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Authors: Martha Conway
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shifts in Aurelia’s expression. “In Risdale?”
“At the Eager Tavern. Aury, I’ve been given strict orders to feed you. Can you open your mouth? It’s applesauce. I’ve been eating it all morning. It’s good you woke up when you did or there’d be nothing left.”
Aurelia allows herself to take a little. “Why are we in Risdale?”
“You were taken into Thieving Forest. By some Potawatomi. Do you remember that?”
Aurelia looks up at the ceiling. Her lips are very dry.
“There was a man there. Behind a tree.”
Susanna wipes Aurelia’s lips with a wet cloth. “I know, Aury. A Potawatomi.”
“A white man,” Aurelia says.
She is confused, delusional. Susanna spoons up more applesauce. “Another bite. Just a little one. Please.”
Aurelia inhales as if gathering strength and opens her mouth. Susanna gives her the tiniest amount, but even so for a moment she thinks that Aurelia is going to let it spill out. From the other room there is the sound of a hearth being scraped, and then Jonas begins singing:
As Dinah was walking the garden one day,
She saw her dear papa and thus did he say,
“Go dress yourself, Dinah, in gorgeous array,
And choose you a husband both gallant and gay.”
“Oh no, dearest Papa, I’ve not made up my mind
To marry just yet I don’t feel so inclined
To you my large fortune I’ll gladly give o’er
If you’ll let me stay single a year or two more.”
Liza comes in on the chorus, her voice as low as a man’s:
Sing tura-la-lura-la-lura-la-lie
Sing tura-la-lura-la-lura-la-lie...
Aurelia seems to be listening. She closes her eyes and her breathing changes. But she isn’t asleep. After a minute she says with her eyes closed, “I remember something else.” A pause. “The one with the half-red face. Koman. He had an animal with him.”
Susanna tries to follow. “One of the Indians?”
“Like a dog. But it was...” Another pause. “One of those swamp creatures. A swine wolf.”
A breeze flutters the window curtain as slight as a caterpillar walking a leaf. Susanna has heard about swine wolves of course. She has always wanted to see one. Penelope and Beatrice claimed they didn’t exist.
“Don’t worry,” she tells Aurelia. “You’re safe here.”
“Its hackles were up but its eyes...” Aurelia turns her head and looks at Susanna as if seeing her face will help her form the words. “Its eyes were kind.”
“The swine wolf?”
“The eyes of a friend, or, what do you call it...”
“Aury—”
“For protection.”
“Aury, you can tell me all this later when you’re better. Here, take another bite.”
“It tried to protect us.”
“One more taste. Please, Aury. For me.”
“I can’t.” Aurelia presses her lips closed. Susanna reluctantly puts the spoon back.
“I’m cold,” Aurelia tells her. “Will you lie down with me?”
“How can you be cold,” Susanna says lightly, trying to tease. “It’s sweltering out.” But she stretches out on the little straw tick next to Aurelia, careful not to jostle her, and takes her hand. Aurelia’s hair smells of blood and dry leaves and something else, something flowery—maybe Liza has brushed it with scented water?
“I’m glad you’re here, Princess,” Aurelia says. Susanna squeezes her hand. Jonas and Liza have stopped singing but she can still make out sounds from the next room: a murmur of voices, the clang of tinware. In contrast their little room feels still and cozy.
“You’re all right now,” Susanna says. Her eyes begin to close. In spite of the heat she is drifting to sleep. Some time later she hears a commotion in the tavern, excited voices in the outer room and then a lower one asking a question. Her fingers, still holding Aurelia’s hand, feel stiff. Aurelia lies very still. For a moment Susanna doesn’t move. A bird is singing outside the window. It stops and starts, stops and starts.
“Susanna!” Liza comes into the room wiping her hands on her apron.
“At the Eager Tavern. Aury, I’ve been given strict orders to feed you. Can you open your mouth? It’s applesauce. I’ve been eating it all morning. It’s good you woke up when you did or there’d be nothing left.”
Aurelia allows herself to take a little. “Why are we in Risdale?”
“You were taken into Thieving Forest. By some Potawatomi. Do you remember that?”
Aurelia looks up at the ceiling. Her lips are very dry.
“There was a man there. Behind a tree.”
Susanna wipes Aurelia’s lips with a wet cloth. “I know, Aury. A Potawatomi.”
“A white man,” Aurelia says.
She is confused, delusional. Susanna spoons up more applesauce. “Another bite. Just a little one. Please.”
Aurelia inhales as if gathering strength and opens her mouth. Susanna gives her the tiniest amount, but even so for a moment she thinks that Aurelia is going to let it spill out. From the other room there is the sound of a hearth being scraped, and then Jonas begins singing:
As Dinah was walking the garden one day,
She saw her dear papa and thus did he say,
“Go dress yourself, Dinah, in gorgeous array,
And choose you a husband both gallant and gay.”
“Oh no, dearest Papa, I’ve not made up my mind
To marry just yet I don’t feel so inclined
To you my large fortune I’ll gladly give o’er
If you’ll let me stay single a year or two more.”
Liza comes in on the chorus, her voice as low as a man’s:
Sing tura-la-lura-la-lura-la-lie
Sing tura-la-lura-la-lura-la-lie...
Aurelia seems to be listening. She closes her eyes and her breathing changes. But she isn’t asleep. After a minute she says with her eyes closed, “I remember something else.” A pause. “The one with the half-red face. Koman. He had an animal with him.”
Susanna tries to follow. “One of the Indians?”
“Like a dog. But it was...” Another pause. “One of those swamp creatures. A swine wolf.”
A breeze flutters the window curtain as slight as a caterpillar walking a leaf. Susanna has heard about swine wolves of course. She has always wanted to see one. Penelope and Beatrice claimed they didn’t exist.
“Don’t worry,” she tells Aurelia. “You’re safe here.”
“Its hackles were up but its eyes...” Aurelia turns her head and looks at Susanna as if seeing her face will help her form the words. “Its eyes were kind.”
“The swine wolf?”
“The eyes of a friend, or, what do you call it...”
“Aury—”
“For protection.”
“Aury, you can tell me all this later when you’re better. Here, take another bite.”
“It tried to protect us.”
“One more taste. Please, Aury. For me.”
“I can’t.” Aurelia presses her lips closed. Susanna reluctantly puts the spoon back.
“I’m cold,” Aurelia tells her. “Will you lie down with me?”
“How can you be cold,” Susanna says lightly, trying to tease. “It’s sweltering out.” But she stretches out on the little straw tick next to Aurelia, careful not to jostle her, and takes her hand. Aurelia’s hair smells of blood and dry leaves and something else, something flowery—maybe Liza has brushed it with scented water?
“I’m glad you’re here, Princess,” Aurelia says. Susanna squeezes her hand. Jonas and Liza have stopped singing but she can still make out sounds from the next room: a murmur of voices, the clang of tinware. In contrast their little room feels still and cozy.
“You’re all right now,” Susanna says. Her eyes begin to close. In spite of the heat she is drifting to sleep. Some time later she hears a commotion in the tavern, excited voices in the outer room and then a lower one asking a question. Her fingers, still holding Aurelia’s hand, feel stiff. Aurelia lies very still. For a moment Susanna doesn’t move. A bird is singing outside the window. It stops and starts, stops and starts.
“Susanna!” Liza comes into the room wiping her hands on her apron.
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