Anna set aside her sewing and listened.
The storm raged outside.
For two days they’d been forced to stay inside their small cabin. Anna didn’t really mind. She’d grown accustomed to the winter onslaught and felt secure closed in against the storms. She glanced at Erik, who worked to repair a damaged trap.
“That’s all for tonight.” He set the trap aside, pushed himself away from the table, and got his Bible. After refilling his cup of coffee, he settled into his chair and opened the small, worn book.
Almost immediately Iya was at his side. She leaned on the table as he studied the book. After a few minutes, she asked, “Read me a story?”
Erik looked up and smiled. “Which one will it be tonight?”
“Jonah and the great fish.” Iya leaned against his arm.
“I’ve already read that one at least a half-dozen times.” Erik chuckled. “How about one you haven’t heard?”
Iya nodded.
Erik thumbed through the pages, stopping near the back of his Bible. “Here’s one I think you’ll like.” He read, “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.”
Face bright with interest, Iya watched Erik. Sometimes she closed her eyes as if to visualize what he was saying, and occasionally she stopped him to ask a question.
Anna listened. The words intrigued her, but she concealed her interest. It seemed so real to Erik. His voice even softened when he spoke of Jesus. How could someone who lived so long ago affect him in such a way? It made no sense.
The next day the weather broke clear and cold. Anna and Iya donned their parkas, braced themselves against the chill, and stomped into the fresh snow. Methodically, they packed down a new trail leading to the wood pile and cache. An endless job during the winter months, it became a welcome reason to be outdoors.
Erik had been gone all morning. His “Hello!” echoed across the snow-covered meadow. He wore a broad grin and had a string of furs slung over his shoulder. He held up the pelts. “Did pretty well. At this rate, I should make a good sum come spring.”
Anna ran her hand over the satiny thick fur of a beaver. “These are good skins.”
“Your handiwork will make them even better.”
Anna blushed.
“I should have enough to get me set up in Sitka.”
Why did he speak of the time when they would all have to leave? Each time he mentioned spring and moving on, an empty feeling pulled at her.
Iya grinned up at Erik. “Can I have fur?”
Erik smiled mischievously and growled as he took the fox fur and rubbed it against the little girl’s face.
Iya giggled and hugged him. “I want us always together.”
Erik’s smile faded. He cleared his throat and his gaze turned to the dead-looking birch and poplar forest. “Well, a person can never tell what tomorrow might bring.” Eyes grim, he glanced at Anna.
They both knew Iya wouldn’t get her wish.
“My knife is getting dull and needs sharpening. Why don’t you give me a hand, Iya?”
Iya followed him inside and sat next to him as he took a sharpening stone and wet it. She leaned over the table while he ran the knife over the stone.
After a few minutes, Erik stopped. “Would you like to try?”
Iya bobbed her head up and down, eyes shimmering with anticipation.
He carefully put the handle of the knife in her palm, placed his large hand over hers, and circled the blade across the smooth, flat rock.
Iya smiled up at her beloved friend, hugging him with her eyes.
That evening after supper, Iya crawled on to Erik’s lap. “Tell me of the outside.”
“It’s very different from your world. It’s much bigger and louder. San Francisco is the biggest city I’ve seen. It sits along the sea and has wooden docks with many boats tied up to them.”
“Like the umiak?”
“Oh, much bigger. Bigger than this house.”
Iya’s eyes grew large. “No.” She shook her head in disbelief.
“It’s true.”
“What are people like in the city?”
“Well, there are a lot of them. Hundreds. The streets are filled with people going here and there—some riding on horses, others in buggies.”
“What are horses and buggies?”
“A buggy is kind of like a boat, only it has wheels and the horse pulls it.”
Iya looked at him quizzically.
Erik lifted her off his lap, took a charred stick from the fire and, squatting down, drew a picture of a horse and buggy on the dirt floor.
Iya’s eyes lit with understanding and she pointed at the buggy. “People ride in this. I know now. Are the people nice?”
Erik settled back into his chair. “Most are. But you have to be careful. There are some looking for trouble, but you don’t have to worry about those types out here. Not many are willing to travel this far from home.”
Anna watched the exchange with mixed feelings. The places Erik spoke of seemed unreal, like the stories from his black book. Yet seeing a big city sounded exciting.
