Virginia Hamilton (22 page)

Thomas knew better. Knew she had given the boys the same mental suggestion.

Stupid clowns,
tracing to Levi and pulling Levi along as he traced to Justice.
Justice
using her full name for the first time, he wasn’t sure why.
You won’t get away it with. Watch.

She needn’t turn to know what he was doing.

Boys headed for Justice stopped still. Looking all around, to the ground and up into the trees. What was the tremor they each felt? Why did they begin to shiver so in the sunlight?

“Did I hear thunder?” Talley Williams asked.

“Is it going to rain?” This from Bobby Matthews, with his grating voice. Justice had never cared for him.

Bobby Matthews felt stupid as sunlight continued to beat down in a cloudless sky. But he couldn’t help shivering with cold, as did most of the other boys.

Levi was horrified by this expansion of Thomas’ ability. He’d never seen Thomas use such power, never known he had it and could use it on the boys. Unaware that Justice seemed to have the same ability, he must warn her to take care.

Justice! he thought, using her full name, but he had no ability to reach her.

He tried to get to his feet. But Thomas was right there in his mind, pretending to light the fire under the pot containing his brain.

Tom-Tom, don’t!
Levi traced.

You didn’t tell Slick when I told you to, did you?
Thomas reminded him.

But I was about to,
desperately Levi traced back.

About to don’t mean one thing. I’ll remember that. Now, stay out of it.

Not all of the boys had responded to the illusion of tremor and fear that Thomas had telepathed to them.

So.
Thomas slid from Levi’s mind and pinned Dorian Jefferson like an insect in his sight.
It’s you, the son of the spirit woman
—
you’re one of us, too!

In fear, shivering, Dorian stared back at Thomas. It was no use. He had been caught. Thomas could clearly sense that Dorian was not afraid.

He perceived something else.
You’re different,
he traced. Thomas detected a veiled force protecting Dorian’s mind from him. There must have been a similar shield protecting Justice for so long. Why, suddenly, had Justice’s shield let down, revealing her not only to him but to herself as well?

That’s maybe the way it works, Thomas thought to himself. Sometimes it works like that for me. I find out I can do something special when a minute before I didn’t know a thing about it.

His attention was still riveted to Dorian, and he traced:
Know you’re different. So how is it you’re different from us? What can you do that’s different? I’m just curious.
It was true. Thomas had long since ceased being in awe of his own power. He was not terribly surprised, in one day, to find two people who had similar power.

Dorian stood there. He looked over at Levi, who would not be able to get up until Thomas dissolved the illusion of his brain in a pot. He stared at Thomas, but could not penetrate his strong mental defenses.

Thomas had never observed Dorian in terms of extrasensory power. Now he looked at Dorian anew and wondered at his small, ragged appearance. Never in a million years would he have suspected.

Beautiful,
Thomas traced. He smiled at Dorian.
I bet I find out everything pretty soon now. You watch and see, spirit boy! This is all-out war between me and Lee and you and that sister of mine!

Abruptly, Dorian turned and headed away.

“Hey, you guys!” It was Justice, as ordinary as she could be. She was on her bike and calling from the side of the Jefferson house. It was a loud kind of whisper, like nothing Levi had heard before. He wasn’t even sure he’d heard it, but he knew she’d called. The boys heard her. “You all afraid to go to the Quinella again? What’s the matter with you!” She whirled and disappeared on her bike, successfully breaking Thomas’ hold on the boys.

What were they doing standing there like a bunch of dumb bunnies? They couldn’t imagine what had come over them, and they raced for their bikes parked in front of the Jefferson place—Dorian right with them.

At the side of the house, Dorian turned back to smile at Thomas. It was his challenge, clearly in the cause of Justice.

The pot with the brain, the unlit fire, dissolved. Levi had his senses back. Unsteadily, he got to his feet.

Sorry, man,
Thomas traced. It was easier for him to communicate telepathically and avoid his stutter.
I shouldn’t have done that to you for so long. Didn’t mean to. I just forget myself sometimes.

Levi felt weak and light-headed. But he was deeply grateful for his brother’s expression of sympathy. Thomas had never before apologized to him.

