Before he had finished, the room began filling with people, just like Jason had said it would. They all patted him on the back or messed with his hair and were glad he was okay. That was nice of them, of course, but there were so many (4) and they were so loud!
Jeremy finished eating and took Jason by the hand and led him to the farthest corner of the cabin. "Am I in t-troub-ble? Are y-you m-m-mad at m-me?"
Jason rubbed his forehead before answering. "No, you aren't in trouble – exactly. And I'm not exactly angry with you. In fact you're almost a hero." Jason frowned down at the anxious Jeremy. "We'll talk about it later."
"Are y-y-y-you g-g-g-gonna p-punish m-me? I g-got m-mad and hurt p-peop-ple. On p-purp-p-pose."
Jason's expression gentled. "I don't think so. Some people need to be hurt. Like I said, we'll talk about it later For now, you have nothing to be afraid of."
"B-b-but, J-jason, I am!"
"Come on," Jason tried to shepherd him back to the table with a hand on his shoulder.
Jeremy stopped dead in his tracks, and grabbed Jason's hand again and whispered. "B-but why is R_rebb-b-b-ies F-father here? I d-din't h-hurt her, d-d-did I?" Jeremy was pale and near to tears.
"No," Jason replied soothingly. "He's probably here to thank you. Come on, let's find out." Jason pulled out a chair and seated himself, with Jeremy standing right beside him. Jeremy wasn't quite holding his hand or onto his shirt-tail, but he might as well have been.
Another knock at the door, and That Man came in and greeted Jeremy. "Hello, Tiger. Ready to defend yourself?" He wasn't hardly dressed, for him. No tie, no vest. He didn't even have his shirt all the way buttoned.
Jeremy shamed himself by burying his face in Jason's side.
Then That Man said, "There's not enough room here, let's go."
Everybody went to Lottie's, where there were a lot more chairs, and a lot more coffee, and Teacher and Rebbie and Mr. Latimer, and his sons.
Mr. Stempel went to a far corner with a big writing tablet and called for people one at a time. He wrote down what they were saying, and then they had to leave.
Except he talked to the Latimers all at the same time, then he talked to just one boy and the father, and the other boy and the father.
And he talked to Rebbie and Teacher together, with Rebbie's dad just listening in. He kept glancing at the Bolts while Rebbie answered his questions, sometimes looking curious, sometimes amused, sometimes just thoughtful.
That made Jeremy anxious, but whenever it started to get too bad, Lottie or one of his brothers managed to distract him (and he let them.)
908
Finally it was Jeremy's turn, and his brothers went with him, one sitting on each side of him. He liked that.
He also liked that it looked like Mr. Stempel didn't like that.
However, The Man just talked to him about answering questions honestly and how important it was to remember as many details as possible. He was just looking for information at this time, and added that there was no one planning to make any accusations.
Jeremy scowled at being instructed to be honest. He was always honest, and if he wasn't, it was by accident!
Jason put his hand on Jeremy's shoulder, and he relaxed.
The first question was "What do you remember about yesterday's events?"
Jeremy shook his head. "N-not v-very much. J-just b-bits and p-pieces."
"Did you start a fight?"
Jeremy thought, glanced at Jason, and shook his head. "Not-not- not until I g-got t-tied up."
The Man wrote that down, and asked about why he had been tied up, and when, and for how long. How had it happened, but Jeremy had no answer for that. He wasn't sure. He kept his eyes lowered, looking at his hands. He didn't want to see – anybody – think he wasn't telling the truth.
Because he was.
The more he spoke the more he remembered, although sometimes it took a while for him to put it into words. (Which were the only times his brothers spoke at all – when he couldn't get the words out, but they could.)
Finally, Mr. Stempel closed his tablet. "I think that covers everything. If I need anything more, I'll let you know." He was speaking directly to Jeremy.
Jeremy looked up, politely, and was shocked to see red marks on That Man's throat. He turned his hands over, glanced at the rope burns across his palms, and looked back at That Man.
"D-did I d-do that? I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't mean to."
"As far as that goes, I should know better than to sneak up on a battling Bolt. Jason, I'm sure you'll want to see this before it's official." He stood up and stepped away from the table.
"I'll give you time to organize it. Unless you want my help with that?"
"I can manage." Mr. Stempel shook Jeremy's hand and left.
