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Chapters (27)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Half-Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Dedication
  7. Cast
  8. Prologue
  9. Act One
  10. Scene 2
  11. Scene 3
  12. Scene 4
  13. Scene 5
  14. Scene 6
  15. Scene 7
  16. Scene 8
  17. Act Two
  18. Scene 2
  19. Scene 3
  20. Scene 4
  21. Scene 5
  22. Scene 6
  23. Scene 7
  24. Scene 8
  25. An Interview with Rita Dove
  26. Biographical Note
  27. Back Cover

Amalia has agreed to let it go.

I have a friend in Charleston

who likes raising slaves

from the ground up. He’s familiar

with the story of the distraught wife

confronted with the evidence

of a husband’s wandering lust.
LOUIS No! I won’t take the blame!
DOCTOR

No one need know it’s come

from the Jennings Plantation.
LOUIS

What about the niggers? They’re out

on the lawn, waiting for news.
DOCTOR

We’ll say the poor soul expired

directly after birth, took one breath

and died. I’ve taken the body away.
LOUIS No funeral? Niggers love funerals.
DOCTOR

No—Amalia didn’t want a funeral.

They’ll believe it. They have no choice.

To AMALIA.

You better make sure the father keeps his mouth shut.
AMALIA (Haunted.)
Who would believe him?
LOUIS

I must say, your ingenuity is impressive,

Doctor. It’s what I’d call a “master” plan.

Pointing to the sideboard where AMALIA keeps an oblong wicker sewing basket, trimmed with red velvet rosettes and lined in blue silk.

That basket—surely you’d donate

your sewing basket to the cause,

Amalia? It would fit so nicely

behind the good doctor’s saddle.
DOCTOR (Examines the basket.)
Yes, that will do.

LOUIS places the basket next to the bed.

AMALIA

Go tell them.

Spread the sad tidings.

She says this with difficulty. The DOCTOR and LOUIS exit as AMALIA carefully unwraps the baby and inspects him, top to toe. Lights up on the DOCTOR and LOUIS in the hall; TICEY, a house slave in her forties, approaches them.

TICEY

How’s Miss Jennings, suh?

The baby sure sounds like a big one!
DOCTOR (Harshly.)
The baby’s dead.
TICEY Dead? But I heard it cry!
DOCTOR

He cried out once. Poor little thing

had no more breath left.
TICEY Now, if that ain’t the strangest thing . . .
LOUIS (Sharply.)

What’s so strange about it?

The baby just up and died.

Happens all the time.
DOCTOR

Look at you, standing here arguing

like a fool hen, while your mistress

is in there crying her eyes out!

Shaking his head.

Now go on out to those niggers—

I know you got them waiting by the porch.

Tell them there’ll be no wailing and moaning,

no singing or mighty sorry, Ma’am.

Miss Jennings wants no funeral.

Miss Jennings wants to forget.

Go on now, scat!
TICEY Yassuh. Sorry suh.

TICEY exits. During the following scene she approaches PSYCHE, takes her aside, whispering. At PSYCHE’s shocked reaction, the SLAVES, except for HECTOR and SCYLLA, crowd around. TICEY retreats back into the house while the other SLAVES lower their heads, softly humming in a frozen tableau. HECTOR falls to his knees; SCYLLA stands over him, severely bent.

In the bedroom, AMALIA embraces the baby one last time.

AMALIA

This basket will be your cradle now.

Blue silk for my prince, and a canopy of roses!

Don’t be afraid: it’s warm inside.