintheir

pockets.' 'All true,' said thepreacher. 'Well, on themountain there are no suchplaces,'

said the farmer. 'If the cropscome fine we eat, nothingmore.' 'Andyourpoint?' saidthe

preacher. 'Well, my plight isthis, preacher: My children,mywife,myself,weallbreak

our backs every year,working from before the riseofsuntillpastdark.Weworkhard

coaxing the land to feed us.Things may look good, ourhopesmaybehigh.And thenitso

often comes to naught. Andwe still starve. But you see,westarvewithgreateffort.Isthat

not more miserable?' 'It hasindeedbeenahardyear,'saidtheotherman.'Butdidyou

know that cornwill grow onrain and prayer?' 'We prayevery day,' the farmer said,'and

the corn stands at my knee,and it is September now.''Well,' the preacher said, 'ofcourse

themore rain the better. Butyouaregreatlyblessed tobeaservantoftheearth.'The

farmersaidthathismarriagewould not stand much moreblessing,forhisgoodwifedid

not see things exactly thatway.Hebowedhisheadandsaid, 'I'm sure I am amiserable

one to complain.' 'Speak up,my son,' the holy man said,'for I am the ears of God.''Well,'

the farmer said, 'it createsdiscomfort in the marriage,pain between husband andwife,

thismatterofhardworkandno reward.' The other manraised a pious finger andsaid,

'Buthardworkcanbeitsownreward. ' The farmer smiled.'PraisetheLordthen,forI

havebeenrichlyrewardedallmy life.' And the preacherseconded that and said, 'Soyour

marriageishavingtroubles?''I am a wretch to complain,'thefarmersaid.'Iamtheeyes

of the Lord,' the preacherreplied.Theybothlookedatasky of blue that had not adrop

ofwhat the farmerneeded init. 'Some people are not cutoutforalifeofsuchrich

rewards,' he said. 'It is yourwife you are speaking ofnow,' the preacher stated.'Perhaps

it is me,' the farmer said.'God will lead you to thetruth, my son,' the preachersaid.Can

amanbeafraidofthetruth?thefarmerwantedtoknow.Amancanbeafraidof

anything, the preacher toldhim. They rested there a bit,for the farmer had run clearout

ofwords.Thenhewatchedasthecloudscame, theheavensopened,andthewaterrushed

to touch them. He rose, for

there was work to be donenow. 'You see,' said the holyman,

'my words have come true.Godhasshownyoutheway.''Wewillsee,'thefarmersaid.

'For it is late in the seasonnow.' As he moved off toreturn to his land, thepreacher

called after him. 'Son of the

soil,' he said, 'if the cropscome fine, remember thychurchin

thy bounty.' The farmerlooked back and touched hishand to the brim of his hat.'The

Lorddoesworkinmysteriousways,'he told theotherman.Andthenheturnedandleft

the eyes and ears of God

behind."

Lou folded the letter andlooked at Louisa, hoping shehad done the right thing byreading

the words to her. Louwondered if the young JackCardinal had noticed that thestoryhad

become far more personalwhenitaddressedtheissueof

acrumblingmarriage.

Louisa stared into the fire.She was silent for a fewminutesandthensaid,"Itbeahard

life up here, 'specially for achild.Andithardonhusbandandwife,thoughIain'tnever

suffered that. If my mommaand daddy ever said a crosswordtotheother,Iain'tnever

heardit.AndmeandmymanJoshua get along to theminutehetookhislastbreath.ButI

knowitnotthatwayforyourdaddy _ here. Jake and hiswife,theyhadtheirwords."

Lou took a quick breath andsaid, "Dad wanted you tocomeandlivewithus.Wouldyou

have?"

She lookedatLou. "Youaskme why I don't never leavethis place? I love this land,Lou,

'cause it won't never let medown. If the crops don'tcome,Ieattheapplesorwild

strawberries that always do,or the roots that's there rightunderthesoil,if'nyouknow

wheretolook.Ifitsnowten-foot deep, I can get along.Rain or hail, or summer heatthat

melttar,Igetby.Ifindwaterwhere thereain't supposed tobenone,Igeton.Meandthe

land. Me and this mountain.That ain't prob'ly meannothing to folks what canhavelight

by pushing a little knob, ortalktopeopletheycan'tevensee."Shepausedanddrewa

breath. "But it meanseverything to me." Shelooked into the fire oncemore."Allyour

daddy say is true. High rockbe beautiful. High rock becruel."ShegazedatLouand

added quietly, "And the

mountainismyhome."

Lou leaned her head againstLouisa's chest. The womanstrokedLou'shairverygently

with her hand as they sattherebythefire'swarmth.

AndthenLousaidsomethingshe thoughtsheneverwould."Andnowit'smyhometoo."

CHAPTER THIRTY-

FOUR

FLAKESOF SNOWWEREDROPPING FROM THEBELLIES of bloated clouds.Nearthebarn

there came a whooshingsound and then a spark ofharsh light that kept right ongrowing.

Inside the farmhouse Lougroaned in the throes of a

nightmare.HerandOz'sbedshad

been moved to the frontroom, by the coal fire, andthey were bundled undercrazyquilts

Louisa had sewn over theyears. InLou's tortured sleepsheheardanoise,butcouldn'ttell

what it was. She opened her

eyes, sat up. There came ascratchingatthedoor.Inan

instant Lou was alert. SheopenedthedoorandJebburstin,yippingandjumping.

"Jeb, what is it? What'swrong?"

Then she heard the screamsofthefarmanimals.

Lou ranout inhernightshirt.

Jeb followed her, barking,and Lou saw what hadspooked

him: The barn was fullyablaze. She ran back to thehouse, screamed out whatwas

happening, and then raced tothebarn.

Eugene appeared at the frontdoor of the farmhouse, saw

the fire, and hurried out, Ozat

hisheels.

WhenLouthrewopenthebigbarndoor, smoke and flamesleaptoutather.

"Sue!Bran!"shescreamedasthe smoke hit her lungs; shecouldfeelthehairsonher

armsrisefromtheheat.

Eugene fast-limped past her,plunged into the barn, andthencamerightbackout,

gagging. Lou looked at thetroughofwaterby the corraland a blanket hanging overthe

fence. She grabbed theblanket and plunged it intothecoldwater.

"Eugene,putthisoveryou."

Eugene covered himselfwiththe wet blanket and thenlungedbackintothebarn.

Inside a beamdropped downand barely missed Eugene.Smokeandfirewere

everywhere. Eugene was asfamiliar with the insides ofthis barn as he was withanything

on the farm, yet it was as

though he had been struckblind. He finally got to Sue,whowas

thrashing in her stall, threwopenthedoor,andputaropearoundtheterrifiedmare's

neck.

Eugene stumbled out of thebarnwithSue,threwtheropeto Lou, who led the horseaway

with assistance from Louisaand Oz, and then Eugenewentback into thebarn.Louand

Oz hauled buckets of waterfrom the spring-house, butLouknewitwasliketryingto

melt snow with your breath.Eugene drove out the mulesand all the cows except one.But

they lost every hog. And alltheir hay, and most of theirtools and harnesses. Thesheep

werewinteredoutside,buttheloss was still a devastatingone.

LouisaandLouwatchedfromthe porch as the barn, barestudsnow,continuedtoburn.

Eugene stood by the corral

where he had driven thelivestock.Ozwasnexttohimwitha

bucket of water to dump onanycreepoffire.

ThenEugenecalledout,"Shecomingdown,"andhepulledOzaway.Thebarncollapsed

in on itself, the flamesleaping skyward and thesnow gently falling into this

inferno.

Louisa stared in obviousagony at this ruin, as thoughshewerecaughtintheflames

herself. Lou tightly held herhandandwasquicktonoticewhen Louisa's fingers beganto

shake, the strong gripsuddenly becomingimpossiblyweak.

"Louisa?"

The woman dropped to theporchwithoutaword.

"Louisa!"

The girl's anguished criesechoed across the stark, coldvalley.

Cotton, Lou, and Oz stoodnexttothehospitalbedwhereLouisalay.Ithadbeenawild

ridedownthemountainintheold Hudson, gears thrashedbyafranticEugene,engine

whining,wheels slippingandthen catching in the snowydirt.Thecaralmostwentover

the edge twice. Lou and Ozhad clung to Louisa, prayingthat she would not leavethem.

They had gotten her to thesmallhospitalinDickens,andthenLouhadrunandrousted

Cotton fromhis bed. Eugene

had gone back up to lookafter Amanda and theanimals.

Travis Barnes was attendingher, and the man lookedworried. The hospital wasalsohis

home, and the sight of adining room table and aGeneral Electric refrigeratorhadnot

comfortedLou.

"How is she, Travis?" askedCotton.

Barneslookedat thechildrenandthenpulledCottontotheside."She'shadastroke,"he

saidinalowvoice."Lookstobe someparalysis on the leftside."

"Is she going to recover?"

This came from Lou, whohadheardeverything.

Travis delivered a woefulshrug. "There's not muchwecan do for her. The nextfortyeighthoursarecritical.IfI thoughtshecouldmake thetrip, I'd have sent her on tothe

hospital in Roanoke. We'renot exactly equipped for thissortofthing.Youcangoon

home. I'll send word if herconditionchanges."

Lou said, "I'm not leaving."AndthenOzsaidthesame.

"I think you've beenoverruled," said Cottonquietly.

"There's a couch rightoutside,"Travissaidkindly.

They were all asleep there,

each holding the others up,when the nurse touchedCotton's

shoulder.

She said softly, "Louisa'sawake."

Cottonandthechildreneasedthe door open and went in.Louisa'seyeswereopen,but

not much more than that.

Travisstoodoverher.

"Louisa?" saidCotton. Therewas no answer, not even ahintofrecognition.Cotton

lookedatTravis.

"She'sstillveryweak,"Travissaid. "I'm amazed she's evenconscious."

Lou just stared at her, morescared than she'd ever been.

She just couldn't believe it.Her

father,hermother.

Diamond. Now Louisa.Paralyzed. Her mother hadnot moved a muscle forlongerthan

Lou cared to think about.Was that to be Louisa's fatetoo?Awomanwholovedthe

earth? Who cherished hermountain?Who had lived asgoodalifeasonecouldlive?It

was almost enough to makeLou stop believing in a Godwhocoulddosuchaterrible

thing. Leaving a personwithno hope. Leaving a personwithnothingatallreally.

Cotton,Oz,Lou,andEugene

had just started theirmeal atthefarmhouse.

"I can't believe they haven'tcaught whoever burned thebarndown,"Lousaidangrily.

"There's no proof anybodyburneditdown,Lou,"repliedCotton,ashepouredthemilk

andthenpassedthebiscuits.

"I know who did it. George

Davis. Probably that gascompanypaidhimto."

"You can't go around sayingthat,Lou,that'sslander."

"I know the truth!" the girlshotback.

Cotton took off his glasses."Lou,believeme—"

Lou leapt up from the table,her knife and fork clattering

downandmakingthemall

jump. "Why should I believeanything you say, Cotton?Yousaidmymomwasgoingto

come back. Now Louisa'sgonetoo.Areyougoingtolieand say she's going to getbetter?

Areyou?"

Louranoff.Ozstarted togoafter her, but Cotton stoppedhim. "Let her be for now,Oz,"

he said. Cotton got up andwent out on the porch,looking at the stars andcontemplating

thecollapseofallheknew.

Flashing across in front ofhimwasLouon themare.A

startled Cotton could onlystare

after her, and then horse andgirlweregone.

Lou rode Sue hard throughthe moonlit trails, tree limbsand brush poking andslappingat

her. She finally came toDiamond's house and sliddown, running and falling

untilshe

reached the doorway andplungedinside.

Tears streaming down herface, Lou stumbled aroundtheroom."Why'dyouhaveto

leave us,Diamond?NowOzand I have nobody.Nobody!Doyouhearme?Doyou,

DiamondSkinner!"

Ascufflingsoundcamefromthe front porch. Lou turned,terrified.ThenJebraced

through the open door andjumpedintoherarms,lickingherfaceandbreathingheavy

from his long run. Shehugged him. And then thetree branches started rattlingagainstthe

glass, and an anxious moan

camedownthechimney,andLou held especially tight tothat

dog.Awindowbangedopen,and the wind swirled aroundtheroom,andthenthings

grew calm, and, finally, sodidLou.

She went outside, mountedSue,andheadedback,unsureofwhyshehadevencome

here. Jeb trailed behind,tongue hanging low. Shecametoaforkintheroadandturned

left, toward the farm. Jebstarted howling before Louheard the noises herself. Thethroaty

growlsandominousthrashingof underbrush were closeupon them. Lou whipped upthe

horse, but before Sue couldget rolling faster, the first ofthe wild dogs cleared thewoods

and came straight into theirpath. Sue reared up on herhind legs as the hideouscreature,

morewolfthandog,bareditsteeth, its hackles straight up.Thenanotherandanother

camefromthewoods,untilahalf dozen circled them. Jebhadhisfangsbaredandhis

hackles up too, yet he didn'tstand a chance against somany, Lou knew. Sue keptrearing

andneighing,andspinninginlittle circles until Lou feltherselfslipping,asthewide

body of the mare seemed to

grow as narrow as atightrope, and was alsoslicked,forthe

horse was lathered heavilyafterthelongrun.

Oneofthepackmadealungefor Lou's leg, and she pulleditup;theanimalcollidedwith

one of Sue's hoofs and wastemporarily stunned. Therewere too many of them,

though,

circling and snarling, ribsshowing. Jeb went on theattack, but one of the brutesthrew

him down and he retreated,bloodshowingonhisfur.

And then another beastsnapped at Sue's foreleg andshewentupagain.Andwhenshe

camedownthistime,shewasriderless, for Lou had finallylosthergripandlandedon

her back, the wind knockedfrom her. Sue took off downthe trail for home, yet Jebstood

like a stone wall in front ofhis fallen mistress, no doubtprepared to die for her. Thepack

moved in, sensing the easykill. Lou forced herself up,despite the ache in hershoulder

andback.Therewasn'tevenastick within reach, and sheand Jeb moved backwarduntil

therewasnowhereelsetogo.Asshepreparedherselftodiefighting,theonlythingLou

could think of was that Ozwould now be all alone, andthe tears welled up in hereyes.

The scream was like a netdropped over them, and thehalf-wolvesturned.Eventhe

largest of them, the size of acalf, flinched when it sawwhat was coming. Thepanther

was big and sleek, musclesflexingundercharcoalskin-Ithadambereyes,andfangs

showingthatweredoublethesizeof thenear-wolves'.Anditsclawstoowerefearsome

things, like pitchfork hookedtoknuckle.Itscreamedagainwhenitgottothetrailand

headedforthewildpackwiththe power of a loaded coal

train. The dogs turned andfled

the fight, and that catfollowed them, screamingwitheachgracefulstride.

Lou and Jeb ran as hard astheycouldforhome.Aboutahalfmilefromthehousethey

oncemoreheard thecrashofthe underbrush next to them.Jeb's hackles went north

again,

and Lou's heart nearlystopped: She beheld theamber eyes of the cat out ofthedarkness

as it ran parallel to themthrough the woods. Thatterrifying animal could shredbothgirl

and hound in seconds. Andyetall that thingdidwas run

nexttothem,neveronce

venturing out of the woods.Theonly reasonLouknew itwasstilltherewasthesoundsof

its paws against the leavesand undergrowth, and theglowof those luminouseyes,which

looked free-floating in thedarkness, as black skin

blendedwithstarknight.

Lou let out a thankful crywhenshesawthefarmhouse,and she and Jeb ran to theporch

and then inside to safety.Noone else was stirring, andCotton,sheassumed,had

probably left long ago. Herchestheaving,Loulookedoutthewindow,butneversawa

signofthebeast.

Louwent down the hallway,every nerve still janglingbadly. She paused at hermother's

door and leaned against it.She had come so close todyingtonight,andithadbeenawful,

more terrible than the caraccident even, for she had

been alone in her crisis. Loupeered

inside the room and wassurprised to find thewindowopen. Shewent in, closed it,and

turned to the bed. For onedazedmoment she could notfindhermotherinthecovers,and

thenofcourse there shewas.

Lou's breath became normal,theshiversoffearfadingas

she drew closer to the bed.Amanda was breathinglightly, her eyes closed,fingers

actually curled, as though inpain. Lou reached out andtouched her and thenwithdrew

her hand. Her mother's skin

wasmoist,clammy.LoufledtheroomandbumpedintoOz

standinginthehall.

"Oz," she said, "you're notgoing to believe whathappenedtome."

