A quick movement, more a jerk than a nod. Her guardian told her to go inside and boil water to wash dishes, and she rose mechanically, a ponderous automaton. Talmadge slapped a mosquito, smearing blood on his wrist.

“Ought’ve knowed I’d have this problem when the time come, but I didn’t think of it then. Not that I woulda done different. When the Lord tells you what he wants, ain’t no choice but one.” Moths swooped around the lantern, throwing bat-sized shadows on the porch wall. “Y’see, boys, about ten year ago, I got the gift of knowin’ what was gone to happen before it did.” It wasn’t clear if he was beginning a new tale or continuing the previous one by going, in a roundabout way, back to its beginning. “Now, it wasn’t like I seen pitchers in my head, or heard voices tellin’ me what, it was just a kinda knowin’. Can’t say it was Beelzabub give me this gift, but I shore did make the devil’s work of it. Boys, I was what the Good Book calls a false prophet!”

Drew leaned back in his chair, folded his arms, and frowned.

“Don’t expect y’all to believe me, but the truth of the matter was, I had the gift of second sight, except it wasn’t a seein’, like I told you, but a knowin’. Come to happen this way. I was out oysterin’ on down the coast some. Blow come up and I put into this cove where nobody lived. Midst the blow, what d’y’all suppose lands on my boat but a young eagle? I figgered he figgered he had a better chance of ridin’ out the blow on my boat than up in a tree somewheres. But after things got all nice and calm again, I’ll be if that eagle didn’t stay right on my boat. Brung him home and made a pet of him. Fed him fish and whatnot. That there eagle was on easy street and didn’t he know it. He’d fly away for a spell, but come right on back. Well, one frosty day—it was in February—I was feedin’ him shad I ketched up, and lookin’ into his eyes and him into mine, and that bird done told me, in a way of speakin’, where there was some new oyster beds ain’t nobody ever dragged before. I just knowed it to be true, and sure enough, I come back with as many oysters as my boat could hold. Now, what do you boys think of that?”

“Uh … that’s very interesting,” said Nathaniel, reasoning it would be wise to humor him; they needed him to arrange things with Kincaid.