At the joy on Iya’s face, Anna’s thoughts shifted to Erik’s destined departure. When he goes, it will be like losing our family again.
She could make herself not care. There was nothing that could be done to change the future. She banished her dismal thoughts and concentrated on Erik’s account of the city called San Francisco.
One afternoon while Erik was out, Iya asked, “Anna, why do you not like Erik? He is good.”
“I do like him.” Anna stopped fleshing out the hide she was working on and brushed a piece of sinew off her ulu. “I just do not trust him.”
“Why not?”
The reasons, buried under his many kindnesses and care, took a moment to unearth. “He is from the outside. And he worships a God I do not believe is good.”
“Erik is good. So his God must be good.” Iya’s voice reflected her loyalty to the man.
Anna set aside her ulu and the skin. “Time to cook supper.” She briskly crossed the room and busied herself with meal preparations.
Why? Why do I not trust him? He has proven himself trustworthy many times.
The answer lay before her. Erik’s God had caused the death of her people, and when she looked at the man she saw his God. The two were inseparable. Bitterness had taken hold of her heart and now choked off her ability to believe in anyone.
Movement from the baby broke her hostility.
This baby is already strong. It must be a boy. He will become a great hunter like his father. She hummed a hunter’s song. She had not yet told Erik about the baby, but soon she would have to.
Erik pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Startled, Anna quickly dropped her hands to her sides.
He pushed the hood of his parka back. “What were you singing?”
Anna felt heat warm her cheeks. “Nothing. Just a song from my people. That is all.” She opened her mouth to tell him of the baby.
Iya stormed through the door. “It snows more,” the little girl announced, shaking white crystals off her coat.
A new storm blew in, and the small group was trapped indoors once more.
When the skies cleared, Iya eagerly escaped outside. After she had been gone for a short time, she yelled something.
Anna peeked out the door.
Iya’s face was bright with the cold. “Watch.” She spit. Before her spittle reached the ground, it froze solid. Iya laughed and looked back at Anna expectantly.
“It is too cold. You come in now.”
Frowning, Iya shuffled inside. She perked up when she saw Erik. “You told me about how spit gets hard. You are right. It does.”
Erik pulled on his heavy parka. “I better check the trap line while the weather’s clear. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Before Anna could reply, he slipped out the door.
After setting the cabin to rights, Anna and Iya carried in a bucket of snow and scooped it into a large pot beside the fire. As it melted, they added more.
Footsteps sounded outside.
“Too soon to be Erik.” Her mind kicked around possible reasons for his early return. Maybe he is hurt. Something might be wrong! In two quick steps, she crossed to the door and flung it open.
A strange man filled the doorway. His unshaven face peeked out from beneath a heavy fur parka hood. At first glance, he looked handsome, but as he leaned close to Anna and grinned, his cruel ice-blue eyes revealed his evil heart. His cold smile only emphasized his sinister appearance.
A shudder of fear and revulsion rippled through her. He has the look of an eagle.
“Afternoon.” The stranger tipped his head. “I was wonderin’ if my partner and I could warm ourselves by your fire?”
Another man stepped from behind the first. He didn’t bother to smile. His piggish eyes peered out of a bloated face. A scraggly beard partially hid the man’s double chin.
Filthy, both strangers reeked of sweat and stale tobacco.
Anna’s stomach rolled, and the air suddenly seemed depleted of oxygen. Instinctively she drew back and pushed against the door, trying to close it.
The eagle-faced man easily pushed past her.
Feeling like one of Erik’s trapped animals, Anna stared at the intruders. Should she flee or stand her ground? Running would be of no help. She stood by the open doorway, clenching her fists at her sides.
Iya clung to Anna’s skirt.
The piggish man shoved Anna into the center of the room and dragged Iya along. He turned a cruel grin, which revealed stained and missing teeth, on the little girl. “What’s your name?” He reached out a gloved hand and patted her on the head.
Iya cringed beneath his touch, staring back at him with large, frightened eyes.
He looked about the room. “Hey, Jarvis, what’re we gonna do now?”
“Hold on. I haven’t made up my mind yet,” the man with the cold blue eyes snapped back. He glanced about the cabin. “Not bad. Maybe we’ll stay.”
