“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” Marshall said, “I’ll swear before God to do exactly what He tells me.”

Randy Jessup darkened the hole and leaned in. “Brother, don’t go and swear before the Lord if you’re not planning on keeping your word.”

The preacher couldn’t figure out if Marshall meant to test him like the children of Israel did the Lord while journeying through the wilderness. The whole fiasco made the Eli brothers antsy. I’d bet the hundred-dollar bills stuffed under my crotch if my brother kept giving him lip—he’d unleash the Elis and let them fulfill their violent fantasies.

Marshall stood up straight and put a hand over his heart. “I do so solemnly swear that whenever God moves on my heart, I will do what he tells me without a second thought. In the name of Jesus, I pray,” Marshall paused, “or whatever this is I’m doing. Amen.”

The whole room stopped moving, and we waited to see if Randy Jessup would approve of my brother’s prayer. The Bible hung loose in his hands now, and he glared at my brother through a narrow eyelid.

When he didn’t speak, Marshall said, “How ’bout that, preacher?”

Randy Jessup cleared his throat and drummed his fingers on his Bible. After some thought, he said, “I felt the Lord in that, brother. Amen. Let me back my boys up here. Give y’all some room to crawl outta that hole.”

Marshall turned to me once the preacher got the Eli brothers to back off some, and he shot me the smile which led us into all this trouble.

I knew he was about to break his promise to God.

“Hey, Coy,” Marshall whispered, “you remember that time at the football game where Coach put me in to kick that game-winning field goal against Blackwood?”

“Coach never put you in to kick no field goals, Marshall,” I said, “What the hell you talking about right now?”

“Sure he did.” He shrugged. “The Lord just reminded me of it.”

Randy Jessup walked up to the edge of the hole and said, “What’re y’all boys talking about?”

“We’re just trying to decide who’s coming outta this hole first,” Marshall said.

Randy Jessup didn’t hesitate. “If the Lord is moving on your heart, friend, shouldn’t it be you?”

Marshall nodded. “You’re right, preacher. I just needed to hear it from a man of God.”

Randy Jessup stepped back and gave my brother plenty of room to boost himself out of the hole. Marshall took his time approaching the edge, and before he lifted himself out, he turned to me. “Don’t forget how I kicked that field goal, Coy. It won the football game.”

I nodded to my brother without a word, and he grabbed onto the ledge. Once he started lifting himself out of the hole, I walked up behind him and held my hand out to the preacher. “Say, preacher, you mind giving me a hand outta here? Got a bad shoulder.”