Leon pulled a chair over to Rooster’s and sat down. He and Sarah gave him their attention and let him say what he had to say in his own way, without endeavoring to prompt or comment with question or exclamation.

“I don’t know if you know—I haven’t been close with the Cokers since Trudy died last November. I never liked Orin, nor considered him a farmer. Found myself riding by even less often when Lester up and left to see what he could find for himself in Mississippi. Orin’s always been sorry, good enough long as his ma and pa were alive to tell him to get up of a morning and what to do once up. But not a speck of Lester’s judgment had he. Lester should have been first born so he could take over, but he wasn’t and that’s life. As for Prue and Hattie, I never saw how they could be Trudy’s sisters, cowish old maids with clabber where their noodles ought to be. You know what that Orin has done?”

Neither Leon nor Sarah asked.

Rooster nodded affirmatively, as if he had already said what he said next. “Sold up. Sold everything that was left after the debts and a bad crop that wasn’t worth taking off the ground. Sold it through our very bank, mine and yours, and that lawyer Guthrie over at Kitesville—sold it to Roscoe Elk.”

Sarah and Leon stared at each other as they considered what their friend’s news meant. Rooster was silent, studying it over before continuing.

“Blame myself. Should have made it my business to check on Orin. I found out only this morning and went over and charged him with it, asking why if he was up against it he hadn’t come to me—or to you all, seeing as his place lay between us. Well, he laughed. Never know who hates you, by God! Just laughed. Said he’d heard from Lester and Lester’s doing good, got him a spread over close to Jackson, Mississippi, and wrote they could all come on out if they ever felt like it and he’d help them get settled. Asked him again why he didn’t come to me or you all. He said he was plain tired of having to act like a poor relation of mine and wasn’t about to come to you either with his hat in his hand to beg a favor when he could deal like a man with the nigger, so eager to deal.”

“That means,” Leon said slowly, “means Roscoe is going to have—”