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  Whyn’t you take him on home. Didn’t they told you not to take him off the place.

  He still think they own this pasture, Luster said. Cant nobody see down here from the house, noways.

  We can. And folks dont like to look at a loony. Taint no luck in it.

  Roskus came and said to come to supper and Caddy said it wasn’t supper time yet.

  “Yes tis.” Roskus said. “Dilsey say for you all to come on to the house. Bring them on, Versh.” He went up the hill, where the cow was lowing.

  “Maybe we’ll be dry by the time we get to the house.” Quentin said.

  “It was all your fault.” Caddy said. “I hope we do get whipped.” She put her dress on and Versh buttoned it.

  “They wont know you got wet.” Versh said. “It dont show on you. Less me and Jason tells.”

  “Are you going to tell, Jason.” Caddy said.

  “Tell on who.” Jason said.

  “He wont tell.” Quentin said. “Will you, Jason.”

  “I bet he does tell.” Caddy said. “He’ll tell Damuddy.”

  “He cant tell her.” Quentin said. “She’s sick. If we walk slow it’ll be too dark for them to see.”

  “I dont care whether they see or not.” Caddy said. “I’m going to tell, myself. You carry him up the hill, Versh.”

  “Jason wont tell.” Quentin said. “You remember that bow and arrow I made you, Jason.”

  “It’s broke now.” Jason said.

  “Let him tell.” Caddy said. “I dont give a cuss. Carry Maury up the hill, Versh.” Versh squatted and I got on his back.

  See you all at the show tonight, Luster said. Come on, here. We got to find that quarter.

  “If we go slow, it’ll be dark when we get there.” Quentin said.

  “I’m not going slow.” Caddy said. We went up the hill, but Quentin didn’t come. He was down at the branch when we got to where we could smell the pigs. They were grunting and snuffing in the trough in the corner. Jason came behind us, with his hands in his pockets. Roskus was milking the cow in the barn door.

  The cows came jumping out of the barn.

  “Go on.” T. P. said. “Holler again. I going to holler myself. Whooey.” Quentin kicked T. P. again. He kicked T. P. into the trough where the pigs ate and T. P. lay there. “Hot dog.” T. P. said, “Didn’t he get me then. You see that white man kick me that time. Whooey.”

  I wasn’t crying, but I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t crying, but the ground wasn’t still, and then I was crying. The ground kept sloping up and the cows ran up the hill. T. P. tried to get up. He fell down again and the cows ran down the hill. Quentin held my arm and we went toward the barn. Then the barn wasn’t there and we had to wait until it came back. I didn’t see it come back. It came behind us and Quentin set me down in the trough where the cows ate. I held on to it. It was going away too, and I held to it. The cows ran down the hill again, across the door. I couldn’t stop. Quentin and T. P. came up the hill, fighting. T. P. was falling down the hill and Quentin dragged him up the hill. Quentin hit T. P. I couldn’t stop.

  “Stand up.” Quentin said, “You stay right here. Dont you go away until I get back.”

  “Me and Benjy going back to the wedding.” T. P. said. “Whooey.”

  Quentin hit T. P. again. Then he began to thump T. P. against the wall. T. P. was laughing. Every time Quentin thumped him against the wall he tried to say Whooey, but he couldn’t say it for laughing. I quit crying, but I couldn’t stop. T. P. fell on me and the barn door went away. It went down the hill and T. P. was fighting by himself and he fell down again. He was still laughing, and I couldn’t stop, and I tried to get up and I fell down, and I couldn’t stop. Versh said,

  “You sho done it now. I’ll declare if you aint. Shut up that yelling.”

  T. P. was still laughing. He flopped on the door and laughed. “Whooey.” he said, “Me and Benjy going back to the wedding. Sassprilluh.” T. P. said.

  “Hush.” Versh said. “Where you get it.”

  “Out the cellar.” T. P. said. “Whooey.”

  “Hush up.” Versh said, “Where’bouts in the cellar.”

  “Anywhere.” T. P. said. He laughed some more. “Moren a hundred bottles left. Moren a million. Look out, nigger, I going to holler.”

  Quentin said, “Lift him up.”

  Versh lifted me up.

  “Drink this, Benjy.” Quentin said. The glass was hot. “Hush, now.” Quentin said. “Drink it.”

