Marsh thanked Dorsey for his help and sent him on his way. When the horse’s footfalls faded into the distance, Marsh pulled out his grandfather’s pocket watch, checked the time, and said, “We best be off. The deputies don’t like to be kept waiting.”
Caleb rode lead while Marsh and Zeke drove the other wagon. To the north and east stretched Carolina’s largest lake, almost seventy miles across at its broadest point. Behind him, hills grew and condensed as they marched west, until the Appalachians formed a forested wall. The Catawba enclave’s main link to the outside world was in the southeast corner, where the woodlands were split by the Charlotte road. When he was younger, Caleb had often walked to where cow pastures and Carolina pines met the crumbling asphalt. He would stand in the middle of that empty road and dream of all the adventures awaiting him beyond the enclave’s boundaries.
Now there was nothing he wanted so much as to return home.
Always before, Caleb had been confident he could handle whatever came. Now he faced the road ahead with doubt and dread.
An hour later, they reached the stream that marked the enclave’s outer boundary. Caleb and the others pulled the bits from the horses’ mouths and let them drink sparingly. Then one by one they led the wagons across. Concrete stanchions showed where there had once been a bridge. Each year, once the summer rains eased and the harvest was in, volunteers came down to lay fresh stones across the streambed. The Charlotte road was the enclave’s main supply route, and these yearly repairs meant heavily laden wagons could cross safely. This late in the year, a number of the stones had been dislodged, and the going was rough. They took turns, riding the reins while the others walked barefoot, holding the bridles.
Once across they unharnessed the horses, then gave them another long drink and half a bag of oats. They gathered by the rear wagon, where Marsh fed them sandwiches and cold tea from the victuals he’d packed. As he handed Zeke his food, he said, “You move faster and quieter than any man I’ve ever seen. Is that your gift?”
Though the question had been asked in Marsh’s habitually mild voice, Zeke tensed up and wouldn’t take the food from his hand.
Caleb replied, “Harshaw’s not the only one talking about stringing up the specials, Pa.”
“Of course. I’m sorry, lad. Forget I asked.” Marsh reached over and gripped the boy’s arm. “I just want you to know that I’m glad Caleb has you for a friend.”
Zeke met Marsh’s gaze. “Caleb is the best man I’ve ever known.”
Marsh looked at his son. “You hear that?”
“The way I handled things yesterday . . . it could have gotten us killed.” Caleb felt the remorse rise once again. “Now you’re going to have all sorts of problems with the elders. All because of me.”
“Son, we all make mistakes. Goodness knows I’ve made more than my share. The questions that make us wise are three: what can I learn, how can I make things right, and where can I improve in the future.” Marsh hesitated, then asked, “Does Zeke know . . .”
“About the gold.” Caleb nodded, fearing all the mistakes that would come. “It’s why I asked him to come.”
“In case there’s trouble. Good. Because I expect there will be sooner or later.”
Caleb wrapped the remnants of his sandwich in the napkin and set it back in the hamper. “This is the farthest I’ve ever been from home. Right here. I always dreamed about what it would be like, heading out. Now all I see is how I might be the wrong person for folks to be trusting.”
Marsh shook his head. “It had to come out sometime, Son. Otherwise you’d never be able to call the Catawba enclave your home. You’d never be able to hide this gift your entire life. Did you consider that?”
Caleb heard the whine of pain in his own voice. “But it didn’t need to come out like this!”
“It’s bad right now, I’ll give you that. But yesterday’s confrontation means that Harshaw is your opponent. You know what that signifies?”
Perhaps if he hadn’t been so tired he’d have managed to make heads or tails of his father’s words. “Not really. No sir.”
“There are bound to be people who are frightened by your gift. People who are tempted to banish the likes of you. But now they’ll find themselves allied to the most cantankerous and disliked man in the entire enclave. It won’t change the mind of everybody. But it may be enough for some.”
Caleb looked at his father. “I’m so scared.”
“I have every confidence you will do just fine.”
“Come with me. Please.”
“We’ve been through all this a dozen times. Son, even if your mother were well, I’d be staying back. Were I to be there with you, every time you’d negotiate they’d be waiting for me to show up to seal the deal.” He fumbled in his jacket and came out with a sealed envelope. “Your mother asked me to give you this. She says you should wait until you’re settled to read it.”
Caleb probably would have fallen apart had Zeke not chosen that moment to say, “There’s somebody coming.”
Father and son turned to the east. Marsh said, “I don’t hear a thing.”
“Three horses,” Zeke said. “And they’re falling-down tired.”