Thieving Forest Read Online Free

hidden their canoes along the river there. Maybe they want to make us their wives.”
    Beatrice shudders. She puts her hand in her pocket and feels the corncake, and again thinks of Susanna. Susanna has always been lucky, and she was lucky today. Whereas I am constantly plagued...but that is an un-Christian thought. To make up for it, she gives Penelope some of her corncake.
    “Here,” she says.
    “What is it?”
    “Don’t let them see you.”
    Penelope coughs, then puts her hand to her mouth. Beatrice watches her swallow. It irks her that Penelope is older and thinks of herself in charge. It is irrational but she has always felt this way, ever since she can remember.
    “I’m worried about Aurelia,” Penelope says. “If you get a chance, give her some too. How is your heel?”
    They are all wearing the deerskin moccasins that the Potawatomi gave out to them. As soft as they are—much softer than boots—her chilblain rubs like fire against the leather when she walks, and it throbs when she rests.
    “I hardly feel it,” she lies.

    Toward midday they come to a spot where three rivulets empty into a fast-moving stream. Here they are given water and parched corn and are told to wait. Three Potawatomi station themselves north, east, and south on the lookout. Another Potawatomi signals with his hands for the women to lie on the ground. Like swine, Aurelia thinks. Like Saul, their pig. Even my birds have their pallets but we are treated like swine. She can’t bear to see the carcasses of her hens carried on the back of that man, each one of which has a name. Her head feels open and strange, almost bright, as though pierced at the top by a ray of sunlight. What will become of Black Peter and the others? she wonders. In general she is not a lover of animals, only her birds. Koman’s dog especially makes her nervous. He is not a dog, no matter what Penelope says. That creature is not a dog. She shivers, but also feels hot.
    Beatrice is wondering aloud why they aren’t in Risdale already. “It doesn’t take this long to get there. Certainly not at the pace we’ve been going.”
    “We seemed to double back at one point,” Penelope says.
    “I thought so, too!” Naomi says. “I recognized the same stream with yellowish water. We passed over it twice.”
    But Beatrice is skeptical. “All the streams have yellowish water. They all look alike.”
    Koman walks over to them. Although his face is painted like a warrior his voice is gentle. “We wait here,” he tells the women. “Do not worry.” His eyes look at each of them, taking them in, a kind of regard Aurelia has never seen from a man except maybe her father. Even Cade Spendlove, her beau, is shy about looking at her, as if he fills up quickly at only a glance. But it’s just a trick, she thinks. A show of concern.
    Her face hurts from the effort of staying awake. She closes her eyes and listens to Penelope asking questions. Koman does not know much English or he does not want to answer. He says again, “Do not worry.” He says, “Soon you will be...” but Aurelia can’t hear the rest. Free? Dead? Beneath her eyelids she sees blood-red swirls and points of yellow light.
    “Aurelia! How do you feel?” Penelope suddenly asks. Aurelia opens her eyes. Koman has gone back to his men. How long has she slept? Her body feels white and boundless.
    Penelope kisses her on the forehead. “You’re burning up.”
    The men are making a small fire and Aurelia can smell meat cooking. It smells delicious. Then she realizes it is one of her chickens.
    “Aurelia, don’t,” Penelope says as she begins to cry.
    “I can’t help it.”
    One man notices that she’s crying and he brings her a pouch of water. The water is warm and she takes a long drink. The scarred Potawatomi also notices. When the man leaves with his water pouch, the scarred Potawatomi crouches down in front of her with his face very close to hers. She can smell his rotting teeth. He puts the palm of his