"What were you doing inMom'sroom?"

Shetookastepback."What?I—"

"If you don't want Mom toget better, then you shouldjustleaveheralone,Lou.Just

leaveheralone!"

"ButOz—"

"Dad loved you the best, butI'll take care of Mom. Justlike she always took care ofus.I

know Mom will get better,

evenifyoudon't."

"Butyoudidn'ttakethebottleof holy water Diamond gotforyou."

"Maybe necklaces and holywater won't help Mom, butme believing she'll get betterwill.

Butyoudon'tbelieve,so justleaveherbe."

Hehadneverinhislifetalkedtoherthisway.Hejuststoodthereandglared,histhin,

strong arms dangling by hissides, like needles at the endofthread.Herlittlebrother

really angry at her! Shecouldn't believe it. "Oz!" Heturned and walked away."Oz,"she

calledagain."Please,don'tbe

madatme.Please!"Ozneverturnedaround.Hewentinto

hisroomandshutthedoor.

Lou stumbled to the back ofthe house, thenwent out andsatonthesteps.Thebeautiful

night, the wondrous i2ht ofthemountains,thecallsofallkindofwildlifemadeno

impression at all on her. She

lookedatherhandswherethesunhadleatheredthem,the

palmsroughasoakbark.Herfingernails were jagged anddirty, her hair knotted andlyesoaped to death, her bodyfatigued beyond her years,her spirit given way todespairafter

losing almost all those shecared about. And now herprecious Oz no longer loved

her.

At that moment, the hatedminesirenboomedacrossthevalley.Itwasasthoughthe

mountain were shrieking inanticipation of the comingpain. The sound seemed tosplinter

Lou'sverysoul.Andnexttherumbleofthedynamitecameandfinishedheroff.Lou

looked to that Cardinalgraveyardknollandsuddenlywished she was there too,where

nothing else could ever hurther.

She bent over and weptquietly into her lap. Shehadn't been there long whensheheard

the door creak open behind

her. At first she thought itmightbeEugenecheckingonher,

but the tread was too light.Thearmswrappedaroundherandheldhertight.

Lou could feel her brother'sdelicate breaths on her neck.Shestayedbentover,yetshe

reached behind her andwrapped an arm around him.

Andbrotherandsisterstayedthere

likethatforthelongesttime.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

THEYRODETHEWAGONDOWN TO McKENZIE'SMER-cantile, and Eugene,Lou,andOz

went inside. Rol-lieMcKenzie stood behind a

waist-highcounterofwarpedmaple.He

was a little ball of a man,with a shiny, hairless headand a long grayish whitebeardthat

rested on his slack chest. Hewore spectacles of greatstrength,yetthemanstillhadto

squint to see. The store was

filled to nearly overflowingwith farm supplies andbuilding

materials of various kinds.The smell of leatherharnesses, kerosene oil, andburning

wood from the cornerpotbellyfilledthelargespace.There were glass candydispensers

andaCheroColaboxagainstone wall. A few othercustomers were in the placeandthey

all stopped and gaped atEugene and the children asthough theywere apparitionscome

haunting.

McKenzie squinted andnoddedatEugene,hisfingers

picking at his thick beard,likea

squirrelworryinganut.

"Hi, Mr. McKenzie," saidLou. She had been hereseveral times now and foundtheman

gruffbutfair.

Oz had his baseball mittsdraped around his neck and

was tossing his ball. Hewasnever

without them now, and Loususpected her brother evensleptwiththethings.

"Real sorry to hear 'boutLouisa,"McKenziesaid.

"She'sgoing tobe fine," saidLoufirmly,andOzgaveherasurprisedlookandalmost

droppedhisbaseball.

"What can I do for you?"askedMcKenzie.

"Got toraiseusanewbarn,"saidEugene."Got tohaveussomethings."

"Somebody burned our barndown," said Lou, and sheglaredaroundatthepeople

staring.

"Use some finished board,posts, nails, hardware for thedoors, and such," saidEugene.

"Got me a good list rightchere." He pulled a piece ofpaper from his pocket andlaiditon

the counter. McKenzie didnotlookatit.

"I'll need cash up front," he

said, finally letting his beardalone.

Eugene stared at the man."But we good on our 'count.Allpaidup,suh."

Now McKenzie eyed thepaper. "Lot of stuff on thatlist. Can't carry you for thatmuch."

"So's we bring you crop.Barter."

"No.Cash."

"Why can't we get credit?"askedLou.

"Hard times," repliedMcKenzie.

Lou looked around at thepiles of supplies and goodseverywhere. 'Times lookpretty

goodtome."

McKenzie slid back the list."I'msorry."

"Butwe'sgottohaveabarn,"said Eugene. "Winter comefastandweain'tkeepthe

animalsout.Theydie."

"The animals we have left"said Lou, glaring somemoreatthestillstaringfaces.

A man equal in size to

Eugene approached from therear of the store. Lou knewhimtobe

McKenzie's son-in-law, whowas no doubt lookingforward, she figured, toinheritingthis

good business one day whenMcKenziesquintedhislast.

"Look here, Hell No," saidthe man, "you got your

answer,boy."

BeforeLoucouldsayaword,Eugene stepped directly infront of the man. "Youknowed

that ain't never been myname. It be Eugene Randall.And don't you never callmenuthin'

else." The big man appearedstunned, and he took a step

back.LouandOzexchanged

glances and then lookedproudlyupontheirfriend.

Eugene stared down each ofthe customers in the store,ostensibly, Lou thought, tomake

clear that this statementappliedtoallofthemaswell.

Rollie McKenzie called out,

"I'msorryforthat,Eugene.Itwon'tneverhappenagain."

Eugene nodded atMcKenzieand then told the children tocomeon.Theywentoutside

and climbed on the wagon.Louwas shakingwith anger."It's that gas company.They've

scared everybody. Turnedpeopleagainstus."

Eugene tookup the reins. "Itbe all right. We think'asomethin'."

Ozcriedout,"Eugene,waitaminute." He jumped downfromthewagonandranback

inside.

"Mr. McKenzie? Mr.McKenzie?" Oz called out,andtheoldmancamebacktothe

counter,blinkingandpickingathisbeard.

Ozploppedhismittsandballon the curled maple planks."Willthisbuyusabarn?"

McKenziestaredat thechild,and the old man's lipstrembled some, and hisblinkingeyes

grew moist through the heftof glass. "You go on home,

boy.Yougoonhomenow."

They cleared all the debrisfrom the remains of the barnand collected all the nails,bolts,

and usable wood that theycould from the ruins.Cotton,Eugene, and the childrenstood

andstaredatthemeagerpile.

"Not much there," saidCotton.

Eugene looked at thesurrounding forests. "Well,wegotus lotofwood,anditallfree,

'ceptthesweatoffellingit."

Loupointedtotheabandonedshack her father had writtenabout."Andwecanusestuff

from there," she said, thenlooked atCotton and smiled.They had not spoken sinceLou's

outburst, and shewas feelingbadly about it. "Maybemakeusamiracle,"sheadded.

"Well,let'sgettowork,"saidCotton.

Theytoredowntheshackandsalvaged what they could.

Over the next several daysthey

cutdowntreeswithanaxanda crosscut saw that had beeninthecorn-cribandthushad

escaped the fire.Theypulledout the felled trees with themules and chains.Fortunately,

Eugene was a first-rate, ifself-taught, carpenter. They

topped off the trees andstripped

the bark, and using a squareandameasuringtape,Eugenecutmarksinthewood

showing where notchesneeded to be chiseled. "Ain'tgot 'nough nails, so's we gotto

makedo.Notchandstrapthejointsbestwecan,mudchink

'tween.Whenwegetmo'

nails,wedothejobright."

"What about the cornerposts?" asked Cotton. "Wedon't have any mortar to setthemin."

"Ain't got to. Dig the holesdeep, way below the coldline, crack up the rock, packitin

goodandhard.Ithold.Igiveus some extra hep at thecornerswith the braces.Yousee."

"You'retheboss,"saidCottonwithanencouragingsmile.

Using a pick and shovel,Cotton and Eugene dug onehole. It was tough goingagainstthe

hard ground. Their cold

breathfilledtheair,andtheirgloved hands ached with theraw.

While they were doing this,OzandLouchiseledout andhand-drilledthenotchesand

insertion holes on the postswhere timber mortise wouldmeettimbertenon.Thenthey

mule-dragged one of theposts to theholeandrealized

they had no way to get it inthere.

Tryastheymight,fromeveryangle, and with everyconceivable leverage, andwithbig

Eugene straining everymuscle he had, and little Oztoo, they could not lift itenough.

"We figger that out later,"

said Eugene finally, his bigchestheavingfromthefailed

effort.

He and Cotton laid out thefirst wall on the ground andstartedtohammer.Halfway

throughtheyranoutofnails.They collected all the scrapmetaltheycouldfindand

Eugene made a roaring coal

fireforhisforge.Then,usinghis smithy hammer, tongs,and

shoeinganvil,hefashionedasmany rough nails from thescrapashecould.

"Good thing iron doesn'tburn,"remarkedCotton,ashewatched Eugene workingaway

ontheanvil,whichstillstood

inthemiddleofwhatusedtobethebarn.

All of Eugene's hard worknetted them enough nails tofinishanotherthirdofthefirst

wall,andthatwasall.

They had been at this formany cold days now, and allthey had to show for it wasone

hole and a single finishedcorner post and no way toallow either to meet, and awall

without enough nails to holdittogether.

They collected early onemorning around the post andholetomullthisover,andall

agreed the situation did notlookgood.Ahardwinterwas

creepingevercloserandthey

had no barn. And Sue, thecows, and even the muleswere showing the ill effectsofbeing

out in the freezing air allnight. They could not affordtoloseanymorelivestock.

Andasbadasthisplightwas,itwasreallytheleastoftheirproblems,forwhileLouisa

had regained consciousnessfromtimetotime,shehadnotspokenawordwhenawake,

and her eyes appeared dead.Travis Barnes was veryworried, and fretted that heshould

send her to Roanoke, but hewasafraidshewouldstillnotsurvivethetrip,andthefact

was, there wasn't much they

could do for her thereanyway.Shehadbeenabletodrink

and eat a bit, and while itwasn't much, Lou took it assomething to hold on to. Itwasas

muchashermotherwasabletodo.Atleasttheywerebothstillalive.

Lou looked around their

small, depressed group, thengazed at the naked trees onthe

angled slopes and wishedwinter would magicallydissolvetosummer'swarmth,and

Louisa would rise fine andhealthyfromhersickbed.Thesoundsofthewheelsmade

them all turn and stare. The

line of approaching wagonspulled by mule, horse, andoxen

teams was a long one. Theywere filled with cut lumber,largepadstones,kegsofnails,

ropes, ladders, block andtackle, augers, and allmanners of other tools, thatLou

suspected came in part from

McKenzie's Mercantile. Loucountedthirtymeninall,all

from the mountain, all ofthem farmers. Strong, quiet,bearded, they wore coarseclothing

and wide-brimmed hatsagainstawinter'ssun,andallhad large, thick handsseverely

batteredbyboththemountain

elements and a lifetime ofhardwork.Withthemwerea

half dozen women. Theyunloaded their supplies.While the women laid outcanvasand

blankets and used Louisa'scookstove and fireplace tostart preparing themeals, themen

begantobuildabarn.

Under Eugene's direction,they constructed supports forthe block and tackle.Forgoing

the route of post and mortarinhole, theyoptedtousethelarge,flatpadstonesforthe

barn's foundation. They dugshallow footers, laid thestones,leveledthem,andthen

placedmassivehewn timbers

across the stones as the sillplates.Theseplateswere

secured together all aroundthe foundation. Additionaltimbers were run down themiddle

ofthebarnfloorandattachedto the sill plates.Later, otherpostswouldbeplacedhere

andbracedtosupporttheroofframeworkandhayloft.Using

theblockandtackle,the

muleteamsliftedthemassivecornerpostsupandontopofthesillplates.Thickbrace

timbers were nailed into thecorner posts on either side,and then the bracesthemselves

were firmly attached to theplates.

With the barn's foundationset,thewallframeswerebuiltontheground,andEugene

measured and marked andcalled out instructions onplacement. Ladders were putup

against the corner posts andholes augured into them.They used the block andtackleto

raise other timbers up to beusedasthecrossbeams.Holeshadbeenhand-drilledthrough

these timbers, and they wereattached to the corner postswithlongmetalbolts.

Therewasashoutasthefirstwall was run up, and eachtime after that as theremaining

walls were built and run up.

They framed the roof, andthenthehammeringbecame

relentless as stud walls werefurther built out. Saws slicedthroughtheair,coldbreaths

crowded each other, sawdustswirled in the breeze, menheld nails in their mouths,and

hands moved hammers withpracticedmotions.

Twomealswererungfor,andthe men dropped to theground and ate hard eachtime.Lou

andOzcarriedplatesofwarmfood and pots filledwith hotchicorycoffeetothegroups

of tiredmen.Cotton satwithhis back against the railfence, sipping his coffee,restinghis

sore muscles, and watchingwith a broad smile as a barnbegan to emerge out ofnothing

but the sweat and charity ofgoodneighbors.

AsLouplacedaplatterofhotbreadslatheredwithbutter infrontofthemen,shesaid,"I

want to thank all of you forhelping."

Buford Rose picked up apieceof thebreadandtookasavage,ifneartoothless,bite.

"Well, got to hep each otherup here, 'cause ain't nobodyelsegonna.Askmywoman,

ain't b'lieve me. And Lordknows Louisa's done hershare of hepping folks roundhere."

He looked over at Cotton,

who tipped his cup of coffeetotheman."IknowedwhatIsaid

toyou'boutbeingallworkedout,Cotton,butlottafolkgotitbadder'nme.Mybrotherbe

a dairy farmer down theValley. Can't barely walk nomore with all that setting onthe

stool,fingersdonecurledlike

somecrazyroot.Andfolksaytwothingsdairyfarmerain't

never gonna need they'swhole lives: suit'a niceclothesandaplace tosleep."Hetoreoff

anotherbreadchunk.

Ayoungmansaid,"Hell,Ms.Louisa done borned me. MymasayIaint'acomingtothis

world what she not there."Other men nodded andgrinnedatthisremark.Oneofthem

lookedovertowhereEugenewas standing near the risingstructure,chewingonapiece

of chicken and figuring outthenexttaskstobedone.

"And he done help me raisenew barn two spring ago.

Man good with hammer 'nsaw.

Ain'tnolie."

From under knotted plugs ofeyebrows Buford Rosestudied Lou's features. "I'member

your daddy good, girl. Youdonetakeafterhimfine.Thatboy, all the time pesteringfolk

with questions. I had to tellhim I done ain't got nomorewordsinmyhead."Hegavea

near toothless grin, and Lousmiledback.

The work continued. Onegroup planked the roof andthen laid out the roll ofroofing

paper on top. Another team,headed up by Eugene,

fashioned the double doorsforboth

ends, as well as the hayloftdoors, while yet anothergroupplankedanddaubedthe

outsidewalls.Whenitgottoodark to see what they werehittingandcutting,kerosene

lamps lit the night. Thehammeringandsawinggottobe almost pleasing to hear.

Almost.

None complained, though,whenthefinalboardhadbeenlaid, the last nail driven. Itwas

wellintodarkwhentheworkwas done and the wagonsheadedout.

Eugene, Cotton, and thechildren wearily herded theanimals into their new home

andlaid

the floor with hay gatheredfrom the fields and thecorncrib. The hayloft, stalls,storage

bins,andsuchstillneeded tobe built out, roll of roofingwouldeventuallyneedtobe

covered with proper woodshingles,buttheanimalswereinsideandwarm.Withavery

relieved smile, Eugene shutthebarndoorstight.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

COTTON WAS DRIVINGTHE CHILDREN DOWNTO VISIT Louisa. Thoughtheywerewell

into winter, heavy snow hadnotyetcome,merelydustingsofseveralinches,thoughit

would only be a matter oftime before it fell hard anddeep.Theypassedthecoal

company town whereDiamond had adorned thesuperintendent'snewChryslerCrown

Imperial with horse manure.Thetownwasemptynow,thehousingabandoned,thestore

vacant,thetipplesagging,the

entrance to themineboardedup,andthemine

superintendent'sfancy,horse-shitted Chrysler long gone."Whathappened?"saidLou.

"Shut down," answeredCotton grimly. "Fourth minein as many months. Veinswere

alreadypeteringout,butthenthey foundout the coke they

makehereistoosoftforsteel

production, so America'sfighting machine wentlookingelsewherefor its rawmaterial.

