Read Online Everfair by Nisi Shawl - Free Book Online Page A

wounds, boiling water, straining broths. Miles and miles now from the nearest collection points, and still Leopold’s victims poured in, half-starved, half-strangled, shot, limping, fevered, slashed with knives …
    Those who made it this far generally lived. Generally. And joined the colony.
    â€œThere are always more.” Lisette sat up, rebuttoning the light cotton shirt on which Daisy had just begun making headway. “Always. It is wicked to leave them…”
    â€œYes. But you must sleep”—without hope, she rose to sit herself—“so why not here?” She couldn’t help stroking the back of Lisette’s neck, the tender, sweat-damp curls hidden beneath her coronet of plaits. She felt the girl softening like honey in the sun.
    Then she straightened, crystallized. “No. I belong with the other blacks.”
    Stung, Daisy drew back. “It isn’t— You aren’t !”
    â€œSome would say I am.” Lisette retrieved her kerchief and stood, tying it back in place. “And who are you to decide?”
    When Lisette had confessed her Negro blood, Daisy had vowed it would make no difference between them. But she must have said or done something wrong: a word misspoken, a glance misunderstood.
    She followed Lisette to the doorway. “Is that it? Is that what keeps you away? What can I do?”
    â€œNothing.” Lisette turned to face her. Disconcertingly, she smiled. “Try not to think it is what you do which will make things better.” This time it was she who reached for Daisy’s hand. Daisy gave it. “If you are sure you want—” Lisette stopped. Her face—what did it express now? She cocked her head as if listening. One undecipherable look and she was gone, vanished with a whisk of the raffia fringe.
    A second later Daisy stepped after her to see Lisette scurry off along the path to the infirmary. Before she could run and catch her and tell her yes, yes, she was sure, Jackie appeared from the opposite direction, calling her name.
    â€œDaisy! Hello! The best of news—they’re almost here! I hurried ahead to tell you!”
    â€œWho? What—” Someone was coming? But why had Lisette left so suddenly?
    â€œâ€˜Who’? Why, your family, woman, the ones you’ve been waiting for.” He had her shoulders in his strong grip. He shook them once for emphasis.
    Had Lisette heard his approach somehow from inside Daisy’s hut? Still, why depart so dramatically—why not simply—
    â€œOr, some of them, anyway, I’m afraid—look here, it’s the most rotten thing imaginable, but Laurie Junior … that is to say, Ellen had to return to Bristol—her health—and naturally Laurie Senior was needed to escort her and they took him, but I kept them from bringing away the other three—”
    Think, she told herself. Logic. She had to think. About what was most important. The children—the “other three”—were coming—soon—now—Jackie had “hurried” to tell her. The children—but not Little Laurie? No, that must be wrong. He needed her. “So when will they be back? With the baby?”
    Jackie frowned and bit his lip. Hadn’t he understood her questions? “You’ll want to be sitting down, Daisy.” He tried to steer her through the raffia-filled doorway.
    She resisted. “No. Tell me.”
    â€œHe’s deserted you.”
    Daisy felt calm descend over her like a cold wave. Washing away panic and confusion. Helping her think. “For Ellen.”
    â€œThere’s to be a divorce.”
    â€œThey’re gone.” Saying made it so. “They’ve taken the—” Her voice failed, but not her logic. The “baby,” Laurie Junior, now four and no longer a total infant, was Ellen’s son, as the world reckoned these things. Though really they were all Daisy’s. All four