Read Online Thieving Forest by Martha Conway - Free Book Online

lived with a Mascouten wife. Only houses I’ve seen made of stone were made by the French before they left. Never been to a city, don’t know anything about that life, but I know Indian life. Kidnap women, they do that, always have, women from other tribes, even men from other tribes. They do it to replace someone who has died or for revenge or for the ransom. But not to satisfy themselves. It’s not their way. Not forest Indians, no.”
    “I just thought...”
    “They harmed your sister, they did, but not in that way.” Liza looks at her sternly. “Nor none of your other sisters I’d wager. So you chase that notion right out.”
    Susanna doesn’t know what to say. She believes Liza and feels a little ashamed of herself. Sirus always told them not to listen to the lies white men spread about Indians, but her fear got the better of her. Liza gets up to knock her pipe against the hearth, and then she washes her hands in the basin and feels Aurelia’s forehead over the bandage. Susanna watches her, relieved but still uneasy. Why then did the Potawatomi take them? Not for revenge, not for ransom, not to satisfy themselves. Aurelia’s hair is spread out like the wings of a red moth, and Liza strokes the top of her head. When she speaks again her voice is a little softer.
    “Stories are lies made up to make us feel something,” she says. “I don’t hold with them unless they have music, and then I mostly give over to the music.”

    The Risdale men find the company of Indians in canoes, but they are Sauk Indians, two brothers and their uncle, and they are traveling with their women. They have not seen anyone else on the water, they say, all this past week.
    That day a good number of the men return to their fields. After this disappointment their energy seems to flag. There are no other signs to follow. Old Adam is not among those who have returned, Susanna notices.
    “Has he gone back to Severne, then?” she asks.
    No one knows.
    Aurelia’s fever seems a little abated, which is good, but she sleeps more and more. In the afternoon, Susanna decides to give her a sponge bath. Her arms feel heavy, like sleeping snakes. After washing her, Susanna trims her fingernails.
    “I knew there was a reason I brought these,” she says, getting out Ellen’s nail scissors. Aurelia is breathing deeply and her pale eyelashes do not so much as flutter. But Susanna keeps talking. “The bird heads are pretty, don’t you think? When I was little I was glad there were two of them, so they wouldn’t be lonely. I used to pretend they talked to each other.”
    Aurelia’s nails are hard and brittle, and Susanna takes her time. Through the door she can hear Becky’s hooves clicking on the wood floor as she follows Jonas. Since Becky won’t use stairs Jonas built a little ramp for her against the kitchen door so she can get out to the yard. Sometimes she sleeps there, in the sun. As Susanna finishes Aurelia’s pinkie nail and turns to take her other hand, she notices that her sister’s eyes are open.
    “Aurelia! You’re awake!”
    It is the first time in almost three days that Aurelia has woken up on her own. A good sign. Susanna squeezes her sister’s hand and a little sob escapes her, like a hiccough.
    “Hi, Princess,” Aurelia says slowly. Her voice is thick and unnatural, as if a heavy coin is lying on her tongue.
    “How do you feel?”
    Aurelia swallows with difficulty. She looks confused. “Where are my birds?”
    “They’re fine, don’t worry about them. Mop is taking care of them.”
    A pause. “I want you to. It’s past their feeding.”
    “We’re not home right now, Aury. We’re in Risdale. Remember? At the Eager Tavern. Liza Footbound is helping me take care of you. Well, I’m helping her .”
    Aurelia frowns. Her eyes are like little caves with light way in the back of them.
    “You were taken by some Potawatomi. Outside by the henhouse. But now we’re in Risdale. You’re all right now.”
    Something