Anna slowed her breathing and clutched Iya close. Swallowing hard, she threw back her shoulders, raised her chin, and leveled a cold gaze on the man named Jarvis. In her most intimidating voice, she said, “You leave. Now.”
As if they’d heard a good joke, both men laughed.
“Feisty, ain’t ya?” The bigger man lurched toward Anna and stroked her hair, his face only inches from hers.
His touch defiled. As the stench of alcohol and tobacco assaulted her, she tried not to gag.
He turned his pig eyes on her and smirked. “We’ll leave when we’re good and ready.”
Anna refused to yield and kept her eyes squarely on his, challenging his authority.
“Why, you cocky little half-breed. I’ll teach you.” He raised his hand as if to strike her.
“That’s enough,” Jarvis tugged off his gloves and wandered to the fireplace where a pot of stew cooked ...
Faint with fear, Anna threw her shoulders back farther and tilted her chin even higher. “Erik will return soon.”
“Oh, is that so?” Jarvis scoffed and glanced at his partner. “Did you hear that, Frank? Her man is coming.”
They both snickered.
Frank fixed his eyes on Anna. “Well, you’re liable to have a long wait.” His upper lip lifted in derision. “We made certain he wouldn’t bother nobody ever again. I wouldn’t be expecting no help from him.” He plopped into a chair, leaned back, and casually crossed his feet on the table. “Fix us something to eat. Now.”
Anna glared at him for a moment. Did he speak the truth about Erik, or did he seek to scare her? Either way he was a beast. Erik’s words about people speaking to bears replayed in her mind. Maybe that’s what she needed to do—convince him that she was a friend. She couldn’t fight him outright—what would he do to Iya? She stirred the pot of stew that hung simmering over the flames, unable to submit, her mind grasping for a way to fight.
If she doused him with the hot stew, it would stir up his fury, but there was still the other man. Furtively she searched for a weapon.
Nothing.
Erik had the rifle, and her knife was in her pouch. She’d never be able to get to it. These men could easily overpower her.
The shaman’s spear?
It had been stored in the cache.
Frank prowled about the cabin, searching through their belongings. He tossed most things aside. Not until he spotted Erik’s collection of furs did his body still. He crossed the room, rifled through the skins, and broke into a gruesome grin. “Looks like we hit it big this time.” He held up a particularly nice fox pelt.
“Good stuff.” Jarvis took a drag on a cigarette. “Figure there must be a lot more of these around. Maybe even enough to get us a stake somewhere.” He exhaled slowly and smoke swirled about his head like an apparition.
“I thought you said we weren’t settlin’ nowhere till we find that Captain James.” Frank spit a wad of soggy tobacco on the floor. He turned back to inspect the furs.
“We’ll find him, don’t worry.”
Anna dished out a plate of stew for each man. Erik, please come home.
Frank wolfed down his meal, leaned back in his chair, patted his stomach, and belched. “Pretty good for a half-breed.” His voice dripped with contempt. “Maybe we’ll just take you along. What do you think, Jarvis, should we take her with us?”
At first, Jarvis didn’t answer. Instead, he leveled a menacing gaze at Anna. Never taking his eyes from her, he answered slowly and deliberately, his voice ice cold. “I was thinkin’ maybe we’d stay, but goin’ on and takin’ them might not be such a bad idea. Luke can always use more girls this time of year, and he’d probably pay pretty good for this pair.”
Anna stifled a shudder, but she never looked away.
Jarvis jabbed a bony finger at her. “You. Get your gear together.”
Anna jumped. What did he mean?
“Stop lookin’ at me like an idiot. You and the girl get some supplies together. We’re leavin’.”
Anna set her jaw and glared at the man. “No. We not go. Take what you want. Then you go.” She kept her voice from shaking. She needed to be strong ... for Iya. Nothing good could come from going with these men.
Jarvis’s face contorted with rage as he leapt from his chair, knocking it over in his haste. Before Anna could move, he had her arm in a tight grip and his face leered so close she could feel his breath on her skin. Through clenched teeth, he said, “You’ll do exactly as I say. You hear me?”
Anna met his hard stare and jerked her arm free. She had no choice but to do as he demanded. She turned away, took her extra tunic from its hook, and placed it inside the pouch. Then she added her cloak and some of Iya’s clothing.
