Chapter 6: Liberty or death
Chapter two of the grounding letters. Major deviation on the plot here, but I think it works here. I've changed events to be more dramatic, and added a bit more ship tease (this episode hardly had any).
Yes, I, a 17 year old high school junior, writing this in her (American!) literature class, own the exclusive rights to liberty's kids, a multimillion dollar project with some of the biggest names in Hollywood involved.
James pov
December 1774
"Moses! It did it again! I'm starting to think this hunk of junk is more trouble than it's worth." James stared hard at the treacherous press. After two hours of toil, the press had turned what was once a clean piece of paper into a ragged mess.
"How right you are! This old press is beyond repair. Had a good life though. I think it's older than you and Henri combined. Luckily, I've received word that the new press in finally in from Copenhagen. You and I, James, will go pick up the press while Sarah and Henri mind the shop." Moses stated manner of factly.
Out of the corner of his eye, James saw Sarah turn her head and stand up. He groaned internally. James knew what was coming. Another one of Sarah Phillips' famous, "I want to go along" arguments. Every time there was something to do or somewhere to go, Sarah always wanted to go along. Why couldn't she just stay at home and knit like all other girls did? Besides that fact that Sarah apparently didn't know how to knit.
"Moses? Why don't I come along? Three heads are better than two, and the more people we have, the less likely it will be for highway men to attack us. Besides, I'm much better at driving the wagon than James." Sarah argued. James hated to admit it, but that last part was true. So what if it was though?s He had gotten a lot of practice driving supplies to and from Boston. If James had done instead of staying at home and covering the stories happening, then he'd be better at driving the wagon instead of her.
"No way. You are not going! We need someone to manage the shop, and Henri is too young to be left on his own!" James argued back. Ignoring Henri's outraged exclamations James and Sarah locked eyes. This was tough, but James stood his ground. She would win this spat over his dead body. James didn't understand her. One minute she acted like his feminine equivalent in all things, getting along swimmingly with him, and the next she acted like they shared nothing in common except the house they lived in.
"Why can't Mr. Book from next door look after the shop? He's done it before, and I'm sure he'd be glad to do it again! The press is heavy, and if you two try to lift it on your own, you'll injure yourselves and where will that but us?" Sarah's retort did make sense, but James couldn't let her win.
"Well that would happen because we both know that you are never going with us! Never!"
Sarah pov
March 1775
"Hya!" Sarah urged the horses forward as James and Moses pushed. Spring had recently begun, and it seemed like the lord was planning to punish all sinners again. The wagon currently held the brand new printing press. The four of them were now in the middle of Virginia, during a brutal down pour with their wagon stuck in the mud. Once Moses ruled that Sarah would go with them, Henri put up such a fuss that Moses made a deal with him: Henri would endure double the English and French lessons (courtesy of herself, as James and Moses didn't speak French) while they traveled.
All had gone smoothly before today, when the road became so muddy that every thirty yards or so, their wagon got stuck in the mud. This was the fourth time it had happen, and Sarah was about to give up. The other three times, Moses had been able to push the wagon out all by himself, but this time, the wagon was in so deep, he required James' help.
The wagon jerked out of the mud with a loud surwash. Moses, drenched and covered with mud, took the reins from Sarah while James climbed on besides them. Sarah couldn't help but tease James.
"So, do you still think that I should have stayed home?" Sarah smiled and batted her eyes while she made this comment. For a moment, James seemed lost, but he snapped out of it and retorted.
"Well, maybe it's your extra weight that's making us sink." Sarah narrowed her eyes and turned away from James. That was a low blow, even for someone as uncouth as James. She hears James mutter something under his breath. She could only make out a few words, stupid mostly, but once a word that almost sounded like pretty. James wouldn't have said something that kind. She must have misheard him.
After that, they traveled in silence for a few more yards when splosh without fail, their wagon again fell into the mud again. James and Moses exchanged sullen expressions and climbed out while Sarah looked around.
"Well, at least we're near a farm this time. Maybe we can ask one of those field workers to help us." She suggested, trying to stay positive, even in this mess.
Moses stayed silent for a moment or two, and then he quietly responded, "those aren't field workers, those are slaves. See the man with the gun and the whip behind them? He's their overseer. If any of the slaves tries to run away or causes any trouble, it's his job to punish them."
Sarah gasped and turned towards the field. Slaves? Sarah had always hated injustice, and being forced into injustice by someone who considered you at best a child was more than she could stand. Sarah's mother told her that things were different in the colonies. Injustice ran rapid, and those without morals made a mockery of those with. Sarah had made a vow to stand against injustice when her mother told her that, but she was a 16 year old almost-woman-not-quite-girl being forced to marry a stranger. What power did she have?
