Canaan's Tongue (22 page)

CLEMENTINE
—As you like. (PAUSE)—That’s why he selected me, Harvey
said. He knew the strength of my belief, Miss Clem, and the childishness
of it. (PAUSE)—Then Harvey said—: I have a letter to write tonight. A
very lengthy letter. You may read it when it’s done. (PAUSE)—I laughed
at him, of course. Why should I be reading your letters, Mr. Harvey? I
said. I thought he might be flirting after all. (PAUSE)—Tell him not to
look at me that way, Colonel.

COLONEL
—What?

CLEMENTINE
(POINTING)—Him.

COLONEL
—Virgil,
could you—? (PAUSE)—Go on, Miss Gilchrist.

CLEMENTINE
—Harvey
stared at me that same way. You’ll be reading my
letter soon enough, Miss Clem, he said. You’ll find it edifying. Then, so quiet
that I could barely hear—: Virgil Ball will find it so. Then he took me by
my arm. It was the first time that he’d touched me. He took a cautious
hold of me, the way a bachelor will, and led me gently back up to my room.

COLONEL
(PAUSE)—What then?

CLEMENTINE
(LAUGHS)—That’s all, Colonel. If you’re eager for more
you’ll have to trust to your old man’s fancy, I’m afraid.

COLONEL
(SIGHS)—I assure you, miss—(FROWNS)

CLEMENTINE
—What
is it?

COLONEL
—Who’s
that shuffling about outside? Is it Dodds?

CLEMENTINE
(NODS)—He was waiting his turn when I came in. Looked
a bit skittish. Poor old ham-bones.

COLONEL
(STANDS)—Send him in, Miss Gilchrist. You may go.

CLEMENTINE
—May
I?

(EXIT CLEMENTINE.)

COLONEL
—Well,
Virgil? What do you make of that?
(PAUSE)

COLONEL
—True.
It would seem to clear Parson, or at least to put him well
away from the house. I heard him go out just after eleven, by the parlor
clock, and Harvey paid me a call not long after, begging a few sheets of
blotting-paper—; so Harvey was alive and hale at twelve o’clock. If, then,
Parson was out on one of his night-time jaunts, and Clem met him
returning to the house at six—(PAUSE)—But only if she can be trusted.
She is a doxie, after all. I shouldn’t wonder, for example, if Clementine
and Parson—

(PAUSE)

COLONEL
—Of
course, Virgil! None whatsoever. I humbly beg your pardon.

COLONEL
—So,
Dodds. Breakfast is put away then, is it?

DODDS
—Yes,
Marse D’Ancourt. Stew’s fixin. PAUSE.—Been leavin off yin
bed-work—; I know that. Stairs in yin back too narrow to get up with a
basket. If you and Marse Virgil would allow—

COLONEL
—Go
up the front stairs if you have to. Just so the beds get aired
and made.

DODDS
(PAUSE)—Thank you, Colonel. It’s a case of—

COLONEL
—Did you have something to tell us?

DODDS
—Tell you, sih?

COLONEL
—Something
you’ve been keeping secret from us, perhaps.

DODDS
(PAUSE)—I mean, I—(PAUSE)—Secrets?

COLONEL
(SHOUTS)—Why the devil does everyone gawk at Virgil when I
ask them something? Virgil is present as my secretary, you rag-picker!
Look at me!

DODDS
—Ah!
Well I regret about that, Colonel, I’m sure. (PAUSE)—
Maybe you has a question for me, sih? So I know what to tell?

COLONEL
—I’ve
just asked it, Dodds. Collect yourself a moment.
(PAUSE)—It can’t have escaped you that Mr. Harvey was taken in the
night.

DODDS
—It hasn’t, sih, no. A sad loss it is, if you don’t mind.

COLONEL
—I don’t mind at all. Do you know how he died?

DODDS
(PAUSE)—I heard as he was murthured.

COLONEL
—Did you murder him?

DODDS
—Sih?

COLONEL
—The
question doesn’t seem to put you out.

DODDS
—It
don’t, sih, no. I catch hell for all and sundry.

COLONEL
(SMILES)—Who was it told you of his killing?

DODDS
—Marse
Delamare told it to me.