Jarvis turned his attention to the pelts. “There are probably more in the shed outside or in the cache. Take a look.” He picked up some of the furs. “And we’ll need the dogs and the sled.”
Frank leaned back in his chair. “Maybe we ought to stay, just for the night. It’s pretty nice and snug here.”
Jarvis turned on him and bellowed, “Get going!”
Frank looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it and tramped outside. A few minutes later, the sound of barking drew near. Frank pushed the door open. As he did, the clamor filled the room. “The sled’s ready to go.”
“Help me get these loaded.” Jarvis stuffed a bundle of furs into Frank’s arms. “Were there more?”
“Yeah. Got them already. They need to be loaded, though.”
Distracted by the yapping beasts, Anna stepped outside the door.
The dogs weren’t like most she’d seen. They were large animals with thick, heavy coats. They seemed brutal, yelping and snarling at each other.
Anna pressed against Iya and stared fearfully at the group of bad-tempered animals.
Seemingly oblivious to the dogs yammering, Jarvis yelled at Anna, “Give us a hand.” He dumped an armload of furs onto the sled.
Jarvis’s sharp voice penetrated Anna’s preoccupation. She grabbed some of the pelts piled in front of the cabin and edged around the barking animals.
Jarvis took the skins from her and added them to the pile. They quickly loaded the furs, strapped them down and tied on the additional supplies.
Anna furtively studied the edge of the forest, watching for Erik, hoping the men’s threats were untrue. He had to be all right.
When the sled was ready, Jarvis took his place at the back, raised the whip in the air, and yelled, “Hah!”
With the dogs pulling and straining against the heavy load, they set off across the white wilderness.
Frank followed Anna and Iya on foot, occasionally prodding them with the barrel of his rifle. The heavy snow made it hard to move quickly, but it also slowed the dogs and sled.
Again, Anna scanned the dead-looking forest and the white, empty meadows. I must slow them down. Give Erik time to catch up. She stumbled intentionally.
Frank yanked her back onto her feet and jabbed her with his rifle. “Keep up, or we’ll feed ya to the dogs.” He snickered as Anna stumbled forward through the deep snow.
Iya gripped Anna’s hand, eyes wide. She whispered in her native tongue, “I’m afraid.”
“Do not be scared. Erik will come.” She glanced about. Where was he? Did she believe her own words?
“Hey, you two, speak English,” Jarvis yelled. “I don’t want none of that native talk.”
At the edge of the woods, a figure sprawled against a snow bank.
Frank swaggered up to it.
A tremor swept through Anna, and for a moment she thought she would faint. She barely choked out, “Erik. It is Erik.”
Face pale against bloodstained snow, he lay completely still.
He cannot be dead. No. It is not possible.
Frank stood over the big, unmoving body. He looked down at him wearing a smug expression and nudged him with the toe of his boot. When there was no response, he pushed harder. “Well, there’s your man for you.” Frank smirked.
Anna choked down bile and blinked back forbidden tears. They will not see my pain. She clenched her teeth. There will be time to grieve another day. With the blazing heat of hatred, she glared at Frank and Jarvis.
When given an opportunity, she would kill them.
Iya threw herself across the lifeless body of her friend and wailed, “No! Erik!”
Jarvis grabbed the little girl by the back of her parka, yanked her to her feet, and pushed her down the trail ahead of him.
Anna stepped past Erik’s inert body, a moan welling up from deep inside. She smothered it. He cannot be dead. She could not accept what her eyes told her. She moved on across the bleak terrain, leaving Erik beneath a leafless tree. Anna’s mind emptied except for the picture of the big blond man lying in his own blood. Woodenly, she placed one foot in front of the other, barely aware of her surroundings or even the small hand clasped in hers.
They killed him without cause.
Her heart beat wildly. She and Iya were at the mercy of men with no hearts.
They followed a path through deep snow.
Anna’s legs ached from the effort, and her lungs burned from gulping in cold air. She stopped to catch her breath.
Frank immediately pushed her forward. “Keep moving.”
Anna gazed at the snow in front of her, not daring to let him see the loathing in her eyes. Why are they doing this? They would pay.
As they broke new trail, the going became tougher. The temperature warmed and Anna perspired beneath her heavy clothing.
