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That’s jest how Emmi was, says Mercy

Emmi Born early, denied aon fer the first feeeks Then, with Mercy’s care, soht to live The commander checks the child over He speaks to the woers The boy slips from the rooin The coent distress, they talk at him, her an the midwife They’ve raised their voices, so I can make out, Another few days, an Please, sir He cuts ’em off short with a raised hand

He’s decided, says Mercy No hope fer this one

After a fewTonton’s jest coe nods at the doorway He comes over to the women The wet nurse hesitates, clutchin Rae’s baby to her Then she gently kisses her head an hands her over, naked as she is

I notice how carefully the Tonton takes her How he supports her head with his hand How he cradles her in his arms so easy, so natural

An I think to myself, He’s done that before Maybe had a little sister of his own Was happy to help with her, loved her Not like me To my shame, I never touched Eh was the one who helped Pa with her

Suddenly, the pound of runnin feet We all hit the ground A second later, two Tonton appear from the back of the babyhouse They head fer the stables The ht, we scramble around the far corner of the buildin We hold our breath We wait

The red hot quivers in unbelt--flew there at the sound of runnin feet Essept I ain’t wearin it Fer the very first time since I left Silverlake, I ain’t packin no weapons None of us are No bows, no guns, no knife in ht I notice Jack’s hand rests where his gun ain’t

The Tonton haul a double bench buggy from the stables One runs back inside to fetch a horse an they ease him into the traces an hitch hionna take Rae home, whispers Mercy

You knohere she lives? I says to Cassie

She nods She’s perfectly calht I first met her When Jack snatched Emmi an it was only thanks to her an Brait us all killed there an then

While the Tonton bring the horse an cart to the front door, locks rattle, bars creak an it swings wide open The cos her little bundle to her chest No sign of tears now She wouldn’t dare h Doin her best to act the way a Steward should

The coy’s rear bench He ses a sirl Rae Whether that’ll work in our favour remains to be seen The two Tonton cliun lays his firestick on his knees With a slap of the reins an a sudden jolt, the buggy ruhts the road north Silver

As the front door shuts, locks rattle, bars creak, we can see Rae’s dark figger on the buggy’s back bench She twists around to take a long, last look Then she turns to face the road ahead