COLONEL
—Ah! Mr. Delamare. I see. (PAUSE)—You have an understanding, then, the two of you?

DODDS
(FROWNS)—Sih?

COLONEL
—I mean you talk to one another. (PAUSE)—Share your thoughts
about the goings-on. Your views.

DODDS
(PAUSE)—That’s so, Colonel. I suppose we do.

COLONEL
—You’re friends with Mr. Delamare, in a word.

DODDS
(PAUSE)—I wouldn’t properly say—

COLONEL
—Being
niggers you have a natural affection for one another.

DODDS
(LOUDLY)—Marse Delamare no nigger, Colonel. Not like me.
Marse Delamare stand up straight. He a regular son of—

COLONEL
—I
must say, Dodds, you couldn’t have made your connection to
Mr. Delamare any clearer. Before knowing him you’d never have raised
your voice to your betters.

DODDS
(PAUSE)—No, sih.

COLONEL
—How
long have you and I known each other, Dodds? How long
have you been the house-boy to the Trade?

DODDS
(PAUSE)—Nigh on seven year.

COLONEL
—And
before that?

DODDS
—Before
that I belong to Marse Trist’ daddy. You know that.

COLONEL
—How
many people have you seen put down in that time?

(PAUSE)

COLONEL
—Dodds?

DODDS
—Never
learnt no reckoning.

COLONEL
—Then
let me reckon for you. You’ve seen a great many people put
down, Dodds. People of every stripe. White men, niggers, Indians, Creoles,
Chinamen, white women, nigger women—; even, sometimes, little nigger
children. (PAUSE)—You served the Trade faithfully and unquestioningly over the whole of your long tenure, because you were the Redeemer’s
nigger. You were his property, to use as he saw fit. (PAUSE)—No different than any of us in this house.

DODDS
(INAUDIBLE)

COLONEL
—What’s
that?

DODDS
—I ain’t the Deemer’s niggra now. (SMILES)—He down the privy-ditch.

COLONEL
—Whose nigger are you, then? Delamare’s?

DODDS
(INAUDIBLE)

COLONEL
—Was
it Delamare put Goodman Harvey down?

DODDS
—Marse
Delamare say it were Kennedy.

COLONEL
(SIGHS)—Dodds, I find you a most unmanageable nigger lately.
I’ve half a mind to pitch you in the river.

DODDS
—You
do as you please, Colonel. (PAUSE)—Who be making yin
scrapple and greens tomorrow—?

COLONEL
—Clementine
might.

DODDS
—Hah!
That lady got but one ability I know of. (PAUSE)—Beg
pardon, Virgil. (PAUSE)—Things I ought be doing—

COLONEL
—Yes,
Dodds. To begin with, you might air the beds. But you’re not
lifting your back-side off that stool till my curiosity’s satisfied.

DODDS
(INAUDIBLE)

COLONEL
—That’s fine. Now. Did you see, hear, or smell Mr. Harvey at any
time last night, after his return from the orchard with Miss Gilchrist?

DODDS
—I
saw him go upstairs. (QUIETLY)—Met with somebody on yin
landing.

COLONEL
—The
landing of the stairs?

DODDS
(NODS)

COLONEL
—Who
was it?

DODDS
—Somebody.
A man.

COLONEL
—A
man?

DODDS
(NODS)

COLONEL
—I
have always taken comfort, Dodds, in the thought that you
knew of each and every sordid event that took place in this house. I’ve
studied you closely in my idle hours, you see. And I know that your simple-headednessis only so much mummery and guile.

DODDS
(PAUSE)—I don’t foller you, Colonel. Beg pardon, but I don’t—

COLONEL
—Tell me who it was, Dodds. With Harvey on the stairs.

DODDS
(INAUDIBLE)

COLONEL
—I’m
afraid I didn’t catch that. Did you happen to catch that, Virgil?

DODDS
—You
no kind of man at all, Colonel D’Ancourt. You heart full of
weeds.

COLONEL
—You’ll
tell me who it was, Dodds body, or my heart notwithstanding I’ll put a bullet in your eye.

DODDS
(SOFTLY)—How well you know me, Colonel?

