Signs in the Blood (28 page)

“Oh, yeah.” All three nodded seriously. “Ernie said to sell as fast as we could. He's going to need the money for his lawyers.”

The three co-owners took them on a tour of the community. They visited the vast barnlike structure that housed the communal kitchen and dining room, the dormitories, the studios, and the crèche. Everywhere there was evidence of the hasty departure of the starchildren: pots and pans and dishes stacked unwashed in the kitchen, sheets and blankets trailing off the dormitory cots, drawers pulled out and emptied. Unfinished paintings lay on the huge tables in the studios and the airbrushes sat uncleaned, their mechanisms clogged with paint. The crèche, a small but well-equipped maternity hospital, was in total disarray, as if the police search had been particularly thorough here.

“I think that's about all there is to see,” Bob told them. “There's a big building farther up that no one but Pol—Ernie and a few of his special disciples could go to. The police say they were manufacturing drugs up there. Ernie had some contact up north who would show up now and then in a big black Beemer. I think he's been arrested, too. But anyway, that building's padlocked and cordoned off till they get done collecting evidence.”

“Let's show her the rebirthing pool.” Gene's voice was eager. “That ought to add to the value of this place—God knows it cost enough.”

The rebirthing pool was a very fancy custom-made swimming pool. With a black-painted interior and boulders lining its edges, it looked like a natural pond.

“Honey, you all didn't cut any corners, did you?” said Sallie Kate. “Why do you call it a rebirthing pool?”

The three young men looked at one another, then Gene said, “It was to mark the first step in our evolution as starchildren, to wash away all earthly thought and—”

“Kind of like a baptism,” explained Mort.

“No,” argued Bob, “more than that. It could fix people who weren't right. Remember when that local guy showed up, that one with the funny name?” Elizabeth stiffened. Polaris had told her that Cletus had visited the community. . . .

“He ate dinner with us a couple of times,” Bob continued, “and Polaris told us that this guy who wasn't quite all there, this guy could be transformed if he just underwent the rebirthing ceremony.”

“Cletus, that was his name,” Gene put in. “I remember because it sounded kind of like a star name already.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember now,” Mort agreed. “But then something changed and a few days later Pol—I mean Ernie—told us that what's-his-name had trespassed in the forbidden area and wouldn't be coming back. He was no longer welcome, Ernie said.”

Sallie Kate and the three hunks, as Elizabeth now thought of them, turned to inspect the building nearby that housed changing rooms and pool-cleaning equipment. Sallie Kate was growing more and more enthusiastic about the property.

Elizabeth stood transfixed, staring at the smooth, dark surface of the pool, then with sudden decisiveness she scrabbled in her shoulder bag and found a small plastic bottle of ibuprofen. She dumped the pills out into her purse; then, with two swift steps, she was at the side of the pool. She knelt and swished the little container clean, filled it and replaced the cap.
The water in the lungs wasn't entirely consistent with the water in the mouth and ears. . . .

As they drove back down Bear Tree Creek, Sallie Kate chattered cheerfully about the possibilities the Starshine Community could offer the right buyer. “A retreat, or a summer camp, or a school—it's all there and ready to go. If I can just get the owners to agree on a price . . .”

And Elizabeth was remembering Aunt Belvy's words: “. . . There are two joined in blood and water, two by the false prophet . . .”

Polaris . . . a false prophet.

X-M
AY
1902

Hit was a mild day and I was settin on the cabin steps a-givin Malindy the breast. Though the sun felt warm, I had her wrapped up good with her cap pulled snug around her little ears. Hit was mostly still but ever now and then a breath of air would make the leaves in just one part of a tree to tremble. I watched how the breeze moved around and I was marvelin at how hit caught just one leaf of the young peach tree I'd planted there near the cabin steps.

I set there just a-watchin that little sickle-shaped leaf flippin back and forth in the breeze. Will you? Won't you? Will you? Won't you? kept a-runnin through my head.

The bleedin I'd had after Malindy was borned had quit now and I felt purt near as stout as I used to be. I'd been walkin about more and more, hopin to gain my strength back. And now that the days was warm I had made up my mind to take my babe and walk to Gudger's Stand. There I could get on the train and ride to Ransom and at the depot in Ransom, I knowed I could get me a ticket to Kentucky.