Lotoffolkshereoutofwork.AndthelastlumbercompanymovedontoKentuckytwo

months ago. A double blow.Farmersonthemountainhadagoodyear,butthepeoplein

thetownsarehurtingbad.It'susually one or the other.Prosperity only seems tocomein

halvesuphere."Cottonshookhis head. "Indeed, the finemayor of Dickens resignedhis

post, sold out his stake atinflated prices before thecrash, and headed toPennsylvaniato

seekanewfortune.I'veoftenfound the ones who talk thebestgamearethefirstonesto

run at the earliest sign oftrouble."

Coming down the mountain,Lou noted that there werefewer coal trucks, and thatmany

of the mountainside tipplesweren't even being operated.

When they passed Tremont,she

saw that half the storeswereboarded up, and there werefewpeopleonthestreets,and

Lou sensed it wasn't justbecauseofthechillyweather.

When they got to Dickens,Lou was shocked, for manystores were boarded up hereas

well, including the oneDiamond had opened anumbrella in. Bad luck hadreignedthere

afterall,anditwasnolongerfunnytoLou.Ill-clothedmensatonsidewalksandsteps,

staring at nothing. Thereweren't many cars slant-parked, and shopkeepersstood,idle

handsonhips, nervous lookson faces, in the doorways oftheiremptystores.Themen

and women walking thestreets were very few innumber, and their facescarriedan

anxious pallor. Lou watchedas a bus filled with folksslowly headed out of town.An

emptycoaltrainsymbolicallycrept behind the line ofbuildings and parallel to themain

road. The "Coal Is King"banner was no longer flyingmighty and proud across thestreet,

andMissBituminousCoalof1940 had probably fled aswell,Louimagined.

As they went along, Loucould see more than onegroupofpeoplepointatthemandthen

talkamongthemselves.

"Thosepeopledon'tlookveryhappy,"saidOznervously,astheyclimbedoutofCotton's

Oldsmobileandlookedacrossthestreetatanothercollectionofmenwhowerewatching

them closely.At the front ofthismobwasnoneotherthanGeorgeDavis.

"Come on, Oz," said Cotton."We're here to see Louisa,that'sall."

Heledthemintothehospital,where they learned fromTravisBarnesthatLouisa's

condition had not changed.Hereyeswerewideopenand

glassy.LouandOzeachheld

one of her hands, but sheclearly did not know them.Lou would have thought shehad

alreadypassed,exceptforhershallow breathing. Shewatched the rise and fall ofthat

chest with the deepestintensity,prayingwithallher

soulforittokeeprising,untilCotton

toldheritwastimetogo,andLou was surprised to learnthatanhourhadpassed.

When they walked back totheOldsmobile,themenwerewaiting for them. GeorgeDavis

had his hand on the door ofCotton'scar.

Cotton walked boldly up tothem."WhatcanIdoforyoufolks?"heinquiredpolitely,

even as he firmly removedDavis'shandfromtheOlds.

"Youget that foolwoman intheresellherland,thatwhat!"shoutedDavis.

Cotton looked themen over.Other than Davis, they wereall men from the town, not

the

mountain. But he knew thatdidn't mean they were anylessdesperatethanfolkswho

tethered theirsurvival todirt,seed, and the fickleness ofrain.Thesefolkshadjusttied

their hopes to coal. But coalwas unlike corn; onceplucked, coal didn't growback.

"I've already been over thiswith you, George, and theanswer hasn't changed.Now,if

you'll excuse me, I've got togetthesechildrenhome."

"Whole town gone to hell,"saidanotherman.

"Andyouthinkthat'sLouisa'sfault?"askedCotton.

"Shedying.Sheain'tneedherland,"saidDavis.

"She'snotdying!"saidOz.

"Cotton," said awell-dressedman about fifty years oldwho,Cottonknew,ranthe

automobile dealership inDickens. He had narrowshoulders, thin arms, andsmoothpalms

that clearly showed he hadnever hoisted a hay bale,swung a scythe, or plowed afield.

"I'm going to lose mybusiness. I'm going to loseeverything I've got ifsomethingdoesn't

replace thecoal.AndI'mnotthe only one like that. Lookaround,we'rehurtingbad."

"What happens when thenatural gas runs out?"counteredCotton."Thenwhatwillyou

belookingfortosaveyou?"

"Ain't got to look that ferahead. Take care of biznessnow,andthatbiznessbegas,"said

Davisinanangryvoice."Weall git rich. I ain't got no

problemsellingmyplace,hepmy

neighbor."

"Really?" said Lou. "I didn'tsee you at the barn raising,George. In fact you haven'tbeen

back since Louisa ran youoff. Unless you hadsomethingtodowithourbarnburning

downinthefirstplace."

Davis spit, wiped hismouth,and hitched his britches, andwould've no doubt throttledthe

girl right there if Cottonhadn't been standing next toher.

"Lou," said Cotton firmly,"that'senough."

"Cotton," said the well-dressedman, "I can't believeyou're abandoning us forsome

stupidmountainwoman.

Hell, you think you'll haveany lawyering to do if thetowndies?"

Cotton smiled. "Don't y'allworry about me. You'd beamazedathowlittleIcanget

by

on. And regarding MissCardinal, y'all listen up,because it's the last time I'mgoingtosay

it. She does not want to sellher land to Southern Valley.That's her right, and y'allbetter

damnwellrespect it.Now,ifyou really and truly can't

survive here without the gasfolks,

then I suggest you leave.Because you see, MissCardinal doesn't have thatproblem.

Every lick of coal and gascould disappear from thisearth tomorrow, andelectricityand

phones too, and she'dbe just

fine." He stared pointedly atthewell-dressedman."Now

tell me, who's the stupidone?"

Cotton told the children toclimbinthecar,andheeasedhimselfintothedriver'sseat,

even as the men pushedforward a bit, crowding him.Several of themmoved backand

blocked the rear of the car.Cotton started the engine oftheOlds,rolleddownthe

window,and lookedat them."Now,theclutchonthisthingisrightpeculiar.Sometimes

it pops out and this old girljumps about a country mile.Almostkilledamanonetime

when it did that. Well, heregoes.Lookoutnow!"

Hepoppedtheclutch,andtheOlds jumped backward, andsodidallthemen.Thepath

cleared, Cotton backed outand they headed off. Whentherockbangedagainstthe

rumbleseatofthecar,Cottonpushed down on theaccelerator and told Lou andOztoget

downandstaydown.Several

morerockshitagainstthecar,beforetheyweresafelyout

ofrange.

"What about Louisa?" askedLou.

"She'llbefine.Travisismostalwaysaround,andhe's

WishYouWell301

man not to be beat with a

shotgun. And when he's notthere, his nurse is just aboutasfine

a shot. And I warned ♦hesherifffolksweregettingabitriled. They'll keep closewatch.

But thosepeoplearen'tgoingto do anything to a helplesswomaninabed.They're

hurting, but they're not like

that."

"Are they going to throwrocks at us every time wecome to visit Louisa?" askedOz

fearfully.

Cottonputanarmaroundtheboy. "Well, if they do, Isuspect they'll run out ofrocks

long before we run out ofvisits."

When they got back to thefarmhouse, an anxious-lookingEugenehurriedout,apieceof

paperinhishand.

"Manfromthetowncomebywith this, Mr. Cotton. I ain'tknowed what it is. He saygive

ittoyouquick."

Cotton opened up the slip ofpaper and read it. It was adelinquenttaxnotice.Hehad

forgottenLouisahadnotpaidherpropertytaxesforthelastthreeyearsbecausetherehad

been no crops, and thus nomoney. The county hadcarriedherover,asitdidwithallthe

other farmers in similarcircumstances. They wereexpectedtopayofcourse,butthey

werealwaysgiventime.Thisnotice, however, wasdemandingpaymentinfull

immediately. Two hundreddollars' worth of payment.And since she had been indefault

for so long, they couldforecloseandsellthelandfarmore quickly than normal.Cotton

could feel Southern Valley'svicious stamp all over thepaper.

"Is something wrong,Cotton?"askedLou.

He lookedather and smiled."I'll takecareof it,Lou. Just

paperwork,honey."

Cotton counted out the twohundreddollarstotheclerkofthecourtandwasgivena

stamped receipt. He trudgedback to his apartment andboxed up the last pile ofbooks.A

few minutes later he lookedup toseeLoustanding inhisdoorway.

"How did you get here?" heasked.

"I got a ride with BufordRose in his old Packard.There are no doors on thething,soit's

a fine view, but you're onlyonejoltawayfromflyingout,and it's pretty cold." Shestared

around at the empty room.

"Where are all your books,Cotton?"

He chuckled. "They weretaking up too much space."He tapped his forehead."And,

leastways, I'vegot itall rightuphere."

Lou shook her head. "Iwentby the courthouse. I figuredtherewasmore to that paper

we

got thanyouwere lettingon.Two hundred dollars for allyour books. You shouldn'thave

doneit."

Cotton closed up the box. "Istill have some left. And I'dlikeyoutohavethem."

Lou stepped into the room.

"Why?"

"Becausethey'reyourfather'sworks.And Ican't thinkofabetterpersontotakecareof

them."

Lou said nothing whileCottontapedtheboxshut.

"Let'sgooverandseeLouisanow,"Cottonsaid.

"Cotton, I'm getting scared.Morestoreshaveclosed.Andanotherbusfullofpeoplejust

left.Andthelooksfolksgaveme on the street. They'rereallyangry.AndOzgotina

fight at school with a boywho said we were ruiningpeople'slivesbynotselling."

“IsOzallright?"

She smiled weakly. "Heactuallywonthefight.Ithinkitsurprisedhimmorethan

anybody. He's got a blackeye, and he's right proud ofit."

"It'llbeallright,Lou.Thingswill work out.We'll weatherthis."

She took a step closer, herexpression very serious.

"Things aren't working out.Notsince

we've come here.Maybe weshould sell and leave.Maybeit'llbebetterforallofus.Get

Mom and Louisa the carethey need." She paused andcould not look at him as sheadded,

"Someplaceelse."

"Is that what you want todo?"

Lou wearily stared off."SometimeswhatIwanttodois go up on the little knollbehind

ourhouse,layontheground,andnevermoveagain.That'sall."

Cotton considered this for afew moments and then said,

"Intheworld'sbroadfieldof

battle, / In the bivouac ofLife, / Be not like dumb,driven cattle! / Be a hero inthestrife!/

Trust no Future, howe'erpleasant! / Let the dead Pastbury its dead! / Act—act inthe

glorious Present! / Heartwithin, and God o'erhead! /

Livesofgreatmenallremindus/

We can make our livessublime, / And, departing,leavebehindus ... Footprintsonthe

sandsoftime."

" 'A Psalm of Life.' HenryWadsworthLongfellow,"saidLou without muchenthusiasm.

"There's more to the poem,but I've always consideredthose lines the essentialparts."

"Poetry is beautiful, Cotton,butI'mnotsureitcanfixreallife."

"Poetry needn't fix real life,Lou, it need just be. Thefixingisuptous.Andlayingonthe

ground and never movingagain, or running fromtrouble, is not the LouCardinalI

know."

"That'sveryinteresting,"saidHugh Miller, as he stoodthere in the doorway. "Ilooked

for you at your office,Longfellow. I understand

you've been over at thecourthouse

paying the debts of others."He flashed a nasty grin."Rightgoodofyou,however

misguided."

"Whatdoyouwant,Miller?"saidCotton.

The little man stepped intothe room and looked at Lou.

"Well,firstIwanttosayhow

sorry I am about MissCardinal."

Lou crossed her arms andlookedaway.

"Is that all?" Cotton saidcurtly.

"I also came by to makeanother offer on theproperty."

"It'snotmypropertytosell."

"ButMiss Cardinal isn't in aposition to consider theoffer."

"She already refused youonce,Miller."

"That'swhy I'm cutting rightto the chase and raising myoffer to five hundredthousand

dollars."

Cotton and Lou exchangedstartled glances, beforeCotton said, "Again, it's notmy

propertytosell."

"Iassumedyouwouldhaveapower of attorney to act onherbehalf."

"No. And if I did, I still

wouldn't sell toyou.Now, isthereanythingelse Ican'tdofor

you?"

"No,you'vetoldmeallIneedto know." Miller handed apacketofpaperstoCotton.

"Consideryourclientserved."

Miller walked out with asmile. Cotton quickly read

throughthepapers,whileLoustood

nervouslybesidehim.

"Whatisit,Cotton?"

"Notgood,Lou."

Cotton suddenly grabbedLou's arm, and they raceddown the stairs and over tothe

hospital.Cotton pushed openthe door to Louisa's room.The flashbulb went off rightas

they came in. The manlookedoverat themandthenhe took another picture ofLouisain

her bed. There was anotherman next to him, large andpowerfullybuilt.Bothwere

dressedinnicesuitsandworecreasedhats.

"Get out of here!" criedCotton.

He raced over and tried tograb the camera from theman,butthebigfellowpulledhim

away,allowinghispartner toslide out the door. Then thebigmanbackedoutofthe

room,asmileonhislips.

Cottoncouldonlystandthere,breathing hard and lookinghelplesslybetweenLouand

Louisa.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

IT WAS APARTICULARLY COLD,CLOUDLESS DAY WHEN

Cottonenteredthecourtroom.

He stopped when he sawMillerandanothermanthere,whowastall,portly,andvery

well dressed, his fine silverhaircombedneatlyonaheadsomassiveitseemedhardly

natural.

Cotton said toMiller, "IwasprettysureI'dseeyoutoday."

Millerinclinedhisheadattheother man. "You probablyheardofThurstonGoode,

Commonwealth'sattorneyforRichmond?"

"IndeedIhave.Youarguedacasebefore theUnitedStatesSupremeCourtrecently,

didn'tyou,sir?"

"Moreprecisely,"Goodesaid

inadeep,confidentbaritone,"Iwonthecase,Mr.

Longfellow."

"Congratulations. You're alongwayfromhome."

"Thestatewaskindenoughtoallow Mr. Goode to comedown here and act on itsbehalf

inthisveryimportantmatter,"

explainedMiller.

"Since when does a simplesuit to declare a personmentallyunfitqualify for theexpertise

ofoneofmefinestlawyersinthestate?"

Goodesmiledwarmly."AsanofficeroftheCommonwealthIdon'thavetoexplainto

you why I'm here, Mr.Longfellow.Sufficeit tosay,thatIamhere."

Cottonputahandtohischinand pretended to pondersomething."Let'sseenow.

Virginia elects itsCommonwealth's attorneys.MightIinquireastowhetherSouthern

Valley has made a donation

toyourcampaign,sir?"

Goode'sfaceflushed."Idon'tlikewhatyou'reimplying!"

"I did not mean it as animplication."

Fred the bailiff came in andannounced, "All rise. TheCourtoftheHonorableHenryJ.

Atkins is now in session.All

those having business beforethiscourtdrawnearandyou

shallbeheard."

Judge Henry Atkins, a smallman with a short beard,thinningsilverhair,andcleargray

eyes, came into the roomfrom his adjacent chambersand took his seat behind thebench.

Before he got up there, helookedtoosmallforhisblackrobe.Oncehegotthere,he

looked too large for thecourtroom.

It was at this point that Louand Oz crept in withoutanyoneseeingthem.Wearingbarter

coats and thick socks stuffedintooversizedboots,theyhad

retracedtheirstepsacrossthe

poplar-log bridge and downthemountain, catchinga rideonatracktoDickens.Ithad

been a much harder trek incold weather, but the wayCotton had explained it tothem,the

potential effect of thisproceeding on all their liveswas very clear. They sat

slumped

down at the rear, their headsbarely visible over the backoftheseatsinfrontofthem.

"One week's fine with us,"saidGoode. "Miss Cardinal'saffairsdeservetobeattendedto

with all due speed andrespect."

Atkins picked up his gavel."Cotton,I'vebeenovertothehospitaltoseeLouisa.Now,

whethershehashersensesornot, it seems to me thosechildren are going to at leastneed

aguardian.Wemightaswellget it done as quick aspossible."

"We can take care of

ourselves."

Theyalllookedtothebackofthe courtroom, where Louwas now standing. "We cantake

care of ourselves," she saidagain. "Until Louisa getsbetter."

"Lou," said Cotton, "this isnotthetimeorplace."

Goodesmiledatthem."Well,you two sure are adorablechildren. I'm ThurstonGoode.

Howy'alldoing?"

NeitherLounorOzansweredhim.

"Young lady," said Atkins,"comeuphere."

Lou swallowed the lump in

her throat and walked up tothe bench, where Atkinspeered

down at her, like Zeus tomortal.

