I feel like someone threw a bucket of ice water on me. We all know that’s his way of calling for a whipping. I search his belt quick for the overseer’s whip. When I don’t find it, I search over by the house for one of the town whippers who might’ve come to do the job for him.

“Now, I’ve been thinking about your punishment, Sarah.”

Master’s still got his eyes fixed on me, and I take a step back. The shaking starts in my hands and moves up my arms and then down my legs. I bite down on my tongue so I don’t open my mouth and beg.

“But your missus is a tender-hearted woman. She urged me to consider how a white man, who you know to be your superior, whispering lies into your ear, could get you to do almost anything. Like that serpent whispering to Eve. He chose Eve because she was weak, and that devil chose you, Sarah, because you are weak too. He twisted your mind, tempting you to the sin of fornication with lies and false promises, not unlike the serpent in the Garden of Eden.”

My breath comes in shallow pants and his voice grows muffled under the buzzing in my ears.

“The Lord is a good master. He forgives when we repent our sin and he shows us mercy.”

Over at the house, Missus steps on to the back porch in her peach Sunday dress, resting her hand on one of the thick pillars.

“And I try to be a good earthly master to all of you. I forgive, and I show mercy. That’s why we’re not going to have a whipping for this. Instead, Sarah, you’ll work in the fields this next week. It is my hope and my expectation that you will take this time to remind yourself of your place. And I expect all of you to take a lesson from these unfortunate occurrences. And I never want to hear about this sort of thing again.”

I look up to Missus on the porch and she nods, and I know she’s just saved my hide. A wave of relief steals my strength and I feel like I need to sit down. When I sway on my feet, reaching out for something to hang on to, Clover steps up to take hold of my arm, steadying me.

Master puffs out his chest and spreads his arms wide. “God wants loyal, obedient servants,” he says. “And He rewards them in Heaven.”

I lean into Clover as he props me up by my elbows.

“And when I find a loyal obedient servant here at Jubilee, I can do no less.”

Everybody starts looking sideways at each other, to see if somebody else can make sense of what he’s saying, but everybody there’s got the same look that says, “What now, Lord?” I feel the tension creep back into the group. There’s a buzz of excitement at the chance of a reward, mixed with fear, because a master’s reward isn’t always good. That man could be talking about anything.