  “Sassprilluh.” T. P. said. “Lemme drink it, Mr Quentin.”

  “You shut your mouth.” Versh said, “Mr Quentin wear you out.”

  “Hold him, Versh.” Quentin said.

  They held me. It was hot on my chin and on my shirt. “Drink.” Quentin said. They held my head. It was hot inside me, and I began again. It was crying now, and something was happening inside me and I cried more, and they held me until it stopped happening. Then I hushed. It was still going around, and then the shapes began. “Open the crib, Versh.” They were going slow. “Spread those empty sacks on the floor.” They were going faster, almost fast enough. “Now. Pick up his feet.” They went on, smooth and bright. I could hear T. P. laughing. I went on with them, up the bright hill.

  At the top of the hill Versh put me down. “Come on here, Quentin.” he called, looking back down the hill. Quentin was still standing there by the branch. He was chunking into the shadows where the branch was.

  “Let the old skizzard stay there.” Caddy said. She took my hand and we went on past the barn and through the gate. There was a frog on the brick walk, squatting in the middle of it. Caddy stepped over it and pulled me on.

  “Come on, Maury,” she said. It still squatted there until Jason poked at it with his toe.

  “He’ll make a wart on you.” Versh said. The frog hopped away.

  “Come on, Maury.” Caddy said.

  “They got company tonight.” Versh said.

  “How do you know.” Caddy said.

  “With all them lights on.” Versh said, “Light in every window.”

  “I reckon we can turn all the lights on without company, if we want to.” Caddy said.

  “I bet it’s company.” Versh said. “You all better go in the back and slip upstairs.”

  “I dont care.” Caddy said. “I’ll walk right in the parlor where they are.”

  “I bet your pappy whip you if you do.” Versh said.

  “I dont care.” Caddy said. “I’ll walk right in the parlor. I’ll walk right in the dining room and eat supper.”

  “Where you sit.” Versh said.

  “I’d sit in Damuddy’s chair.” Caddy said. “She eats in bed.”

  “I’m hungry.” Jason said. He passed us and ran on up the walk. He had his hands in his pockets and he fell down. Versh went and picked him up.

  “If you keep them hands out your pockets, you could stay on your feet.” Versh said. “You cant never get them out in time to catch yourself, fat as you is.”

  Father was standing by the kitchen steps.

  “Where’s Quentin.” he said.

  “He coming up the walk.” Versh said. Quentin was coming slow. His shirt was a white blur.

  “Oh.” Father said. Light fell down the steps, on him.

  “Caddy and Quentin threw water on each other.” Jason said.

  We waited.

  “They did.” Father said. Quentin came, and Father said, “You can eat supper in the kitchen tonight.” He stopped and took me up, and the light came tumbling down the steps on me too, and I could look down at Caddy and Jason and Quentin and Versh. Father turned toward the steps. “You must be quiet, though.” he said.

  “Why must we be quiet, Father.” Caddy said. “Have we got company.”

  “Yes.” Father said.

  “I told you they was company.” Versh said.

  “You did not.” Caddy said, “I was the one that said there was. I said I would”

  “Hush.” Father said. They hushed and Father opened
the door and we crossed the back porch and went in to the kitchen. Dilsey was there, and Father put me in the chair and closed the apron down and pushed it to the table, where supper was. It was steaming up.

  “You mind Dilsey, now.” Father said. “Dont let them make any more noise than they can help, Dilsey.”

  “Yes, sir.” Dilsey said. Father went away.

  “Remember to mind Dilsey, now.” he said behind us. I leaned my face over where the supper was. It steamed up on my face.

  “Let them mind me tonight, Father.” Caddy said.

  “I wont.” Jason said. “I’m going to mind Dilsey.”

  “You’ll have to, if Father says so.” Caddy said. “Let them mind me, Father.”

  “I wont.” Jason said, “I wont mind you.”

  “Hush.” Father said. “You all mind Caddy, then. When they are done, bring them up the back stairs, Dilsey.”

  “Yes, sir.” Dilsey said.

  “There.” Caddy said, “Now I guess you’ll mind me.”

  “You all hush, now.” Dilsey said. “You got to be quiet tonight.”

  “Why do we have to be quiet tonight.” Caddy whispered.