"Young lady, are you amemberoftheStateBar?"

"No.Imean...no."

"Do you know that onlymembers of the Bar may

address the court except inthemost

extraordinarycircumstances?"

"Well,sincethisconcernsmeand my brother, I think thecircumstancesare

extraordinary."

Atkins looked at Cotton andsmiledbeforelookingbackat

Lou. "You're smart, that'seasy

to see. And quick. But thelaw is the law, and childrenyour age can't live bythemselves."

"WehaveEugene."

"He'snotabloodrelative."

"Well, Diamond Skinnerdidn'tlivewithanybody."

AtkinslookedoveratCotton."Cotton,willyouexplainthistoher,please."

"Lou, the judge is right,you'renotold enough to liveby yourself. You need anadult."

Lou's eyes suddenly filledwith tears. "Well, we keeprunning out of those." Sheturned

and raced down the aisle,pushed open the doubledoors,andwasgone.Ozfledafterher.

Cotton looked back up atJudgeAtkins.

"One week," said the judge.He smacked his gavel andreturnedtohischambers,likea

wizard resting after throwing

aparticularlydifficultspell.

Outside the courtroom,Goode andMiller waited forCotton.Goodeleanedincloseto

him. "You know, Mr.Longfellow, you can makethisaloteasieroneverybodyifyou'd

just cooperate. We all knowwhatamentalexaminationis

going to reveal. Why putMiss

Cardinal through thehumiliationofatrial?"

Cotton leaned even closer toGoode. "Mr. Goode, youcouldgiveadamnwhether

Louisa's affairs are accordedthe respect they deserve.You'rehereasahiredgunforabig

company looking to twist thelaw so they can take herland."

Goodejustsmiled."We'llseeyouincourt."

That night Cotton laboredbehind his piled-high desk.He mumbled to himself,wrote

things down and thenscratcheddiemout,andpaced

like an expectant father. Thedoor

creaked open, and CottonstaredasLoucame inwithabasket of food and a pot ofcoffee.

"Eugene drove me down inthe car to see Louisa," sheexplained. "I got this over atthe

New York Restaurant.

Figuredyouprobablyskippedsupper."

Cotton looked down. Loucleared a place on his desk,laidout the food,andpouredthe

coffee.Finished,shemadenomovetoleave.

"I'mpretty busy,Lou.Thankyouforthefood."

Cotton went to his desk andsat down, but he moved notone piece of paper, openednota

singlebook.

"I'm sorry about what I saidincourt,"saidLou.

"It'sallright.IguessifIwereyou, I would've done thesametiling."

"Yousoundedreallygood."

"On the contrary, I failedutterly."

"But the trial hasn't startedyet."

He took off his glasses andrubbed them with his tie.'Truth is Ihaven't really triedacase

in years, and even tiien I

wasn't very good. I just filepapers, write up deeds andwills,

that sort of thing. And I'venever gone up against alawyer like Goode." He puthisglasses

back on, seeing clearly forperhapsthefirsttimeallday."And I wouldn't want topromise

you something I can'tdeliver."

Thislinestoodbetweendiemlikeawallofflames.

"I believe in you, Cotton.Whatever happens, I believeinyou.Iwantedyoutoknow

that."

"Why in the world do youhave faith in me? Haven't I

done nothing except let youdown?

Quotedmiserable poetry thatcan'tchangeanything."

"No, all you've tried to do ishelp."

"Icanneverbethemanyourfather was, Lou. In fact, I'mreallynotgoodforallthat

much,itappears."

Lou stood beside him. "Willyou promise me one thing,Cotton? Will you promiseyou

won'teverleaveus?"

After a fewmoments Cottoncuppedthegirl'schinandsaidinahaltingvoicematinno

way lost its strength, "I willstay for as longasallofyouwillhaveme."

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

OUTSIDE THECOURTHOUSE, FORDS,CHEVYS, AND Chryslerswereslant-parkednextto

wagons pulled by mules andhorses. A dusting of snowhad given pretty whitetoppersto

just about everything, yet no

onewaspayinganyattentiontothat.Theyhadallhurried

into the courthouse to see amuchgrandershow.

The courtroom had neverheldsomanysouls.Theseatsonthemainfloorwerefilled.

Folks even stood in the backand were sandwiched fivedeep on the second-floorbalcony.

Thereweretownmeninsuitsand ties, women in churchdresses and boxy hats withveils

and fake flowers or danglingfruit. Next to them werefarmers in clean overalls andfelt

hatsheld inhand, their chewstashedinmeirpockets.Theirwomenwerebesidethem,

Chop dresses to the anklesand wire glasses over worn,creasedfaces.Theylooked

around the roomexcitedlyasthoughtheywereabouttoseeaqueenormoviestarstroll

in.

Children were wedged hereand there among the adultslikemortarbetweenbrick.Toget

a better look, one boyclimbed up on the railingaroundthebalconyandclungtoa

support column. A manhauledhimdownandsternlytoldhimthatthiswasacourtoflaw

and dignity was requiredhere, not tomfoolery. Theashamed boy trudged off.Andthen

the man chmbed up on therailing for a better look-seehimself.

Cotton, Lou, and Oz wereheading up the steps of thecourthousewhenaboyinan

overcoat, slacks, and shinyblackshoesranuptothem.

"My pa says you're doingwrongby thewhole townonaccount of one woman. He

said

we got to have the gas folkshere, any way we can." Thelittle fellow looked atCottonas

thoughthelawyerhadspitonthe boy's mother and thenlaughedaboutit.

"Is that right?" said Cotton."Well, I respectyourdaddy'sopinion,thoughIdon'tagree

with it.Now, you tell him ifhewantstodiscussitwithmeinpersonlater,I'dberight

glad to do so." Cottonglanced around and sawsomeone who he was surewasthechild's

father,fortheboyfavoredtheman and he had been staringatthem,butquicklylooked

away. Cotton glanced at all

thecarsandwagonsandthensaid to the boy, "You andyour

daddy better get yourselvesinsideandgetaseat.Lookstobe a right popular spottoday."

When they entered thecourtroom, Cotton was stillamazed at the numbers inattendance.

Yet,thehardworkoffarmingwasoverfornow,andpeoplehadtimeontheirhands.And

for the townsfolk it was anaccessible show promisingfireworks at a fair price. Itseemed

theyweredeterminedtomissnot one legal trick, not onesemantical headlock. Formany

this probably would be themost exciting time of theirlives. And wasn't that a sadthing,

Cottonthought.

Yet, he knew the stakes herewere high. A place dyingoncemoreonlyperhapstobe

revitalized by a deep-pocketed company. And allhehadtolayagainstthatwas

anold

woman lying in a bed, hersensesseeminglystruckfromher.Andtherewerealsotwo

anxious children counting onhim;andlyinginanotherbedawomanwhomaybehe

couldlosehishearttoifonlyshewouldawaken.Lord,howwasheevergoingtosurvive

this?

"Findaseat,"Cottontoldthechildren."Andkeepquiet."

Lou gave him a peck on thecheek. "Good luck." Shecrossedherfingersforhim.A

farmertheyknewmaderoomfortheminoneoftherowsofseats.

Cotton went up the aisle,

nodding at people herecognized in the crowd.Smackinme

front row were Miller andWheeler.

Goode was at the counseltable, seeming as happy as ahungry man at a churchsupperas

he looked around at a crowdthat seemed famished to

witnessthiscontest.

"You ready to have a go atthis?"saidGoode.

"Asreadyasyouare,"Cottonrepliedgamely.

Goode chuckled. "With allduerespect,Idoubtthat."

Fred the bailiff appeared andsaid his official words, andtheyallrose,andtheCourtof

the Honorable Henry J.Atkinswasnowinsession.

"Send in the jury," the judgesaidtoFred.

The jury filed in. Cottonlooked at them one by one,and almost fell to the floorwhenhe

saw George Davis as one ofmenchosen.

Hethundered,"Judge,GeorgeDaviswasn'toneofmejurorswevoirdired.Hehasa

vestedinterestinmeoutcomeoftinscase."

Atkinsleanedforward."Now,Cotton, you knowwehave ahardenoughtimegetting

jurorstoserve.Ihadto(dropLeroyJenkinsbecausehegotkickedbyhismule.Now,I

know he's not the mostpopular person around, butGeorge Davis has as muchrightto

serveasanyotherman.Lookhere,George,canyoukeepafairandopenmindaboutthis

case?"

Davis had his churchgoingclothesonandlookedquietlyrespectable. "Yes, sir," he

said

politely and looked around."Why, y'all knowed Louisa'splacerightnexttomine.Get

along good." He smiled ablack-toothedsmile,whichheseemed to have difficultywith,

as though it were somethinghe'dneverbeforeattempted.

"I'm sure Mr. Davis willmake a fine juror, YourHonor," said Goode. "Noobjection

here."

Cotton looked atAtkins, andthecuriousexpressionon thejudge'sfacemadeCotton

think twice about what wasreallygoingonhere.

Lou sat in her seat, silentlyfumingat this. Itwaswrong.And she wanted to stand upand

sayitwas,yetforonceinherlife she was too intimidated.Thiswasacourtoflaw,after

all.

"He's lying!" The voicethundered, and everyhead intheplaceturnedtoitssource.

LoulookednexttohertofindOzstandingonhisseat,tallernowthanallinthe

courtroom.His eyeswere onfire, his finger pointedstraight at George Davis."He's

lying," Oz roared again in avoice so deep Lou did noteven recognize it as herbrother's.

"He hates Louisa. It's wrongforhimtobehere."

Cottonhadbeenstruckdumblikealltheothers.Heglancedaroundtheroom.Judge

Atkinsstaredatthelittleboy,none toopleased.Goodewasaboutreadytospringtohis

feet.AndDavis'slookwassofierce that Cotton was verygrateful that no gun was

handy

for theman. Cotton raced toOzandswoopeduptheboy.

"Apparently, the propensityfor public outbursts runs intheCardinalfamily,"Atkins

boomed."Now,wecan'thavethat,Cotton."

"Iknow,Judge.Iknow."

"It's wrong. That man is aliar!"yelledOz.

Lou was scared. She said,"Oz,please,it'sokay."

"No, it's not, Lou," said Oz."That man is hateful. Hestarves his family. He'swicked!"

"Cotton, take that child out,"roared the judge. "Rightnow."

Cotton carried out Oz, withLoutrailingintheirwake.

They sat on the coldcourthouse steps. Oz wasn'tcrying. He just sat there andsmacked

his small fists against hisslender thighs. Lou felt tearstrickle down her cheeks asshe

watched him. Cotton put an

armaroundOz'sshoulders.

"It's not right, Cotton," saidOz. "It's just not right." Theboykeptpunchinghislegs.

"Iknow,son.Iknow.Butit'llbeokay.Why,havingGeorgeDavisonthatjurymightbe

agoodthingforus."

Oz stopped hitting himself."Howcanthatbe?"

"Well, it's one of themysteriesof the law,Oz,butyou'lljusthavetotrustmeonit.NowI

suspect y'all still want towatch the trial." They bothsaid that they would verydearly

wanttodothat.

Cotton glanced around andsaw Deputy Howard Walker

standing by the door."Howard,

it's a little cold for thesechildren to be waiting outhere. If I guarantee no moreoutbursts,

can you find a way to getthem back in, 'cause I got togetgoing.Youunderstand."

Walker smiled and grippedhis gunbelt. "Y'all come on

withme,children.LetCottongo

workhismagic."

Cotton said, "Thank you,Howard,buthelpingusmightcost you some popularity inthis

town."

"My daddy and brother diedin those mines. Southern

Valley can go to hell. Now,youget

on in there and show themwhatafinelawyeryouare."

After Cotton went back in,Walker took Lou and Oz inthrough a rear entrance andgot

them settled at a spot in thebalcony reserved for specialvisitors, after receiving a

solemn

promise from Oz that hewould not be heard fromagain.

Loulookedatherbrotherandwhispered. "Oz, you werereallybravetodothat.Iwas

afraid to." He smiled at her.Then she realized what wasmissing."Where'sthebearI

boughtyou?"

"Shoot, Lou, I'm too old forbearsandthumbsucking.

Loulookedatherbrotherandsuddenly realized that thiswastrue.Andatearclutchedat

hereye,forshesuddenlyhadan image of her brothergrown tall and strongandnolonger

inneedofhisbigsister.

Down below, Cotton andGoode were having a heatedsidebar with Judge Atkins atthe

bench.

"Nowlookhere,Cotton,"saidAtkins."I'mnotunmindfulofwhatyou'resayingabout

George Davis, and your

objectionisdulynotedfortherecord, but Louisa deliveredtwo

of those jurors into thisworld, and theCommonwealth didn't objecttothat."Helooked

over at Goode. "Mr. Goode,will you excuse us for aminutehere?"

The lawyer looked shocked.

"Your Honor, an ex partecontact with counsel? Wedon'tdo

those sorts of things inRichmond."

"Well, damn good thing thisain't Richmond then. Now,just take yourself on overthere

for a bit." Atkins waved hishand like he was flicking at

flies,andGoodereluctantly

moved back to his counseltable.

"Cotton," said Atkins, "weboth know there's a lot ofinterest in this case, and weboth

knowwhy:money.Now,wegot Louisa laying over tohospital and most folksthinking

she's not going to make itanyway.And thenwe got usSouthern Valley cash staringfolks

intheface."

Cotton nodded. "So you'rethinking the jury is going togo against us despite themeritsof

thecase?"

"Well,Ican'treallysay,butifyoudolosehere—"

"Then having George Davison the jury gives me realgood grounds for appeal,"finished

Cotton.

Atkins looked very pleasedthat Cotton had seized uponthis strategy so readily."Why,I

never thought of that. Realglad you did. Now let's getthisshowontheroad."

Cotton moved back to hiscounsel table while Atkinssmacked his gavel andannounced,

"Juryisherebyimpaneled.Beseated."

Thejurycollectivelysatitselfdown.

Atkins looked them overslowly before his gaze cameto rest on Davis. "One morething

nowbeforewestart. I'vehadmy backside on this herebench for thirty-four years,and

there's never been anythingclose to jury tampering ormessing around along thoselines

in my courtroom-And there'snevergoingtobesuch,forifthereeverwas,thefolksthat

did it will think spendingtheir whole lives in the coalmines a birthday partycomparedto

whatI'lldotothem."HegaveDavis one more good stare,fired similar broadsides atboth

Goode and Miller, and thensaid, "Now the parties havewaived their openingstatements.

SoCommonwealth, callyourfirstwitness."

"Commonwealth calls Dr.LutherRoss,"saidGoode.

TheponderousDr.Ross roseandwenttothewitnessstand.Hehadthegravitylawyers

liked, when he was on theirside; otherwise hewas just awell-paidliar.

Fred swore him in. "Raiseyourrighthand,putyourleftoneontheBible.Doyou

solemnly swear to tell thetruth, the whole truth, andnothing but the truth so helpyou

God?"

Ross said he most certainlywould tell the truth andnothing but, and wedgedhimselfinto

thewitnesschair.

Fred retreated and Goodeapproached.

"Dr. Ross, sir, would youstate your mighty finecredentials for the juryplease?"

"I'm chief of the asylumdown over to Roanoke. I'vetaught courses in mentalevaluation

at the Medical College inRichmond, and at theUniversity of Virginia. AndI've

personally handled over twothousandcaseslikethisone."

"Well now, I am sure Mr.

Longfellow and this courtwouldagreethatyouaretrulyan

expert in your field. In fact,you may be the number-oneexpert in your field, and Iwould

say this jurydeserves tohearnothingless."

"Objection, Your Honor!"said Cotton. "I don't believe

there's any proof mat Mr.Goode

is an expert in rankingexperts."

"Sustained, Cotton," saidAtkins. "Get on with it, Mr.Goode."

Goode smiled benignly, asthough this tinyskirmishhadbeen a way for him toevaluate

Cotton's mettle. "Now, Mr.Ross,"saidGoode,"haveyouhadoccasiontoexamine

LouisaMaeCardinal?"

"Ihave."

"And what is your expertopinion on her mentalcompetence?"

Ross smacked the frame ofthe witness box with one of

hisflabbyhands."Sheisnot

mentally competent. In fact,myconsideredopinion issheshouldbeinstitutionalized."

Therecamealoudbuzzfromthe crowd, and Atkinsimpatiently pounded hisgavel.

"Quietdown,"saidhe.

Goode continued.

"Institutionahzed? My, my.That's some seriousbusiness.Soyou're

saying she's in no shape tohandle her own affairs? Say,forthesaleofherproperty?"