Jeremy looked at his hand, and wondered what he thought about that.
Jason walked with The Man to the door, Jeremy watched.
Stempel spoke, and Jason laughed before coming back to the table.
Lottie brought over a tray full of lunch for them and started serving.
Jason tried to protest. They had interfered with enough of her business.
"Sit down and shut up. You three are hungry, I know it. When aren't you? And this boy here is as white as a ghost. He needs to eat and then sleep. You can harangue him all you want after he wakes up."
Jason sat down. "Am I allowed to take him home for his nap, or shall I leave him here for you to tuck in and keep an eye on?"
"Just for that, you can pay for all three meals," Lottie told him, swishing away from them.
Jason laughed and picked up a knife and fork. "Well. Jeremy," he began.
Jeremy smiled, and followed suit. "Yeah, I know. L-later just g-got later -er?"
"At least until after you sleep off this lunch. That should be about Tuesday."
"Nah, he'll be hungry again before then," Josh teased. "What did Stempel say to you at the door that was so funny?"
"Something about what the Masters girl sees in the three of us."
"Huh?" Josh said.
Jeremy laughed, waving his loaded fork while answering Josh. "Oh, she th-thinks you are so 'd-darling c-cute,' with your g-golden hair and b-blue eyes, and J-jason is just 'so s-smart and w-wonderful.' "
"No doubt you agreed with that."
Jerremy shrugged and looked mischievous. "The l-last p-part, maybe."
Josh smacked Jeremy's head, and they all laughed.
When they reached their place, Jeremy took off his shoes and his belt and crawled back into bed. His head hurt and he still felt strange. He'd remembered a lot of things, but he didn't feel like it had really been him. Oh, he couldn't explain, but maybe when he woke up. Maybe. He shook his hands, because they were hurting, tried not to whimper – he wasn't that much a baby! – and buried them and the rest of himself under the covers.
Jason pulled the covers off him and pulled him into a sitting position, and handed him a cup of medicine for the pain. Jeremy didn't know if it was for the pain in his head or his hands or both, but decided he didn't care, and swallowed the liquid without argument
Before he could pull the covers up again, Josh was there, putting salve on his hands and bandages. Well, that was nice. Josh covered him and pulled on his nose before walking away, and Jeremy laughed quietly at that and dozed off. It was nice to have brothers like his, wasn't it?
Jeremy drowsed most of the afternoon. Sometimes he woke up enough to hear his brothers talking. Sometimes he could make sense of what they were saying, sometimes not. He usually heard the door when one of them left or someone came in, but Jason stayed there all day. Not too many came in, which suited him. There had already been too many people in this day.
"Do you think he's jealous, Jason? Maybe just a little?"
"Shut up, Joshua. I don't even want to think about that."
That was one snippet he heard.
"What's so great about you, anyway?" Josh demanded.
"Are you a little bit jealous, Josh?" Jason sounded amused.
"Maybe," Josh admitted.
"I think it's because I read. I've heard she likes some of my books that Jeremy has shared with her."
"Oh, gaawd."
"Why don't you go take a walk?"
"Shut up and leave, huh? Well, I will."
And the door opened and closed, and Jeremy drifted back to restful sleep while Jason hummed contentedly and occasionally rattled papers.
Next the door opened and there were several male voices, apologizing to Jason; telling him they were leaving. If you came to someone's house to leave, why not just leave without a visit? That didn't make much sense. (Later he found out that that was the Latimers, and they were leaving so they wouldn't have to stay. Which didn't make sense either.)
Josh opened the door and he and Aaron Stempel came in together. Mr. Stempel and Jason were comparing their reports of the incident. They sat together at the table fairly quietly, while Josh made and later served coffee and sat down with them. Then That Man left again, after asking about Jeremy.
Jason said Jeremy was sleeping, which gave the boy the giggles. Fortunately the door had closed behind their guest before the giggling was audible.
"You are a terrible person," Jason said, pulling the bedcovers away. "Ready for some coffee?"
"Uh-huh."
"Wash your face and comb your hair. Pretty sure you have at least one more visitor coming."
"W-was there a lot?" Jeremy asked, while washing his face and brushing (not combing) his hair.
"Your teacher, your little girls and their mothers, the Latimers, Lottie, Stempel, the other boy and his father," Josh enumerated. "We're still awaiting word from your little girlfriend and curious to see which family will come with her."
