osc.am1.seventhson-第6部分
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Mama was tying the cord； so she couldn't spare a glance at little Peggy。 〃Look；〃 she whispered。
Little Peggy looked for the single heartfire on the distant river。 〃Yes；〃 she said； for the heartfire was still burning。
Even as she watched； it flickered； died。
〃Now he's gone；〃 said little Peggy。
The woman on the bed wept bitterly； her birthwracked body shuddering。
〃Grieving at the baby's birth；〃 said Mama。 〃It's a dreadful thing。〃
〃Hush；〃 whispered Eleanor to her mother。 〃Be joyous； or it'll darken the baby all his life！〃
〃Vigor；〃 murmured the woman。
〃Better nothing at all than tears；〃 said Mama。 She held out the crying baby； and Eleanor took it in petent arms she had cradled many a babe before； it was plain。
Mama went to the table in the er and took the scarf that had been blacked in the wool； so it was night…colored clear through。 She dragged it slowly across the weeping woman's face； saying； 〃Sleep； Mother； sleep。〃
When the cloth came away； the weeping was done； and the woman slept； her strength spent。
〃Take the baby from the room；〃 said Mama。
〃Don't he need to start his sucking？〃 asked Eleanor。
〃She'll never nurse this babe；〃 said Mama。 〃Not unless you want him to suck hate。〃
〃She can't hate him；〃 said Eleanor。 〃It ain't his fault。〃
〃I reckon her milk don't know that；〃 said Mama。 〃That right； little Peggy？ What teat does the baby suck？〃
〃His mama's；〃 said little Peggy。
Mama looked sharp at her。 〃You sure of that？〃
She nodded。
〃Well； then； we'll bring the baby in when she wakes up。 He doesn't need to eat anything for the first night； anyway。〃 So Eleanor carried the baby out into the great room； where the fire burned to dry the men； who stopped trading stories about rains and floods worse than this one long enough to look at the baby and admire。
Inside the room； though； Mama took little Peggy by the chin and stared hard into her eyes。 〃You tell me the truth； Margaret。 It's a serious thing； for a baby to suck on its mama and drink up hate。〃
〃She won't hate him； Mama；〃 said little Peggy。
〃What did you see？〃
Little Peggy would have answered； but she didn't know words to tell most of the things she saw。 So she looked at the floor。 She could tell from Mama's quick draw of breath that she was ripe for a tongue…lashing。 But Mama waited； and then her hand came soft； stroking across little Peggy's cheek。 〃Ah； child； what a day you've had。 The baby might have died； except you told me to pull it out。 You even reached in and opened up its mouth that's what you did； isn't it？〃
Little Peggy nodded。
〃Enough for a little girl； enough for one day。〃 Mama turned to the other girls； the ones in wet dresses； leaning against the wall。 〃And you； too； you've had enough of a day。 e out of here； let your mama sleep； e out and get dry by the fire。 I'll start a supper for you； I will。〃
But Oldpappy was already in the kitchen； fussing around； and refused to hear of Mama doing a thing。 Soon enough she was out with the baby； shooing the men away so she could rock it to sleep； letting it suck her finger。
Little Peggy figured after a while that she wouldn't be missed； so she snuck up the stairs to the attic ladder and up the ladder into the lightless； musty space。 The spiders didn't bother her much； and the cats mostly kept the mice away； so she wasn't afraid。 She crawled right to her secret hiding place and took out the carven box that Oldpappy gave her； the one he said his own papa brought from Ulster when he came to the colonies。 It was full of the precious scraps of childhood stones； strings； buttons but now she knew that these were nothing pared to the work before her all the rest of her life。 She dumped them right out； and blew into the box to clear away the dust。 Then she laid the folded caul inside and closed the lid。
She knew that in the future she would open that box a dozen dozen times。 That it would call to her； wake her from her sleep； tear her from her friends； and steal from her all her dreams。 All because a baby boy downstairs had no future at all but death from the dark water； excepting if she used that caul to keep him safe； the way it once protected him in the womb。
For a moment she was angry； to have her own life so changed。 Worse than the blacksmith ing； it was； worse than Papa and the hazel wand he whupped her with； worse than Mama when her eyes were angry。 Everything would be different forever and it wasn't fair。 Just for a baby she never invited； never asked to e here； what did she care about any old baby？
She reached out and opened the box； planning to take the caul and cast it into a dark er of the attic。 But even in the darkness； she could see a place where it was darker still： near her heartfire； where the emptiness of the deep black river was all set to make a murderer out of her。
Not me； she said to the water。 You ain't part of me。
Yes I am； whispered the water。 I'm all through you； and you'd dry up and die without me。
You ain't the boss of me； anyway； she retorted。