If only she could stop and shed a layer. They would only be amused at my discomfort.
She strained to keep up with the relentless pace.
The hours passed, and when Anna could go no farther, Jarvis finally called for Frank to stop. He sat on an exposed stump and lit a cigarette. Taking a long, slow drag, he swept his eagle eyes over the landscape. “This looks like as good a place as any.” He turned his gaze on Anna and Iya. “You two, build us a fire.”
Iya looked at Anna with fatigue-laden eyes that pleaded for rest.
Anna wished she could hold the child and cradle her to sleep. Instead, she took her hand and led her in search of firewood.
Finally, they had a fire going. Maybe now they could rest. The blaze snapped and popped and Anna sat near the fire and pulled Iya into her lap.
“Dang lazy Indians,” Jarvis exploded. “Get up off your backsides and make us something to eat.”
Iya’s eyes filled with tears and her chin quivered.
Anna stroked her cheek and muttered through clenched teeth in their native tongue, “We will do as they say now, but there will be a time when they will know our wrath.”
“I told ya—English only.”
Anna pushed herself to her feet and pulled Iya up alongside her.
Jarvis saw to the dogs while Frank struggled to get the tent set up. After the dogs were fed and settled, Jarvis carved out a seat in the snow next to the fire. He lay several pelts down to protect himself from the cold, sat, and watched the others work. After taking cigarette paper and a pouch from inside his coat, he tapped out a small amount of tobacco into the paper, rolled the tissue between his fingers, licked its edge, and secured it. He placed the cigarette between his lips and, using a match, lit it. Cold eyes on Anna, he took a drag until the cigarette glowed bright red. “Where’s my coffee?”
Barely able to hide her contempt, Anna poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him.
He took it without a word of thanks and stared into the fire.
Anna turned back to the caribou she was frying and scooped out a chunk of meat for each of the men.
While they ate, Jarvis and Frank seemed to forget their captives.
Anna handed Iya a portion of meat, and they gratefully filled their empty stomachs. They moved slowly and quietly, afraid of attracting the men’s attention.
After a time, it made no difference.
Frank set his plate aside and stared at Anna and Iya. “Luke ought to pay a good price, don’t ya think?”
“Yeah, as long as you keep your mitts off them.”
“Ah, come on. I won’t touch the girl.” He turned his gaze on Anna. “But it won’t hurt none to spend time with her.”
Anna cringed inside and struggled to swallow a chunk of meat.
“Put your eyes back in your head. You keep your hands to yourself. Damaged goods won’t bring the money. You know Luke—he’ll find any reason to lower the price. She’s better looking than most, but she’s still a siewash. Not exactly top dollar.”
Anna grimaced. What offended her more? Being treated like a piece of property or being called a siewash? Outsiders had used that term before, and it was never used to flatter. She glared at Jarvis and fought back biting words of contempt.
“Besides, look at her.” Jarvis laughed. “There’s no way you’ll touch her without a fight, and I don’t want no bruises. Who knows, maybe Luke will sell you a piece of her after he pays us. Until then, I’m warnin’ you—keep your hands off or you might end up like that trapper we borrowed the sled from.”
Frank grumbled something unintelligible and returned to his meal.
After supper, Frank and Jarvis crawled into the tent for the night.
Anna and Iya, like the dogs, were left to fend for themselves. The empty wilderness surrounded them. How could they flee when certain death awaited them in the vast frozen countryside?
Maybe an opportunity for a safe escape would come to pass.
She dug a small alcove in the snow near the fire, lined it with furs from the sled, and burrowed inside with Iya. The heat from their bodies and the fading flames of the fire provided enough warmth to allow her to sleep.
Sometime later, a hand clamped roughly over Anna’s mouth, startling her awake and cutting off her breath.
Frank’s glazed eyes hovered over her, reflecting the dying fire.
She wrenched his hand away.
He threw himself on top of her and fumbled to find his way through her thick layers of clothing while seeking her mouth with his.
“Stop! No!” Iya leaped onto his back, but he tossed her aside. She hit the ground with a hard thunk and air whooshed from her lungs.
Anna fought back, pushing against his chest with her fists and flinging her head from side to side, avoiding his probing mouth. His foul-smelling breath choked her. She tried to break free, but his size overpowered her.
