The new area.
As far as being dead went, you would be hard-pressed to find a lovelier venue.
“Whitakers have been burying their kinfolk here for generations,” Willadean said in a solemn voice.
“It’s beautiful. So let’s get back to how I might avoid this place in the future...”
Willa laughed. “Mama isn’t so bad. Everything she does is for our own good. I don’t mean just me and Harlan. I mean for everyone. But some folks don’t always agree with her definition of good.”
She plopped down on a section of brown grass, then patted the space beside her. Sunlight spun the straw-colored pigtails into strands of glistening gold.
“And what happens when those folks don’t agree with her?” he said, sitting beside her.
“Depends on how loudly they complain.”
“So the key to extending my lifespan is to agree with Serena Jo, consistently and vehemently.”
“Vehemently. That’s a good word. I’ll add it to my lexicon.”
“Expanding lexicons is one of the many services I offer. Willadean,” he said, injecting a serious tone, “What if that motor noise came from bad people? Your mama should know, don’t you think? I won’t tell her, of course, but perhaps you should.”
“No way. Don’t worry about bad people. We can handle them.”
“I’ve been out there. I’ve seen bad people doing terrible things.”
“They won’t get past the perimeter. Trust me.”
“Didn’t I get past it?”
“Nope. Pops caught you. You wouldn’t have seen the shot that killed you if Pops had gotten a bad feeling about you. He’s better at reading people than anyone.”
“So that’s why I was allowed in.”
“Yes. You’re lucky. If one of the other men had spotted you, you’d probably be planted over there.” She nodded to the far side of the cemetery.
“Today wasn’t the first time you heard that noise, was it?”
There was the appraising look again. “I’ll answer if we agree that the blood oath still applies.”
“Done.”
“We heard it yesterday. We were on a quest for dryads, sprites, and mushrooms to the north. We went farther than we’ve ever been. I heard that sound and went to the edge of a clearing for a better look. That’s when I saw the drone.”
Fergus felt a stab of alarm. “Did it spot you?”
A shake of the pigtails.
“How can you be sure?”
“It didn’t hover or try to get closer to me. It just continued on, never deviating from its trajectory.”
“Another excellent word.”
“Yep.”
“It’s good that it didn’t spot you, but the significance of the drone’s presence is equally important. The range of those gadgets is limited. That means there are people with access to technology close by. And in my personal experience, people with access to technology under the current conditions may not bode well for the holler.”
“Maybe they’re not bad people.”
“They may not be, but how can we be sure?”
A shrug of the small shoulders. “Like I said, they wouldn’t get through our perimeter. I know you think we’re hillbillies, but those people you saw with the rifles are pros. There’s a few things Whitakers know how to do really well, and hunting and killing are two of them.”
Fergus thought for a few moments, while Willadean studied him. She might have been wearing a child-sized lab coat and gazing at an interesting new species of bacterium through her toy microscope.
“I think we need to know for sure,” he said finally.
“How will we do that?”
This wouldn’t be his first dangerous exploratory mission. During the last one, he had ended up locked in a stinky metal box for days.
“Not we. Me. And I’m not going to tell you. Have you heard the axiom ignorance is bliss?”
“Yes. Another cliché.”
“True, but it applies in this situation.”
“Plausible deniability works better.”
Fergus grinned. “You’re going to be a Pulitzer prize-winning author someday.”
“I don’t care about awards. I only care about the storytelling. You’ll keep your word, right? You swore an oath. Our blood mingled. That means that if you break the oath, I’ll know. My blood will tell me.”
“Ah, I see how it works now. No oath-breaking. I promise.”
***
“I hope I’m not imposing,” Fergus said to Skeeter after supper. They were heading back to the old man’s shanty, where Fergus had been bunking since his arrival.
“No trouble. I don’t mind having company, even though you are an odd little feller.”
“Uh, thank you?” Fergus grinned. “It’s also easier to keep an eye on me if I’m sleeping on your floor.”
Skeeter grinned but didn’t respond. He withdrew the ever-present matches and lit the porch lamp. It was a nightly ritual, and he seemed to take comfort in the process. Fergus liked to stand on the rickety porch and watch the lanterns in the village twinkle to life. Skeeter sidled up next to him. They stood for a while in companionable silence.
“A bit airish again tonight,” the old man offered. “It’ll be a sad day when them matches is all gone,” he added, gazing at the lantern.
Fergus knew airish was holler-speak for chilly. He had learned many new words and phrases during the past few days. Usually he could extract their meaning from the context, but sigoggling, gaint, and boomer had required further explanation.
“Indeed.”
“Somethin’ on yer mind?”
“Yes, but nothing I can share with the class.”
Skeeter pondered that for a few heartbeats, then said, “Willa made you swear an oath, didn’t she.”
“How did you know?”
“That’s what she does. You can’t break it or she’ll know.”
“She said the same thing. The two of you are quite close, aren’t you?”
Skeeter nodded. “Ain’t just a family thing, neither. She’s special, that one.”
“I agree. Like her mother.”
Skeeter shook his head, a gesture identical to Willadean’s this afternoon. “Both special, but different.”
“Yes, I can see that. Serena Jo is a force of nature.”
“So is Willa. I