"Absolutelynot.Shecouldbeeasily taken advantage of.Why,thatpoorwomancan't

even sign her own name.Probably doesn't know what

her name is." He eyed thejurywith

a most commanding look."Institutionalized," he saidagain in the projected voiceofa

stageactor.

Goode asked a series ofcarefully crafted questions,and to each he got theanswershe

wanted: Louisa Mae wasundoubtedly mentally unfit,according to the esteemedexpert

Dr.LutherRoss.

"No further questions,"Goodefinallysaid.

"Mr. Longfellow?" saidAtkins."Isuspectyouwanttonaveago."

Cotton got up, took off hisglasses,anddangled thembyhissideasheaddressedthe

witness.

"You say you've examinedovertwothousandpeople?"

"That's correct," Ross saidwithaliftofhischest.

"Andhowmanydidyoufindincompetent,sir?"

Ross's chest immediatelydeflated, forheclearlyhadn'texpected that inquiry. "Uh,well,

it'shardtosay."

Cottonglancedatthejuryandmoved toward him. "No, it'sreallynot.Youjusthaveto

say it. Let me help you alittle. A hundred percent?Fiftypercent?"

"Notahundredpercent."

"Butnotfifty?"

"No."

"Let'swhittleitondownnow.Eighty? Ninety? Ninety-five?"

Ross thought for a fewmoments. "Ninety-fivepercentsoundsaboutright."

"Okay. Let me see now. Ithink that works out to benineteenhundredoutoftwo

thousand.Lord,that'salotofcrazypeople,Dr.Ross."

The crowd laughed andAtkins banged his gavel, buta tiny smile escaped him aswell.

Rossglaredathim."Ijustcall'emlikeIsee'em,lawyer."

"Dr. Ross, how many strokevictimshaveyouexaminedtodeterminewhetherthey're

mentallycompetent?"

"Uh, why, none that I canrecalloffhand."

Cotton paced back and forthin front of the witness, whokepthisgazeon the attorneyas

an even line of sweatappeared on Ross's brow. "Isuppose with most of thepeopleyou

see, they have some mentaldisease. Here we have astrokevictimwhosephysical

incapacitymaymake it seemlike she's not mentally fiteven though she may verywell

be." Cotton sought out andfound Lou in the balcony. "Imean, just because one can'ttalk

or move doesn't mean onecan'tunderstandwhat'sgoingonaroundher.Shemaywell

see, hear, and understandeverything.Everything!"

Cotton swung back andlooked at his witness. "And

giventimeshemayverywellfully

recover."

"The woman I saw was notlikelytorecover."

"Are you a medical doctorexpert on stroke victims?"Cottonsaidinasharpvoice.

"Well,no.But—"

"Then I'd like an instructionfromthebenchforthejurytodisregardthatstatement."

Atkins said to the cluster ofmen, "You are herebyinstructed to take no noticewhatsoever

ofDr.Ross saying thatMissCardinal would not recover,forheismostassuredlynot

competenttotestifytothat."

Atkins and Ross exchangedglaresatthejudge'schoiceofwords, while Cotton put ahand

over his mouth to hide hisgrin.

Cotton continued. "Dr. Ross,you really can't tell us thattoday, or tomorrow, or thenext

day, Louisa Mae Cardinal

won't beperfectly capable ofhandlingherownaffairs,can

you?"

"ThewomanIexamined—"

"PleaseanswerthequestionIasked,sir."

"No."

"No, what?" Cotton addedpleasantly, "For this fine

jury."

AfrustratedRosscrossedhisarms. "No, I cannot say forsure that Miss Cardinal willnot

recovertodayortomorroworthenextday."

Goode heaved himself to hisfeet. "Your Honor, I seewhere counsel is going withthis

and I think I have aresolution. As of right nowDr. Ross's testimony is thatMissCardinal

is not competent. If she getsbetter, and we all hope shedoes, then the court-appointed

representative can bedismissedandshecanhandleher own affairs from thenon."

Cotton said, "By then, shewon'thaveanylandleft."

Goode seized upon thisopening. "Well, then MissCardinal can surely takecomfortinthe

half a million dollarsSouthern Valley has offeredforherproperty."

An enormous gasp wentthrough the crowd at the

mentionofthisungodlysum.Oneman

almost toppled over thebalcony rail before hisneighborspulledhimback tosafety.Both

dirtyandclean-facedchildrenlooked at one another, eyespopping.Andtheirmothers

and fathers were doing theexact same thing. The jurors

too looked at one another inclear

astonishment. Yet GeorgeDavis just sat there staringstraight ahead, not oneemotion

showingonhisfeatures.

Goode continued quickly,"AsI'msureotherscanwhenthecompanymakessimilar

offerstothem."

Cotton looked around anddecided he would muchrather be doing anythingotherthan

what he was. He saw bothmountain dwellers andtownsfolk gaping at him: theoneman

whostoodinthewayoftheirrightfulfortune.Andyetwith

allthatweighingdownupon

him,heshookhismindclearand roared, "Judge, he's justas good as bribed this jurywith

that statement. I want amistrial.Myclientcan'tgetafairshakewiththesepeople

counting Southern Valleydollars."

Goode smiled at the jury. "Iwithdraw the statement.Sorry, Mr. Longfellow. Noharm

intended."

Atkins leaned back in hischair. "You're not getting amistrial, Cotton. Becausewhere

elseyougoingtogowiththisthing? Just about everybody

fromfiftymilesaround

already's sitting in thiscourtroom, and the nextnearest bench is a day awaybytrain.And

thejudgethereisn'tnearlyasnice as I am." He turned tothe jury. "Now listen here,folks,

you're to ignoreMr.Goode'sstatement about the offer to

purchase Miss Cardinal'sland.

Heshouldn'thavesaidit,andyou are to forget it. And ImeanwhatIsay!"

Atkins next focused onGoode. "I understand youhave a fine reputation, sir,andI'dhate

to be the one to taint it. Butyou pull something like that

again, and I got me a nicelittle

jailcellinthisbuildingwhereyou'll bedoingyour time forcontempt,andImightjust

forgetyou'reeven there.Youunderstandme?"

Goode nodded and saidmeekly,"Yes,YourHonor."

"Cotton, you have any more

questionsforDr.Ross?"

"No, Judge,"Cotton saidanddroppedintohisseat.

Goode put Travis Barnes onthe stand, and though he didhisbest,underGoode'sartful

maneuvering, the gooddoctor's prognosis for Louisawas rather bleak. Finally,Goode

waved a photograph in frontofhim.

"This is your patient, LouisaMaeCardinal?"

Barnes looked at thephotograph."Yes."

"Permission to show thejury."

"Go on ahead, but be quickaboutit,"saidAtkins.

Goodedroppedacopyof thephoto in front of Cotton.Cotton didn't even look at it,but

ripped the photograph intotwo pieces and dropped it inthespittoonnexttohistable

while Goode paraded theoriginal infrontof thejurors'faces. From the clucks andmuted

comments and shakes ofhead, the photo had itsintendedeffect.Theonlyonewhodidn't

lookupsetwasGeorgeDavis.He held the photo especiallylongandseemedtoCottonto

have toworkawfullyhard tohidehis delight.Thedamagedone,Goodesatdown.

'Travis," said Cotton, rising

and coming to stand next tohis friend, "have you evertreated

Louisa Cardinal for anyailmentsbeforethislastone?"

"Yes, I have. A couple oftimes."

"Can you tell us about thoseinstances,please."

"Abouttenyearsago,shewas

bitten by a rattler. Killed thedurnthingherselfwithahoe,

and then she come down themountainbyhorsetoseeme.Armswollentoaboutthesize

of my leg by that time. Shetook seriously ill, ran a feverhigher'n I'dever seen. Inandout

of consciousness for days.But she came out of it, right

when we thought she wasn'tgoing

tomakeit.Foughtlikeadurnmuleshedid."

"Andtheothertime?"

"Pneumonia.ThatwinterfouryearsagowhenwehadmoresnowthantheSouthPole.

Y'all remember thatone?"heasked the folks in the

courtroom and they allnoddedback

athim.

"No way to get up or downthemountainthen.Itwasfourdaysbeforetheygotwordto

me.Igotupthereandtreatedher when the storm ended,butshewasalreadypastthe

worst of it all by herself.

Would'a killed a youngperson with medicine, andhereshewas

into her seventies and not adrop of anything except herown will to live. I've neverseen

anythinglikeit."

Cotton went and stood overnearthejury."So,shesoundslikeawomanofindomitable

spirit.A spirit that cannot beconquered."

"Objection, Your Honor,"said Goode. "Is that aquestion, or a divinepronouncementon

yourpart,Mr.Longfellow?"

"Ihopeboth,Mr.Goode."

"Well, let's put it this way,"said Barnes, "if I were a

betting man, I wouldn't betagainst

thewoman."

Cotton looked over at thejury. "Neither would I. Nofurtherquestions."

"Mr.Goode,whoyoucallingnext?"askedAtkins.

The Commonwealth'sattorney rose and looked

around the courtroom. Hekeptlooking

and looking until his gazereached the balcony, movedaround its edges, and thencameto

restonLouandOz.AndthenfinallyonOzalone.

"Young man, why don't youcome on down here and talktous."

Cottonwasonhisfeet."YourHonor,Iseenoreason—"

"Judge," broke in Goode,"now, it's the children that'sgoing to have the guardian,and

thus I think it reasonable tohear from one of them. Andfor a little fellow he has amighty

finevoice,sinceeverybodyin

this courtroom has heard itloudandlongalready."

There was muted laughterfrom the crowd, and Atkinsabsently smacked his gavelwhile

he pondered this request forsix rapid beats of Cotton'sheart. "I'm going to allow it.But

remember,Goode,he's just a

littleboy."

"Absolutely,YourHonor."

LouheldOz's hand and theyslowly walked down thestairs and passed each of therows,

all eyes in the courtroomupon them. Oz put his handon the Bible and was sworninas

Louwentbacktoherseat.Ozperched in the chair, lookingsosmallandhelplessthat

Cotton's heart went out tohim, even as Goode movedin.

"Now, Mr. Oscar Cardinal,"hebegan.

"My name's Oz, my sister'sname is Lou. Don't call herLouisaMaeor else she'll get

mad

andpunchyou."

Goode smiled. "Now, don'tyouworryaboutthat.OzandLou it is."He leaned againstthe

witness stand. "Now, youknowthecourt'srightsorrytohear that your momma'sdoing

sopoorly."

"She'sgoingtogetbetter."

"Is that right? That what thedoctorssay?"

Oz looked up at Lou untilGoode touched Oz's cheekand pointed his face towardhim.

"Now, son, up here on thewitness stand you got to

speak the truth. You can'tlooktoyour

big sister for answers. Youswore to God to tell thetruth."

"Ialwaystellthetruth.Crossmyheart,stickaneedle."

"Goodboy.So,again,didthedoctors say yourmotherwillgetbetter?"

"No. They said they weren'tsure."

"So how do you know shewill?"

"Because... because Imade awish.Atthewishingwell."

"Wishing well?" said Goodewith an expression for thejury that clearly spelled outwhat

he thought of that answer."There'sawishingwellroundhere? I wish we had one ofthem

backinRichmond."

The crowd laughed and Oz'sface turned pink and hesquirmed in his seat. "Thereisa

wishing well," he said. "Myfriend Diamond Skinner told

usaboutit.Youmakeawish

and give up the mostimportantthingyouhaveandyourwishwillcometrue."

"Sounds mighty fine. Now,you said you made yourwish?"

"Yes,sir."

"And you gave up the mostimportant thing you had.

Whatwasthat?"Ozlooked

nervously around the room."The truth, Oz. Rememberwhat you promised to God,son."

Oz took a long breath. "Mybear.Igaveupmybear."

There were a few muffledchuckles from the onlookers,until all saw the single tearslide

downthelittleboy'sface,andmenthesnickersceased.

"Has your wish come trueyet?"askedGoode.

Ozshookhishead."No."

"Been a while since youwished?"

"Yes,"Ozansweredsoftly.

"Andyourmomma'sstillreal

sick,isn'tshe?"

Ozbowedhishead."Yes,"hesaidinatinyvoice.

Goode put his hands in hispockets. "Well, sad fact is,son, things don't come truejust

'causewewish 'em to.That'snot real life.Now,youknowyourgreat-grandmother'sreal

sick,don'tyou?"

"Yes,sir."

"You make a wish for hertoo?"

Cotton rose. "Goode, leave itbe."

"Fine, fine. Now, Oz, youknow you can't live byyourself, right? Ifyourgreat-grandma

doesn't get better, under thelaw,youhavetogolivewithan adult in their home. Orelse

gotoanorphanage.Now,youdon't want to go to no oldorphanage,doyou?"

Cotton jumped to his feetagain."Orphanage?Whendidthatbecomeanissue?"

Goode said, "Well, if Miss

Cardinal does not makeanother miraculous recoveryasshe

did with rattlers andpneumonia, then the childrenare going to have to gosomewhere.

Now,unlessthey'vegotsomemoney I don't know about,they'regoingtoanorphanage,

because that'swhere children

go who don't have bloodrelativestotakecareofthem,or

other persons of a worthynaturewillingtoadoptthem."

"They can come live withme,"saidCotton.

Goode lookedabout ready tolaugh. "You? An unmarriedman? A lawyer in a townthat's

dying? You'd be me lastpersononearthacourtwouldaward those children to."Goode

turned back to Oz. "Now,wouldn'tyouliketogoliveinyour own home withsomeone

whohasyourbestinterestsatheart? You'd like that,wouldn'tyou?"

"Idon'tknow."

"Course you would.Orphanagesarenotthenicestplaces in the world. Somekidsstay

thereforever."

"Your Honor," said Cotton,"does all this have a pointother than to terrify thewitness?"

"Why,IwasjustabouttoaskMr. Goode that," declaredAtkins.

It was Oz, though, whospoke."CanLoucometoo?Imean, not to the orphanage,butto

theotherplace?"

"Why sure, son, sure," saidGoodequickly. "Neverbreakup sister and brother." He

added

quietly, "But there's noguarantee of that with anorphanage." He paused. "So,that'dbeall

rightwithyou,Oz?"

Ozhesitatedandtriedtolookat Lou, but Goode was tooquick and blocked his view.Oz

finally said quietly, "I guessso."

Cotton looked up in thebalcony.Louwasonherfeet,fingers wrapped around therailing,

heranxiousgazefixedonherbrother.

Goode went over to the juryandmade a show of rubbinghis eyes. "That's a fine boy.

No

furtherquestions."

"Cotton?"saidAtkins.

Goode sat down and Cottonrose,but thenhestopped,hisfingersgrippingthetable's

edge as he stared at the ruinof a boy on the big witnesschair;alittleboywho,Cotton

knew, just wanted to get upand go back to his sisterbecause he was scared todeathof

orphanages and fat lawyerswith big words andembarrassing questions, andhugerooms

filledwithstrangersstaringathim.

"No questions," said Cotton

very quietly, and Oz fledbacktohissister.

After more witnesses hadparaded through court,showing that Lpuisa wasutterly

incapable of consciousdecision, and Cotton onlyabletoslapatbitsandpiecesoftheir

testimony, the trial was

adjourned for the day andCotton and the children leftthe

courtroom. Outside, GoodeandMillerstoppedthem.

"You're putting up a goodfight, Mr. Longfellow," saidGoode,"butweallknowhowthis

isgoingtoturnout.Whatsaywe just put an end to it right

now?Savepeopleanyfurther

embarrassment."HelookedatLou and Oz as he said this.HestartedtopatOzonthe

head, but the boy gave thelawyer a fierce look thatmade Goode pull back hishand

beforehemighthavelostit.

"Look, Longfellow," said

Miller, pulling a piece ofpaperoutofhispocket, "I'vegota

check here for half amilliondollars. All you got to do isendthisnonsenseandit's

yours."

CottonlookedatOzandLouand then said, "I tell youwhat,Miller,I'llleaveituptothe

children. Whatever they say,I'lldo."

Miller squatted down andsmiled at Lou andOz. "Thismoney will go to you now.Buy

anythingyouwant.Live in abig house with a fancy carandpeoplepaid to lookafteryou.

Arightnicelife.Whatdoyou

say,children?"

"We already have a home,"saidLou.

"Okay, what about yourmomma then? People in hercondition need a lot of care,andit's

not cheap." He dangled thecheck in front of the girl.'This solves all yourproblems,

missy."

Goodesquatteddowntooandlooked atOz. "And it'll keepthosenastyorphanagesfar,

far away. You want to staywith your sister, now don'tyou?"

