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“Thank you for the cigar, Mr. Woodhouse.”
They shook hands, and Mr. Peterson stiffened. His mouth parted as he let out a long, strangled sigh. “The spirits have a message for you, Mr. Woodhouse.…” Mr. Peterson’s grip tightened. His voice was a strained whisper. “You… must be careful… now.” His speech slowed as if he were reading words appearing one by one across the sky. “Careful in the rain. On the marble. The angels… of our… better nature. The cleaning woman. Such a sacrifice.” Mr. Peterson put up a hand. He winced as if someone had thrown a hot light across his face quite suddenly. “In the dark. Something is coming! Coming after you—so sharp!”
The Diviner sagged and loosened his grip. Woody snapped his hand back as if it had been fouled.
“Be careful, Mr. Woodhouse,” Mr. Peterson whispered. “Oh, please be careful.”
SHADOW AND LIGHT
At the first cock crow, Jericho pulled on his trousers and boots and shook Sam and Henry awake.
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“Wh-what is it? What’s the matter?” Henry said.
“Time to get to our chores. Rise and shine.”
“I will rise,” Henry muttered, half-dead. “But I pos-i-tutely refuse to shine.”
“C’mon, Little Man. Time to get up,” Bill said and nudged Isaiah from bed, steering the sleepy boy to his clothes and shoes.
“Things sure do happen early on a farm. Even earlier than the circus,” Isaiah said on a yawn.
Jericho peered out the window. The horizon blushed a golden pink, a sunrise he could practically feel inside his cells, as if his body had never forgotten those days of getting up in the dark to gather eggs and milk cows. As Henry and Sam groaned and fumbled for their clothes, Jericho thought about the hard work that awaited them and how much they would hate it.
“You’re smiling. How come you’re smiling?” Sam asked.
“No reason,” Jericho said and grinned wider.
They filed out into the side yard and waited for Mr. Olson. Upstairs in the house, a light shone in Evie’s room. Framed in the window, Mrs. Olson wrung out a cloth and bent down, out of sight. Jericho’s earlier levity sank to the bottom of his stomach.
“She gonna be okay?” Isaiah asked.
“’Course she will,” Bill said.
Memphis patted Sam’s shoulder. “She’ll pull through. She’s strong.”
The back door swung open. Mr. Olson seemed surprised to see everybody lined up and ready to work.
“Mornin’, Mr. Olson,” Jericho said.
“Mornin’,” Mr. Olson said. “Looks to be a fine day.”
“Yes, sir,” Bill said.
In their coop, the chickens squawked and clucked.
“Think you can collect the eggs?” Mr. Olson asked Isaiah.
“I can get him started,” Bill said. “Then Memphis and I can come join you in the field.”
“All right, then.” Mr. Olson handed two pails to Jericho. “You know what to do with these?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well. Let’s get to it, then,” Mr. Olson said and headed toward the pasture.
“What are those for?” Sam asked as Jericho led him toward the barn.
