The Children of Blood

\ ^ \ rfS*"^! / ^ ? s? &$j$% ? "*W *4fl \W C-* •f I ?·?? y / /¦breed, as you speak of it, her kin have their own high pride too, Father. Was there not more than a secret futility hidden somewhere in his voice, even as he made a great pretense of not caring? But then he went away to Centre, and before another year had passed, all of it was forgotten. Surely forgotten, never mentioned until this moment, when time entrapped Grumpa and it has all come into this room again. And yet those many times when Hazlitt rode Genesis in the high pasture, afterward, with Grumpa stalking the verandah in and out among the shadows of the vines. "Time has its own confusion for everyone," Dr. Mullens said. "Sometimes fortunately . If you'll bring bandages, I'll get this thigh set." As I turned away, he nodded his head toward the ruined uniform where it lay on a chair beside the bed. "Destroy that, burn it," staring at me. I took it up in my hands. "Take him toJerusalem," he said then harshly. "Let them take him to Lexington." "What?" "This one. Get rid of him, have your man take him to Jerusalem." "Nine miles," I said. It was unthinkable. And Hebron exposed on the open road with a wounded Yankee in a wagon? "And fifty to Lexington? He'd be certain to die." "My god," he said. "What was it you wanted, then, when you shot at him this morning?" "I wanted him to die," I said, furiously. 'To die, and he didn't. Is that what you want me to say, Dr. Mullens? What do you think I am, what do you think Grumpa intended? You think we are inhuman?" Hebe came back into the room. I passed him with the bundle. "What will you, then, keep him like a pet dog?" Dr. Mullens said behind me. "If he heals?" Zella was still in the kitchen ignoring my refusal to go to bed. She sat beside Andy at the table with her hands crossed in front of her, but when I opened the stove and began stuffing the rippéd pieces of uniform inside, she came around to help me. "He is an impossible and infuriating man," I said. "Hmph." She glared at me. Watching the material smolder and then char into flame on the hot embers, I grew suddenly sick with the idea of destruction, moving back from the stove and allowing 69 Zella to see to the burning of it. Not enough time. It occured to me that it would be impossible to remember everything, to plan this course of action or that, to think what else remained to be done, in the face of what was certain to follow this tragedy. We were stripping the last sheet into bandages when Hebe passed through. "He wants splints." "There's those few pieces of dressed walnut in the empty cabin." "Yessum, that's what I was thinking." He lit the lantern, rattling its globe, the sudden yellow glow increasing the candle radiance. He hesitated. "Miss Sabina," he said. "You tired, you and Mr. Andy gawn to bed. Me and Zella manage all this." "No." Again, refusing. "I have to make certain he works on that crushed hip, Hebron. If I go to bed, he may try to leave." "He be sober by morning." Still hesitating Hebe stood with the lantern throwing his shadow in bold relief on the opposite wall. "I unlocked your Mamma's room." I looked at his shadow, sturdy, determined, almost grotesque in its distortions . What? I said, as Zella stiffened beside me, and he met my eyes squarely. "To put him in." "In Mother's room?" "No, now," Zella said. "Yessum." "You mean lock him in there?" "No sir," Zella said. "Yessum. Just tonight, for him to sober up good, then tomorrow morning early he can go to work operating on that soldier's hip." "Against his will, Hebron?" "No sir," Zella said. "No sir now, you Hebron." "Hush, woman." Hebe swallowed. I could see the whites of his eyes distinctly in the candle light and the steady yellow of the lantern flare. "Miss Sabina," he said. "They...