The Book of Night Women (12 page)

Lilith run in what she think be the right way. She run faster and faster and think what beating in her chest is her own drum. But her heart going one way and this beat going another. Double her time and beating like a clatter. She feel the beat under her feet and the sound getting louder. A beat and a clang. Then out of nowhere, a whinny. Lilith run faster and try to scream. The hoofs getting louder and closer no matter how fast she run. She try to make a turn to go deep in the cane piece but the loud, galloping hoofs come upon her. The last thing she remember is a blow, sharp and hard, clapping her in the back of her head and her eyes gone dark.

The bird in the bush bawl
qua qua qua
and wake her up. Every time she blink, what she see get stranger and stranger. A shadow dance on the walk and frighten her so bad that she jump up and go to run, but stumble on the wood floor.

—And where do ye think yer goin’, lassie? he say and the voice sound to her like is God or the devil.

Lilith eye don’t wake up yet. Her hand start shake and she ’bout to cry. She spin round but can’t see nothing that she remember. Lilith see two red velvet armchair like in the massa conservatory but is not Massa Humphrey house. The room smaller and every corner have a chair. Lilith see a wild animal head burst through the wall and she scream.

—It’s quite dead, I assure you. Clipped that one myself, not far from the Cape of Good Hope, he say and throw a nut that bounce off the lion head and land ’pon the floor.

Lilith stop herself. She hear him chewing. Lilith spin around, past the painting on the wall of a white man and woman and two boy with a dog. Past the other painting of another man that look like Jack Wilkins, past the window that tall as the room and curve up top like the moon that waiting outside, past and going round like a circle, past the two armchair, past the old clock to the table that too big for the room, the table that Robert Quinn be sitting on, him legs up.

—And just what do ye think yer doing gallivanting all by yerself in the darkness? Not even the devil moves about at this hour, Robert Quinn say.

Lilith know when a answer worse than silence, especially to white people. The back of her head throbbing in pain and she wince. Robert Quinn watching her. Not like when the massa be watching a negro girl, but with him left eyebrow raise and head tilt like when dog want to know something. Robert Quinn black boots crust up with mud, but he have two foot up on the table with hands wrap round him knee, the left hand grabbing the right wrist, the right hand holding nuts. Robert Quinn hair black like night and long but him eyes lighter than the massa, so light that it look like he don’t got no eyeball sometimes. This make Lilith more frighten.

—And what’s yer name, luv? Speak up now, Robert Quinn say. Lilith think this mighty uncanny, considering that he see her so often in the kitchen when he and Massa Humphrey used to come back from carousing. Every nigger is the same nigger to them sometimes, she remember Homer say.

—Lilith, sah. They call me Lilith.

—Who calls ye by that name?

—Everybody, sah. Me born to with the name waiting on me.

—Queer name for a place such as this.

—Yes, massa.

—I mean strange. Strange? Ye understand me, do ye not?

—Yes, massa.

—No, you don’t. Too afraid to cross me, ye are.

—Yes, ma—

—Enough, I’m not yer massa.

Robert Quinn living in new quarters, a cottage smaller than Jack Wilkins’ own, not even five chains from the great house. Plenty time house negro hear he and Massa Humphrey cuss ’bout slave punishment, with Massa Humphrey saying Quinn weak now and Robert Quinn saying fine words from a man who can’t watch the whipping he love to order. But Massa Humphrey and Robert Quinn too tight like thief to make cuss-out ’bout negro whipping split them up. Yet distance now between the two, and only one thing different in they affairs.

Miss Isobel Roget.

One of the house negro hear her telling the massa that it might seem a little improper, two unmarried men so close.

—I thought every negro had a Greek name, Robert Quinn say to Lilith.—I heard Jack Wilkins’ father had a certain predilection for tragedy, he say.

—Massa?

—Ye must be something special. Or maybe Jack Wilkins named you. Is yer mum still alive?

—Me no know, sah.

—What do ye mean? How could ye not know? Was she sold? Speak up.

—Me no know, massa, me no know who me mama be.

—And yer father, yer papa?

—Me no know him neither, massa.

