Anna kept touching her hair with delight as they made their way back to the cabin; once they got there, Aunt Jinny poured them both cups of tea, and for the longest time just sat there with her cup in her hand, not drinking at all. Anna kept quiet, leaving her aunt with her own thoughts.

Finally she drank the entire cup in one long gulp and set it down. “Fer some reason, Jolene thinks kindly of y’all, girl,” her aunt said, looking at her penetratingly. “She respects me, but she thinks kindly of y’all. Maybe on account of yore young. Don’t ’spect that t’last. She’s got her own ways an’ her own notions, an’ do not ever get ’twixt her and somethin’ she wants. The ‘kindly’ face’ll turn stormy in a heartbeat, an’ I mean the kinder storm what flattens crops an’ kills what’s in its path.”

Thet—seems kinda harsh, Anna thought, but she hoped she wasn’t letting her face betray her skepticism.

“Y’all don’t b’lieve me,” Jinny observed. “I’m a-tellin’ y’all, Jolene ain’t a proper woman, she don’t think like us, an’ she’s dangerous. Stay outen her path, things’ll probably be all right. Get in her path, an’ she’ll trample y’all like a runaway hoss without thinkin’ ’bout it twice.”

Well, that seemed a lot more likely. Anna had seen plenty of ruthless women in Soddy, women who were quite willing to knock down and walk over anything and anyone to get what they wanted.

This was just someone—or something—with a different kind of power than social power to get what she wanted.

Cain’t think how I could get a-twixt her and what she wants.

“And don’t go next or nigh her,” Jinny continued. “Not iffen y’all kin he’p it. And make it Yes’m and No ma’am, and real polite. Don’t git her mad.”

“Yes’m,” Anna agreed. Then ventured, “But she was awful nice t’me. She not only give me them hair-pins, she put up my hair fer me.”

“ . . . an’ it looks plumb fine, too,” Aunt Jinny admitted. “I cain’t account fer that. It don’t make no sense, ’cause—” She paused, searching for words. “Y’all iver see big hoss, a herd mare what knows she’s in charge?”

“No ma’am.” Anna shook her head. “Leastwise, not iffen she weren’t bein’ rid or drove.”

Aunt Jinny searched her memory again. “What ’bout a big cat?” she offered. “Big ole tomcat what runs th’ neighborhood, an’ ever’thang gits outer his way, even dawgs. An’ iffen he gits inter yore house and goes marchin’ ’long a shelf, ever’thang on that there shelf goes right t’the floor on account of he shoulders it right outa his way? Jolene’s like thet. She jest shoulders ever’thang outa her way, an’ ever’thang with any sense high-tails it afore she kin git there.”

Anna just nodded, because it was obvious Aunt Jinny was going to hammer on about this until Anna agreed with her. And probably past that, until she was certain-sure Anna agreed with her and would do as she said.