INTRIGUE

 

 

            The six drunken Forresters had delivered Penny and Jody along with them to the Christmas doin's in Volusia. The prim and proper townsfolk were none too pleased at the presence of the rough dark rabble-rousers, even when sober. Drunk, they were even more clearly to be avoided, but that was patently impossible, given the way that the mountainous men tended to fill any room, even one as spacious as the church.

            Ory Baxter and Olivia Hutto sat as far from the bearded bullies as they could get, side-by-side, backs to the side wall opposite from the wall near where the big men congregated, and shared bitter criticisms of the dark presences in the otherwise joyous Christmas revelry.

            At the far end of the church, opposite the door, Penny Baxter sauntered toward the snack table where Jody was sampling the various treats. Penny stepped just past his son, and leaned slightly against the table, where he could address his son, but simultaneously keep a casual gaze on the wild Forresters.

            "Havin' a good time, son?"

            "Sure."

            Maintaining his pleasant expression, Penny said, "I'm a mite fretted 'bout Oliver."

            Jody's eyes flicked up to his father's face. "'Cause you figger he'd likely come home for Christmas."

            "I see you thought o' the same thing."

            "He'd not risk comin' here to the doin's, would he?"

            "I hope not. But iffen he goes home and sees his ma ain't there...."

            "He'll figger she's here. And he might expect the Forresters could be to-home, 'stead o' here. Pa? You kin see 'em good from here? And they ain't studyin' us too keerful?"

            "I see you're 'way ahead o' me agin, young un." Penny nodded.

            "What kin we do?"

            "You'll draw the least attention, a heap less'n I would. Cross the room slow and keerful like; don't hurry. Leave your ma and grandma know where you're goin', so's they'll not start a ruckus, frettin' 'bout you. Go to the landin'. Ferry'll be in soon. Iffen Oliver's on it, warn him off from comin' here. And don't leave him go home, neither; hit's the first place they'll look, do they take a notion to wonder. And if I know Lem, he'll've thought of Oliver comin' tonight. Likely that's why the Forresters decided to come to the doin's after all."

            "Okay, Pa."

            Jody meandered as indirectly as possible to Ory and Olivia, trying to strike a balance between not wasting too much time and not appearing rushed. When he reached the women, Jody perched between them. Now, he could see the Forresters clearly, and confirm that they paid him no attention. Even so, he kept his features calm and clear of any anxiety or concern. He shared with them Penny's plan in low tones, so as not to be overheard by anyone. Both women's expressions were already grim, but their faces tightened at Jody's words.

            "Don't let on you're upset. Smile at me, Grandma."

            She complied as best she could, patting his knee, but squeezed his hand just a bit too urgently. "I been worryin', too," she admitted. "Oliver walkin' though that door would jest be the best...and the worst...sight I kin imagine right now."

            "I know. I'll take keer of it."

            She gratefully patted his hand.

            Right on schedule, the ferry arrived. Oliver and Twink were indeed on it.

            "Well now, iffen this ain't a nice welcomin' committee." Oliver tousled Jody's hair.

            "Oliver, I come to warn you. You cain't go to the doin's, and you cain't go home."

            "Wha...??"

            "The Forresters is here."

            Twink gasped. Oliver frowned.

            "They's at the doin's. You cain't go there. And don't go home; hit's the first place they'd look."

            "Well now wait a minute; this is our town, too; we got a right to be here. And iffen we go to the doin's, maybe they'll not start no trouble on Christmas, and upset the whole town."

            Jody stared at him. "Lem has vowed to kill you."

            Twink gave a little cry. Oliver put his arm around her.

            "Where's Ma?"

            "At the doin's."

            "With the Forresters there?" Oliver was surprised.

            "She didn't know they was gonna be there. Ma and Pa and Grandma know I slipped out to warn you. They's countin' on me to keep you away. Hit's the only way to keep you safe. All six o' the Forresters is in there. Ain't nobody kin stop 'em, iffen they see you."

            Oliver extended his arms in perplexity and aggravation. "Well, where you expect us to go??"

            Jody was ready with his answer. "Into the scrub. Hide."

            Oliver's expression said that he considered that idea ridiculous. "That's toward their place!"

            "Which is why they'd not expect you to be there. Plus, ain't no way they kin go quiet through the thicket. Them fellers ain't never quiet. They cain't sneak up on you. You'll be able to hear 'em comin' iffen they git anywheres close. Then you kin sneak away real quiet-like."

            "Oh, Oliver!" Twink was seriously frightened.

            Oliver looked helpless. "Well, shouldn't we at least plan a place to meet, for later?"

