"Good grief!" Roy cried.

It was fourth time he had been to the wagon but it was much worse than he had ever seen it before. It had been too dark the night before to see anything and the last time he had been there in daylight was several weeks before. He could detect the smell of vomit and urine and his stomach churned.

"No way is that child coming back here!" he murmured. "Not even if I have to hide her myself!"

The neglected horse was still there, tied to a tree. Roy was not to know Scamp had vowed to return here after school that very day. Adam was right. Ben had forbidden her to do so but she was prepared to risk punishment to rescue the poor animal. Will Sullivan had passed out in the filth more or less where they had left him so many hours before. He was still wet from Adam's soaking and Roy found himself wishing he had died of cold during the night. It would sure make things easier.

"Sullivan!" Roy cried. He slapped him once more. It felt so good to strike the fellow.

Sullivan groaned. He opened eyes which were sunken in his emaciated, grey face.

"Good God, man! Have you no self-respect?! No pride?"

He automatically reached for a bottle and Roy kicked it out of the way. Sullivan looked deflated.

"I just came here to tell you I've contacted the magistrate. I saw her injuries this morning. Even if you don't pay for what you did to that child, Sullivan, I will never let you get your paws on her again. Do you understand?"

Sullivan squinted before shambling to his feet. "She's my daughter."

"Shame you didn't remember that earlier."

"You don't understand."

"You're right there."

"Francesca...Francesca's eyes..."

"What?"

"She has Francesca's eyes."

"Her mother."

"She was a Mex, too," Sullivan slurred, crinkling his nose. "Just like that one...but I loved her. But she had the devil in her. Had to beat it out. Just like that one."

"Jesus!" Roy rarely took the Lord's name in vain but he was so incensed he saw red. "She's a little girl! Five years old! And you beat her mother, too? You're a filthy animal, Sullivan. In fact, you're worse than an animal because an animal wouldn't do it. Just a slimy coward. The only devil around here is you, Sullivan!"

"She'd been with men before, you know. She was no more than a whore. As for that brat, I don't even know she's mine!"

Roy clenched his fists white so he would not strike again. "Be prepared to lose her, Sullivan. Because you will, believe me."