  “Never you mind.” Dilsey said, “You’ll know in the Lawd’s own time.” She brought my bowl. The steam from it came and tickled my face. “Come here, Versh.” Dilsey said.

  “When is the Lawd’s own time, Dilsey.” Caddy said.

  “It’s Sunday.” Quentin said. “Dont you know anything.”

  “Shhhhhh.” Dilsey said. “Didn’t Mr Jason say for you all to be quiet. Eat your supper, now. Here, Versh. Git his spoon.” Versh’s hand came with the spoon, into the bowl. The spoon came up to my mouth. The steam tickled into my mouth. Then we quit eating and we looked at each other and we were quiet, and then we heard it again and I began to cry.

  “What was that.” Caddy said. She put her hand on my hand.

  “That was Mother.” Quentin said. The spoon came up and I ate, then I cried again.

  “Hush.” Caddy said. But I didn’t hush and she came and put her arms around me. Dilsey went and closed both the doors and then we couldn’t hear it.

  “Hush, now.” Caddy said. I hushed and ate. Quentin wasn’t eating, but Jason was.

  “That was Mother.” Quentin said. He got up.

  “You set right down.” Dilsey said. “They got company in there, and you in them muddy clothes. You set down too, Caddy, and get done eating.”

  “She was crying.” Quentin said.

  “It was somebody singing.” Caddy said. “Wasn’t it, Dilsey.”

  “You all eat your supper, now, like Mr Jason said.” Dilsey said. “You’ll know in the Lawd’s own time.” Caddy went back to her chair.

  “I told you it was a party.” she said.

  Versh said, “He done et all that.”

  “Bring his bowl here.” Dilsey said. The bowl went away.

  “Dilsey.” Caddy said, “Quentin’s not eating his supper. Hasn’t he got to mind me.”

  “Eat your supper, Quentin.” Dilsey said, “You all got to get done and get out of my kitchen.”

  “I dont want any more supper.” Quentin said.

  “You’ve got to eat if I say you have.” Caddy said. “Hasn’t he, Dilsey.”

  The bowl steamed up to my face, and Versh’s hand dipped the spoon in it and the steam tickled into my mouth.

  “I dont want any more.” Quentin said. “How can they have a party when Damuddy’s sick.”

  “They’ll have it down stairs.” Caddy said. “She can come to the landing and see it. That’s what I’m going to do when I get my nightie on.”

  “Mother was crying.” Quentin said. “Wasn’t she crying, Dilsey.”

  “Dont you come pestering at me, boy.” Dilsey said. “I got to get supper for all them folks soon as you all get done eating.”

  After a while even Jason was through eating, and he began to cry.

  “Now you got to tune up.” Dilsey said.

  “He does it every night since Damuddy was sick and he cant sleep with her.” Caddy said. “Cry baby.”

  “I’m going to tell on you.” Jason said.

  He was crying. “You’ve already told.” Caddy said. “There’s not anything else you can tell, now.”

  “You all needs to go to bed.” Dilsey said. She came and lifted me down and wiped my face and hands with a warm cloth. “Versh, can you get them up the back stairs quiet. You, Jason, shut up that crying.”

  “It’s too early to go to bed now.” Caddy said. “We dont ever have to go to bed this early.”

  “You is tonight.” Dilsey said. “Your pa say for you to come right on up stairs when you et supper. You heard him.”

  “He said to mind me.” Caddy said.

  “I’m not going to mind you.” Jason said.

  “You have to.” Caddy said. “Come on, now. You have to do like I say.”

  “Make them be quiet, Versh.” Dilsey said. “You all going to be quiet, aint you.”

  “What do we have to be so quiet for, tonight.” Caddy said.

  “Your mommer aint feeling well.” Dilsey said. “You all go on with Versh, now.”

  “I told you Mother was crying.” Quentin said. Versh took me up and opened the door onto the back porch. We went out and Versh closed the door back. I could smell Versh and feel him. “You all be quiet, now. We’re not going up stairs yet. Mr Jason said for you to come right up stairs. He said to mind me. I’m not going to mind you. But he said for all of us to. Didn’t he, Quentin.” I could feel Versh’s head. I could hear us. “Didn’t he, Versh. Yes, that’s right. Then I say for us to go out doors a while. Come on.” Versh opened the door and we went out.

  We went down the steps.

