After what Massa did to Eliza, Stella never going forgive him. Or forget, no matter what. And her heart must be harden more and more when she feel him pull at the yoke, him put round her neck. A yoke that start out thin, from when she was a pickney, but get fatter with every cruel deed. And is a yoke him keep tightening and fattening, till one day, him going squeeze the life right out of her. And the snake inside her, it must be coil itself round her heart, keep tightening till she have to let it strike. Strike hard and long enough that even though I don’t think she did the deed herself, I know Massa dead because of it.

I think this is the end, but Mister Grignon say him want to cross exam the witness. So after a short break, they bring Sydney back and Mister Grignon begin him questions.

‘Sydney, you say you saw Robert with a hatchet in his hand. And that he said William gave him the hatchet to do the job. So what job do you think he was talking about?’

‘Must mean him have a hand in killing Massa.’

‘How do you know that, Sydney? Did you see William give Robert the hatchet? Did you see Robert kill the master with the hatchet?’

Sydney say, ‘No sir, but …’

Mister Jackson jump up. Now is him turn to say, ‘Objection. The law has already proved that Robert McKellar killed Cargill Mowatt. In fact, he confessed to doing so.’

‘Yes, this is the case,’ Mister Grignon say. ‘All I am trying to do is show that the slave woman Sydney has no proof. No one heard the exchange between her and Robert as to the fact that William gave Robert the hatchet. No one else was there. And even if William did lend Robert the hatchet, that could have been long before he killed Mister Mowatt.’

‘Objection overruled,’ say the judge.

Mister Grignon lean in close to Sydney.

‘I ask you again. Did you see William give Robert the hatchet on the day of the murder? Or hear William ask Robert to kill the master?’

Sydney shake her head, lower her eyes and say, ‘No, sir.’

‘I have no further questions,’ Mister Grignon say, and the judge bang on him box.

The court close down soon after that and we left waiting for the jury to make them decision. A short time later, we get dragged back into the court. People squeezed in as tight as can be, even some people standing up the back. The judge bang him hammer on him little wooden block for quiet. Ask the head jury man to stand and if him reach a verdict. The head jury man tell him, ‘Yes, we have, Your Honour,’ as him open up a piece of paper and begin to read it out.