Song Yet Sung

Wiley makes it home, exhausted and traumatized, and tells everyone that the Woolman abducted Jeff Boy. Wiley reports that he gave chase but was taken by Patty Cannon, who had Amber as well. When Kathleen wants more details about Jeff Boy, Wiley says that he tried to tell Patty and her crew that a black devil had taken the boy, but they would not listen and let the Woolman get away.

Wiley confirms that Jeff Boy is alive. Kathleen asks Wiley how he got the gun in his hand. Wiley seems surprised to see it there, telling Kathleen that Patty’s crew was attacked by the Woolman and that Wiley picked up the gun afterwards.

Kathleen goes out to look for Jeff Boy despite Wiley’s protests that Patty’s group are killers. Mary asks to come as well, but Kathleen puts her in charge until she returns or her father comes from Ocean City, which would signify that Kathleen is dead.

Meanwhile, Clarence brings Liz to Blackwater Creek. Liz’s headache returns, and she strongly senses that the surrounding wildlife is watching her. Liz guides Clarence to Sinking Creek. He says there is nothing near there, but Liz knows this is the right place. She tells Clarence to return to town, though he wants to stay. Liz tells him that the code is safe, and Clarence answers, “We rise at sunrise and rest at midnight” (303), the code for someone running. Liz has done no such thing, but Clarence says that one way or another, she is heading for freedom.

Once Clarence has gone, Liz walks towards the woods. After slogging through swamp, she walks blindly through dark and fog. Liz leans against a tree and has a vision of a young black boy tied to a tree with “enormous pain, the pain of a thousand indignities, heaped up against the will of one” (304). Servants all around the boy beg him to cooperate, but he shakes his head and a white man raises a whip. The boy looks up and Liz recognizes him as the Woolman.

Liz awakens and senses she is close. The Woolman is sitting on the beach and Liz crawls to him, referring to her vision of him as a boy: “You should have told your master your dream, she said. Even if it was a lie, you should have told it to him” (305). Liz says that every truth is a lie and every lie a truth, so the only true truth is tomorrow.

Liz sees that the Woolman is hurt so she binds his wounds. He leads her through the grove, points at an outcropping of rock, lies down, and goes to sleep.

Amber leads Denwood to the Indian burial ground and shows him the hollow tree where Liz had hidden. It is dark and a storm is coming, so they make camp. Denwood plans to head back to the blacksmith in the morning. He thinks about Kathleen again and about how much he needs to connect with a woman to ease his loneliness.

When Denwood asks Amber how well he knows the Dreamer, Denwood is struck by how sad Amber looks. Denwood struggles not to feel compassion or empathy for Amber. Denwood remembers quitting slave catching after his son was born because he became ashamed of his profession.

Amber says that he has known Liz for nine days, though it feels like a year because of all the traumatic things that have happened since they met. Denwood says that Amber should not have harbored Liz, knowing he would go to prison. Amber replies that he has always tried to keep himself isolated from people because he helps those in need almost as a religious vocation: “To turn someone away looking for help, I reckon, is to do God wrong” (314).

Denwood comments bitterly that he does not believe in God. Amber replies, “But God believes in you” (314). Denwood describes slave owners as a bunch of thieves, claiming to be men of God, yet taking the oysters from the Chesapeake away from poor men who use oystering as their last refuge. Denwood asks Amber if he thinks the same God governs all of them. Amber believes this is so.

Amber knows that Denwood had a son who died. Denwood says that Amber must hate him, but Amber replies that if someone has to capture Liz, he prefers it be Denwood. Denwood asks where Liz is, and Amber is surprised, thinking he already knew that Liz had gone North.

Shocked and angry, Denwood asks why Amber led him to the Indian burial ground instead of telling him this. Amber thought that Denwood was looking for Jeff Boy, since he had told Kathleen that he would do so. Denwood suppresses an urge to point his gun at Amber. Finding Jeff Boy is the constable’s job, and he is likely dead already anyway. Amber answers that Liz will be too, once she is returned to Captain Spocott. Denwood will undoubtedly find Liz, but he is the only person who could find Jeff Boy.

Denwood is surprised that Amber wants him to find Jeff Boy more than Liz. Amber says that he knows that he is doomed and cannot be with her, but he is trying to help his loved ones. If Jeff Boy is not found, Wiley is likely to be sent to prison, Mary will be sold south, and Kathleen will lose her farm: “They’re my family in this world. All of ’em” (317).

When Denwood does not believe him, Amber asks if Denwood would like to hear Liz’s dream of the future. Denwood agrees, thinking there might be a clue to Liz’s whereabouts. Eyes glistening, Amber relays the dream about the preacher who speaks before thousands of people of all colors who hold hands and weep at his words and how the preacher reaches into their own time and finds a song. Amber sings the song Liz had shared.

Denwood comments that he killed a man that day and asks what God thinks of that. Amber answers that when men are born, their goodness is lost, but God lays plans to fill them back up with goodness, if they allow it. Denwood says that they can search for Jeff Boy in the morning, though it won’t help his soul to do so: “I’m going to hell in spite of redemption anyhow” (320).