—Stop calling me massa. Mr. Quinn is satisfactory. Even Quinn. Could ye call me that?

—No please, massa.

Robert Quinn sigh. Lilith thinking that she goin’ get whip for running around in the night after curfew. She start to wonder what a whipping feel like and if any man was goin’ want her with scar ’cross her back. Robert Quinn lookin’ at her like is the first time he seeing negro flesh.

—With those eyes of yers, only two men on this estate could’ve been your papa, now isn’t that true?

—Me no—

—You no know. Confound it if you niggers know anything at all, save for Homer. Now remind me, where were ye heading this late, running through the cane piece? Weren’t running away, were ye?

—No please, massa, no! Lilith shout. She look down and see her toes chopped off with blood spitting from her foot. She blink and they come back.

—Then where were ye heading?

Lilith don’t know what to say. But she know she better say something or he goin’ do her something. Chop off her toe if he think she running away. A whipping for sure. She look at him lookin’ at her. Lilith is a girl who think like a girl. She wonder if she should push up her bodice and let her titties flop out. She wonder if he goin’ whip her right there. Or if he goin’ wait till daylight and call up the whole estate to see. Lilith think ’bout why she running through the bush.

—I was looking for Homer, she say.

—Homer? Flabbergasted I am, absolutely flabbergasted! Is every negro gallivanting in the dark? Had I known ye were all such night farers, I’d have put house slaves on field duty, Robert Quinn say and laugh.

—What makes ye think Homer was in the cane piece? The last time I saw about such things, she still worked in the great house, he say.

—Yes, massa.

—And what business do ye have with her?

—Massa?

—Why were you looking for her?

—I . . .

—You . . .

—Me, ah . . .

—Aye, if yer trying to save yerself from the lash, yer failing miserably.

—Ah beg you, massa, me no be doing it again.

—Oh, I’m sure ye won’t, but this matter of negro running around at night and meeting disturbs me, disturbs me greatly. Plotting something, the two of you?

—No, please, massa! Lilith say. Robert Quinn jump off the table. Lilith heart jump. Robert Quinn coming toward her. Lilith step back until she couldn’t step back no more. Her back run into the door. Robert Quinn come right up to her face, right up till she can feel him breath on her nose.

—What’re the house niggers of Montpelier up to? he say.

Lilith thinking about what fire feel like. Her back start scratch her as if crying out from the beating already. Robert Quinn raise him hand ’gainst her face and Lilith try to scream but the scream vanish right as it about to leave her mouth. Robert Quinn touch her forehead.

—Yer forehead’s bleeding, he say. Must’ve bruised it when ye fell. Sorry about that, but how was I to know who or what was running around in the dark. Him eyes light, light grey. Lilith try not to look shock that white man just tell nigger sorry.

—Should be thanking the lord for his blessing, that’s what ye should be doing, he say. Lilith look ’pon him all perplex. Her head still throbbing.

—Yes, ye should be on your knees thanking God that the white man that found ye was I. And lately I’ve lost the taste for hurting negro women. As for yer secret, why don’t ye keep it to yerself ? Far more interesting anyways. Leave now.

Lilith grab ahold of herself and run to the door.

—Lilith, he say and she stop.

—I’ll have my eyes on ye from now on, just so we understand each other.

Lilith run back to the house. The next morning she up working hard in the kitchen, so hard that Homer take notice. What a thing, me must did sleep and wake up white for you to be impressing me so, Homer say and chuckle. The other negroes in the kitchen chuckle too as they make the breakfast. Lilith laugh with them, but then turn back quick and continue working. Homer tell Lilith to go get some eggs from the hen house. As Lilith go through the door, Homer whisper something to her.

—Next time listen when people warning you, she say but Lilith look ’pon her perplex.

Lilith step outside but a carriage swing from round the bend with a bangarang and she jump out of the way. The cart full with red, green, blue and violet flowers. The cart stop and the negro driving turn round and look at Lilith.

Gorgon.

Gorgon smile like the devil. She say something without talking but Lilith hear it loud like a church bell.

