They watched her as she looked over at the boys, safely on their mama’s lap. Her eyes gleamed at them with tender love. “Yes, girl. Rest them! The long way home,” she murmured.

They knew at once what she must be thinking.

Mr. and Mrs. Small and Thomas took their cue from Pesty. Gently now Pesty held Mrs. Darrow’s hands.

Mr. Small regarded the giant of a woman whom he was seeing for the very first time. It amazed him that the thought of Pesty’s mother had escaped him all this time. The Darrow men had been so dangerously on his mind he had never even considered the mother.

Mrs. Darrow’s lips moved. She murmured at the boys, her orphan children. She stirred, looking as though she would take her hands from Pesty’s and go to the boys.

Quickly Pesty said, “Coyote Girl can’t get through this time, Mama. So Mr. Walter and his people will take them boys.” She looked over at Mr. and Mrs. Small and Thomas.

“Ahh,” said Mrs. Darrow, “not my girl. They say many times she not come.”

“That’s right, Mama,” Pesty said. “You always told me she stopped coming for the children. That’s why Mr. Walter and Miz Martha taking them.”

Mr. Small went cautiously to the bed. Mrs. Small touched his arm. He nodded at her, meaning yes, he meant to take the boys. He motioned to Thomas. Mrs. Darrow watched them intently, but she made no move toward them.

Thomas picked up Billy in his arms. Mr. Small took up Buster. “Now, let’s move,” he said quietly to Thomas.

“Mama, we’re headed for the Drear house,” Pesty told her mother.

“The only escape,” Mrs. Darrow said. Without another word she swooped through the dark to lead, with Pesty following.

Mr. Small and Thomas, carrying the boys, and Mrs. Small made a tight circle.

“Fugitives went from here to the Drear house,” Mr. Small murmured. “Triangles gave them their direction and money they might need—”

Mrs. Small broke in. “Walter, I believe Mrs. Darrow is coming with us!”

“It’s all right, Martha,” he said.

“I can’t help feeling frightened,” she said in a hushed voice.

“I know, and it’s the atmosphere down here, too,” he said “But I don’t think Mrs. Darrow means any harm. … Take the lantern there, Martha. We’ll need to see our way. Only Pesty and her mother know their way in the dark.”

16

“WELL, HELLO THERE, MATTIE,” Mr. Pluto said to Mrs. Darrow. He was sitting in the kitchen, talking to Great-grandmother Jeffers.

Guess his tonic did him good! Thomas thought. Glad he and Great-grandmother got acquainted.

Pluto rose to greet Mattie Darrow as she came down the hall. “Mattie, I’m so glad you are up and around again.” He folded her to him. She was as tall as he.

I’ll be darn! Thomas thought. Mr. Pluto and Mrs. Darrow are friends.

They all entered the Drear kitchen after traveling the tunnel back home and riding the turnaround wall in the upstairs bedroom. Mr. Small and Thomas put Billy and Buster down. The boys stood there, waving at Mr. Pluto.

Mr. Pluto grinned, nodded at them, and continued. “She was Mattie Bray long before she ever married River Lewis Darrow. We are good pals! But, you know, sometimes history will get knotted up inside.” He spoke softly. “You know that, don’t you, Mr. Small? You are a historical man.”

“Yes, I do know,” Mr. Small said.

“Sometimes,” Pluto went on, “history will turn itself around so, twist itself up so, it cause a mind to reel and tangle inside it.” He took his arms from around Mattie and led her to one of the kitchen chairs.

Mrs. Darrow sat, clutching the sides of the chair bottom. Pesty came to stand beside her. Mattie Darrow smiled up at Pluto. “Old Skinny,” she murmured.

He laughed. “She always did call me that, because my last name is Skinner. I think that’s why!” He laughed again. “Mattie,” he said, “Mother Jeffers has some soup you wouldn’t believe.”

Mattie glanced over at the steaming pot on the stove. “Hot pot,” she said, shaking her head, “dare not.”

