"There'll
be a tempest, you know, Cesca, but I'm going to do it."
"Good. I'll have the horses ready, unless you'd rather I come
with you."
"No, I'll enter alone."
"You're better at it that way."
"You distract me too much."
"Thank you."
"No, I mean in a good way."
"I'll give
the evidence to Marchison. He'll set it before the judge right
away."
"All right then. We'd better polish off the report tonight."
"It's late."
"It must be done now."
"I love your fingers
moving through my hair."
"I love the scent of your hair. On my fingers is not enough.
It must be in me, through me."
"We can't
eat them in bed."
"Why not?"
"The juice will get everywhere."
"What will Zora think, is that it?"
I laughed. "She'll think it's all me, in a secret feast."
"Oh, well, then." Cesca shrugged and took a bite. The white smoothness
of her shoulder took my breath away.
"...we
do believe that the warehouse is being employed to house the girls
in cages until such time as a suitable vessel comes to port. The
scent of you is like some exotic attar..."
"Shall I include the last?" Cesca poised the pen.
"More rain."
"Such a hardship."
"What shall we do?"
"Many things."
"It's the
fog."
"No, it isn't."
"You think I don't know what it is?" My voice rose.
"I think you don't wish to say," Adonie said.
"Leave
me alone!"
"You're working too hard, Alma. Take a break."
"I don't want to."
"I know, but I think you should."
"You going to fire me? Is that it?"
"No, of course not."
"Did you order
Sam off the property?"
"Who's Sam?"
"He drives a delivery truck."
"Oh, him. He had a load of crap.
Siding, it was supposed to be.
Knotholes, too thin."
"Did you order him off?"
"I sure did. You have a problem with that?"
"I do. I asked him here."
"To deliver crap? You're going to play
the high-horse boss now, is that it?"
Adonie's mouth tightened.
She turned and walked away.
But she stopped; faced me long enough to say,
"The delivery wasn't for us. I wanted him
to pick up wood we wouldn't use here."
"Don't
push in. Olive's to sit there until she finishes what's on her
plate."
Adonie didn't reply, which surprised me. I couldn't be sure of
the several things moving swiftly through her eyes. I didn't want
to think about them so I didn't. Why should I?
"Ok," I
said, "I think we ought to just sit down, take a deep breath,
and figure this out."
"No," Adonie said.
"No? What do you mean, no?"
"No."
"No! I
won't take it!"
"But it's not much. It's a gift."
"No!"
Adonie's fingertip tapped it once, thoughtfully. She left because
Virginia called again.
I didn't touch it. It stayed on the table for days.