was the late Peregrine Baxter," I hollered, too wrathy myself to care what the man did to me. "That makes Perry your grandson. Your own flesh and blood."
Whilst I was talking, the judge was hauling me to the door. "Liar," he roared. "My son would never miscegenate with a slave!"
"If you saw him," I yelled back, "you'd know I'm telling the truth!"
The judge was so mad I doubt he heard a word I said, let alone believed me. With one last curse, he threw me out the door like I was no more than a bundle of rags.
I hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind right out of me. For a second I thought I was dead or paralyzed, but then I got my breath and picked myself up. The door was shut fast, but the kitchen window showed the lamp was still lit. I sneaked up and looked inside. The judge was talking to Nate, his face grim. Athena hovered nearby, wringing her hands with worry. There was nothing I could do but wait till the judge went to bed. Then, if I was lucky, Athena might let me in and tell me where Perry was.
It seemed like a long time, probably because I was cold and tired and wanted nothing more than a warm place to sleep, but at last the kitchen door opened and Athena peeked out. "Jesse?" she whispered.
I scurried into the house. "Where's Nate?" I whispered.
"The judge sent him to the cellar and told me not to go near him," Athena said. "He's mighty angry at both of us."
"And Perry? Where's he?"
"Come on," Athena said, "I'll show you."
I followed her down to a small storage room in the cellar where she put me to work moving a stack of barrels and crates. I recalled the judge poking around in the same place, but he'd contented himself with shining his lantern here and there. I guess Athena knew more about the cellar than he did, for the barrels and crates hid a tiny room the judge had missed altogether.
Inside was Perry, curled up in a blanket, sound asleep and as safe as a mole in the ground. I grinned a big grin, mightily relieved to see him.
"Crawl in there with him and get some sleep, Jesse," Athena said. "I'll fetch you in the morning after the judge has gone to the courthouse."
As quiet as I could, I wriggled under Perry's blanket, bone weary and glad for the warmth of his body. I thought I'd tumble into sleep the minute I shut my eyes, but long after Athena moved the crates back into place, I lay awake worrying. Even though I'd saved Perry from the widow, I was far from done with him. Grandson or not, the judge didn't want any part of the boy. It seemed we had no choice but to travel on and find Miss Polly.
When I finally managed to fall asleep, I dreamed I was sailing down the Bay toward home. The sky was blue and the water sparkled. I could see Uncle Philemon waiting on shore for me, waving to beat the band. My heart leaped with joy, but before the boat docked, the sky turned black and the wind commenced to blow. Uncle Philemon disappeared. Captain Harrison turned to tell me something, but he had Colonel Abednego Botfield's face. In his hand was a pistol, pointed at my head.
That was when I woke up to see Nate bending over me. One eye was swollen shut and his cheek was bruised, the colonel's handiwork. "Athena send me to fetch you boys," he said. "The judge has left for the day, and we got plans to make."
Nate woke Perry next. For a second the poor child's eyes widened in fear, but Nate told him not to worry. "You're safe now. That woman won't never get her hands on you again."
Athena met us at the top of the stairs. She'd fixed oatmeal for all three of us and a mug of steaming hot coffee for Nate and me.
Perry looked around the room wildly. "Are we safe here?" he asked. "What if somebody sees us through the window? What if the colonel comes back?"
Athena drew Perry on to her lap and rocked him. "Bless you, child, nobody's coming into the backyard to peek through that little old kitchen window. Company knocks at the front door. You're as safe as bird in its nest here."
Gently she scooped up a spoonful
Whilst I was talking, the judge was hauling me to the door. "Liar," he roared. "My son would never miscegenate with a slave!"
"If you saw him," I yelled back, "you'd know I'm telling the truth!"
The judge was so mad I doubt he heard a word I said, let alone believed me. With one last curse, he threw me out the door like I was no more than a bundle of rags.
I hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind right out of me. For a second I thought I was dead or paralyzed, but then I got my breath and picked myself up. The door was shut fast, but the kitchen window showed the lamp was still lit. I sneaked up and looked inside. The judge was talking to Nate, his face grim. Athena hovered nearby, wringing her hands with worry. There was nothing I could do but wait till the judge went to bed. Then, if I was lucky, Athena might let me in and tell me where Perry was.
It seemed like a long time, probably because I was cold and tired and wanted nothing more than a warm place to sleep, but at last the kitchen door opened and Athena peeked out. "Jesse?" she whispered.
I scurried into the house. "Where's Nate?" I whispered.
"The judge sent him to the cellar and told me not to go near him," Athena said. "He's mighty angry at both of us."
"And Perry? Where's he?"
"Come on," Athena said, "I'll show you."
I followed her down to a small storage room in the cellar where she put me to work moving a stack of barrels and crates. I recalled the judge poking around in the same place, but he'd contented himself with shining his lantern here and there. I guess Athena knew more about the cellar than he did, for the barrels and crates hid a tiny room the judge had missed altogether.
Inside was Perry, curled up in a blanket, sound asleep and as safe as a mole in the ground. I grinned a big grin, mightily relieved to see him.
"Crawl in there with him and get some sleep, Jesse," Athena said. "I'll fetch you in the morning after the judge has gone to the courthouse."
As quiet as I could, I wriggled under Perry's blanket, bone weary and glad for the warmth of his body. I thought I'd tumble into sleep the minute I shut my eyes, but long after Athena moved the crates back into place, I lay awake worrying. Even though I'd saved Perry from the widow, I was far from done with him. Grandson or not, the judge didn't want any part of the boy. It seemed we had no choice but to travel on and find Miss Polly.
When I finally managed to fall asleep, I dreamed I was sailing down the Bay toward home. The sky was blue and the water sparkled. I could see Uncle Philemon waiting on shore for me, waving to beat the band. My heart leaped with joy, but before the boat docked, the sky turned black and the wind commenced to blow. Uncle Philemon disappeared. Captain Harrison turned to tell me something, but he had Colonel Abednego Botfield's face. In his hand was a pistol, pointed at my head.
That was when I woke up to see Nate bending over me. One eye was swollen shut and his cheek was bruised, the colonel's handiwork. "Athena send me to fetch you boys," he said. "The judge has left for the day, and we got plans to make."
Nate woke Perry next. For a second the poor child's eyes widened in fear, but Nate told him not to worry. "You're safe now. That woman won't never get her hands on you again."
Athena met us at the top of the stairs. She'd fixed oatmeal for all three of us and a mug of steaming hot coffee for Nate and me.
Perry looked around the room wildly. "Are we safe here?" he asked. "What if somebody sees us through the window? What if the colonel comes back?"
Athena drew Perry on to her lap and rocked him. "Bless you, child, nobody's coming into the backyard to peek through that little old kitchen window. Company knocks at the front door. You're as safe as bird in its nest here."
Gently she scooped up a spoonful
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