Mister Tomlin had been watchin me close and he had took to doin a queer thing. Ever night, afore he drunk that medicine of hisn, he would haul the bedstead to where hit blocked the door. When I asked him why he done this, he said he didn't want me roamin around none. I didn't say nothing, though hit meant I had to use the chamber at night. I knowed that when the time come, I could get out the window onto the big rock whilst he was asleep.

I begun to make up a bundle of what I would be able to carry. I put in most all of Malindy's little gowns and as many hippins as I could. Aetha had brung me a little calico poke with a molesfoot in it to put round Malindy's neck when her teeth begun to come through and I put it in too. For myself, I just put in a change of linen for I knowed I couldn't carry more, far as I must travel. I hid the bundle up in the loft of the shed out back and bided my time.

At last hit seemed I must take the chance. Mister Tomlin was startin to be ill at Malindy whenever she cried. Shut her up, he'd say to me, or I'll take the belt to both of you. Hit was a Tuesday night and I knowed there was a train to Ransom first thing in the mornin. Mister Tomlin had come home with the smell of whisky on him and had et a big supper. He pulled the bed agin the door like he done ever night and then set there on hit in his nightshirt, smokin his cigar and a-starin at me as I gave Malindy the breast.

He kept starin and starin till hit raised chill bumps on me. At last he says, There'll be a reckoning, Little Sylvie. Sooner or later, there'll be a reckoning. Then he lay back on the bed and afore long was asleep. I went over and took the cigar from between his fingers and stobbed hit out. He was snorin like one thing and I figured that this was as good a chancet as would come.

I set up for some hours, wantin to make sure that he was deep asleep. I thought how I would do—get to Gudger's Stand just at dawn, then ride to Ransom. I had fixed a note tellin Mister Tomlin that I was takin Malindy and goin over the mountain to Levy's folks. I hoped that if he come atter me that he would go there first and that I would be on my way to Kentucky afore that he learned the truth.

Some time back of this I had greased the window shutter but even so hit squeaked something awful when I pushed hit open. Mister Tomlin give a kind of snort and rolled over facin the door. Quick as I could, I went to where his britches was hangin and put my hand in the pocket. The gold double eagles was warm and heavy in my hand and kindly greasy to the touch. I wrapped them in a rag so that they wouldn't make no noise. Then I thought about what Levy had said about stealin and I took off the ruby finger-ring and put hit in the pocket where the gold pieces had been. I had come to hate hit anyhow.

Malindy didn't stir one bit when I lifted her from her cradle and wrapped her in the World Without End quilt. I tucked the coins in the quilt with her and took her over to the window. The sill was wide enough to where I could lay her on hit so I rested her there, took one last look at my sewin machine, and clumb out the window. I had my feet on the log just above the big rock and was reachin up for my babe when all to oncet Mr. Tomlin was there at the window. He grabbed up Malindy and smiled at me. But hit were more like a dog a-barin hits teeth than a smile. And then it come to me that I hadn't seen him swaller his medicine afore he laid him down.

He held my babe up high and for a dreadful moment I was feared that he had taken a notion to dash her onto the big rock like some of them folks done in the Bible. I cried out and he stepped back and must of put her in her cradle. Then he come back and leaned outen the window. You go on, Little Sylvie, he says, you go on if you've a mind to. But this baby that you've let on to be mine, why I reckon I'll just keep her. And then he slammed the shutter tight shut.

I hollered and carried on and beat on the door but hit didn't do no good. He wouldn't give her to me and he wouldn't let me in. I heard her begin to cry but right quick she quietened down and there weren't no sound atall.

Daddy come to the door when I called out. Hit was black dark but I could make out the shotgun in his hands. He didn't even let me come up to the porch, just told me to go back to my man and not to bring more shame on my family. I walked across the foot log and stood there not knowin what to do. Then hit come to me that maybe Aetha would understand. I still hadn't never said nothing to her about Levy but I thought that her and Fate might take my side.