  “I expect we’d better go down to Versh’s house, so we’ll be quiet.” Caddy said. Versh put me down and Caddy took my hand and we went down the brick walk.

  “Come on.” Caddy said, “That frog’s gone. He’s hopped way over to the garden, by now. Maybe we’ll see another one.” Roskus came with the milk buckets. He went on. Quentin wasn’t coming with us. He was sitting on the kitchen steps. We went down to Versh’s house. I liked to smell Versh’s house. There was a fire in it and T. P. squatting in his shirt tail in front of it, chunking it into a blaze.

  Then I got up and T. P. dressed me and we went to the kitchen and ate. Dilsey was singing and I began to cry and she stopped.

  “Keep him away from the house, now.” Dilsey said.

  “We cant go that way.” T. P. said.

  We played in the branch.

  “We cant go around yonder.” T. P. said. “Dont you know mammy say we cant.”

  Dilsey was singing in the kitchen and I began to cry.

  “Hush.” T. P. said. “Come on. Lets go down to the barn.”

  Roskus was milking at the barn. He was milking with one hand, and groaning. Some birds sat on the barn door and watched him. One of them came down and ate with the cows. I watched Roskus milk while T. P. was feeding Queenie and Prince. The calf was in the pig pen. It nuzzled at the wire, bawling.

  “T. P.” Roskus said. T. P. said Sir, in the barn. Fancy held her head over the door, because T. P. hadn’t fed her yet. “Git done there.” Roskus said. “You got to do this milking. I cant use my right hand no more.”

  T. P. came and milked.

  “Whyn’t you get the doctor.” T. P. said.

  “Doctor cant do no good.” Roskus said. “Not on this place.”

  “What wrong with this place.” T. P. said.

  “Taint no luck on this place.” Roskus said. “Turn that calf in if you done.”

  Taint no luck on this place, Roskus said. The fire rose and fell behind him and Versh, sliding on his and Versh’s face. Dilsey finished putting me to bed. The bed smelled like T. P. I liked it.

  “What you know about it.” Dilsey said. “What trance you been in.”

  “Dont need no trance.” Roskus said. “Aint the sign of it laying right there on that bed. Aint the sig
n of it been here for folks to see fifteen years now.”

  “Spose it is.” Dilsey said. “It aint hurt none of you and yourn, is it. Versh working and Frony married off your hands and T. P. getting big enough to take your place when rheumatism finish getting you.”

  “They been two, now.” Roskus said. “Going to be one more. I seen the sign, and you is too.”

  “I heard a squinch owl that night.” T. P. said. “Dan wouldn’t come and get his supper, neither. Wouldn’t come no closer than the barn. Begun howling right after dark. Versh heard him.”

  “Going to be more than one more.” Dilsey said. “Show me the man what aint going to die, bless Jesus.”

  “Dying aint all.” Roskus said.

  “I knows what you thinking.” Dilsey said. “And they aint going to be no luck in saying that name, lessen you going to set up with him while he cries.”

  “They aint no luck on this place.” Roskus said. “I seen it at first but when they changed his name I knowed it.”

  “Hush your mouth.” Dilsey said. She pulled the covers up. It smelled like T. P. “You all shut up now, till he get to sleep.”

  “I seen the sign.” Roskus said.

  “Sign T. P. got to do all your work for you.” Dilsey said. Take him and Quentin down to the house and let them play with Luster, where Frony can watch them, T. P., and go and help your pa.

  We finished eating. T. P. took Quentin up and we went down to T. P.’s house. Luster was playing in the dirt. T. P. put Quentin down and she played in the dirt too. Luster had some spools and he and Quentin fought and Quentin had the spools. Luster cried and Frony came and gave Luster a tin can to play with, and then I had the spools and Quentin fought me and I cried.

  “Hush.” Frony said, “Aint you shamed of yourself. Taking a baby’s play pretty.” She took the spools from me and gave them back to Quentin.

  “Hush, now.” Frony said, “Hush, I tell you.”

  “Hush up.” Frony said. “You needs whipping, that’s what you needs.” She took Luster and Quentin up. “Come on here.” she said. We went to the barn. T. P. was milking the cow. Roskus was sitting on the box.

  “What’s the matter with him now.” Roskus said.

  “You have to keep him down here.” Frony said. “He fighting these babies again. Taking they play things. Stay here with T. P. now, and see can you hush a while.”