"You keep your oldmoney,"said Oz, "for it's notsomething we need or want.AndLou

andIwillalwaysbetogether.Orphanageornot!"

Oz tookhis sister's hand andtheywalkedoff.

Cotton looked at the men asthey rose, andMiller angrilystuffedthecheckbackinhis

pocket. "From out of themouths of babes," saidCotton. "Weshouldallbe sowise."And

thenhewalkedofftoo.

Back at the farmhouse,Cotton discussed the casewithLouandOz. "I'mafraidunless

Louisa can walk into thatcourtroom tomorrow, she'sgoing to lose her land." Helooked

atthemboth."ButIwantyouto know that whatever

happens,Iwillbethereforallof

you. Iwill takecareofallofyou. Don't you worry aboutthat.Youwillnevergotoan

orphanage. And you willnever be split up. That Iswear." Lou and Oz huggedCottonas

tightlyastheycould,andthenhelefttoprepareforthefinal

dayincourt.Perhapstheir

finaldayonthismountain.

Loumade supper forOzandEugene, and then went tofeed her mother. After thatshesat

in frontof the fire for a longtimewhileshethoughtthingsthrough.Thoughitwasvery

cold, she led Sue out of the

barnandrode themareup tothe knoll behind the house.She

said prayers in front of eachgrave, taking the longest atthesmallest:Annie's.Hadshe

lived,AnniewouldhavebeenLou's great-aunt. Louwishedmightilythatshecouldhave

known what the tiny babylooked like, and she felt

miserable that such a thingwasnow

impossible. The stars werefine tonight, and Lou lookedaround at the mountainspainted

white, the glitter of ice onbranch nearly magical whenmultiplied as it was tenthousand

times. The land could offer

Lou no help now, but therewas something she could doallon

herown. It shouldhavebeendonelongago,sheknew.Yetamistakewasonlyamistake

ifitremaineduncorrected.

She rode Sue back, put themaredownfor thenight,andwentintohermother'sroom.

She sat on the bed and tookAmanda's hand and didn'tmove for a bit. Finally, Louleaned

over and kissed her mother'scheek, as the tears started totrickledownthegirl'sface.

"Whatever happens we'llalwaysbetogether.Ipromise.Youwillalwayshavemeand

Oz. Always." She rubbed at

her tears. "I miss you somuch."Loukissedheragain."Ilove

you, Mom." She fled theroom, and so Lou never sawthe solitary tear leave hermother's

eye.

Lou was lying on her bed,quietly sobbing, when Ozcame in. Lou did not even

makean

attempt to stop her weeping.Oz crawled on the bed withherandhuggedhissister.

"It'll be okay, Lou, you'llsee."

Lou sat up, wiped her face,and looked at him. "I guessallweneedisamiracle."

"Icouldgivethewishingwell

anothertry,"hesaid.

Lou shook her head. "Whatdo we have to give up for awish?We'vealreadylost

everything."

Theysatforsomeminutes insilenceuntilOzsawthestackoflettersonLou'sdesk.

"Haveyoureadallofthem?"Lou nodded. "Did you like

them?"heasked.

Lou looked as though shemight start bawling again."They'rewonderful,Oz.Dadwasn't

theonlywriterinthefamily."

"Canyou read somemoreofthemtome?Please?"

Lou finally saidall right, shewould, andOz settled in and

closedhiseyestightly.

"Why are you doing that?"sheasked.

"IfIclosemyeyeswhenyouread the letters it's likeMomisrightheretalkingtome."

Lou looked at the letters asthough she held gold. "Oz,youareagenius!"

"I am? Why? What'd I do?"

"Youjustfoundourmiracle."

Densecloudshadsettledoverthe mountains with noapparent intention to movealong

anytime soon. Under afreezing rain, Lou, Oz, andJeb raced along. Chilled tothebone,

they reached the clearing,withtheoldwelldeadahead.

They ran up to it. Oz's bearand

the photo still lay there,soaked and fouled byweather. Oz looked at thephotographand

then smiled at his sister. Shebentdownandtookthebear,handingittoOz.

'Take your bear back," shesaid tenderly."Even ifyou're

allgrownnow."

She put the photo in the bagshe carried and then reachedinside and pulled out theletters.

"Okay,Diamondsaidwehadtogiveupthemostimportantthingwehaveinthewhole

worldfor thewishingwell towork. I can't think ofanythingmoreimportantthan

Mom's

letters.Soheregoes."

Lou carefully placed thebundle on the edge of thewell and set a large rockagainstitto

holdittightagainstthewind.

"Nowwehavetowish."

"ForMomtocomeback?"

Lou slowly shook her head."Oz, we have to wish forLouisatogodowntothat

courthouse.LikeCottonsaid,it's the only way she'll keepherhome."

Ozlookedstricken."Butwhatabout Mom? We might notgetanotherchancetowish."

Louhuggedhim."Iknow,butafter all she's done for us,

we've got to do this forLouisa.

She'sourfamilytoo.Andthemountain means everythingtoher."

Oz finally nodded sadly inagreement."Yousayitthen."

Lou held Oz's hand, closedhereyes,andhedidtoo."Wewish that Louisa MaeCardinal

willgetup fromherbedandshoweveryone that she's justfine."

Together they said, "Amen,Jesus." And then they ran asfastastheycouldawayfrom

that place, both hoping andpraying that there was justone wish left in that pile ofold

brickandstagnantwater.

LatethatnightCottonwalkedalongthedesertedmainstreetofDickens,handsstuffed

intohispockets, the loneliestman in the world. Cold rainfellsteadily,buthewas

oblivious to it. He sat on acovered bench and eyed theflicker of the street's gaslamps

behind the fall of rain. The

nameplate on the lamp postwasboldandclear:"Southern

Valley Coal and Gas." Anempty coal truck drifteddown the street. A backfireresounded

from its tailpipe; the smallexplosion violently broke thesilenceofthenight.

Cotton watched the truck goby and then slumped down.

Yetashisgazeonceagain

caught the flicker of the gaslamp, a flicker of an ideaseeped into hismind. He satup,

stared after that coal truck,and then back at that gaslamp.That'swhen the flickerbecame

a firm idea.And thena rain-soaked Cotton Longfellow

stood tall and clapped hishands

together, and it sounded likethemightysmackofthunder,for thefirmideahadbecomea

miracleofhisown.

Minutes later Cotton cameintoLouisa's room.He stoodbythebedandgrippedthe

unconscious woman's hand."I swear to you, LouisaMaeCardinal, you will not loseyour

land."

CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE

THE COURTROOM DOORSWUNG OPEN ANDCOTTON strode in withconcentratedpurpose.

Goode, Miller, and Wheelerwerealreadythere.Andalongwiththistriumvirate,the

entire population of themountain and town hadapparently managed to leveritselfinto

thecourtroom.Ahalf-milliondollars at stake had stirredfeelingsinfolksthathadnot

been touched inmany years.

Even one elderly gentlemanwho had long claimed to bethe

oldestsurvivingRebelsoldieroftheCivilWarhadcometoexperiencethefinalroundof

this legal battle.He clumpedinonanoaktimber-toewithacappedstumpforarightarm,

snowybearddowntohisbelt,and wearing the glorious

butternutcolorsofthe

Confederate soldier. Thosesitting in the front rowrespectfullymadeaspaceforhim.

Itwascoldanddampoutside,though the mountains hadgrownweary of the rain andhad

finally broken up the cloudsand sent them on their way.

Inthecourtroom,the

accumulation of body heatwasfierce, thehumidityhighenough to fog the windows.And

yet every spectator's bodywas tense against hisneighbor,seatorwall.

"I guess it's about time tobringdownthecurtainonthisshow,"Goodesaidamiably

enough to Cotton. But whatCotton saw was a man withthesatisfiedlookofa

professional killer about toblow the smoke off his six-shooter'sbarrelandthenwinkat

thebodylyinginthestreet.

"I think it's just gettingstarted" was Cotton'sbludgeoningresponse.

As soon as the judge wasannounced and the jury hadfiledin,Cottonstood."Your

Honor, Iwould like tomakean offer to theCommonwealth."

"Offer?Whatareyougettingat,Cotton?"saidAtkins.

"Weallknowwhywe'rehere.It'snot aboutwhetherLouisaMaeCardinaliscompetent

ornot.It'saboutgas."

Goode lurched to his feet."The Commonwealth has avested interest in seeing thatMiss

Cardinal'sbusiness—"

Cottoninterrupted."TheonlybusinessMissCardinalhasisdecidingwhethertosellher

land."

Atkins looked intrigued."What'syouroffer?"

"I am prepared to concedethatMissCardinalismentallyunfit."

Goode smiled. "Well, nowwe'regettingsomewhere."

"But in return, I want toexamine whether SouthernValleyisanappropriatepartyto

acquireherland."

Goode looked astonished."Lord,they'reoneofthemostsubstantialcompaniesinthe

state."

Cotton said, "I'm not talkingabout money. I'm talkingaboutmorals."

"Your Honor," Goode saidindignantly.

"Approach the bench," saidAtkins.

Cotton and Goode hurriedforward.

Cottonsaid,"Judge,thereisalonglineofVirginiacaselawthatclearlyholdsthatone

who commits a wrong shallbebarredfromprofitingfromsame."

"This is nonsense," saidGoode.

Cotton drew close to hisadversary."Ifyoudon'tagreeto let me do it, Goode, I'vegotmy

own expert who willcontradict everything Dr.Ross has said. And if I losehere,I'll

appeal. All the way to the

SupremeCourtifneedbe.Bythe time your client gets tothat

gas, rest assured,we'll all bedead."

"But I'm a lawyer for theCommonwealth. I have noauthority to represent aprivate

company."

"A more ironic statement Ihave never heard," saidCotton. "But I waive anyobjection

andagreetobeboundbythedecision of this jury, evenwiththesorrylikesofGeorge

Davis sitting on it." GoodewaslookingtowardMillerforacue,soCottongavehima

shove. "Oh, Goode, go over

there and talk to your clientandstopwastingtime."

With a sheepish look,GoodeslippedoverandhadaheateddiscussionwithMiller,who

looked over repeatedly atCotton. He finally nodded,andGoodecameback.

"Noobjection."

The judge nodded. "Go

ahead,Cotton."

%

Lou had ridden down to thehospital in the Hudson withEugenewhileOzhadstayed

behind. He had said hewanted nothing more to dowith courts and the law. Bu-ford

Rose'swifehadcomeoverto

lookafterOzandhismother.Lousatinthechairstaringat

Louisa, waiting for hermiracle to take effect. Theroom was cold and sterile,anditdid

not seem conducive toanybody's getting well, butLou was not counting onmedicineto

make the woman better. Her

hopes laywitha stackofoldbricks in a grassy meadowand

abundleof letters thatmightverywellbethelastwordsofhermothershewouldever

have.

Lou rose and drifted to thewindow. She could see themovie theater from here,where

The Wizard of Oz was stillenjoying a long run.However, Lou had lost herdear

Scarecrow,andtheCowardlyLion was no longer afraid.AndtheTinMan?Hadshe

finally found her heart?Maybeshehadneverlostit.

Lou turnedand lookedathergreat-grandmother. The girl

stiffenedwhenLouisaopened

her eyes and looked at her.There was a strong sense ofrecognition,asuspicionofa

tendersmile,andLou'shopessoared. As though not onlytheirnames,butalsotheir

spirits, were identical, a teartrickled down me twoLouisas' cheeks.Louwent toher,

slipped her hand aroundLouisa's,andkissedit.

"Iloveyou,Louisa,"shesaid,herheartsoneartobreaking,forshecouldnotrecall

saying those words before.Louisa's lips moved, andthoughLoucouldnothearthe

words,sheclearlysawonherlips what the woman wassaying back: / love you,

Louisa.

And then Louisa's eyesslowly closed and did notreopen, andLouwondered ifthatwas

tobeallofhermiracle.

"Miss Lou, they want usdowntothecourthouse."

She turned and saw a wide-eyed Eugene standing in the

doorway. "Mr. Cotton wantus

bothgetonthestand."

LouslowlyletgoofLouisa'shand,turned,andleft.

A minute later Louisa's eyesopened once more. Shelookedaroundtheroom.Her

expression was fearful for amoment,butthengrewcalm.

She started pushing herselfup,

confusedatfirstastowhyherleftsidewasnotcooperating.Shekepthergazeonthe

windowoftheroom,evenasshe fought hard to moveherself.Inchbypreciousinchshe

progressed, until she washalf-sitting, her eyes still on

that window. Louisa wasbreathing

heavilynow,herstrengthandenergy nearly gone after thisshortstruggle.Yetshelay

back against her pillow andsmiled. For outside the largewindow her mountain wasnow

boldly visible. The sightwasso beautiful to the woman,

although winter had takenmost

of its color. Next year,though, it would surely allreturn. Like it always did.Familythat

never really left you. Thatwas what the mountain was.And her eyes remained fixedon

the familiar rise of rock and

trees, even as Louisa MaeCardinalgrewverystill.

In the courtroom, Cottonstood before the bench andannounced in a strong voice,"Icall

MissLouisaMaeCardinal."

A gasp went up from thecrowd. And then the dooropened and Lou and Eugenecamein.

Miller and Goode lookedsmugoncemore as they sawitwasonlythechild.Eugenesat

while Lou went up to thewitnesschair.

Fredapproached."Raiseyourright hand, put your left onthe Bible. You swear to tellthe

truth, the whole truth, and

nothingbut the truth,sohelpyouGod?"

"I do," she said quietly,looking around at everyonestaringather.Cottonsmiled

reassuringly. Out of sight ofanyone, he showed her thathis fingers were crossed forluck

too.

"Now, Lou, what I have toaskyouisgoingtobepainful,butIneedyoutoanswermy

questions.Okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, on the day JimmySkinnerwaskilled,youwerewithhim,right?"

Miller andGoode exchangedtroubled glances. Goode got

tohisfeet.

"YourHonor,what does thishavetodowithanything?"

"The Commonwealth agreedtoletmeexploremytheory,"saidCotton.

"All right," said the judge."Butdon'ttakeallday."

Cotton turned back to Lou."You were at the mine

entrancewhentheexplosion

occurred?"

"Yes."

"Canyoudescribeforuswhathappened?"

Lou swallowed, her eyesbecomingwatery.

"Eugenesetthedynamiteandcameout.Wewerejustgoing

towaitforittogooff.

Diamond—I mean, Jimmy—ran into themine to get Jeb,hisdog,whohadchaseda

squirrelinmere.Eugenewentin to get Jimmy. I wasstanding in front of theentrance

whenthedynamitewentoff."

"Wasitaloudexplosion?"

"Loudest thing I've heard inmylife."

"Could you say whether youheardtwoexplosions?"

She looked confused. "No, Ican't."

"Likely as not. Then whathappened?"

"Well,thisbigrushofairandsmokecameoutandknocked

medown."

"Must'vebeensomeforce."

"Itwas.Ittrulywas."

"Thank you,Lou.No furtherquestions."

"Mr.Goode?"saidAtkins.

"No questions, Your Honor.Unlike Mr. Longfellow, I'mnotgoingtowastethejury's

valuable time with thisnonsense."

"InextcallEugeneRandall,"saidCotton.

AnervousEugenewasonthestand.ThehatLouhadgivenhimwasclutchedtightlyin

hishands.

"Now, Eugene, you went tothe mine the day Jimmy

Skinner was killed to getsomecoal,

correct?"

"Yes,suh."

"Youusedynamitetogetthecoalout?'

"Yep, most folks do. Coalmakegoodheat.Lotbet-ter'nwood."

"Howmanytimesyoureckonyou've used dynamite in thatmine?"

Eugene thought about this."Over the years, thirty timesormo'."

"I think that makes you anexpert."

Eugene smiled at thisdesignation."Ireckonso."

"How exactly do you goaboutusingthedynamite?"

"Well, I put the stick'adynamite in a hole in thewall,capit, rolloutmyfuse,andlight

the fusewith the flame frommylantern."

"Thenwhatdoyoudo?"

"Thatshaftcurvesinacouple

places, so's I sometimeswaitroundthecurveifIain't

usingmuchdynamite.

Sometime I go outside.Noise's starting to hurt myears now.And blast kick thecoaldust

upbad."

"I bet it can. In fact, on theday in question, you did go

outside.Right?"

"Yes,suh."

"And then you went backinsidetogetJimmy,butwereunsuccessful."

"Yes,suh,"Eugeneanswered,lookingdown.

