“How would it save her, for us to be caught?” asked Alvin.

“Because the way she’s acting,” said Arthur Stuart, “she’s going to get herself killed. Unless we save her.”

Mike Fink came between them. “Let me get this straight. You want us to get locked up and tried as witches so we can save her?”

“How would us getting locked up help her?” said Alvin.

“How many birds can I paint in jail?” asked Audubon.

“You wouldn’t stay in jail long,” said Verily. “Witch trials are notoriously quick.”

“What is it about a woman that makes her life worth the lives of four men and a boy?” demanded Mike.

Verily laughed in exasperation. “What are you thinking, Mike? This is Alvin Smith. The Maker of the Golden Plow. How long do you suppose he’d let us wait in jail?”

“You really don’t want to leave her behind, do you, Very?” said Alvin. “Or you neither, Arthur Stuart, is that right?”

“Sure is,” said the boy.

“That’s right,” said Verily.

“Goodness gracious,” said Mike sarcastically. “Is this love we’re talking about?”

“Who’s in love?” demanded Arthur.

“Verily Cooper’s in love with Miss Purity,” said Mike Fink.

“I don’t think so,” said Verily.

“He must be,” said Mike, “because he’s let her go off to denounce us to the authorities and he wants us to get arrested because he thinks that’ll make her feel bad and she’ll change her mind about us and she’ll recant her testimony against us and then she’ll decide to come along with us. Which is a fine plan, except for the part where we get hung and she kneels at the foot of the gallows weeping her poor little eyes out she feels so bad.”

Arthur Stuart looked at Verily, calculation in his eyes. “You think we might change her mind about us by getting arrested?” he asked.

“Mike is wrong, it’s not pity I’m counting on,” said Verily. “It’s fear.”

“Fear of what?” asked Alvin.

“Fear of the working of the law. Right now she believes the law is just and therefore we and her parents deserve to die. She’ll change her mind quick enough when she sees how witch trials go.”

“You’ve made a pretty long chain out of one link,” said Mike.

“Give her a chance,” said Arthur Stuart.

Alvin looked at Arthur, then at Verily. Who ever would have thought this man and this boy would be rivals in love? “Might be worth a try,” said Alvin.

“If they arrest me they’ll take my paintings and destroy them,” said Audubon.

“I’ll keep you and your paintings safe,” said Alvin.

“And if they kill you,” said Audubon, “what will happen to my paintings?”

“I won’t care,” said Alvin.

“But I will!”

“No you won’t,” said Arthur Stuart. “Cause if Alvin gets killed, so will you.”

“That is my point!” cried Audubon. “Let us run away! This greensong that you speak of, for hiding in the forest while running very fast. Sing!”

“What I got in mind,” said Alvin, “is more like a saunter on the riverbank. And remember, all of you—confess to nothing. No witchcraft. No knacks. Don’t even admit to being French, John James.”