She closed the lid on the box and skidded her way down the ladder。 Papa always said that she'd get splinters in her butt doing that。 This time he was right。 It stung something fierce； so she walked kind of sideways into the kitchen where Oldpappy was。 Sure enough； he stopped his cooking long enough to pry the splinters out。
〃My eyes ain't sharp enough for this； Maggie；〃 he plained。
〃You got the eyes of an eagle。 Papa says so。〃
Oldpappy chuckled。 〃Does he now。〃
〃What's for dinner？〃
〃Oh； you'll like this dinner； Maggie。〃
Little Peggy wrinkled up her nose。 〃Smells like chicken。〃
〃That's right。〃
〃I don't like chicken soup。〃
〃Not just soup； Maggie。 This one's a…roasting； except the neck and wings。〃
〃I hate roast chicken； too。〃
〃Does your Oldpappy ever lie to you？〃
〃Nope。〃
〃Then you best believe me when I tell you this is one chicken dinner that'll make you glad。 Can't you think of any way that a partickler chicken dinner could make you glad？〃
Little Peggy thought and thought； and then she smiled。 〃Bloody Mary？〃
Oldpappy winked。 〃I always said that was a hen born to make gravy。〃
Little Peggy hugged him so tight that he made choking sounds； and then they laughed and laughed。
Later that night； long after little Peggy was in bed； they brought Vigor's body home； and Papa and Makepeace set to making a box for him。 Alvin Miller hardly looked alive； even when Eleanor showed him the baby。 Until she said； 〃That torch girl。 She says that this baby is the seventh son of a seventh son。〃
Alvin looked around for someone to tell him if it was true。
〃Oh； you can trust her；〃 said Mama。
Tears came fresh to Alvin's eyes。 〃That boy hung on；〃 he said。 〃There in the water； he hung on long enough。〃
〃He knowed what store you set by that；〃 said Eleanor。
Then Alvin reached for the baby； held him tight； looked down into his eyes。 〃Nobody named him yet； did they？〃 he asked。
〃Course not；〃 said Eleanor。 〃Mama named all the other boys； but you always said the seventh son'd have〃
〃My own name。 Alvin。 Seventh son of a seventh son； with the same name as his father。 Alvin Junior。〃 He looked around him； then turned to face toward the river； way off in the nighttime forest。 〃Hear that； you Hatrack River？ His name is Alvin； and you didn't kill him after all。〃
Soon they brought in the box and laid out Vigor's body with candles； to stand for the fire of life that had left him。 Alvin held up the baby； over the coffin。 〃Look on your brother；〃 he whispered to the infant。
〃That baby can't see nothing yet； Papa；〃 said David。
〃That ain't so； David；〃 said Alvin。 〃He don't know what he's seeing； but his eyes can see。 And when he gets old enough to hear the story of his birth； I'm going to tell him that his own eyes saw his brother Vigor； who gave his life for this baby's sake。〃
It was two weeks before Faith was well enough to travel。 But Alvin saw to it that he and his boys worked hard for their keep。 They cleared a good spot of land； chopped the winter's firewood； set some charcoal heaps for Makepeace Smith； and widened the road。 They also felled four big trees and made a strong bridge across the Hatrack River； a covered bridge so that even in a rainstorm people could cross that river without a drop of water touching them。
Vigor's grave was the third one there； beside little Peggy's two dead sisters。 The family paid respects and prayed there on the morning that they left。 Then they got in their wagon and rode off westward。 〃But we leave a part of ourselves here always；〃 said Faith； and Alvin nodded。
Little Peggy watched them go； then ran up into the attic； opened the box； and held little Alvin's caul in her hand。 No danger for now； at least。 Safe for now。 She put the caul away and closed the lid。 You better be something； baby Alvin； she said； or else you caused a powerful lot of trouble for nothing。
Chapter Six Ridgebeam
Axes rang； strong men sang hymns at their labor； and Reverend Philadelphia Thrower's new church building rose tall over the meadow mons of Vigor Township。 It was all happening so much faster than Reverend Thrower ever expected。 The first wall of the meetinghouse had hardly been erected a day or so ago； when that drunken one…eyed Red wandered in and was baptized； as if the mere sight of the churchhouse had been the fulcrum on which he could be levered upward to civilization and Christianity。 If a Red as benighted as Lolla…Wossiky could e unto Jesus； what other miracles of conversion might not be wrought in this wilderness when his meetinghouse was finished and his ministry firmly under way？
Reverend Thrower was not altogether happy； however； for there were enemies of civilization far stronger than the barbarity of the heathen Reds； and the signs were not all so hopeful as when Lolla…Wossiky donned White man's clothing for the first time。 In particular what somewhat darkened this bright day was the fact that Alvin Miller was not among the workers。 And his wife's excuses for him had run out。 The trip to find a proper millstone quarry had ended； he had rested for a day