"Wasthatthefirsttimeyou'dbeeninthemineinawhile?"

"Yes, suh. Since the first oftheyear.Pastwinterain'tthatbad."

"Okay. Now, when theexplosion went off, wherewereyou?"

"Eighty feet in. Not to thefirst curve. Got me the badleg, ain't moving fast nomore."

"Whathappenedtoyouwhen

theexplosionoccurred?"

"Throwedmetenfeet.Hitthewall.ThoughtIbedead.Heldontomylantern,though.

Ain'tknowhow."

"GoodLord.Tenfeet?Abigman like you? Now, do yourememberwhereyouputthe

dynamitecharge?"

"Don't never forget that,Mr.Cotton. Past the secondcurve.Threehunnerd feet in.Good

veinofcoalthere."

Cotton feigned confusion."I'm not getting somethinghere, Eugene. Now, youtestified

that on occasion you wouldactually stay in the mine

when the dynamitewent off.And

youweren'tinjuredthen.Andyet here, how is it that youwereovertwohundredfeet

from the dynamite charge,around not just one but twoshaft curves, and theexplosion

still knocked you ten feet inthe air? If you were any

closer,youprobablywould'vebeen

killed. How do you explainthat?"

Eugene too was thoroughlybewilderednow."Ican't,Mr.Cotton.Butitdonehappened.I

swear."

"I believe you. Now, you've

heardLou testify as to beingknockeddownwhileshewas

outside the mine. Wheneveryouwerewaiting outside themine,thateverhappentoyou

whenthedynamitewentoff?"

Eugenewasshakinghisheadbefore Cotton finished hisquestion. "Little bit ofdynamite

I used ain't have nowherenear that kind'a kick. Justgetting me some for thebucketUse

more dynamite come winterwhen I take the sled andmules down, but even thatwouldn't

come out the mine like that.Lord, you talking threehunnerdfeetinandroundtwo

curves."

"You found Jimmy's body.Was there rock and stone onit?Hadtheminecollapsed?"

"No,sun.ButIknowhedead.He ain't got no lantern, see.You in that mine with nolight,

youain'tknowwhichway inor out. Mind play tricks onyou.Heain'tprob'lyevensee

Jebpasshimheadingout."

"Can you tell us exactlywhereyoufoundJimmy?"

"'Nutherhunnerdtwentyfeetin.Pastthefirstcurve,butnotthesecond."

Farmerandmerchant sat andstood side by side as theywatchedCottonwork.Miller

fiddledwith his hat and then

leanedforwardandwhisperedintoGoode'sear.Goode

nodded, looked at Eugene,and then smiled and noddedagain.

"Well, let's assume," saidCotton, "that Jimmy wasclose to the dynamite chargewhenit

went off. It could havethrownhisbodyagoodways,

couldn'tit?"

"If'nheclose,surecould."

"Buthisbodywasn'tpast thesecondcurve?"

Goode stood up. "That'seasily explained. Thedynamite explosion couldhavethrownthe

boypastthesecondcurve."

Cotton looked at the jury. "Ifail to see how a body inflight can negotiate a ninety-degree

curve and then proceed onbeforecomingtorest.UnlessMr.Goodeismaintainingthat

Jimmy Skinner could fly ofhisownaccord."

Ripples of laughter floatedacross the courtroom. Atkins

creakedbackinhischair,yetdid

not smack his gavel to stopthe sounds. "Go on, Cotton.This is getting kind'ainteresting."

"Eugene, you rememberfeelingbadwhenyouwereintheminethatday?"

Eugene thought about this."Hard to recollect. Maybe a

littlepaininthehead."

"Okay, now, in your expertopinion, could the dynamiteexplosionalonehavecaused

JimmySkinner'sbody toendupwhereitdid?"

Eugene looked over at thejury and took his time ineyeingthemonebyone."No,suh!"

"Thank you, Eugene. Nofurtherquestions."

Goode approached and putthepalmsofhishandsonthewitnessboxand leanedcloseto

Eugene.

"Boy, you live with MissCardinal in her house, don'tyou?"

Eugene sat back a bit, hisgazesteadyontheman."Yes,suh."

Goodegavethejuryapointedlook. "A colored man and awhitewomaninthesame

house?"

CottonwasonhisfeetbeforeGoode finished his question."Judge,youcan'tlethimdo

that."

"Mr. Goode," said Atkins,"y'all might do that sort ofthing on down Richmondway,but

wedon't inmycourtroom. Ifyougot something toask themanaboutthiscase,thenyou

do it, or else sit yourselfdown. And last time Ichecked, his name was Mr.

Eugene

Randall,not'boy.'"

"Right, Your Honor,certainly."Goode cleared histhroat,steppedback,andslidhis

hands in his pockets. "Now,Mister Eugene Randall, yousaid in your expert opinionthat

youweretwohundredfeetorso from the charge, and thatMr.Skinnerwasabouthalf

that distance from thedynamite and such. Youremembersayingallthat?"

"No,suh. Isays Iwaseightyfeet in the mine, so's I wastwohunnerdandtwentyfeet

fromthecharge.AndIsaysIfound Diamond a hunnerd

andtwentyfeetfromwhereI

was. That mean he be ahunnerdfeetfromwhereIsetthe dynamite. I ain't got nowayto

tellhowfarhegotblowed."

"Right, right. Now, you everbeentoschool?"

"No."

"Never?"

"No,suh."

"So you never took math,never did any adding andsubtracting. And yet you'resittingup

here testifying under oath toalltheseexactdistances."

"Yep."

"So how can that be for anuneducatedcoloredmansuchas yourself? Who's nevereven

addedoneplusoneundertheeyeofateacher?Whyshouldthisgoodjurybelieveyouup

here spouting all these bignumbers?"

Eugene's gaze never leftGoode's confident features.

"Knowed my numbers realgood.

Cipher and all. Take-away.MissLouisa done taughtme.And I right handy with nailand

saw.Iheppedmanyafolkonthemountainraisebarns.Youacarpenter,yougottoknow

numbers.Youcutathree-footboardtofillafour-footspace,

what'xactlyhaveyou

done?"

Laughter floated across theroomagain,andagainAtkinsletitgo.

"Fine," said Goode, "so youcan cut a board. But in apitch-dark twistingminehowcan

youbesosureofwhatyou're

saying?Comeonnow,MisterEugeneRandall,tellus."

Goode looked at the jury ashe said this, a smile playingacrosshislips.

" 'Cause it be right there onthewall,"saidEugene.

Goodestaredathim."Excuseme?"

"I done marked the walls in

that mine with whitewash inten-footparcelsoverfour

hunnerdfeetin.Lottafolkupheredothat.Youblastinginamine,youbetterdumsure

know how fer you got to goto get out. I knowed I do'cause I got me the bad leg.And

thatwayI'memberwherethegood coal veins are.Youget

yourselfondowntothemine

right now with a lantern,mister lawyer, you see themmarks clear as the day. So'syou

can put down what I donesaid here as the word of theLord."

Cottonglanced atGoode.Tohim the Commonwealth'sattorneylookedasthough

someone had just informedhimthatheavendidnotadmitmembersofthelegalBar.

"Any further questions?"Atkins asked Goode. Themansaidnothing in responsebut

merely drifted back to histablelikeanerrantcloudandcollapsedinthechair.

"Mr. Randall," said Atkins,

"you're excused, sir, and thecourtwantstothankyoufor

yourexperttestimony."

Eugene stood and walkedback to his seat. From thebalconyLouobservedthathislimp

washardlynoticeable.

Cotton next called TravisBarnestothestand.

"Dr. Barnes, at my requestyou examined the recordspertainingtoJimmySkinner's

death,didn'tyou?Includingaphotograph taken outside themine."

"Yes,Idid."

"Canyou tellus thecauseofdeath?"

"Massive head and body

injuries."

"What was the condition ofthebody?"

"Itwasliterallytornapart."

"You ever treated anybodyinjured by a dynamiteexplosion?"

"In coal mining country? IsayIhave."

"YouheardEugenetestify.Inyour opinion, under thosecircumstances,couldthe

dynamitechargehavecausedthe injuries you saw onJimmySkinner?"

Goode did not bother to riseto offer his objection. "Callsforspeculationfromthe

witness,"hesaidgruffly.

"Judge, I thinkDr.Barnes isfully competent to answerthatquestionasanexpert

witness,"saidCotton.

Atkins was already nodding."Goonahead,Travis."

Travis eyed Goode withcontempt. "I well know thesorts of dynamite chargesfolksup

here use to get a bucket ofcoal out. That distance fromthechargeandaroundashaft

curve, there is no way thatdynamitecausedtheinjuriesIsaw on that boy. I can'tbelieve

nobody figured that outbeforenow."

Cottonsaid,"Iguessapersongoes in amine anddynamite

goesoff,theyjustbelieve

that's what killed him. Youever seen such injuriesbefore?"

"Yes. Explosion at amanufacturingplant.Killedadozen men. Same as Jimmy.Literally

blownapart."

"What was the cause of that

explosion?"

"Naturalgasleak."

Cotton turned and lookeddead-onatHughMiller.

"Mr.Goode, unless you caretotakeashot,I'mcallingMr.JuddWheelertothestand."

Goode looked at Miller,betrayed."Noquestions."

A nervous Wheeler fidgetedin thewitness box as Cottonapproached.

"You're Southern Valley'schiefgeologist?"

"Iam."

"Andyouheadeduptheteamthat was exploring possiblenaturalgasdepositsonMiss

Cardinal'sproperty?"

"Idid."

"Without her permission orknowledge?"

"Well,Idon'tknowabout—"

"Did you have herpermission, Mr. Wheeler?"Cottonsnapped.

"No."

"Youfoundnaturalgas,didn't

you?"

"That'sright."

"And it was something yourcompanywas right interestedin,wasn'tit?"

"Well, natural gas is gettingto be very valuable as aheatingfuel.Wemostlyuse

manufactured gas, town gastheycallit.Yougetthatfrom

heating coal. That's whatfuels

the streetlights in this town.But you can't make muchmoney with town gas. Andwe

haveseamlesssteelpipenow,which allows us to send gasinpipelinesalongway.So

yes,wewereveryinterested."

"Natural gas is explosive,right?"

"Ifproperlyused—"

"Isit,orisn'tit?"

"Itis."

"Exactly what did you do inthatmine?"

"We took readings and didtests and located what

appearedtobeahugefieldofgasina

trap not too far underneaththesurfaceof thatmineshaftandaboutsixhundredfeet inthe

mine. Coal, oil, and gas areoften found together becauseallthreeresultfromsimilar

natural processes. The gasalwaysliesontopbecauseit's

lighter. That's why you haveto

be careful when you'remining coal. Methane gasbuildupisarealdangertotheminers.

Anyway,wedrilleddownandhitthatgasfield."

"Did the gas come up in themineshaft?"

"Yes."

"Onwhatdatedidyouhitthegasfield?"

WhenWheeler told them theday, Cotton said loud andcleartothejury,"Oneweek

before Jimmy Skinner'sdeath! Would somebody beabletosmellthegas?"

"No,initsnaturalstategasis

colorless andodorless.Whencompaniesprocessit,they

addadistinctsmellso that ifthere's a leak people candetectitbeforeitovercomes

them."

"Or before something ignitesit?"

"That'sright."

"If someone set off adynamite charge in a mineshaftwheretherewasnaturalgas

present,whatwouldhappen?"

"The gas would explode."Wheeler looked like hewanted to be blown uphimself.

Cotton faced the jury. "Iguess Eugenewas real lucky

hewas so far away from thehole

where the gas was pouringthrough and his lamp flamedidn't ignite the gas. And hewas

evenluckierhedidn'tstrikeamatch to light that fuse. Butthedynamitegoingoffsure

didthetrick."Heturnedbackto Wheeler. "What sort of

explosion? Big enough tocause

JimmySkinner'sdeath,inthemanner described by Dr.Barnes?"

"Yes,"Wheelerconceded.

Cotton put his hands on theframeof thewitnessboxandleanedin."Didn'tyouever

think about posting warning

signstellingpeoplethattherewasgasthere?"

"I didn't know theydynamited in there! I didn'tknowtheyusedthatoldminefor

anything."

Cotton thought he caughtWheeler shooting an angrylookatGeorgeDavis,buthe

couldn'tbesure.

"But if anyonewent in, theymightbeovercomebythegasalone.Wouldn'tyouwantto

warnpeople?"

Wheeler spoke fast. "Theceilingsinthatmineshaftarerealhigh,andthere'ssome

natural ventilation throughtherocktoo,sothebuildupof

themethanewouldn'tbeso

bad. And we were going tocap the hole, but we werewaiting on some equipmentwe

needed. We didn't wantanybody to get hurt. That'sthetruth."

"Thefactis,youcouldn'tpostwarning signs because youwerethereillegally.Isn'tthat

right?"

"Iwasjustfollowingorders."

"Youtookgreatpainstohidethe fact that you wereworking in that mine, didn'tyou?"

"Well, we only worked atnight. Whatever equipmentwe carried in, we took outwithus."

"So nobody would knowyou'dbeenthere?"

"Yes."

"Because Southern Valleywas hoping to buy MissCardinal's farm for a lot lessmoneyif

she didn't know she wassittingonanoceanofgas?"

"Objection!"Goodesaid.

Cottonsteamedrighton."Mr.Wheeler, you knew JimmySkinnerdiedinthatmine

explosion. And you had toknow the gas played somerole in it. Why didn't youcome

forward and tell the truththen?"

Wheelerfidgetedwithhishat."Iwastoldnotto."

"Andwhotoldyounotto?"

"Mr. Hugh Miller, companyvicepresident."

Everyone in the courtroomlooked at Miller. Cottonstared at Miller when heaskedhis

nextquestions.

"You have any children,Mr.Wheeler?"

Wheelerlookedsurprised,butanswered:"Three."

"They all doing well?Healthy?"

Wheeler'sgazedroppedtohislap before he responded."Yes."

"You'realuckyman."

Goode was addressing thejury with his closing

argument.

"Now, we've heard far moreevidencethanisnecessaryforyoutofindthatLouisaMae

Cardinal ismentally unfit. Infact, her own lawyer, Mr.Longfellow, has concededthat

she is. Now, all this talkaboutgasandexplosionsandsuch,wellwhatdoesitreally

have

to do with this case? IfSouthern Valley wassomehow involved in Mr.Skinner'sdeath,

then his survivors may beentitledtodamages."

"He doesn't have anysurvivors,"saidCotton.

Goode chose to ignore this.

"Now, Mr. Longfellow askswhethermyclientisan

appropriate party to bebuying land up here. Fact is,folks, Southern Valley hasbigplans

for your town. Good jobs,bring prosperity back to youall."

Hegot real close to the jury,their best friend. "The

question is, should SouthernValley

be allowed to 'enrich' all ofyour lives as well as MissCardinal's?Ithinktheanswerto

thatisobvious."

Goodesatdown.AndCottoncame at the jury. He movedslowly,hisbearingconfident

butnotthreatening.Hishandswere in his pockets, and herested one of his scuffedshoes

on the lower rail of the jurybox. When he spoke, hisvoice leaned more southernthan

New England, and everysingle juror except GeorgeDavishunched forward soasnotto

miss anything the man said.They had watched CottonLongfellow bloody the noseof

what they assumed was oneofthefinestlawyersfromthegreatcityofRichmond.And

he had made humble acompanythatwasasclosetoamonarchasonecouldgetina

country of democracy. Nowthey undoubtedly wanted toseeifthemancouldfinishit.

"Letmegive yougood folksthelegalsideofthecasefirst.Andit'snotcomplicatedat

all.Infactit'slikeagoodbirddog,itpointsstraightandtrueinonedirection,andone

direction only." He took onehand from his pocket and,

like a good hound, pointedright

at Hugh Miller as he spoke."The reckless actions ofSouthernValleykilledJimmy

Skinner, you folks can haveno doubts about that.Southern Valley's not evendisputingit.

TheywereillegallyonLouisaMae's property. They posted

nowarningsthatthemine

wasfilledwithexplosivegas.Theyallowedinnocentpeopletoenterthatminewhenthey

knew it was deadly. Itcould've been any of you.And they did not comeforwardwiththe

truthbecause theyknewtheywere in thewrong.Andnowthey seek to use the tragedy

of

LouisaMae'sstrokeasawayto take her land. The lawclearlysaysonecannotprofit

fromone'smisdeeds.Well, ifwhat Southern Valley diddoesnotqualifyasamisdeed,

then nothing on this eartheverwould."Hisvoiceup tothispointhadbeenslowand

steady. Now it rose onedelicatenotch,buthekepthisfingerpointedatHughMiller.