9

TANTALUS THE MAD NIGGER DEAD. HE MAKE HIM OWN FOOT kill him. Tantalus refuse to make anybody touch the chopped foot even though pus did pack it up and wherever he go, he stink up the place like a dead man. So Tantalus lock up in the hut. The man senses burnin’ sake of fever. Tantalus’ fever so high that the madness come back and he say things that would cause the massa to hang him in a flash. Even nigger start to complain so Robert Quinn go to Tantalus’ bed one night, dress up in blue coat with shiny stripe that make him seem ready for the sea. Every time Tantalus fall sleep, the rotten foot wake him. Tantalus see Robert Quinn.

—Satan! Satan! Get behind me, Satan!

—Confound it! I’m a man, sir! Robert Quinn shout out but Tantalus keep calling him devil.

Tantalus say, White man, white man, ye be of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do.

Robert Quinn raise him cane to strike Tantalus. Tantalus wail and pull off the sheet and when Robert Quinn see the foot he stagger back and nearly fall down. Robert Quinn see Tantalus cut foot moving and what moving be maggot. Robert Quinn call himself a hard Irish bastard who was never handed nothing in life but he grab him belly and vomit and when he couldn’t vomit, he bowl over and hack like more soon come.

Soon Robert Quinn take to walking from him quarters to the kitchen at night like he haunted. Seeing Tantalus’ foot make he sick to him stomach. Not many day pass before he sick for real. First he coughing then he wheezing then he shivering, even though the night hot like fire. One night he walk up to the kitchen in him nightshirt and see the moonlight shine through the window on a drum full of water by the counter. Robert Quinn dip him whole head in it. He look up with water running down him face and see a shadow lookin’. Quinn go to grab for a pot when he see the shadow be woman shape.

—Fer fuck’s sake, does any negro sleep at Montpelier? What business have ye at this ungodly hour, Homer?

The next night he come through the door Homer ready for him. She sitting on a stool by the table. Drink this, she say and push a teacup across the table. Robert Quinn ponder a little but then grab the cup and drink. He spit out the whole thing and scream that she be witch trying to kill him with poison. He go to grab her but something ’bout Homer sitting up straight and not raising her voice make him stop. Homer go over to the stove and pour more in the cup. That tea not easy to make, she say. No more leave if you waste this cup, she say. He look at her for a long time.

—It not any good cold, she say.

Robert Quinn drink, rubbing him throat.

—God curse you if... he say to Homer and go back to him quarters.

He didn’t come back for a while. But from the day he see Tantalus’ foot, something come over Robert Quinn that make him eye darker and him voice quieter. Massa Humphrey don’t like it. He ask if the man go take too much fancy for a negro wench, and who is the unlucky miss. But Robert Quinn not fancying no negro girl. Nigger see this in white man before, when he realise that he don’t like how blood taste. They catch a boy in the boiling house stuffing sugar in him breeches, but Robert Quinn don’t whip the boy, not even one little lash. Robert Quinn threaten to kill the boy next time but he don’t whip the nigger. People too young to remember the last time that an overseer never wicked. Everybody but Homer. Robert Quinn eat in the kitchen with Homer sometimes and everybody but he find that mighty uncanny.

Then one morning Tantalus dead. Tantalus dead to everybody but one. Homer know who. Night come secret like witch and there be no moon to light up the kitchen. But he know the way by now. Homer at the table waiting for Robert Quinn, the goat weed tea steaming.

 

 

Massa Humphrey mother
come out of her room when she think it be her birthday. Homer tell her that that day gone six months before and carry her back upstairs. Miss Isobel tell Massa Humphrey that there be places the mistress can go where she will be at peace. Now that she get the massa to buy all new decoration, she call for a seamstress to make all of the house slave new uniform with blue trimming. Miss Isobel choose a new set of slaves to serve at the ball and don’t pick Lilith. Lilith fling some potatoes ’gainst the wall.

—But what the hell, Homer say.

—Is what? Is blind white woman blind?

—You must be the blind one to think you can lose temper in the massa house, Homer say.

—Me have wart in the middle of me face? Me eye them cross? Me fat like sea cow? After nobody can talk to white people like me, Lilith say.