Grease Beard. “Billy Bah doesn’t want to help you. Kindly leave us alone.”
Duncan was taking a risk by speaking against Grease Beard, an officer. Clearly, he was jealous of the man’s interest in me. I pressed Duncan’s hand to my chest.
“Would anyone else like to volunteer?” Grease Beard asked. “Ally?”
Ally shook her head. She moved Sammy from one breast to another and lovingly stroked his shaggy hair. So Grease Beard knew Ally’s name as well as mine. Perhaps the crewmembers talked about us.
Marie sat on the bench, playing checkers with Tooth Girl. She looked up. “Officer Sutter! Are you going to make bronze busts? For the American Museum of Natural History?”
He nodded and smiled.
“That museum is wonderful! I’ve been there, Billy Bah,” she said. “You must let Officer Sutter make the bust. So many people will see your face. You’ll be famous!”
I shook my head. “No, Marie. I don’t want my face in that museum.”
“Well then,” Grease Beard said, “I’ll make a cast of your face, Marie. And I can cast Akitsinnguaq, too.”
“Oh, yes!” Marie clapped her hands and touched their faces. Tooth Girl and her mother caught Marie’s enthusiasm and agreed to what they thought was a game.
Grease Beard went out to fetch more supplies. Duncan whispered, “Let’s get away and go for a walk on the ice. I don’t like this man.”
“No, we must stay,” I said. “I must watch what he’s doing to my friends.” Then, “I could find out something from him about my parents.”
Duncan frowned. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” We’d never spoken of how my parents died, but probably all the
qallunaat
on the ship knew.
Duncan wrapped my hand in his. Grease Beard brought over the paste and a bucket of water. He draped rags over the dining table and gave Marie an old shirt to put on over her dress and sweater. She twined her yellow hair into a tight bun over her head.
While Tooth Girl looked on with a gaping mouth, Marie sat happily for her treatment. She squeezed her eyes shut as Grease Beard rubbed the plaster on her cheeks and small tapered chin and around her smiling lips. After working on her, Grease Beard plastered Tooth Girl.
Putting their faces on display in a museum seemed like stealing their spirits.
While they sat like white carvings and waited for the plaster to dry, I asked Grease Beard, “Did you know my parents?”
“Yes indeed. I was on that voyage. That was the summer Lieutenant Peary brought back the meteorite—the big iron one that he named Ahnighito, after Marie.” He nodded in Marie’s direction. She could only wave.
“So you knew my mother and father?” I said.
“Yes,” Grease Beard said sadly. “I’m so sorry they died.”
I winced.
“Officer Sutter,” Duncan said, “remember we’re in a room full of children. And this talk is not pleasant for Billy Bah.” I touched his arm to let him know it was all right.
“Were you with them at the museum?” I asked. “When they became ill?”
“No. They were taken to a hospital. I only saw them a few times after we anchored in New York. Now and then the museum called on me to mount specimens of birds and the like, or paint a mural. But I wasn’t there when—”
Duncan said, “Don’t say any more! Can’t you see this is hard for Billy Bah?”
“I would never talk about
that
. Do you think I’m heartless?”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
He was washing his large hands in the basin. He stopped and looked into my eyes. “You know all there is to know. They took ill and died.”
“Were you there when they were buried?”
“No, I wasn’t.” He looked away, washing again. “No need to ask more, Billy Bah.”
I let Duncan pull me away. We passed through the saloon, where Marie and Tooth Girl still waited, looking like little ghosts.
Both men were hiding something. One way or another, I’d find out what it was.
That evening, speaking in whispers behind the
Duncan was taking a risk by speaking against Grease Beard, an officer. Clearly, he was jealous of the man’s interest in me. I pressed Duncan’s hand to my chest.
“Would anyone else like to volunteer?” Grease Beard asked. “Ally?”
Ally shook her head. She moved Sammy from one breast to another and lovingly stroked his shaggy hair. So Grease Beard knew Ally’s name as well as mine. Perhaps the crewmembers talked about us.
Marie sat on the bench, playing checkers with Tooth Girl. She looked up. “Officer Sutter! Are you going to make bronze busts? For the American Museum of Natural History?”
He nodded and smiled.
“That museum is wonderful! I’ve been there, Billy Bah,” she said. “You must let Officer Sutter make the bust. So many people will see your face. You’ll be famous!”
I shook my head. “No, Marie. I don’t want my face in that museum.”
“Well then,” Grease Beard said, “I’ll make a cast of your face, Marie. And I can cast Akitsinnguaq, too.”
“Oh, yes!” Marie clapped her hands and touched their faces. Tooth Girl and her mother caught Marie’s enthusiasm and agreed to what they thought was a game.
Grease Beard went out to fetch more supplies. Duncan whispered, “Let’s get away and go for a walk on the ice. I don’t like this man.”
“No, we must stay,” I said. “I must watch what he’s doing to my friends.” Then, “I could find out something from him about my parents.”
Duncan frowned. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” We’d never spoken of how my parents died, but probably all the
qallunaat
on the ship knew.
Duncan wrapped my hand in his. Grease Beard brought over the paste and a bucket of water. He draped rags over the dining table and gave Marie an old shirt to put on over her dress and sweater. She twined her yellow hair into a tight bun over her head.
While Tooth Girl looked on with a gaping mouth, Marie sat happily for her treatment. She squeezed her eyes shut as Grease Beard rubbed the plaster on her cheeks and small tapered chin and around her smiling lips. After working on her, Grease Beard plastered Tooth Girl.
Putting their faces on display in a museum seemed like stealing their spirits.
While they sat like white carvings and waited for the plaster to dry, I asked Grease Beard, “Did you know my parents?”
“Yes indeed. I was on that voyage. That was the summer Lieutenant Peary brought back the meteorite—the big iron one that he named Ahnighito, after Marie.” He nodded in Marie’s direction. She could only wave.
“So you knew my mother and father?” I said.
“Yes,” Grease Beard said sadly. “I’m so sorry they died.”
I winced.
“Officer Sutter,” Duncan said, “remember we’re in a room full of children. And this talk is not pleasant for Billy Bah.” I touched his arm to let him know it was all right.
“Were you with them at the museum?” I asked. “When they became ill?”
“No. They were taken to a hospital. I only saw them a few times after we anchored in New York. Now and then the museum called on me to mount specimens of birds and the like, or paint a mural. But I wasn’t there when—”
Duncan said, “Don’t say any more! Can’t you see this is hard for Billy Bah?”
“I would never talk about
that
. Do you think I’m heartless?”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
He was washing his large hands in the basin. He stopped and looked into my eyes. “You know all there is to know. They took ill and died.”
“Were you there when they were buried?”
“No, I wasn’t.” He looked away, washing again. “No need to ask more, Billy Bah.”
I let Duncan pull me away. We passed through the saloon, where Marie and Tooth Girl still waited, looking like little ghosts.
Both men were hiding something. One way or another, I’d find out what it was.
That evening, speaking in whispers behind the
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