Marlon James - The Book of Night Women

— Don’t call any white man by they Christian name round me, Homer say.

— Where they ride off to?

— God he knows.

— Something happen for sure. Massa Humphrey did serious, serious, serious.

— You know, white man God is stupid thing, but he have—

— Homer, you listening to what me say?

— But he have one thing that me like. One thing. You know what that be?

— How me to know that?

Homer touch the window, moving closer like she see something that Lilith don’t.

— The one thing me love ’bout white man God is that with him, things that happen, thing that goin’ on now and things that don’t yet come to pass be one and the same thing. He no got no yesterday or no tomorrow. Everything is now. Me don’t expect ordinary nigger to understand—

— Me understand plenty, Homer.

— Me was just thinking that if me could ever be like God, then past and present and what to come don’t mean nothing. That even though me pickneys dead, me still holding him and holding she and me still watching they grow. Me can touch they chest and feel it rise and f—

Homer step away from the window and wipe her eyes.

— What a terrible thing ’pon this world the white man must be. What a wicked, terrible, brutal creature, nothing no wicked like he so. That is the only thing they can teach we. Watch today when they see how much we learn.

— But they ride out for some reason, Homer. I don’t like it.

— You don’t care for nothing that have to do with you own people free.

— You don’t care neither. Me know what moving you and you not out to build nothing.

— They kill the motherness out of me.

— They kill more than that.

— Me ever tell you ’bout you mother?

— No, no, no, no. Don’t bother try me this morning, woman. Nothing you can—

— Thirteen year old when Massa Jack fuck her out o’ spite, sake of her brother Bacchus. Rape her, really. Pretty girl, that one. Pretty, pretty girl. You know what she name?

— Me goin’ back to me kitchen.

— Demeter. Demeter she name. Most beautifullest thing ever live on this estate, backra or nigger.

— Me know what you trying to do, you bitch. Me know what you trying to do.

— After Jack Wilkins kill Bacchus, the first thing he do is make sure Demeter pretty face no pretty no more. That was a spirited chile, spirited, spirited. Just like you, but not even she deserve that. You know how bad Jack Wilkins do her? So bad that even he feel pity afterwards.

— Stop it, Homer.

— You don’t want to know ’bout you mother?

— Me no got no mother.

Homer quiet. She go back to the window again. — And me ain’t got no pickney. When we nigger goin’ get something, eh?

Lilith think to leave but then Pallas run inside. — They have gun today! They all have gun, the slave-drivers, she say.

— What?

— You hear me, Homer. They have gun. Somebody must did tell them something. Somebody do something. Me no know. The massa upstairs?

— No. A driver wake him up and he and Robert Quinn ride out from early morning.

— Goddamn. Goddamn, Homer. What they up to?

— Me look like Humphrey Wilson keeper? How me to know?

— But. .

Pallas make the sentence die. She look at Lilith, but no answer come from Lilith either.

— They coming, Homer say.

The three men galloping hard. The driver first, then Massa Humphrey, then Robert Quinn. When they reach the great house Massa Humphrey tell the two groundsmens to tie off the horses to a tree and don’t take them back to the stable. Lilith can’t read nothing on nobody face. Lilith, Homer and Pallas go outside as if they get summon, running down to the last step. Lilith cover her eyes from the sun as the mens come towards them. Robert Quinn not looking at her. Massa Humphrey step past them, him nightshirt still hanging out of him breeches.

— Have that girl fix us some tea, Homer, considering these days Lilith’s tea-making skills are reserved for Mr. Quinn only. The slave Miss Isobel is particularly fond of. Athena? Atalanta, Minerva, whatever Jack Wilkins named the wench.

— Athena? Athena sickly, sir, with the flux.

— Good lord, the flux? The flux, did you say?

— Yes, massa, me don’t know what them nasty girls doing so. Me have her lock ’way in the quarters, sir. She not no use to nobody the way she smelling.

Massa Humphrey nod.

— The flux, you say?

— Yes, massa.

— Has anybody else come down with this malady?

— Not yet, sah.

— Nevertheless, I’ll have her moved today.

— Massa?

— Today, Homer. I will not have her infect another soul on this estate.

— She not goin’ infect nobody, sir, me check on her already and she keeping to her own.

— Really? Homer, you really are a remarkable creature, aren’t you? Truly remarkable. But tell me, how could you have managed to look in on the girl — just now, I take it — when she lies dead at the foot of a cliff not too far from where we stand?

Homer step back and gasp. Pallas step away from her. Lilith can’t move. All of a sudden, Massa Humphrey pounce ’pon Homer and Robert Quinn not stopping him.

— A murderess in our midst, is it? A murderess? Massa Humphrey say and push her. Homer yelp. She raise her hand to protect her face but too late and Massa Humphrey punch her straight on the nose. Homer stagger back but Massa Humphrey grab her dress by the bosom and slap her across her left check, then her right, then her left again. Pallas jerk toward her, but both Quinn and the driver raise their rifle. Massa Humphrey grab Homer by the throat. Her eye open wide and blood running from the corner of her lip.

— I would never have thought this of you, Homer. Never in an age or more. Would you mind terribly telling me what a slave of mine is doing dead and broken at the foot of a cliff? And why would you be here lying about it? A girl that Richardson said was Athena. And I thought to myself, that’s the girl that Homer said had the flux. The very same. Only four days ago you told Miss Isobel that she was very ill, do you deny it?

Homer don’t say nothing.

— Do you deny it?

— Mass. . Mass. .

— Oh, get her out of my sight! Massa Humphrey say and push her to the ground. Massa Humphrey walk to the doorway, then stop.

— Richardson, I will have an answer from her. Today. Do whatever it takes. And Richardson, find whose name matches the number on that shirt and hang him.

Richardson is a big man. So big, is a wonder that even a horse can support him. With him bulky leg and large swell calf, broad shoulder and thick neck and bald head and red eye and missing teeth, he be perhaps the only white man that scare nigger on appearance alone. He scratch the three-day growth ’pon him face and smile. Word was that whenever a slave gal try to fight him off, he would grab her neck and let her know that he got no problem with fucking a dead nigger. Richardson step over to Homer, grab him rifle and butt her in the face. Homer out. Richardson grab her left foot and drag her down the steps. Pallas and Lilith watch as Homer head bang one, two, three, four down the steps, her left ankle in him hand, and her dress lifting up and exposing her. Quinn grab Lilith by the hand and drag her away. Pallas crying.

The cliff was actually a bend in the road that take one to Kingston. A small trail wrap round a hill with nothing below but rock and sea. Somebody must did try to kill Athena at night. She fight him back and grab and tear off him shirt. A bloody rock at the side of the road speak to what kill her. She dead before he throw her over, for there was a trail of her blood from the middle of the road straight to the cliff and the print of a big man foot stepping back into the same blood as he run away.