“That’s Ceecee’s goods,” said the frog boy.
I climbed into the wagon and found another girl huddled in a lower bunk. She stared at me with huge, dark eyes that peered over a dirty sheet. She wouldn’t come out no matter how sweetly I entreated her, but I didn’t want to reach in and lift her and frighten her to death.
From the corner of my eye I noticed a figure in the shadow of a crate at the back of the wagon. I felt a surge of excitement and took a chance. “Is that you, Willie Northstar?” I asked.
The figure in the shadows gasped. “How’d you know that? Told nobody here my last name.”
“I know your daddy,” I replied triumphantly. “I came to find you.”
The boy edged out into the shaft of daylight from the back door. He wore ragged short pants and a matching ragged shirt. I could see that his skin was marked in white and brown patches like an Indian pony.
“Where’s my daddy?” he asked, urgency in his voice.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “He’s out searching for you.” It pained me to see the hope die from his eyes. “But I’m sure I could find him again.”
“Now?” he asked.
Silently I prayed that Lillie would give Mr. Northstar my message to follow Lazarus Mink. “Dr. Mink won’t let me walk out of here with you, you know,” I said. “He’s going to make money from showing you to people, and he’s not the sort of man who’ll give up money without a fight.”
Willie nodded solemnly. “He tells his bad men to hurt people.”
This poor child had seen his grandmother struck down in front of him, no doubt. “Yes, and we don’t want to be hurt, therefore we need to keep it a secret that we plan to leave here and take you back to your daddy. You know what a secret is, don’t you?”
His eyes grew big, and to my surprise, he backed into the shadows again. “That’s when you don’t tell,” he whispered with a catch in his voice.
“Right,” I said, and wished he didn’t know. “I have to figure out how we can leave without being hurt. Okay?”
“Can I come too?” I could have kicked myself. The girl had been so quiet I had forgotten she was there. How could I tell her no? “All the children can come,” I said, “but don’t tell the grown-ups.” Oh, Lord. What had I promised? I couldn’t be responsible for all the children.
“This is Bertha the Bear,” said Willie.
She tossed the sheet off and rolled out of the bunk. She wore a thin brown shift, ragged at the hem, and as she lumbered to the door, I noted how the stocky girl had gotten her nickname— for she had no wrists or ankles, but had hands and feet right at her elbows and knees, and she could walk only on all fours.
In the sunlight specked scabs showed on Bertha’s arms. “Are you injured?”
“Insect bites,” she said, avoiding my gaze. “I scratched ’em.”
I couldn’t help think they resembled burns, but I didn’t pry. “What’s your real name, Frog Boy?” I asked.
“Moses, sir,” the leggy boy said. “Moses Quick.”
“I’m not a sir,” I told him. “I’m Abel Dandy. I hope I’ll be a friend.”
He exchanged wary glances with Bertha.
Apollo came back with two buckets banging his thighs. “I tried to boil the water,” he said, “but it’s barely warm.” He surveyed the brood. “I reckon we should start with you fellows. You seem to have missed your Sunday bath.”
“This is Apollo,” I told them. “Dr. Mink says he’s to be in charge of you, but if he gets too bossy, you come to me.”
The four children stared silently at Apollo. I prepared myself for the protests. Why would any one of them welcome the authority of a strange, hairy boy not much older than themselves?
“Does that mean Apollo will sleep in our wagon?” asked Bertha.
Before I could answer, Ceecee swept by me, followed by Billy Sweet. “I’ve come for my personal effects. Get that, Billy.” He gestured extravagantly with a black cigarette holder, and smoke wreathed in the air. Minnie seemed to shrink into herself. The children on the ground edged away. I eyed the cigarette with suspicion.
“Get out where I can see you, you little monster,” Ceecee shrilled at Willie, who was sliding behind the crate.
Apollo started, then growled at the star of the show.