I can’t take much more of it, Tom-Tom. It … it seems to upset my breathing,
Levi traced.

Thomas was silent a moment. He knew already that his brother had a serious illness. Knew that it could only get worse. But he was powerless to do anything about it.

Well, I won’t do it if you don’t want,
Thomas traced.
I mean, the crazy scenes I put in your mind. I only do it for fun, and I’m always right there with you.

It’s no fun for me, I’ve told you that, Tom-Tom. You’ve got to start thinking about what you’re doing.

I know, and I will, too, I promise you. Come on,
Thomas urged,
let’s get the snakes back to the Quinella.

No, I’d better get home,
traced Levi.
I’m just so tired.

Oh, come on! You’ll feel a lot better with some wind in your face. Lee, the heat’s got to you, is all.

Levi would have loved to sit under the trees and discuss Justice. But Thomas seemed in much too big a hurry for him even to suggest it.

If we race, we can catch them,
Thomas traced eagerly. He led Levi over to his bike, making sure he got on all right. They headed out through the Jefferson driveway, with Levi bringing up the rear. As they passed Jefferson windows, they both glanced up into the ever watchful gaze of Mrs. Leona Jefferson.

Veiled. Unreadable.

Levi nodded to her respectfully. Seeing her, he felt, strangely, less tired.

Thomas gave her a thumbs-up sign, smirking at her. She gave it back to him, thumbs down.

Stupid old spirit woman! So you hate my guts, so what? I don’t need a spirit woman to weave spells over me, to shield me, or Levi, either. If Ticey’s that weak, you’d best protect her because, man, when …

He broke off, remembering that Levi was in on the trace.

Once out in the street, he raced ahead before Levi could question him. Levi followed, pedaling evenly. It was true, biking on his racer down long, shaded streets into country soon revived him. He and Thomas caught up with Justice and the boys right after the B&O crossing. And they commenced a downhill race at spectacular speeds. Thomas moved up on Justice with Levi right behind him.

Justice didn’t seem surprised to see Thomas. She gazed at him long and hard, then turned back to the road.

Levi intercepted no extrasensory between them, which didn’t mean they weren’t locked in telepathic tracing. It could mean that Thomas hadn’t seen fit to let Levi in on it.

Thomas grinned at Justice. He reached out, patting her arm, never diminishing speed. It was so like the way a guy would gesture good-naturedly to his buddy when they were having a swell time on a really pleasant day. But Thomas’ open hand had knotted into a fist.

Levi couldn’t believe his eyes as, in a flash, Thomas hit Justice a thudding blow on her arm. The impact sent her careening down the side of the road. The bike wobbled and took a long, frightening slide as Justice struggled to steady it and slow it down. It seemed to take her forever. Luckily, she hadn’t fallen. As it was, the boys had a time slowing themselves and getting out of the way in case she lost control and came across the road.

Thomas had sped on away from them. By the time Justice had stopped the skid and had started her ride again, he was off his bike and racing for the Quinella Trace.

Boys were quiet now. They brought their bikes to a halt at the flat place in front of the fence.

“Did he hurt you?” Levi asked Justice.

She shook her head.
I
… She had opened telepathy between them and had begun to trace when she broke off.

She followed Levi over to the fence, next to which they laid their bikes. Boys stood around, still holding on to theirs, as if undecided whether to go or stay. They would not look directly at Levi or Justice. They felt they had intruded on some family argument, and Levi was quick to sense their predicament. There was no way for them to get around what they’d seen Thomas do. Thomas, their most exciting friend in the whole neighborhood. They were stunned by the danger, at him hitting Justice so hard, right in the midst of the bike traffic. But what got to them was that he had hit a younger, smaller
person
that hard; a girl who was also his sister. There was no excuse they could make for him, their glances at one another seemed to say. And they felt ashamed for him.

“We have to talk,” softly Levi said to Justice. “We must talk!”

He wanted to trace to her, but he had no way to make his way into her thoughts without Thomas or her leading him through the strange, empty passage from mind to mind.

No need to talk,
Justice traced.
Pardon me, but I am here.

Tice … Justice!

Yes?

How’s it possible that you kept all this from me?