“Good, Mama,” Pesty murmured. “Keep talking.”

“Oh, go ahead, dear,” Great-grandmother Jeffers said to Mattie. She went over to serve the soup, taking up a bowl and filling it from the pot. “Good vegetable soup. Martha made it before she left this morning, Mrs. Darrow,” she said.

“Walter’s people,” Mattie said, as Great-grandmother put down the soup and a spoon in front of her.

Mrs. Darrow understands a lot, Thomas thought. Being ill in the mind don’t mean you can’t think. Maybe it’s that you think too much the wrong way, too much of the time.

Billy and Buster scrambled up on the chairs on either side of Mrs. Darrow. She stared from one to the other as though they were an amazing sight. She’s seeing the orphan children, just alike, Thomas thought. Well, it can’t hurt. This whole morning is just something!

Billy and Buster eyed Mrs. Darrow’s soup.

“Eat, Mama,” Pesty told Mattie Darrow, holding the soup spoon up to her.

“Eat, Mama,” Billy and Buster said. They cocked their heads on opposite sides, staring from the soup to Mrs. Darrow, as she took the spoon.

“Eat, Mama?” they repeated, turning to Martha.

“Please, Mama?” Billy said.

Mattie Darrow chuckled with soup spoon in hand now and a full spoon of soup in her mouth. She swallowed, eyeing the boys, and turned to Mrs. Small. “Spoon the orphans!” she commanded her.

“Lord! I’m feeding them,” Martha whispered. She filled Billy’s and Buster’s bowls from the counter. She gave them each a teaspoon and a few crackers. Mattie touched her arm. Martha jumped. Then she understood. Something more than soup. She fixed a small plate of crackers and cheese for Mrs. Darrow.

Buster leaned over Mrs. Darrow’s plate. He looked up at her and carefully, not taking his eyes off her, took a piece of cheese and put it on his cracker. Then he took a second piece and put it on his brother’s cracker.

All the while Mrs. Darrow watched him but made no move to stop him. Then she began feeding Pesty some of her soup. Pesty ate it hungrily. Mattie kept her eyes on the boys, observing their every move.

“Thomas, why don’t you fix yourself and Pesty some soup?” his mama said.

“Okay,” Thomas answered. Pesty grinned at him.

“The boys will be finished soon,” Martha said. “You and Pesty can have their chairs. I need to warn them about getting into things. I’ll take them upstairs.”

“No!” said Buster.

“Cheese!” demanded Billy.

“Orphans, when do you leave?” Mattie Darrow hollered. The noise cut through the toddler voices of Billy and Buster. Mattie peered at them, her black, searing eyes pinning them where they were.

“They’re leaving in a minute,” hurriedly Mrs. Small thought to say. “Thomas, help me with them. Here’s a plate of cheese for them. Fellows, I’ve made hot chocolate for you to have in your room.”

“I’ll just go up with you-all,” Great-grandmother Jeffers said.

Martha sighed. “Good,” she said.

“Mr. Pluto, it was so nice of you to drop by,” Great-grandmother said.

“Well, I expect we’ll be seeing a lot of each other around here,” Pluto replied. “Good to talk to you.”

“Good,” Billy said. Finished eating, he got down from the table and stood beside Great-grandmother. Buster was right behind him.

Mrs. Darrow pushed back her chair and made to follow the boys. “Runnin’ away,” she said triumphantly.

“Oh, no,” Martha Small whispered. “Walter? Walter!”

Mr. Pluto cleared his throat. “Mattie. They go a new way,” he said.

Startled, Mattie Darrow’s hands flew to her face.

“But you and I, we’ll have to go over land,” Pluto told her. He smiled at her. “We daren’t all go together. Likely we’ll meet them on the road a ways.”

Mattie grabbed his hand in both of hers, ready to follow him.

“I’ll take her on back now,” Pluto said. He cleared his throat. “I’m a little hoarse,” he said generally. Oddly, he wouldn’t meet Mr. Small’s gaze.