            "No! Don't tell me where you're gonna be! I cain't be forced to tell what I don't know."

            Oliver frowned even deeper. "So you ain't safe neither? Maybe you best go with us."

            "No! Then the Forresters'll git after Pa, and maybe Ma, and maybe your ma, wonderin' where I goed to! I been gone too long as 'tis. I gotta git back."

            Oliver set his jaw grimly. "All right. Be keerful, Jody."

 

            Jody tried to make his re-entry as unobtrusive as possible. It did no good. He strolled halfway across the church before a heavy hand landed hard on his shoulder. Jody was then spun around to face Lem.

            "Where was you?" the most dangerous Forrester demanded without preliminary.

            "What?" Jody stammered. "When?"

            "Jest now! You was gone quite awhiles. Where?!" Lem gripped both of Jody's shoulders and squeezed, making the boy yelp.

            "Lem...!" Jody squirmed and did his very best to look embarrassed, instead of frightened. "I...I...had to go...you know...out behind a tree.... Please don't make me say it!"

            "Hit don't take that long to do your business behind a tree!"

            "Hit do iffen you're havin' trouble, you know, goin'." Jody was squeezed harder. "Ow!"

            "What's this about?" Buck had come upon the two, unnoticed by either.

            Surprised, Lem loosened his grip. Jody wrenched free and threw himself into Buck's arms. "Buck! He'p me! Please! He's hurtin' me!"

            Automatically, Buck put his arms around the boy. "What's goin' on, Lem?"

            "He sneaked out and was gone awhiles! I figger he goed to see iffen Oliver'd be on the ferry! Hit gits in 'bout this time! This leetle skeeter goed to warn him away!"

            Buck held Jody out at arm's length and looked into his face. "That true, Jody?"

            "It is," said Mill-wheel.

            Jody's fright grew. He hadn't even known that Mill-wheel was there. Jody had had his eyes closed during Lem's accusations. And now he knew that Mill-wheel's voice came from the direction that Jody had been facing as he'd been held in Buck's arms.

            "How you know?" Buck asked Mill-wheel.

            "I was watchin' him whilst you was holdin' him. He squinted his eyes; his lip was quiverin'. He knowed Lem was tellin' it right."

            "Jody?" Buck prompted firmly.

            Jody was frantic. "No! No!! I made them faces 'cause I was scared!!"

            "You was scared, all right! 'Cause you knowed I had you figgered out!" Lem's eyes blazed.

            Buck's gaze was intense. "Jody. Tell me the truth." He waited a beat, and then took Jody's chin in his hand and began to squeeze. Jody cried out in pain. Mill-wheel added his tight grip around the back of the boy's neck, to increase the torment.

            "Stop!! Please!!!" Jody sobbed.

            By this time, Penny and the rest of the Forresters had gathered.

            "What're you-all doin' to my boy? Leave him go!"

            "Pa! He'p me! They's hurtin' me bad, Pa!!"

            "Why, Buck?" Penny relied on the most reasonable Forrester.

            But Lem was the one who answered. "Your leetle rat is lyin' to us, that's why!"

            "That true, Jody?"

            "Pa...!"

            "Boy, you know I don't lie. And neither do no son o' mine. Tell 'em the truth, whatever this is about."

            "But, Pa...!!"

            "Tell 'em."

            "Well, Jody?" Buck's grip on him had eased, as had Mill-wheel's. But neither had released his hold, making it clear that the torment could return at any moment.

            Jody choked back another sob, and then spoke quaveringly. "Hit's true...what you said. I goed after Oliver...and warned him off. Told him to stay away from here...and not to go home, neither, 'cause that's the first place you-all'd look."

            Buck and Mill-wheel released him. But Lem raised a hand to slap the boy. Penny gripped Lem's raised arm with both hands. "He told you what you wanted to know! Stop it!"

            "But he acted agin us! Agin!!" Lem growled.

            "Then punish me," Penny said softly. "Don't punish Jody. I told him to do it."

            All six Forresters turned to regard him.

            Penny went on, "Do what you must. But I'll not fight back."

            Promptly, Lem hauled off and punched Penny hard. The smaller man collapsed to the floor and remained there.

            By now, Ory and Olivia had come running. Ory knelt by Penny, and Olivia gathered Jody into her arms.

            "Where's Oliver?!" Lem demanded harshly, all threat still very present in his tone and manner.

            "I don't know!" Jody murmured miserably.

            "Damnit, boy!"

            "It's the truth!" Jody risked turning his tear-streaked face to the dangerous man. "I told him to hide! I told him not to tell me where! I said I cain't be forced to tell what I don't know!" He once again buried his face in Mrs. Hutto's protective embrace.