"OnedayGodwillholdthemaccountable for killing aninnocentyoungman.Butit's

your job to see that they arepunishedtoday."

Cotton looked at each andevery juror, stopping onGeorge Davis; he spoke

directlyto

him. "Now, let's get to thenonlegalpartofthisbusiness,forIthinkthat'swherethe

struggle you folks are goingthrough lies.SouthernValleyhascomeinhereswinging

bagsfullofmoneyinfrontofyou, telling you that it's thesaviorofthewholetown.But

that's what the lumber folkstoldyou.They'regoing tobehereforever.Remember?So

why were all the lumbercamps on rails? How muchmoretemporarycanyouget?And

where are they now? LasttimeIchecked,Kentuckywasnot part of theCommonwealth

ofVirginia."

He looked over at Miller."Andthecoalcompaniestoldyouthesamething.Andwhat

did they do? They came andtook everything they wantedandleftyouwithnothing

except hollowed-outmountains, family with theblack lung and dreamsreplacedwith

nightmares. And nowSouthernValley'ssingingthatsame old tune with gas. It'sjustone

moreneedleinthemountain'shide. Just one more thing tosuckout,leavingnothing!"

Cotton turned and addressedtheentirecourtroom.

"But this isn't really aboutSouthern Valley, or coal or

gas. It's ultimately about allofyou.

Now, theycancut the topofthat mountain easy enough,pull out that gas, run theirfine

seamlesssteelpipeline,anditmight keep going for ten,fifteen, even twenty years.But

thenit'llallbegone.Yousee,

thatpipelineistakingthegastootherplaces,justlikethe

trains did the coal, and theriverdidthetrees.Now,whyis that, do you think?" Hetook

his time looking around theroom. "I'll tell you why.Becausethat'swherethereal

prosperityis,folks.Atleastinthe way Southern Valley

defines it. And all of youknow

that.Thesemountainsjustgotwhat they need to keep thatprosperitygoingandtheir

pockets filled. And so theycomehereandtheytakeit.

"Dickens,Virginia,willneverbe aNewYorkCity, and letmetellyouthere'snotadamn

thingwrongwiththat.Infact,I believewe have us enoughbigcities,andadwindling

number of places like righthere.Y'allwillneverbecomerich working at the foot ofthese

mountains. Those who willclaim great wealth are theSouthern Valleys of theworld,who

take from the land and givenothing back to it.Youwantarealsavior?Lookat

yourselves. Rely on eachother. Just like LouisaMae'sbeendoingherwhole lifeupon

that mountain. Farmers liveon the whim of the weatherand the ground. Some yearsthey

lose,otheryearsarefine.Butforthem,theresourcesofthemountainarenever

extinguished,becausetheydonot tear its soul away. Andtheirrewardforthatisbeing

able to live a decent, honestlife for as long as they sodesire, without the fear thatfolks

intent on nothing more than

making a pile of gold byraping mountains will comewith

grand promises, and thenleavewhenthereisnothingtobe gained by staying, anddestroy

innocentlivesintheprocess."

Hepointed toLouwhereshesat in the courtroom. "Now,thatgirl'sdaddywrotemany

wonderful stories about thisarea,andthoseveryissuesofland,andthepeoplewholive

onit.Inwords,JackCardinalhas enabled this place tosurviveforever.Justlikethe

mountains. He had anexemplaryteacher,forLouisaMae Cardinal has lived herlifethe

way all of us should. She's

helpedmany of you at somepoint inyour livesandaskedfor

nothing in return." Cottonlooked at Bu-ford Rose andsome of the other farmersstaring

at him. "And you've helpedherwhen she needed it.Youknow she'd never sell herland,

because that ground is asmuch a part of her family asher great-grandchildrenwaitingto

seewhat'sgoingtohappentothem. You can't let SouthernValleystealthewoman's

family. All folks have up onthat mountain is each otherand their land. That's all. Itmay

not seem like much to thosewho don't live there, or forpeoplewho seek nothing butto

destroy the rock and trees.But rest assured, it meanseverything to thepeoplewhocall

themountainshome."

Cotton stood tall in front ofthe jury box, and though his

voice remained level andcalm,

the large room seemedinadequate to contain hiswords.

"You folks don't have to bean expert in the law to reachtherightdecisioninthiscase.

Allyougottohaveisaheart.Let Louisa Mae Cardinalkeepherland."

CHAPTERFORTY

LOU STARED OUT THEWINDOW OF HERBEDROOM AT the grandsweepoflandasit

boltedrightuptothefoothillsandthenontothemountains,wheretheleavesonallbut

the evergreens were gone.The naked trees were stillquite something to behold,

though

now theyappeared toLou tobe poor grave markers forthousands of dead, theirmourners

leftwithnotmuch.

"Youshouldhavecomeback,Dad," she said to themountains he hadimmortalizedwith

words and then shunned therestofhislife.

She had returned to the farmwith Eugene after the juryhad gone into deliberation.She

had no desire to be therewhen the verdict came in.Cotton had said he wouldcometell

themthedecision.Hesaidhe

didnotexpectittotakelong.Cottondidnotsaywhetherhe

thoughtthatwasgoodorbad,but he did not look hopeful.NowallLoucoulddowas

wait. And it was hard, foreverything around her couldbegonetomorrow,dependingon

what a group of strangersdecided. Well, one of them

wasn't a stranger; he wasmorelike

a mortal enemy. Lou tracedher father's initials with herfingeronthedesk.Shehad

sacrificedhermother's lettersfor a miracle that had neverbothered to come, and itpained

her so. She went downstairsandstoppedatLouisa'sroom.

Throughtheopendoorshe

saw the old bed, the smalldresser,abowlandpitcherontopofit.Theroomwassmall,

itscontentsspare,justlikethewoman's life. Lou coveredherface.Itjustwasn'tright.

Shestumbledintothekitchentostartthemeal.

Asshewaspullingoutapot,

Louheardanoisebehindherandturned.ItwasOz.She

wipedathereyes,forshestillwanted to be strong for him.Yetasshefocusedonhis

expression, Lou realized shehad no need to worry aboutherbrother.Somethinghad

seized him; she didn't knowwhat. But her brother hadneverlookedthiswaybefore.

Without a word, he took herhandanddrewhissisterbackdownthehallway.

The jury filed into thecourtroom,adozenmenfromthemountainandthetown,atleast

elevenofwhomCottoncouldhope would do the rightthing. The jury had been outfor

many hours, longer thanCottonhad thoughtprobable.He did not know if that wasgood

or bad. The real card againsthim, he knew, was that ofdesperation.Itwasastrong

opponent,becauseitcouldsoeasily prey upon those whoworkedsohardeveryday

simply to survive, or upon

thosewhosawnofuture inaplacewhereeverythingwas

being carved out and takenaway. Cotton would loathethejurorsiftheywentagainst

him, yet he knew they easilycould.Well, at least itwouldsoonbeover.

Atkins asked, "Has the juryreachedaverdict?"

The foreman rose. He was amanfromthetown,ahumbleshopkeeper,hisbodyswollen

from too much beef andpotato, and from too littleeffort with arms andshoulders."Yes,

YourHonor,"hesaidquietly.

Hardly a single person hadleft the courtroom since thejuryhadbeengivenitscharge

from the judge and sent out.The whole population of theroom leaned forward, asthough

they all had just been struckdeaf.

"Whatsayyou?"

"We find ... for SouthernValley."The foreman lookeddown,asthoughhehadjust

delivered a death sentence tooneofhisown.

The courtroom erupted intoshouts—some cheers, somenot. The balcony seemed tosway

with the collective weight ofthe decision of a dozenmen.Hugh Miller and GeorgeDavis

exchanged slight nods, lips

easingintovictorioussmiles.

Cotton sat back. The legalprocess had had its day; theonlythingabsentwasjustice.

Miller and Goode shookhands. Miller tried tocongratulateWheeler,butthebigman

walkedoffinobviousdisgust.

"Order, order in this courtor

I'll clear it."Atkins slammedhisgavelseveraltimes,and

thingsdidquietdown.

"Thejuryisdismissed.Thankyouforyourservice,"hesaidandnotverykindly.Aman

entered the courtroom,spotted Cotton, andwhispered something in hisear.Cotton's

despairnoticeablydeepened.

Goode said, "Your Honor, itnowremainssolelytoappointsomeonetorepresentMiss

Cardinal's interests andassume guardianship of thechildren."

"Judge, I've just receivedsome news that the courtneedstohear."Cottonslowlystood,

his head down, one handpressed to his side. "LouisaMae Cardinal has passedaway."

The courtroom erupted oncemore, and this time Atkinsmadenomovetocontainit.

Davis's smile broadened. HewentovertoCotton."Damn,"hesaid,"thisdaygetbetter

andbetter."

Cotton'smindwentblankfora moment, as thoughsomeonehadsmotehimwithananvil.

He grabbedDavis and had itin his mind to deliver himinto the next countywith hisright

fist, but then he stopped andsimplyheavedthemanoutofhisway,asonewouldshovel

a large pile of manure off aroad.

"YourHonor,"saidGoode,"Iknowwe're all very sorry tohearaboutMissCardinal.

Now, I have a list of veryreputable people who canrepresent these fine childreninthe

sale of the property that hasjustnowpassedtothem."

"And I hope you rot in hellfor it," cried out Cotton. Heracedtothebench,Goodeonhis

heels.

Cotton pounded his fist sohard on themighty bench ofjustice that Fred the bailifftooka

nervoussteptowardthem.

"George Davis tainted thatwholejury,"roaredCotton."Iknow he's got SouthernValley

dollars burning a hole in hispocket."

"Give it up,Longfellow, youlost,"saidGoode.

Neither man noticed thecourtroomdoorsopening.

"Never, Goode. Never!"Cottonshoutedathim.

"He agreed to be bound bythedecisionofthejury."

"I'm afraid he's got a pointthere,"saidAtkins.

A triumphant Goode turnedtolookatMillerandhiseyesnearlycrossedatwhathewas

seeing.

"ButHenry,"pleadedCotton,"please, the children ... Letmebetheirguardian.I—"

Atkins was not payingattention to Cotton. He toowas now staring at thecourtroom,his

mouthwideopen.

Cotton slowly turned to seewhat Atkins was looking at,and felthimself feeling faint,

as

though he'd just seen Godwalk through that door. Louand Oz stood mere beforethem

all. And between them, heldup almost solely by herchildren, was AmandaCardinal.

Lou had not taken her gazefrom her mother from the

momentOzhadledherdownthe

hallway and into thebedroom, where her motherwas lying in bed, her eyeswideopen,

tears running from them, hershaky arms finally reachingouttoherchildren,her

trembling lips forming ajoyoussmile.

NeithercouldCottontakehisgaze from the woman. Still,hehadunfinishedbusiness

beforethecourt.

In a cracking, halting voicehe said, "Your Honor, Iwould like to present to youAmanda

Cardinal. The rightful andtrueguardianofherchildren."

The sea of now-silent peoplepartedandallowedCotton towalkslowlyovertomother

and her children, his legsstumbling along, as thoughtheyhadforgottentheproper

motions. His face wassmirchedwithtears.

"Mrs. Cardinal," he began,"mynameis—"

Amanda reached out a handand touched him on theshoulder.Her bodywas veryweak,

yet her head was held high,and when she spoke herwordswere soft but clear. "Iknow

whoyouare,Mr.Longfellow.I'velistenedtoyouoften."

TODAY

THE TALL WOMANWALKS ALONG A FIELDOF BLUE-grass slowlycurvinginthewind.

Thelineofmountainssweepsacrossinthebackground.Herhairissilverandhangsto

her waist. She holds a penandapapertabletandsitsonthe ground and begins towrite.

Maybe the wishing well didwork. Or perhaps it was theunwavering faith of a littleboy.

Ormaybeitwasassimpleasalittlegirltellinghermothershelovedher.Theimportant

thing was our mother cameback to us. Even as ourbeloved Louisa Mae left us.Wehad

Louisa but a minute, yet wecameclose tohavinghernotatall.

The woman rises, walksalong, and then stops at twogranite tombstones with thenames

Cotton Longfellow andAmandaCardinalLongfellowengraveduponthem.Shesitsand

continueswriting.

My mother and Cotton weremarried a year later. CottonadoptedOzandme,andI

showed equal love andaffection to him and mymother.They spent over fourwonderful

decades together on thismountain and died within aweek of one another. I will

never

forget Cotton's greatkindness.AndIwillgotomyown grave knowing that mymother

and I made the most of oursecondchance.

My little brother did growinto those big feet, anddeveloped an even biggerarm.Andon

a glorious autumn day, OzCardinal pitched and won aWorld Series for the NewYork

Yankees. He's now aschoolteacher there, with awell-deserved reputation forhelping

timidchildrenthrive.Andhisgrandson has inherited thatimmortalbear.SomedaysI

wantnothingmorethantobeholding that little boy again,runningmyfingersthrough

his hair, comforting him.Mycowardly lion. But childrengrow up. And my littlebrother

became a fine man. And hissisteristrulyproudofhim.

Eugene went on to have hisownfarmandfamilyandstill

lives nearby. He remains tothis

dayoneofmybest friends inthe world. And after hisperformance in thatcourtroomso

long ago, I never heardanyone ever again refer tohimasHellNo.

Andme?Likemyfather,Ileftthemountain.ButunlikeJack

Cardinal,IcamebackI

married and raised a familyhere inahomeIbuilton thelandLouisaMaeleftus.Now

my own grandchildren comeandvisiteverysummer.I tellthemofmylifegrowingup

here. About Louisa Mae,Cotton, and my dear friendDiamond Skinner. And alsoabout

otherswhotouchedourlives.I do so because I believe itimportant for them to knowsuch

thingsabouttheirfamily.

Over theyears Ihadreadsomanybooks,Istartedtowriteoneofmyown.Iloveditso

much, Iwrote fourteenmore.Itoldstoriesofhappinessandwonder.Ofpainandfear.Of

survival and triumph. Of theland and its people. As myfatherhad.AndwhileInever

won the sorts of awards hedidmybookstendedtosellalittlebetter.

As my father wrote, one'scourage,hope,andspiritcanbeseverelytriedbythe

happenstanceoflife.ButasIlearned on this Virginia

mountain, so long as onenever

losesfaith, it is impossible toevertrulybealone.

ThisiswhereIbelong.Itisatrue comfort to know that Iwill die here on this highrock.

And I fearmypassingnot atall. My enthusiasm isperfectlyunderstandable,you

see,for

theviewfromhere issoveryfine.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would be remiss in notthanking various people whohelpedwiththisproject.First,all

the fine folks at WarnerBooks, and especially my

dear friend Maureen Egen,whowas

wonderfullysupportiveofmytrying something different,andwhoperformeda

marvelous editing job on thenovel. And thanks also toAaron Priest and LisaVancefor

all their help andencouragement. They both

make my life far lesscomplicated.Andto

Molly Friedrich, for takingthe time from herextraordinarily busy scheduletoreadan

early draft of the novel andprovide many insightfulcomments. And to FrancesJaletMiller, who brought herusual superb editing skillsand heartfelt enthusiasm to

thestory.

And to my cousin Steve forreading all the words asusual. And to JenniferSteinbergfor

herhelp.

ToMichelle for all shedoes.It is awell-known fact that Iwouldbeutterlylostwithout

her.

And to Spencer and Collin,forbeingmyLouandOz.

And tomydear friendKarenSpiegel for all her help andencouragement with thiswork.

You really helped make itbetter, and maybe one daywe'llseeitonthebigscreen.

And to all the fine people atthe Library of Virginia in

Richmond for allowing meuseof

itsarchives,providingaquietplace towork and think, andforpointingmeinthe

direction of numeroustreasure troves:remembrances penned bymountainfolks;oral

histories documented bydiligent WPA staff in the

1930s; pictorial histories ofrural

counties in Virginia; and thefirst state publication onmidwifery.

A very special thanks toDeborah Hocutt, theExecutive Director of theVirginiaCenter

fortheBookattheLibraryofVirginia,forallherassistance

withthisproject,andalso

with the many otherendeavors I'm involved withintheCommonwealth.

http://nowhereman.alfaspace.net/

TableofContents

WARNER BOOKSEDITION

CHAPTERTWOCHAPTERFOURCHAPTERSIXCHAPTEREIGHTCHAPTERTENCHAPTERTWELVECHAPTERFOURTEENCHAPTERSIXTEEN

CHAPTEREIGHTEENCHAPTERTWENTYCHAPTERTHIRTYCHAPTERFORTY