Promises to the Dead by Mary Downing Hahn

and let him shelter by the fire. I didn't think you'd mind, sir."
    The colonel cursed. "That's a damnable lie. I left the rascal for dead in the street at least three weeks ago. You been caring for him all this while, aiding and abetting him to steal the widow's slave child."
    "Please let us search this house, Horatio," Mr. Kirby put in. "Henrietta is beside herself, she loves the child so."
    I wanted to call the man a liar, but, if I spoke up, they'd all know I'd seen Perry. So, like Athena, I kept my mouth shut.
    The judge sighed heavily and headed for the cellar door. "Come with me," he said to the men. "You'll soon see I have nothing to hide."
    The moment the judge's back was turned, Colonel Botfield grabbed my arm and twisted it pretty near out of the socket. "No matter how this little scene plays out," he whispered, "you ain't seen the last of me, Jesse Sherman. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, I'll be your death, boy."
    I broke away, my nose full of the brimstone smell of his smoky breath, and moved closer to Athena. Shaking with fear, she put her arm around me.
    "Come along, Abednego," Mr. Kirby called from the cellar door. "Forget the boy for now."
    But Colonel Botfield caught hold of me again and dragged me down the stairs behind him. "I ain't letting the scalawag out of my sight," he said.
    Those three men searched the cellar from one end to the other, peering into every corner, poking and prodding, but they found nothing. It seemed Athena had spirited Perry away. Or conjured him right out of his shape. Delia had told me tales of a witch woman down in the marsh who had the power to change people into frogs or mice or whatever she chose. Maybe Athena had the same magical arts, for there wasn't a sign of Perry anywhere. I glimpsed a mouse in the corner, though, watching us with bright eyes.
    At last Judge Baxter turned to Colonel Botfield. "I hope you're satisfied," he said. "Didn't I tell you the child was not in my house?"
    "No, I ain't satisfied. That wench of yours has got him hid in some hidey hole only she knows about." The wily old scoundrel scowled at me and added, "This boy knows more than he's telling. If you was to hand him over to me for a few hours, I'd get the truth out of him fast enough."
    To my relief, Judge Baxter shook his head. "In your hands, there's no telling what would become of him," he told the colonel. "If the boy aided and abetted, I'll see he goes to court, where he'll receive a fair trial."
    "At least promise me this," the colonel said. "Lock him up and keep him till we get to the bottom of the affair. Him and your slave both."
    Judge Baxter merely shrugged and said he'd consider it. "And now, gentlemen," he concluded, "if you'll excuse me, I wish to go to bed. I have a full schedule at the courthouse tomorrow."
    With that, the judge led Mr. Kirby and Colonel Botfield to the back door and opened it as if he was letting out a pair of no-'count hounds. To Mr. Kirby, he said, "Daniel, our friendship will be sorely tested if you bring your brother-in-law to my house again."
    After the door slammed shut behind the two, Judge Baxter bent over Nate. Athena had wiped the blood from his face and was bandaging his head. I was glad to see Nate's eyes were open but sorry to see the damage the colonel had done to him.
    "I don't know who or what to believe," the judge said to Nate, "but as much as I hate to agree with Abednego Botfield, I smell the rank odor of mendacity."
    Fearing the judge would lay all the blame on Nate, I thrust myself between them. "It ain't Nate's fault," I said. "He was just helping me, sir. I'm the one who stole Perry and you should be glad I did, for he's your own kin—"
    That got the judge's attention all right. Towering over me as wrathy as one of them kings in the Bible, he roared, "My kin? What do you mean by that?"
    Too late I recalled what Athena had told me about saying such things, but there was no taking the words back now. "Perry's daddy