'By God,' Robert said. 'And what would you do with us?'
Gislane turned her eyes towards him. 'Aye, Mr. Hilton, you should ask that question. You left me once; ded to a triangle, at the mercy of Janet Hodge. And with an even grimmer prospect facing me - that of being sold to a Dutchman. Tell me why I should not tie you to a triangle and apply red pepper to your body, and then flog you to death. I have dreamed of doing that, to you, Mr. Hilton.'
'By God,' Robert muttered.
'Or even you, Matt,' she said. 'If Corbeau could find me, then so could you. Had you wished.'
'I ...' Matt bit his lip. 'And so you reserved Sue for some special torture.'
Gislane's nostrils dilated. 'Yes, Matt,' she said, suddenly fierce. 'I reserved her for that, in my mind, as I reserved Georgiana, as I reserved Corbeau himself. But I am a poor, weak creature, after all. I could do no more than turn away, and leave them to my people.'
'Which was sufficient,' Matt said. 'But I would see her body, before I die. And the bodies of my children.'
'Her body.' Gislane said. 'Then come.'
She walked through the trees, and the three white men followed. With them went their black captors. They walked, following the river, through the canefields and beyond. It was difficult to estimate how long they walked, but their muscles ached and their feet were sore when at last they again came to trees, and the Negro encampment.
'By God,' Robert said. 'But this
is
an army.'
For here were sentries, and then stacks of arms, with exhausted men, and women, lying beside them. Here were rows of hobbled horses, restless under their new ownership. Here were women baking and men slaughtering cattle and smoking the meat. And here were children playing, and dogs barking, and chickens scratching in the dirt.
'Did they wear uniforms, and have white skins,' Gislane said, 'would you sound so surprised? But you are wrong in describing us as an army, Mr. Hilton. We are a people. And this is your woman, Matt.' For Sue had scrambled to her feet at their approach, the dough she had been kneading still in her hands, her sons at her side. Their clothes were torn and dirty, Sue's hair straggled in knots on her back, but she stood erect, and the only suffering was in her eyes.
'Sue.' Matt ran forward, stopped in front of her.
'They said you would come,' she said.
'Tony. Dick.'
'Papa.'
They leapt into his arms, and he held them close, stared at the woman. 'And you?'
Her shoulders rose and fell. 'I am unharmed, Matt. Believe that.'
Gislane stood at his shoulder. 'Would you take her back, Matt, had she been raped?'
'I would take her back, had you cut off her head,' he said.
Gislane sighed. 'So there, madame, you have a man who loves. I would not have saved her for you, Matt. I would have hanged her beside her sister, and taken the same burning brand to them both. In my mind. I would certainly have left her to my people. But no doubt she is blessed, by being Matt Hilton's wife.'
Matt gazed at Sue, and watched her eyes move. He followed her glance, and looked at the huge young Negro, his cocked hat set at a jaunty angle, his sabre incongruous against the cotton of his pants.
‘I saw you, also, at Cap Francois.'
‘I was there, Mr. Hilton,' Christophe said, in English.
'And you saved Mistress Huys?'
‘I saved Suzanne,' Christophe said, carefully. 'For my bed? No, no, Mr. Hilton. I saved her because she looked at me, as a man, and not a thing. And I saved her again, because she told me she was your woman, and that you were the white man who brought a planter to the gallows. Are you that man, Mr. Hilton?' 'Aye,' Matt said.
'And now you wonder if you have done the right thing? Justice is ever right, Mr. Hilton.' 'You call this, justice?'
'Is it not. Mr. Hilton? As you indicted Hodge, must you not have investigated his crimes, and the crimes of his father and grandfather? I will tell you this, Mr. Hilton. Hodge was an entirely innocent man beside the crimes of Louis Corbeau, and his father, and grandfather. Oh, yes, Mr. Hilton. This was justice.'
'And my sister?' Robert demanded. 'What was her crime against you?'