COLONEL
—Well
enough. I’ll have an answer out of you or I’ll call in Mr.
Kennedy. (PAUSE)—There! I thought that might enliven you a bit.

DODDS
(INAUDIBLE)

COLONEL
—Speak
up a little, old scrapple-and-greens.

DODDS
(PAUSE)—Can I hisper it?

COLONEL
—Just
as you like. Come here to me.

DODDS
—In you ear?

COLONEL
—Yes.
The left one, mind.

DODDS
(INAUDIBLE)

COLONEL
(SMILING)—Ah! Is that so.

DODDS
(NODS)

COLONEL
—I
see. (PAUSE)—You can go. Find Mr. Kennedy and send him
in to me.

DODDS
—Don’t say I told it, Colonel. Don’t say as it were Dodds.

COLONEL
—Go fetch Mr. Kennedy, and kick up your heels about it! Get!

(EXIT DODDS.)

COLONEL
(PAUSE)—Who do you think it was, Virgil? Can you guess?
(PAUSE)—That’s right, dear boy. Go on, then! Write it down.

COLONEL
—Mr.
Kennedy! Prompt as always. No, sir! Pray don’t interrupt
just yet. I have something to say to you. Sit down here and give Virgil a
moment to dip his pen into the pot. There! (PAUSE)—Mr. Kennedy,
you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve uncovered the identity of Harvey’s
murderer. (PAUSE)—That brings life to those dull little eye-holes of
yours, doesn’t it.

KENNEDY
—Who
is it?

COLONEL
—I wonder if you might be able to guess.

KENNEDY
—Parson?

COLONEL
(LOUDLY)—No, not Parson, you dullard. If you can’t think—

KENNEDY
(STANDING)—I’ve done with this bloody parlor game. You can
both of you get—

COLONEL
—Yes,
yes, Kennedy. Forgive me. It was the mulatto.

KENNEDY
(PAUSE)—You don’t mean it.

COLONEL
(NODS)

KENNEDY
—The muh!—muh!—mulatto—Oliver—

COLONEL
—Dodds
was so gracious as to tell.

KENNEDY
(PAUSE)—That’s it, then. (SMILES)—I’m beholden to you,
Colonel. I’ll be taking a walk, if you’ve got no objection.

COLONEL
—May
I ask your intentions?

KENNEDY
—My
intentions? (LAUGHS)

COLONEL
—I
should like to remind you of the presence of Miss Gilchrist in
this house. And of my god-son, Asa Trist.

KENNEDY
—Don’t
you worry about that. Our niggra’s well out of doors. I
seen him go off muh!—muh!—moseying not half an hour gone.

COLONEL
(SITTING FORWARD)—Where to? To the river?

KENNEDY (SMILES)—No, Colonel. Off into the woods.

COLONEL
(INAUDIBLE)

KENNEDY
—What’s
that?

COLONEL
—All
right, Mr. Kennedy. Go on. Go about your business.

KENNEDY
—Young
cracked Asa’s carrying on outside. Do you want him?

COLONEL
—Mr.
Trist and his trouble are no concern of yours.

KENNEDY
—What’s
wrong then, Colonel? (SMILES)—Can’t abide me
suddenly?

COLONEL
—Come
in, Asa! Please be seated. We won’t keep you long.

TRIST
—What?

COLONEL
—Sit
down, Asa.

TRIST
—Yes.
I’ll be seated Colonel, God-father, sir but first may I know will I
be answering any questions you may have.

COLONEL
—Shall
I ask you a question now, to see?

TRIST
—You
can ask me, yes. But then? (SMILES)

COLONEL
—All
right, Asa—

TRIST
—Are
there any niggers hereabouts?

COLONEL
—No,
Asa. Only Dodds. You know Dodds pretty well.

TRIST
—Yes.
I know old Dodds. Shall I tell you where he got his color from?

COLONEL
—I have a di ferent question. Last night—

TRIST
—Why
is Mr. Ball present?

COLONEL
—Virgil
is here to put your answers down on paper.

TRIST
—Oh!
I don’t know. I don’t know about that, Grand-father. No.

COLONEL
—How
did you sleep last night, Asa?