“Ah, come on,” he hissed in her ear. “Relax. I’m not gonna hurt you.” He smothered her mouth with his.
Instinctively Anna bit into his lip.
Frank howled and reeled back, hand cupped over his mouth. He looked down at his bloodied palm and his face twisted into a frenzied rage. He drew his arm back and struck Anna full across the face with his fist.
An explosion of light went off in her head and she bounced back against the snow. Pain seared her skull.
The sound of a rifle shot echoed across the frozen plain.
Anna was suddenly free of Frank’s weight.
Jarvis strode toward Frank, his gun leveled at the frightened man. “I ought to kill you.” He cuffed Frank hard across the jaw. “I told ya to leave her alone, and I meant it. If it happens again, you’re dead.” His eyes burned into Frank’s for a long time before he turned and stormed back inside the tent.
Frank wiped his bruised and bleeding face with the back of his hand. He glared at Anna before stomping off into the woods.
Anna crawled back into the alcove, gaze trained on the spot where Frank had disappeared. She shivered and cuddled close to her frightened sister. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Iya held on to Anna and wept quietly.
A small smile crept across Anna’s face at the image of Frank’s damaged lip. But it quickly faded as she rubbed her sore cheek and remembered Erik. Why did you have to die? Where was the God you say watches over us? She closed her eyes and shut out her present reality.
The following morning Anna heated coffee while Jarvis grabbed hardtack out of his knapsack. He tossed a piece to each of them. “This’ll have to do for breakfast. We gotta get movin’.”
Frank didn’t eat the dry biscuit, but shoved it into his pocket. Shivering, he clutched his coat tightly about himself. He dragged through his morning tasks, face flushed and his eyes overly bright. His bruised and swollen lip added to his grotesque appearance.
“What’s with you?” Jarvis growled. “There’s no time to waste if we plan to meet up with Enid James and do business with Luke.”
Frank answered weakly, “I’m not feelin’ so good.”
“Ah, you’re fine. Come on, we gotta make tracks.”
“No. I mean it. I’m sick.”
“We’re movin’ on. Either you come with us or you’re on your own.” Jarvis harnessed the dogs.
These two men deserved each other. I have never known such people. Anna gingerly touched her swollen, bruised cheek.
Ignoring Frank’s condition, Jarvis ordered the dogs to mush and headed across the snow. Anna and Iya followed. At first Frank stayed still as they moved away, but finally he plodded along behind.
As the day progressed, the gap between the sled and Frank grew. Each time Anna looked back, he had fallen farther behind. Stumbling along, he somehow managed to stay within sight of the sled. At midday, Jarvis stopped to rest the dogs. Anna and Iya gratefully plopped down in the snow.
Frank eventually stumbled into camp. His usual sallow complexion had turned a pasty white, and beads of perspiration covered his forehead. His breath came in short gasps interrupted by fits of coughing.
Frank had been there only a few minutes when Jarvis prepared to move on.
“I need to rest. Just wait a little longer,” Frank pleaded.
Jarvis didn’t even bother to look at his partner. As he pushed off, he said, “Don’t have time to wait for loafers.”
Anna quaked at the heartless words. It was as if Jarvis wanted Frank to die. And she and Iya were completely at his mercy. We must escape. She fell into step behind the sled, evaluating the desolate landscape. But to where?
At the end of the day, when Jarvis finally stopped to make camp, Frank somehow caught up. He fell into a heap in the snow, and lay there shivering, his body wracked by a hacking cough.
Anna loathed the sick man, but how could Jarvis be so inhumane? She helped Frank into the tent, which she’d set up. She lowered him onto a bed of furs where he remained, refusing to eat or drink.
His fever burned higher and his condition steadily grew worse. There was nothing anyone could do for him.
After the evening meal, Anna and Iya made another fur-lined hollow in the snow and settled down for the night. They had no peace, however, as Frank’s labored breathing and steady coughing rattled through the camp. Once a deep, gurgling cough was followed by a long silence, but his shallow, rattling breaths resumed.
Jarvis stared into the fire.
Anna watched him through half-closed eyes and wondered if he would leave Frank behind.
Jarvis finally flicked his cigarette butt into the dwindling flames and walked to the tent. Before disappearing inside, he glanced back at his prisoners.
Anna quickly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.