Marlon James - The Book of Night Women

— Not so uppity now, eh? Git back to work, you black bastards! McClusky say. But then a voice raise up from round the back.

— You all have only one shot each, so take you four, Callisto say.

— Why, you! McClusky say and fire after Callisto. He miss and the mens and womens scatter. Charters fire him rifle and one of the womens yelp and fall. The third driver fire and hit a man in the head, who spin and shower the ground with blood. The fourth driver fire but him rifle jam. McClusky turn to run but Callisto too close. She jump at him and swing the cutlass. It slice into him neck and blood burst forth. McClusky eyes nearly pop out of him face. He clutch him neck and blood pour through him finger. Callisto and two womens chop and chop and chop until all three womens cover in blood. The three drivers try to run. They shout for the Johnny-jumpers but them niggers was running already. The negroes in that section circle the mens like a flood and swallow them up. They stop screaming. The negroes still stomping and chopping.

Pallas enter the library. She go behind Massa Humphrey desk and pull out the bottom drawer. She move her foot just in time before the drawer smash her toe. Pallas push her hand deep into the space and cuss. She pull her hand back and push again. Nine other womens come in, including Gorgon. Pallas cuss again. She push her hand in the space again and smile this time. She pull out a key and run over to the big wooden cabinet that have two angel carve on each door. The women line up and she give each two rifle and a box of bullet. Pallas pull one and show them how to load bullet.

— Once you get to the river head east, she say. — And watch for them Maroon niggers, they still get one pound for a dead nigger. Kill anybody you see.

— What if the massa come back? a woman say.

— They goin’ to come back, Pallas say. By then it goin’ be too late. Some of you stay here until me give you the signal. The rest of you run to the field to give the mens the gun. You need to take some fire to the field too. Remember, any nigger that start to fuss, shoot them.

A man take a shovel and jam McClusky neck to shuck the head off. They kick the bodies and pull off they clothes. The mens take the clothes for themself even though they too cut up and bloody to wear. Then they hear a cart coming. They ’bout to rush it and see that is Gorgon.

— House nigger! They worse than whitey! one of them say.

— Worse, eh? If me so bad, how come me bring you dis? she say and throw a shotgun to Poseidon.

— Twenty more in the cart. House nigger worse? See de real Judas nigger dere, catch him! Two new Johnny-jumper name Nestor and Pollux try to disappear in the bush. The field go after them. Seven man grab Nestor and chop off every limb.

— Me is nigger just like you! Pollux say.

— They force me just like you! Pollux say.

— They never beat me belly with riding whip! Only you, a woman shout back. The flood of nigger consume him. He scream four time, then no more. When they pull back, in the dirt be a chop-up nigger with him cocky stuff in the mouth.

Hippolyta run to the cart and take a pail from Gorgon. She dip dry cane leaf in the coal until fire catch. The other womens and mens follow suit. They throw the flame at the foot of the cane stalks. Fire rise and roar and sweep the field section like a great plague in the Bible. The smell of sugar cane burnin’ bitter and sweet. The slave have to run fast to not get burn. Two womens run too slow and the fire close them in. They scream but nobody going back to save nobody.

Callisto leave Gorgon in the field and run to the cotton tree. She push the barrel under Homer and climb. Callisto saw and saw with a knife until the rope pop and Homer drop into her arms. They both nearly fall off the barrel. Callisto put her arm round Homer waist and help her back to the great house.

— Me can walk, goddamn! Me can walk, Homer say. But she make three step and nearly fall. Callisto catch her and help her back to the great house. All around they hear the sound of crackling and burnin’ and the sky start to rain with cane ash. Callisto leave Homer in the kitchen and go fetch her a dress. Callisto have to put the dress on and as soon as the dress cover Homer, blood seep through the cloth and the whole dress look it make with a pattern of red stripe goin’ all the way down.

Only one slave-driver on horseback and he get away. In another section they kill the Johnny-jumpers first, chop off they head and stick it on a cane stalk. Then they run through the cane piece rooting out more turncoat nigger. A niggerman who didn’t like a niggerwoman ’cause she wouldn’t fuck him and call him stink, shout out say she is turncoat nigger and they jump her and stomp her and beat her to death before she could scream out that he not telling true. They sweep in the field for driver and Johnny-jumper and leave the field burnin’.

Plenty mens, when they see woman giving command, don’t like that at all. They do as they please and break into the stable and try to grab horse. But niggerman can’t ride. Plenty horse get ’way. One horse near kick a nigger head clean off. He still upright with him head swinging down like loose branch. Outside, other man push the womens away and try to get the negroes to go where they say. Some heading for the hills already while some setting more fire to the ratoon field, the produce field, the coconut field and the pasture, which cause the cows and goats to run. Soon black smoke rising from Montpelier like a tower, just like the smoke that rise from Worthy Park in the east and Ascot Pen in the south. Soon the sky so black with smoke that afternoon look like night.

Callisto getting word that the negroes, the mens in particular, out of control. She cuss loud. She still in the kitchen with a rifle in her lap with Homer.

— Nigger setting they own house afire, Homer say.

— Goddamn man! They can’t do nothing right! Callisto say. Homer slam her hand on the kitchen counter. Callisto look at her. Homer head still swinging and swaying.

— Come, we leaving now, Callisto say.

— You go. Me have unfinished business, Homer say.

From behind Miss Isobel room door come the sound of bolting and key locking. Then the bang bang bang of things she shoving up to the door to bar anybody from coming in.

Massa Humphrey and Richardson reach the gate. He riding up the narrow hill road that lead to the great house but get caught up watching the cloud of black smoke and him fields burnin’. Some negroes see and run to him with hoe and pickaxe and shovel. Massa Humphrey ride through them, firing him musket and shooting one in the neck and trampling a woman who was waving a stick. Then Massa Humphrey hear a crack to the west and an echo in the east. Him horse buckle and crash to the ground. The throw send him flying and he fall down the hill side of the road and roll until a rock slam into him head and stop the fall. Richardson look over for a little, then go on riding.

Lilith in the bedroom watching Robert Quinn sleep. She run to the window and see some negroes walking up to the cottage. Some carrying stick and some carrying fire. Lilith run outside with two of Robert Quinn musket.

— We come for de overseer, a man say.

— You go all over the field and miss him? Lilith say.

— He deh yah wid you, he say.

— No man keeping my company. Why you don’t find some Johnny-jumper to kill?

— Them all kilt. Fi him time now.

— No damn nigger coming in this house.

— Black cow, you cain’t kill all o’ we.

— But me can kill one. Who want to dead first, step up and get you judgement.

They look at her. She look at them. Nobody move.

— We coming back, the man say and the group run off.