'You mean Madame Corbeau? Her crime was against Gislane, certainly. But she was criminal in being Madame Corbeau. That is the way of life.'
Robert stared at him for some seconds, then shrugged. 'Yet are you lost, black man. My young fool of a cousin here was endeavouring to help you, all of you. He even persuaded me to assist him in that aim, or the folly of my brother planters forced me to it. It is all naught now. When the news of what has happened in St. Domingue reaches Europe, the hand of every white man will be turned against you, against every Negro in the West Indies. You have done your race no service.'
'On the contrary, sir,' Christophe said. 'I have reminded my race that we are men, like you, and not less so. We would not have our freedom from your charity. We will have it because it is a human right.'
'And when the warships come, and the armies?' Matt asked.
'We will fight them also.'
'As you fought before Cap Francois? Your
hougan
is dead. His head sits atop the wall you would capture. Will your people follow you now?' Robert was scornful.
Christophe smiled. 'Boukman was a symbol. Symbols are necessary, Mr. Hilton, to make a people act as one. Now the time for symbols is past. We will fight, because we dare not stop. And for that very reason, we will win. And it is because I have no doubt of that outcome, Mr. Hilton, that I give you your life, and I give you back your woman and her children, unharmed. You are
my
first act of charity, as a victor.'
'And Gislane?' Matt asked.
'Gislane does whatever she wishes.'
Matt turned to her. 'To stay here is to die. You must know that.'
'You would offer me a home?' she asked. 'You, Matt?'
He hesitated. "No. Not now. I would offer you transport, back to England, perhaps.'
'And what would I do there, Matt? My home is here. My people are here. My fight is here. I will die here.' She looked at Sue. 'Madame, your family wronged me. I forgive you for that. I wish you joy of your life with Matt.' She turned and walked into the crowd of blacks.
'You will leave this place,' Christophe said. 'I give you two hours of safety. When next we meet, if it should happen, it will be as enemies. Until after our victory. Then you may return, Matt Hilton, and you Madame Suzanne, and you will be my guests. I give you my word.'
He turned and followed his
mamaloi.
Ledon snatched the pistol from his belt. 'At least we may settle one of them.'
Robert struck the arm down. 'Are you mad? You would die, for one thing. And he has played the man, this day at least, for another.' He took the pistol from the seaman's fingers, placed it on his own belt. 'Let us leave the place.'
'And go where?' Matt asked.
'Why, back to Hilltop. Eh, lads?' He seized Tony and Dick's hands, walked towards the canefields. ' 'Tis a strange old world. But Hilltop is your home. You'll not forget that.'
'We are for England,' Matt said.
Robert stopped. 'Eh? Now, what madness is this, by God?'
'You were right, just now, in saying that all Europe will be roused against the blacks. But Christophe was no less right, in claiming his freedom as a right. I have done all I can, here. I will join Tom, and we will continue our efforts before Parliament,'
'By God,' Robert said. 'By God. And you suppose you will be any more successful there?' 'Given time,' Matt said.
'By God,' Robert said. 'And you?' He glared at his sister.
'The pair of you have spent my life posing me that question. I will go with Matt.'
'By God,' Robert said. 'By God. That any man could be so cursed...'
'I will go with Matt,' Sue said again. 'Because I love him. In a way I never knew, before. But because too, I know he is right now. And I was never sure of that before either.'
'Right?' Robert shouted. 'Having seen your sister slaughtered by these devils? Having been their prisoner...'
'Aye,' she said. 'Having lived with them. And discovered that they are men, and women, and children, like me and mine. I will go with Matt.' She walked away from him, her hand in Matt's towards the pale-watered river.
'By God,' Robert said. 'By God.' He rubbed Tony's head. 'Cursed you are, lad. Like me. With mad people for parents. But you'll be back, lad. Aye, and your brother. You've heat in your blood, and sugar.' He looked around him. 'And you've a deal to do.'
THE END