Chapter 4

"Heavens, I couldn't hardly make my feet walk in that door!"

"Ma, you were great. You didn't sound unnerved, the least bit!"

"I kept thinking on what would happen if he should catch us, and then what would happen if we got away with it, and my guts was twisted up so's I could hardly get a word out! Finally I said to myself, 'We'll coney-catch Herch or not, as God wills, ' and then I just set my foot down and walked in!"

Keith chuckled. It had taken three days to conceive and execute the plan he had put together, with the help of Kim's mother, a short and cheerful woman named Heloise, and some supplies that had ended up coming from the basement of the "House of Ladies," as he now called it in his mind. Heloise had remembered seeing a trunk that had apparently been left by a group of "traveling players" — Keith assumed this meant actors — and it had been found to contain, among other things, wigs and a serviceable fake beard, as well as some ostentatious clothes that had served as his costume. Boots had given him an extra couple of inches of height, and he had conjured up an atrocious French accent, which simply sounded unknown and foreign to any of the listeners he had tested it on here.

Heloise had also made the rounds amongst the girls of the "House of Ladies" to collect the 700 coin they had used to buy the stone, amid fervent promises that they'd get back half again what they put it. She and Kim had gone directly from Herch's house to the "House of Ladies" to pay back that commitment, and was now home with over eight thousand in coin. Keith had been curious to see this "coin," and was disappointed to find it seemed to simply be copper and silver discs with a crude mark struck on them. He took one of each as a souvenir.

He had steadfastly not thought about going home, and whenever — often! — his mind had wandered to the subject, he had pushed those thoughts away and focused on his upcoming daring heist.

Now that the plan turned out successfully, and Kim and her mom had enough money to do whatever they wanted, he couldn't stop himself, especially since the idea he had after his conversation with Kim had been growing stronger and stronger. Both times he had popped between that world and this one, Kim had been in or near that forest clearing, carrying the only trapiche they owned. Keith was hoping that the formula would work again.

He thought, uneasily and not for the first time, that he would be in a world of trouble when he got back. Probably his family thought he'd run away or been kidnapped, the police had surely been called, and he had no idea what he would say to explain his three-day absence. And he had missed Fourth of July, where the family always went out on the lake and watched the fireworks, and his mom always made tons of potato salad that they never finished. What would he say to explain where he had been?

If this idea of mine even works, he told himself bitterly. I may not have to say a thing, if I'm still stuck here.

But as quickly as that thought came, it fled, chased away by Kim's flushed and happy face. More than once he had caught her staring at him, and more than once he'd caught himself staring at her. Do I even want to leave?

But that was ridiculous. He had a family who he'd already worried sick. He had no one here to take care of him, no place to live, really, except curled up on the floor with some blankets as he had the past few nights.

Keith cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he began, "but I think it's time."

Heloise nodded, and Kim looked stricken. "But, what if—" she began.

"Hush, girl," her mother broke in. "You knew this day was comin'. Don't you start now. He got kin he got to get back to, and that's all there is to that." She paused. "Keith, you ... you know already what you done for us, an' I won't say no more on the subject. It's best now anyway. Kim and I will go stay in Big Water Gap; I got a cousin there who'll put us up for a bit now that I ain't exactly shy on some coin to help pay my way. I aim to shake the dust from this place off my feet afore Herch comprehends all of what happened, 'cause he's a man not minded to think of consequences when rage is in him, like enough."

She handed him the dark green trapiche that Kim had been trying to sell when all this started. "Fact is, I told Herch a bit of the truth. It pained me mighty to see this trapiche of ours sold, an' I was gladdened when you come along with a ploy that didn't touch it. The truth I told Herch is that this really did come from Kim's father, and I know he wanted me to keep it. But when you got nothin', and more nothin' on the horizon, you can't be mindful of such things."

"Now I don't mind givin' it up at all, if it'll help you get where you're going." She looked carefully at Keith. "Mind that you know where you're going, though."

Keith swallowed. "I don't think I'll need to take it for good," he said. "I just need Kim to bring it along the trail, just like she did before. If I'm right, that's all that's needed."

"That's fine too," Heloise responded. "But if it should develop that you need to take it with you for good, you do it, and I'll consider that a kindness."

Keith paused, staring at the dark green stone in his hand. "Thanks. That means a lot."

"Isn't a thing next to what you done for us," Heloise responded. "We got us a new life to go to, thanks to you." She looked significantly at her daughter. "Now, I aim to gather up some things and go. You take Keith up the hill and then and meet me at the Two Horse Ford now, just like we said. And I expect you'll be able to say goodbye to Keith, without too much fanfare, young lady."

"Ma... !"

"Not a word, Kim o' the Glen. He done for us; you got to let him see to his own now." The older woman looked fondly, and a bit sadly, at her daughter. "And you mind me, now, 'bout what I told you."

Kim nodded, also somewhat sadly, and the older woman bustled off.

When she was out of earshot, Kim turned and almost angrily grabbed Keith's backpack and stalked out. From outside, Keith heard, "Well? You comin'?"

Keith shook his head and followed. Outside, he looked at Kim. "What was that all about, with your mom?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, looking away. "Ma gets these ideas sometimes, I swear."

"Let me carry that," Keith said, gesturing to his backpack.

"This ain't nothing heavy," she said. "Carry three o' these and walk a day, fair certain." She hefted the pack. "You can carry your stone."

"Ummm ... OK," Keith said. He looked at his backpack and all the supplies he'd brought but never used. Except the blazing paint, he amended silently. I did get to mark trees with blazing paint.

They had walked in silence for perhaps twenty minutes when Kim spoke again. "So ... where you goin' next, you figure?"

"Next?"

"You know. After you get home and settled, an' all."

"I hadn't really planned to go anywhere. I'm probably going to be grounded for life."

"Grounded? What's that?"