I never knew!
she traced.
And to think about it
—
to know that I have … have …
Even now, she could not bring herself to say it. Then:
Levi, why didn’t you stay home? With you here, it makes it that much harder. …

Makes what harder? What is it?
he traced.

Don’t you see? Thomas and I.

I understand about that,
he traced,
but it doesn’t have to be. Justice, Thomas loves to win, so let him. Don’t fight him. I don’t want to see you hurt.

She smiled at him. No longer was it the smile of his little sister, but of someone older; beyond older. Someone different.

I am new,
she said in his mind.
I am power. And awe …

Awe?
Levi traced.
What’s that supposed to mean?

This isn’t the place
—
we’ll have time later. Come,
she traced.
Now, follow close to me. And never get between me and Thomas.

I don’t want to take sides,
he traced.

She stared at him, looking troubled. She was aware of boys standing awkwardly, aware that they found the silence strained. And she decided the boys should leave.

They began whispering among themselves. None of them wanted to go back to the Quinella. It was agreed that Slick and Dorian would return all of the snakes. Slick balked at the idea of actually emptying the pails on the riverbank. Instead, he said he would carry the snake pails only as far as the middle of the high weeds. So it was agreed that the center of the high weeds was good enough. The snakes would have no trouble finding their way back from there. Dorian would empty his containers in the weeds, as well.

Loaded with snake pails, Slick and Dorian climbed through the fence. Boys still held on to their bikes, ready for a fast getaway. And as soon as Slick was back, handing out empty containers, they prepared to leave. Testing hand brakes, sliding the pail handles through the handlebars. Then Slick and the boys raced up the hill and out of sight.

To leave Dorian like that? Levi wondered. They forgot all about him!

His next thought was that Justice had purposely made the boys forget and had also made them leave.

Yes, you’re right both times,
she traced, reading his thoughts.

“Thomas has that same kind of power of suggestion,” Levi said out loud. He was more relaxed now that the boys were gone. “The first time I saw him use it was today on the boys.”

“I know all about Thomas,” she said. And in a voice at the edge of fear, “I’m learning all about me.”

“Well, I wish there wouldn’t be this battle between you,” Levi said. “I’m glad I can’t always be sighted the way you two are. Oh, Justice, why do we have this power—why us!”

“Let’s not talk about it, if it upsets you. It upsets me, too,” she told him. “Come.”

She led the way. On the other side of the fence, Dorian waited for them in the high weeds. His alert, intelligent stare greeted Levi. Back in the field, Levi had understood through Thomas that Dorian had power. But none of them spoke of this now. He and Dorian stayed a pace behind Justice. The sun beat down on them and they felt snakes slither over their shoes, searching their way to the Quinella. Neither Justice nor Levi and Dorian looked up into the burning heat of sky. No need. There was hardly ever a cloud. For months, never any weather other than the relentless heat.

Three fourths of the way through the tall weeds, odors of rot and stagnant water rose around them. A moment later, Justice motioned to Levi and Dorian to stand still, as weird, unnatural images reached out for them.

C
AUTIOUSLY,
J
USTICE MOVED AGAIN
. In the weeds on his left, Levi spotted an enormous rat the size of a panther. It fed on a mouthful of writhing, dying snakes and was headed directly for him.

Levi gasped and staggered in fear. Dorian, behind him, placed a hand gently on his shoulder. He felt as though his fear was draining away. And where there had been a huge, ferocious rodent, a mirage slowly faded.

It began to rain. It poured down in a fine coolness that grew stronger until it whipped at the high weeds, bending them nearly to the ground.

Levi laughed, shaking his wet hair, which was soon soaked through. “Oh, man!” he yelled. “Wow, rain at last!” He stuck out his tongue to drink some of it in. It was surprisingly bitter, and he clamped his mouth shut. His wet clothes seemed to tighten and cause an awful itching of his skin.

Again, Dorian’s gentle hand pressed his shoulder. The sight and sound of rain vanished. The itching ceased and the bitter taste was gone. In disbelief, Levi watched his clothes dry in an instant, as though they’d never been wet. He looked to Justice, then Dorian. They had not had rain pour down on them, he realized.