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Maria sat down opposite him, leaning forward, eyes wide. “What are you talking about, Alberto?” she prodded, feeling the rapid beat of her heart. How would he know of Michael, without . . . having . . . talked with . . . him?
“Michael,” he grumbled. “He's not so bad after all. I guess I've been wrong about him all along.”
Maria flipped her hair back from her eyes. “What has happened to change your mind . . . ?” she uttered softly.
“Michael. He's what has happened,” Alberto said. “He and I. Well… uh … we met once again tonight. We met at Ruby's.”
Maria's fingers went to her throat. “At Ruby's?” she gasped. “You and Michael. . . ?”
“We joined in on one of the damnest poker games,” he laughed more amusedly. “Cutthroat as hell. But neither of us won over the other. We split even.”
“Then you got along all right? You didn't have bitter words between you?”
“More than that,” Alberto chuckled.
“What do you mean, more than that.. . ?”
“Well, Michael left before I did, and when I got outside Ruby's, I found him being attacked by two fellows. I decided I didn't dislike Michael enough to let him get knifed so I jumped into the fight with him. Between us … we gave the two bastards the licking of their lives.”
“Then you.and Michael … are … all right.. . ?” Alberto thrust out his chest, hitting it with doubled-up fists. “Don't I look all right?” he laughed. “And Michael. . . ?” “Fit as a fiddle.”
“Why would these men attack . . . ?” Maria began to say, then paled, remembering what Michael had said about being so involved in this thing called the “union.” Had Nathan . . . found out. .. ?
“Afterwards, I went with Michael to his hotel room in Creal Springs,” Alberto said, rising, pacing the floor. “He told why he's in Creal Springs. He's asked me to help him.”
“What do you mean, Alberto? Help him . . . ?”
“This ‘union’ he speaks of? Well, Michael wants me to be his and the ‘union's’ ally. To speak the truth to all the coal miners. To set them against this Nathan Hawkins. To cause them to demand better wages and different, safer working conditions. I'm to mingle with the men, whisper these truths. When all agree that Nathan Hawkins has to be dealt with, then we will make our move and we will no longer be prisoners in this town called Hawkinsville.”
Tears burned at the corners of Maria's eyes. Now not only did she have to fear for Michael's safety, but also for Alberto's. “Alberto, it is too dangerous,” she cried. “You don't want to get involved. Surely Michael has his own men that he can send in to talk to the coal miners. Why .. . you .. . ?”
“Nathan Hawkins's representatives are everywhere. They can sniff out a union man. Don't you see? I'm sure that's why Michael was getting attacked tonight. That's the reason he needs someone who is already of the Italian community to infiltrate and set our people's minds to wondering about these things that the union promises for our people.”
Maria rose and began pacing the floor, chewing on her lower lip. “I just don't know,” she whispered. “I just don't know.”
Alberto went to her and took her by the shoulders, glowering. “Maria, I have to do this. Don't you see? I need this to make me feel as .. . a . . . uh . .. man. Doing this could make me feel so important. Up to now, I have groveled in pity for myself. And don't you even remember what I did .. . uh . . . earlier … to you? How 1 … uh … . kissed you?”
Maria's gaze lowered. She swallowed hard. “Yes. I remember,” she whispered. Her eyes shot upward. “And why did you do such a thing, Alberto? You made me feel… so dirty afterwards. I was never so con-fused.”
Alberto moved away from her, with head bent. “I do not understand myself at times, Maria,” he murmured. He began to knead his brow, trembling. “I guess I was so angry at you for having married such a beast as Nathan Hawkins. I didn't understand how you could do this to me . .. Papa . . . and all of our people. You knew that it was he who had caused us to live like dogs … animals….”
Maria went to him and took his hands in hers. She looked into his eyes, nearing tears. “But I had to, Alberto,” she said. “I had no choice. He forced me. Don't you see? I wouldn't have otherwise. Don't you know my hate for that man? If you knew how I hated … for him … to touch me.. . .”
Alberto clos
ed his eyes and shook his head violently. “Don't even say it, Maria,” he shouted. “I don't want to hear the words. Just the thought of him being near you repulses me. I don't want to think of him doing any-thing further to you. . ..”
“I know,” she murmured, caressing his cheek with her hand. “I'm sorry, Alberto. I'm sorry.”
His gaze met hers and held. “Anyway, Michael explained it all to me,” he mumbled.
Maria felt a blush rising. “He… did … ?” she gasped, pulling away from Alberto. She wondered just how much Michael had confessed to her brother.
“I understand. Fully,” he said, moving to plop down into a chair, head bowed.
She went and sat down on the floor in front of him, looking upward into his face. “Do you? Honestly? Do you know that if I hadn't, that man I have been forced to call my husband would have sent us all back to Italy? Do you realize that would have been the end for Papa?
He isn't well enough….”