By the time I toiled up the road to Fate and Aetha's place hit was first light. They was smoke comin out of the chimbly and I could smell sausage cookin. When I hollered out, Fate come to the door. What are you doin here, Little Sylvie? he asks, but he stands aside and lets me in.

Aetha's at the cookstove stirrin some gravy, but she takes one look at me and says, Fate, you see to this for a minute iffen you don't care, and pulls me back to the porch.

Her oldest, little Lafayette junior, hollers out, Where's yore baby at, Aunt Sylvie? but afore I can say aught, Aetha pushes the door to.

Little Sylvie, she says, whatever is the matter? You look plumb wild.

My skirts is all wet and draggled with dew and my hair is trailin down. A blackberry bramble had caught me across the cheek when I was cuttin through the fields on my way and I can feel the long mark hit's left just a-stingin. I start in to tell Aetha what's wrong and all of a sudden I go to bawlin and can't stop. Aetha hugs me and tidies my hair some then makes me set down.

Little Sylvie, she says, do you know I was just this way when I had Lafayette? Hit's a kind of madness sometimes happens atter a baby comes. It hits different ones different ways. Some women won't feed their own babes nor have nothing to do with them. With me hit was the other way round. I just loved little Lafayette but I started thinking that Fate, his own daddy, was a-tryin to kill him and me too. But that craziness, hit passed right soon.

Rom had said Aetha was took right bad back then but I hadn't been old enough to pay hit no mind, I reckon. Anyhow, I seen that most likely she'd not believe what I was namin to tell her. Inside the house her least un started to cry and all of a sudden my milk let down and began to soak the front of my dress. I was still bawlin like one thing but then Aetha reached out and touched the wet spot. Don't you want to go home and feed yore sweet babe? she said.

The sun was full up by the time I got back. Neb was still in the pasture and the door was bolted from the inside. I begged Mister Tomlin through the door to let me see my baby and feed her. I could hear Malindy a-cryin and I knowed she ain't had nothing but the sugar tit I give her when I wrapped her up and laid her on the windowsill. I told him that I'd come back and not sin no more but he said I was a harlot and didn't deserve no child. I hollered and beat on the door till my hands was bloody.

At long last he said I could feed the baby but that I couldn't touch her nor see her. I was most out of my mind, hearing Malindy cryin and her soundin weaker every minute so I said I'd do like he wanted. He come out with some pieces ripped from my good shirtwaist and first he tied my wrists together behind my back then he tied a blindfold round my head. How'm I gonna hold my baby girl? I said.

She doesn't need the pollution of your filthy touch, Mister Tomlin said and jerked me by the elbow up the steps and into the cabin. He pulled me over to the corner where he'd moved the bedstead and pushed me down on it. The front of my dress was all wet with my milk and my titties was tight as touch-me-not seed pods. His rough old hands pulled at the buttons and I could feel one breast poppin out in the air. Then I felt my baby's sweet mouth on my nipple and my tears soaked the blindfold and run down my face and onto my bosom. Malindy sucked hard and quick and I could hear her gulpin for air. She sounded like a little pig just a-rootin at the old sow.

I started to talk to my baby, to sing the little horsey song Aetha had sung to me when I was a little un but he slapped me acrost the face and told me to hold my tongue. Will you put her to the other breast, please, Mister Tomlin? Hit's awful tight, I asked as meek as I could. But I could feel that she was slackin off and probly fallin asleep. Malindy had near bout drained that one side and was just playin like with the nipple, bitin it and lettin it loose, and then bitin it again. I could smell the sweet milky smell of her and there was the rankness of her dirty hippins. I leaned down to try to press my lips to her little head but Mister Tomlin snatched her away. I could hear her sleepy, chirpin sounds as he laid her in the cradle at the foot of the bed.

Mister Tomlin, I begged, You got to pat her little back to bring the air up lest she get colicky. He didn't say nothing and I stayed quiet, hopin he would change his mind and let me see my baby. I could hear him movin around the cabin and startin to speak scripture the way he done them other times.

Then his whiskery old face was at my other breast and he was bitin and suckin my tit. My stomach heaved and I was like to puke but I thought of my baby and kept still, hopin he would let me see her.