            The Forresters exchanged long looks. Lem said, "We'll find him! Come on!"

 

            Mrs. Hutto and the Baxters sat glumly in her living room. They had left shortly after the Forresters had. None of them had remained in a festive mood. Jody's bruises and Penny's black eye had become quite apparent. The boy's entire jaw was quite red; his shoulders and the back of his neck were an admixture of blue and purple. Though they had regarded the Hutto house with dismay on first arrival: it was clear that the ruffians had burst in and searched for the couple; the Forresters had not been content to take Jody's word that their quarry was not inside. "Leastways, they ain't broke nothin'," Mrs. Hutto had said.

            "Is it true, Jody? You really told Oliver not to tell you where he'd hide?" Mrs. Hutto couldn't conceal her concern at not knowing her own son's whereabouts. But she kept her volume very low, still not entirely trusting that the bullies were gone.

            The boy nodded, and told of how he had advised Oliver and Twink to hide in the scrub, anywhere along the sixteen miles between Volusia and Forresters' Island, and scurry away from the noisy Forresters returning home, including the likelihood that the Forresters would never expect the couple to hide in the scrub.

            "I hope you're right!" Grandma breathed fervently.

            "Me too," Jody admitted. "But Grandma, I didn't know what else to say. They cain't hide in Boyles' Store, even if 'twasn't closed and locked. The Forresters'll sure search our place on their way home."

            "I know. I know," she admitted soothingly, accepting his reasoning through her worry. "Well, I figger you-all oughta stay here tonight."

            To Penny's and Jody's surprise, Ory was the first to readily agree, saying, "I'd not wanta go home and find them dark devils searchin' our place. They's dangerous enough when they ain't drunk. And they's still riled at us."

            Jody was nodding. "I'd not wanta face 'em agin soon."

            Penny put a sympathetic and supportive arm around his son.

 

            About an hour later, Mrs. Hutto gasped as the front door of her house eased open. Then she cried out with joy when Oliver and Twink slipped inside. Everyone hugged and shook hands and then sat.

            Penny wondered, "How'd you know iffen 'twas safe to come back here?"

            Oliver responded, "Them devils goed home. We was hidin' in the scrub, near the road, so's we'd know. They made a noisy ruckus! And they passed jest a few yards from us."

            Twink shivered in remembrance.

            Supportively, Oliver added, "I must admit, they made a frightful sight."

            "I kin imagine," Penny agreed. Remembering his preacher father, he added, "Bad enough the Bible had the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, now we got six!"

            But Oliver's mother was alarmed. "You could see 'em as much as hear 'em?!"

            "Oh yeah!"

            "Iffen you could see them, they could see you!"

            "No, no. Iffen they had, they woulda stopped and got us. Besides, we was hid good."

            "You'd better hope so!" She was not convinced.

 

            A mere half-hour later, the six Forresters crashed through the Huttos' front door. Twink screamed. The two older women gasped.

            Penny hastily ordered, "Oliver! Stay in the chair! Don't nobody git up!" Then, he pulled Jody into his arms, hiding the boy's face against his chest. Oliver did the same with Twink.

            Gingerly, Oliver then turned his face to look up at the six Forresters. He made no attempt to conceal his fear. "You...goed home...."

            "Not quite." Lem was smug. "We wanted you-all should think that, whoever was watchin' us. We figgered one or another o' you was payin' attention to where we was, one way or t'other. We goed as far as Baxters' place and searched for you, then we doubled back. Figgered this is where you'd end up sooner or later."

            Twink was crying softly, steadily. Jody was struggling hard not to do the same; a few muffled sounds could not be suppressed. Ory and Olivia were actually holding hands, clinging to each other.

            Penny said, "Ain't nobody here wants to fight you."

            "Too bad," Lem said, and took a step toward Oliver.

            "No!" cried Mrs. Hutto.

            Oliver thought fast. "Wait! We're married! Don't that make no difference to you??"

            At that, all of the Forresters hesitated. Even Lem looked suddenly unsure.

            After a moment, Mill-wheel said quietly, "It's over, Lem."

            Buck agreed, "Let's leave these folks in peace." On his way to the door, he looked at Oliver and added, "Iffen we see you in town now and agin, we'll leave you be, long's you don't act quarrelsome."

            "I'll not," Oliver agreed hastily, and then, meeting Buck's eyes, added a bit awkwardly, "Thank you."

            Buck quirked a slight smile, followed his brothers out of the door, and closed it quietly behind him.