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of the field. Not one house nigger saying nothing.
    —Wheh de fookin’ gal deh?
    —Hello? Is which wicked nigger curse they chile with a name like Fookingal? Homer say.
    —Don’t cross youself wid me, woman. Me’d beat the piss out o’ you.
    —Nobody beating nobody in this kitchen. Say you piece, then get out.
    Lilith hearing Homer.
    —Paris. Where him be? Four day gone and nobody no see him.
    —Anybody here look like Paris keeper?
    —Don’t smart you mouth wid me, dry-up pussyhole.
    —Then make me stupid up me mouth, then. Johnny-jumper gone missing four day and you come to the great house for him whereabouts? You reckon he tired of the Johnny-jumpering and turn chambermaid?
    —You think you mouth pretty, bitch? Me didn’t come to the great house just so, me go to Circe hut first.
    —Now that even curiouser. And why you go to Circe hut, if you please? Circe no too old for the boy?
    —Is not Circe, is—you go on. Circe tell me plenty thing.
    —What Circe say?
    —She say ask that bitch Homer.
    —Oh. Me still want to know why when your boy gone missing you think to go to Circe, of all people. What is the meaning of that affair?
    —If only you did as pretty as you talk.
    —And if only you was as smart as you big. No boy name Paris in here.
    —You can’t keep her forever, cow. Just watch when we get her. First we goin’ beat her face off. Then we goin’ fuck out her cunt. Then we goin’ kill her. Then we goin’ fuck her again. Or we just goin’ deal wid her the way massa and Maroon did deal with you. Me papa tell me ’bout you.
    Homer don’t say nothing for a while.
    —Devil take to talking to him young’uns nowadays? For me certain you ain’t got no pappy. Now get out before me tell the massa how you dare come in this house with you stink self. Get out!
    A door slam. Lilith jump.
    —Food can’t cook itself, Homer say.
     
     
    Lilith soon lose track of night and day. She hear shadow whispers in what seem like daylight, but shouting in what feel like night. Sometimes she hear a voice, a tongue that roll like a white woman. She don’t know what be what when she hear them sounds coming down from the kitchen. The door did ajar, but just a little bit. Lilith expecting Homer mouth, with all the creaking her footsteps make, but the woman didn’t say nothing. Lilith see her through the door crack and gasp so hard that she sure Homer hear. But Homer keep on washing. Her dress was pull down from her shoulder and rest low on her hip. She washing herself by the drum of water and looking out the window. Homer back look like a washboard with big thick scars running across, from her neck and shoulder right down to the middle of her arse. Lilith think she seeing an animal. Homer carry herself so tall and proud that one would think she be the only unblemished nigger in Montpelier. Lilith can’t think of what a woman of Homer cunning could have do to make somebody whip her so bad. Homer wiping her shoulder with a rag. She lift up her shoulder and grab some leaves from off the counter and rub in her armpit. Mayhaps that be the mint and lemongrass people always smell on her. Then she turn round.
    Lilith nearly stagger back and lose her balance. She figure Homer must hear her now for sure. Lilith look again and as stunned as when she look first. The scars continue from her back to her front, so much that she don’t have titty no more, just two stump that mark off in scar marks. Her belly have marks too but they be smaller. Mayhaps she was pregnant when they whip her. Lilith be thinking that she don’t ever want to be like Homer. She think of Homer and her own back itch. She wondering what kind of wickedness or uppityness Homer could have do to make them beat her so. So bad that she be the most obedient nigger ever since. Homer whiter than plenty white man, it seem. But nothing make a nigger more black than whip scars. Lilith don’t want none of it. She sad for Homer and she shame and she angry that this