"Huh? D-don't got no g-g-girlfriend."
"Then why are you turning red?"
"Joshua."
"Ah, let me have some fun with this, Jason. He teased me enough when I was seeing Mary Alice."
Jason glanced at Jeremy, who was a little less red and shaking his head, but his lips were trying hard not to smile. Oh, good lord, this was all a little much, coming from a going-on- thirteen year old who still looked ten. "Pour your little brother some coffee."
Josh laughed and complied.
Jeremy stuck his tongue out at Josh.
Jason laughed.
The Bolt brothers were sitting on their porch when the Masters family showed up. Jason was reading to them, with dramatic flair that Jeremy was watching as Josh watched the street. Thus, Joshua was the first to see the mother, father, and daughter approach.
When Rebbie saw the brothers, she waved. "Hey, Jeremy!"
He looked up, startled, then at her parents, but Rebbie was already running toward them.
She grabbed Jeremy by his arms, said "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
She hugged him hard and kissed him lips on lips, gasped, turned red, and ran back the way they had come,grabbing her mother by the hand and taking her with her.
Her father came forward and shook Jason's hand. He was carrying two books in his other hand, and he handed those to Jason.
Jason looked at them. They were his books. His lips twitched when he noticed the titles. They were among Jeremy's favorites. Why wasn't he surprised?
Jeremy opened and closed his mouth a few times, then looked down at his stockinged feet. There was a hole in one toe.
"You're quite her hero," Mr. Masters said to him, kindly.
"D-d-d-d-did-did-did-dddn't d-do nothin'." He looked to Jason to save him.
"You did. Rebbie thinks the world of all three of you, you know."
"We didn't," Jason said in his amused tone. "Not until last night."
"You've done a fine job with your boy, Mr. Bolt."
"But?"
"My wife thinks we should take our girl on a visit to the family, maybe enroll her in a finishing school. They were both crying and comforting one another all night long. Rebbie was relieved when Mr. Stempel said there'd be no trouble, and she wanted to check on Jeremy here." He patted Jeremy's shoulder.
"Where will you be going?" Jason asked politely. "San Francisco?"
"That's where the railroad is. Minna's family is in Boston, mine in New York. Where we settle will depend on what work I can find."
"Do you think you'll come back?"
"I'd like to. Whether my girls will or not, I don't know."
"You'll be missed. You've been the voice of reason when things get heated in this town. If you'd been in town yesterday, maybe this could all have been averted."
"Thank you, but I doubt either of us would have been watching out for things happening in the schoolyard."
"You're probably right about that. Jeremy, go on inside. You're shivering." He handed Jeremy the books as he spoke.
Jeremy blew out a relieved breath and obeyed immediately. Josh wanted to laugh, but didn't. He stayed outside with Jason until Mr. Masters left, and the two older brothers went inside together.
"Just what we need," Jason was saying. "How are we going to build this town into something decent with schoolboys and their brothers attacking school girls? We have to build a better reputation than that. Women are rare and precious jewels, especially in this country. They should be cherished and adored, and, most of all, they should be protected. Not scared away. Not afraid in their own town."
"Jail the ones who run 'em off instead of running them – those boys, off?" Josh suggested. "I wouldn't let him take those boys and just leave town."
Jason slanted Josh a long look. "Somehow, I don't think it will be happening that easily, Josh."
"Yes, but why did they let him think so?"
"Because of the girl."
"Huh?"
"Josh, when things like this happen, the girls get talked about. If there are charges, she'll have to testify in public court. It takes only one person to start malicious talk. We know that from our own experience. As much as I don't like it, it's the best thing, overall, to let the parties go their separate ways. Jeremy would have to testify as well."
"N-no." Talk to everybody all at once? And strangers, too?
"It's not happening, Jeremy," Jason reassured him.
"It's not right."
"No. It isn't. Someday it won't be that way, but to make that happen, we need to be civilized, and the way to become civilized is to keep the uncivilized away. For now."
"I don't like it."
Jason smiled faintly. "Then work with us – the townfolk – to change things."
"I'm in."
Jason nodded toward Jeremy, standing by the fireplace. "I guess we already know how Jeremy feels about the matter."
"I like his approach better than yours."
"That's because you're still young and – um, shall I say impetuous?"
"That's a better word than stupid."
"I wouldn't have been that brave. I was thinking foolish, but since I agree in principle, what would that make me?"
