“Yen, you wouldn’t break the law,” said the first. “You’ll co-op-erate, sure. C’mon, Alien.”
He moved to dismount. Edmonds raised a thick, hard hand. “Wait, friend,” he called softly. “I am sorry, but I cannot invite either of ye in.”
“Huh?” grunted the blond man.
Alien snickered. “He’s skeered o’ what his wife’ll do if we track up her floor, Gabe. Don’t you worry, sun, we’ll wipe our feet real good.”
Edmonds shook his head. “It grieves me, friends, but neither of ye is welcome. Please go.”
“Then you are harborin’ the nigger!” Gabe exploded.
“I did not say that, friend. I simply do not wish to talk further with ye. Please get off my land.” ,
“Listen, you. Helpin’ a runaway, that’s a federal crime. Could cost you a thousand dollars or six months in jail. Law says you got to help us.”
“An iniquitous ordinance, as wrong as President Pierce’s designs on Cuba, plain contrary to God’s commandments.”
Alien drew his pistol. “I’ll give you a commandment,” he snarled. “Stand aside.”
Edmonds didn’t stir. “The Constitution grants my family and me the right to be secure in our home,” he told them with the same calm.
“By God—“ The weapon lifted. “You wanna get shot?”
“That would be a pity. Thee would hang, thee knows.”
Gabe gestured. “Put that away, Alien.” He straightened in the saddle. “Aw right, Mr. Niggerlover. Tam’t far to town. I’m goin’ right in there and git me a warrant and a deppity sheriff. Alien, you watch and see nobody sneaks out o’ here while I’m gone.” He squinted back at Edmonds. “Or you wanna be reasonable? Your last chance, boy.”
“Unless the Lord show me otherwise,” Edmonds said, “I believe I am the reasonable man here and ye, friends, are terribly mistaken.”
“Aw right! About time we started makin’ some examples. Watch close, Alien.” Gabe wheeled his horse and struck spurs to flanks. In a shower of mud, he galloped away. Frankie’s barking sounded thia against the hoofbeats.
“Now, friend, kindly remove thyself,” Edmonds said to Alien.
The slavecatcher grinned. “Oh, I think I’ll jest ride around, this fine mornin’. Won’t hurt nothin’, won’t poke in nowheres.”
“Thee will nevertheless be trespassing.”
“I don’t think the jedge’ll call it that, you a lawbreaker and all.”
“Friend, we in this family have always done our humble best to observe the law.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Alien unlimbered his shotgun and laid it across his saddlebow. He clucked to the horse and jogged off, around the yard, on patrol.
Edmonds went back inside. Jane was on hands and knees, cleaning tracks off her floors. She rose and stood quietly “while her husband told her what had happened. “What shall we do?” she asked.
“I must think,” he answered. “Surely the Lord will provide.” His gaze sought William. “My son, thee is happy, because thee is too young to know about evil. However, thee can help us. Pray keep silent, unless thee needs something for thyself, and then speak only to thy mother. Say no word to anybody else till I tell thee. Can thee do that?”
“Yes, father,” piped the boy, delighted by the responsibility.
Edmonds chuckled. “At thy age, it won’t be so easy. Later I’ll tell thee a story about another boy named William. He became famous for keeping still. To this day they call him William the Silent. But thee’d better hold thyself aside. Thee may go play with thy toys.”
The lad pattered off. Jane wrung her hands. “Matthew, must we endanger the children?”
Edmonds took both her hands in his. “A deal more dangerous it’d be to let wickedness go unresisted… Well, thee see to Nellie. I’d better catch Jacob on his way back. And we all have our work to do.”
His older-son, tanned and towheaded, came into sight from behind the barn as the man stepped out again. Edmonds walked unhurriedly to meet him. Alien saw from a distance and rode toward them. The big dog, Chief, sensed trouble and growled.
Edmonds quieted him. “Jacob,” he said, “go clean up.”
“Of course, father,” replied the boy, surprised.
“But don’t head for school. Wait in the house. I think I’ll have an errand for thee.”