James pov
James muttered a few choice curses as he pushed against the wagon for what seemed like the fifty times that day. They were close to Williamsburg, where Moses assured James that they would stop for a while, at least until the rain stopped. James couldn't wait. A soft bed, a warm meal, and a hot bath (not necessarily in that order) were just the things that James needed to feel like himself again. An acquaintance of Ben's, a Mr. Harkness, a local captain of the militia, would allow the motley troupe of travelers to shelter in his inn, at least for a few days.
Finally after about half an hour of pushing (during which Henri and even Sarah had come behind and pushed). The wagon was free. A little while later, Williamsburg was in sight. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They were all tried, hungry, and soaking wet. They had been traveling nonstop for a week, eating at taverns and sleeping on the ground (well, the men slept on the ground. Sarah slept in the wagon). Williamsburg was the halfway point of their journey. Moses said they would rest there for a week or so before continuing on nonstop to Philadelphia. What's more, James would have the opportunity to report on a meeting of Virginia's House of Burgesses, one of the oldest houses of local government in the colonies.
Walking into Williamsburg, Virginia's capital, James wasn't impressed. Philadelphia was one of the largest cities in the empire. Compared to it, Williamsburg was just another farm town. In front of a building marked "king's tavern" a group of well-dressed men were gathered. James knew was happing before words could be discerned: a slave auction. His blood boiled at the very thought.
Sarah pov
"Moses is that…" Sarah felt her heart drop the moment her answer was confirmed for her. A slave auction. The willing gathering of wealthy men to bid on other humans.
"I'm afraid so… Kato!" Moses ran towards the stage, knocking over a few dapper "gentlemen" on his way over.
"You there! Young man! You should teach your slave a little respect for his better!" the portly man leading the auction yelled, pointing to James.
Moses gave the portly man a hateful look (Sarah didn't even know he was capable of doing so) and loudly announced," that young man is not my master. I am a free man. This letter from my employer proves so. That man you are auction off is my brother Kato. I am willing to pay whatever price you want for his freedom. I cannot just sit here while my own flesh and blood is being sold like cattle"
The portly man sneered and loudly proclaimed, "I don't care if you have a letter from King George himself! Slaves cannot not buy other slaves! That counterfeit letter isn't worth the paper it's written on! You're probably just trying to run away from that young man. Now I suggest you go back to your master before he sells you up here!" with a simply smack of his riding crop, the portly man tore the letter in two while at the same time striking Moses across the face. The fragments of the letter fell into the mud.
The slave on the platform, Kato, turned and spoke "it's okay Moses." The portly man wacked Kato on the head to shut him up, and a bidding war ensued between two equally odious men. Finally, Kato was sold to a Mr. Harold Saxon, an overseer of the Archangel plantation outside of Richmond. Mr. Saxon pulled Kato off the platform and onto a nearby cart. Sarah helped James gather the remains of the letter, while Moses stood sullenly in thought.
"No matter what," Moses finally promised, "I am going to free my brother. If I have to carry this press home on my back, I will do whatever it takes."
James pov
It was the day after the auction, and James still couldn't clear his head of the terrible images. After the auction, they had gone to captian harkness' (he insisted they call him that) inn in silence. They all spent a restless night's sleep, mostly Moses had never really talked about his life as a slave, and seeing enslavement that close and personal. Moses was now making preparations to go to Richmond.
After sitting and trying to write for a while, James decided to go for a walk. Seeing the house of burgouse might be a good thing. Seeing the representatives meeting might take his mind of auction. Walking to the end of the street, he saw that the House of Burgesses, which was supposed to be opened to the public at all time, was closed. James approached a group of four slave women (James stomach lurched, remembering yesterday) who were cleaning up.
"Excuse me, I'm a reporter. My name is James. Can you tell me why the house is closed?" James asked uneasily. He didn't know how to react after yesterday's events
"No need to be excusing yourself to us Mr. Reporter man. The house be closed because the king's governor close it." The youngest woman spoke.
"He closed the house! That's tyranny! " James felt his blood boil again. How dare he!
Raising her hand to stop him, the slave woman spoke. "Hold it Mr. Reporter man. If you can keep your mouth shut, there's a secret meeting of them members of the house at the St. John's church in Richmond later today. Mr. Henry's sure to make a good speech-"
"Martha! Donna! Amelia! Quit slacking off! We got the rest of this here house to clean by sundown, and it's not gonna get clean if we just stand here talking!" the oldest of the slave women, and the apparent leader ordered.
"That be my sister, rose. I got to go now. Remember, St. john's church in Richmond!" James didn't have the time to thank her before she ran off to join her sister.
It seemed they had another reason to go to Richmond.
End
CILFF HANGER! HANGING ON A CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFF! AND THAT'S WHY HE'S CALLED CLIFF HANGER! Big one this time. I love that little part in the show where Moses talks about the press. It's such good imagery. Is it just me, or are these chapters getting longer? Oh, well, it works for you guys. Anyway, please comment and fav because it really does make me work faster, at least until I have a crippling apush assignment that requires all my time and energy.