“Wall, Miz Jinny!” the man boomed. “Didn’ ’spect t’see y’all here t’day!”

“Josh and Matt had bizness, an’ I tagged ’long,” Jinny said shortly. “Got weary of hoecake. Reckon on bread an’ pie fer a while. An’ afore y’all ask, left yer potions with word fer Cooper in th’ Company store.”

“Good,” the man grunted. “I’ll fetch ’em later.” He moved a little, as if he was going to examine the load, but Matt moved casually to the side of the wagon, intercepting him. Matt didn’t say anything, and he wasn’t rude, but the action made it very clear he didn’t appreciate the man’s attempt to snoop in his business. “Wall, howdy, Matt,” the man said. “Josh been doin’ some work fer Cavenel?”

“Jest delivered it,” Matt said shortly.

The man laughed, which was scarcely an appropriate reaction to someone deliving a grave marker. “No lack’a work fer yer boy in this town, aye! Reckon plantin’ stones is easier’n plantin’ corn!”

“Not really,” Josh replied to this singularly tactless statement.

“Wall, wife’s expectin’ us fer dinner,” Matt interrupted.

The man laughed again. “Niver took y’all fer hen-pecked, Matt Holcroft,” he jibed.

“Thet’s ’cause I ain’t. What I am is hungry.” Around the corner of the door, Anna saw Matt motion to Josh. “An’ y’all’ll haveta pardon me, but I wanter get t’thet dinner.”

The man laughed again, tossing his head back, but moved out of the way and down the street without so much as a word of farewell. After a moment, Aunt Jinny gestured to Anna, who ran out and hopped into the back of the wagon with Josh.

Because everything about that man made her want to get out of Ducktown as quickly as she could.

And not much longer after that, they were on their way out of town, the mule moving considerably faster than she had on the way in.

She and Josh had made themselves tolerably comfortable seats with the straw, the bags, and the parcels. Josh cradled a blue and white pitcher in his lap with great care. Anna eyed it.

“She’s called th’ Blue Willow pattern,” Josh said, noticing where she was staring. “Ma sets a lotta store by it. I got it fer her as a present. It’s got a purdy liddle story in the pattern. Wanter hear?”

“A’course!” she said instantly, and he rolled the pitcher to the side so she could see the design.

“It’s Chinee, see?” he said. She didn’t see, since this would be the first time she’d ever seen anything Chinee, but nodded. “See, here’s a palace, an’ here’s th’ willows all ’round, an’ here’s a bridge an’ th’ island it goes to. So th’ story goes, here in this palace was a Mandarin. Thassa kinda rich man like a prince. His name was So Ling. An’ he had a be-yoo-tiful daughter, name’a Kong-see, an’ he promised her as a wife t’ this fat ol’ rich man. But she went an’ fell in love with her Pa’s servant Chang. Her Pa found out ’bout it an’ built a big ol’ wall around his house t’ keep her in. Here’s th’ wall. Then he sent fer the rich man—see, there he is, a-comin’ on his boat. But Kong-see an’ Chang ran away on th’ rich man’s boat while her Pa was givin’ him dinner, an’ got t’ the island there, where my finger is, an’ they lived happy fer a while. Then her Pa found out where they was, an’ he sent them three sojers, here on th’ bridge, to cotch ’em, an’ kill Chang, an’ drag Kong-see back t’marry th’ ol’ rich man. But them Chinee gods, they got wind of what was ’bout t’happen, an’ they turned Chang and Kong-see inter these two doves up here, see ’em? An’ they flew away an’ lived up in th’ clouds with th’ gods, ferever.”