"Old and foolish?"
Jason smacked at Josh, laughing.
"Do you need me for anything? I'd like to go out for a while."
"That will be fine, Joshua. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Oh, anything I do will be for –" he flicked a glance at Jeremy – "all of us."
"See you later then." Josh left.
"Warming up?" Jason asked Jeremy, picking the books up off the table and shelving them.
Jeremy nodded and rubbed his arms.
"How long have you been loaning our books out?"
"N-not v-very. You n-never m-minded before."
"I don't mind now. I'm just surprised."
"Oh."
Jason put a hand on Jeremy's back and steered him away from the fireplace. "Come and sit with me. There are some things we need to talk over."
Jeremy stopped, and looked up anxiously. "Y-you s-said I w-wasn't in trouble."
"You are not." Jason seated himself in the big chair and pulled Jeremy down beside him, keeping an arm across his shoulders. It was getting to be a tight fit."But we need to prevent this sort of thing from happening again."
Jeremy's forehead furrowed. "B-but ev'b-body's l-leaving. So it c-can't."
"Ah," Jason said, pulling him closer. "No, not the exact same thing. But like things can happen, and they can go bad, if you can't control your temper."
Jerremy wiggled around until he was in a comfortable position. His favorite position, in fact. Where he could hear Jason's heart beat, and where Jason's voice was a nice warm rumble. He said nothing.
"It's not like you," Jason said, after a moment's reflection, "to wantonly hurt others. Even in righteous indignation. The times you've fought have always been – well, thoughtful. Thought out. Can you tell me about this time?"
"N-not in t-trouble?" Jeremy repeated, speaking to Jason's heart.
"Not in trouble," Jason assured. To himself, he added, not this time. Probably not next time.
"It was diff'rent. I was g-getting m-mad, like normal, when they kn-nocked m-me d-down, and was t-teasin' the g-girls, and really m-mad when they t-tied me up. B-but when th-that b-big b-boy started t-touchin' on R-Rebbie,an' her c-crying. It was l-like I t-turned into a f-fire. A big, big f-fire. And th-there wasn't n-nothing else. Just–just the f-fire."
"I was afraid of that."
Jeremy looked up at him. "Af-fraid?"
"A man's anger is a fearful thing, Jeremy. Especially when he hasn't learned to control it."
"Huh?"
That was a fair response, Jason thought. How was he to explain this? "Have you never wondered why a man's rage is so much worse than a boy's?"
Jeremy had never really given that any thought before now. "Because th-they're b-bigger?"
"Why do you suppose they're bigger?"
That was an amazingly silly question. What was wrong with Jason? "Because they are all grown up?"
"Well, yes. That's – that's part of it, of course. The thing is, well, that's one of the things that happens. When – while - during the time a boy is changing to a man."
"They g-get b-bigger?" That part was no surprise.
"Well, yes. They – well, as their bodies get bigger, so do their feelings. About everything. And their actions – reactions – well, sometimes they are so fast, they have to learn when that's going to happen, you see, so that they have to learn when it's going to happen and they can stop it from happening. Do you see?"
"No."
"Oh."
The brothers fell silent.
"J-jason?"
"Hm?"
"D-do you th-think that's why b-being mad turned into f-fire? B-because I'm growing up?"
Jason heaved a sigh of relief. "That's exactly what I think. I'd hoped it wouldn't happen to you, at least not so hard, but nobody really knows. You can get big guys that tremble in fear, and smaller men who can radiate power with their rage. Or their goodwill, depending on how they have learned to handle their feelings."
"You don't think I'm g-gonna grow big like you or Josh?"
Jason hesitated. "You may. As I said, no one knows what type of man a boy will grow into until it happens, but you've always been small, and Mom was small, petite they call it, and you seem to be built like her. In everything but your coloring, the way you move, the way you seem to think sometimes – in all those ways you could be her twin. Oh, you'll be bigger than her, being a man and all, but – I'll be surprised if you ever even catch up to Josh, size-wise."
"What if I do? It c-could happen, c-couldn't it?"
"It could. Josh'd sure be mad, wouldn't he?"
"Uh-huh."
The two fell silent for a while. Jason was afraid to say anything else, if he could think of anything more to say, and of course there was a lot more that needed to be said. But it didn't all need to be said tonight.
Did it?