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. NineWhen the sickness came upon them Rachelthought it was something picked up at the camp s churchservice, because it was a Tuesday when Jacob first glowedwith fever.He fussed and his brow slickened with sweat.Rachel was no better off herself, fever sopping her dressand hair, the world off plumb and whirling like a spin-top.She laid cold poultices on the child s forehead andfed him clabber.She wet a paper and placed it around anonion and set it in the embers to bake, took the juice andmixed it with sugar and fed it to Jacob with a spoon.Sheused the witch hazel as well, hoping at least to clear hislungs.Rachel remembered how her father claimed a fe-ver always broke on the third evening.Just wait it out,she told herself.But by late afternoon of the third daythey both shivered as if palsied.She placed another logon the fire and made a pallet before the hearth, lay down 92 ron rashwith Jacob and waited for evening.They slept as dusk ambered the day slast light.It was full dark when Rachel awoke, shivering though her calico dresswas sweat-soaked.She changed Jacob s swaddlings and warmed a bottleof milk, but his appetite was so puny he did little more than gum therubber nipple.Rachel pressed her hand to his brow, and it was just as hotas before.If it don t break soon I ll have to get him to the doctor, she said,talking aloud.The fire was almost out, and she laid a thick white oak logon the andirons, nestled kindling around it to make sure the log caught.She stirred the embers beneath with the poker, and sparks flew up thechimney like swarming firef lies.The kindling finally caught and the room slowly emerged.Shadowsscattered and reformed on the cabin walls.Rachel discerned shapes inthem, first cornstalks and trees and then scarecrows and finally swayinghuman forms that steadily became more corporal.She lay back down onthe pallet with Jacob, shivered and sweated and slept some more.When Rachel woke, the fire had dimmed to a few pink embers.Shepressed her palm to Jacob s brow, felt the heat against her skin.She liftedthe barn lantern off the fireboard and lit it.We got to go to town, shetold the child, and lifted him into the crook of her arm as her free handclutched the lantern s tin handle.She was feather-legged before they d hardly left the yard, the lanternheavy as a brimming milk pail.The lantern spread a shallow circle oflight, and Rachel tried to imagine the light was a raft and she wasn t on aroad but on the river.Not even walking, just floating along as the cur-rent carried her towards town.She came to Widow Jenkins house, andthere was no light in its windows.She wondered why, then rememberedthe Widow had gone to spend New Year s week with her sister.Rachelthought about resting by Widow Jenkins s porch steps a few minutes butwas afraid if she did she d not get up.For the first time since she d left the house, Rachel looked at the sky.The stars were out, so many she d have needed a bushel basket to gatherthem all.Plenty enough light to get her and Jacob to town, she decided, Serena 93and set the lantern among the chicory and broom sedge bordering theWidow s pasture.Rachel felt Jacob s brow again and there was still nochange.She shifted the child s weight closer so his head rested as muchon her neck as her shoulder and they walked on.The road followed the river now.A bat squeaked over the water, andRachel remembered the shadowy barn loft, what she d thought a ragdraped over a cross beam.She d brushed against the rag, and it had sud-denly flapped alive and become tangled in her hair, a clawed flurry ofwings trying to tear free, one leathery wing touching her face as it looseditself and rose.Rachel had fallen to the loft floor, still screaming andraking at her hair even after her father had come and the creature hadf lown out the barn mouth.The road curved closer to the river.Rachel could hear the water rub-bing against the bank, smell the fresh soil loosened by recent rain.An-other bat squeaked, nearer this time.The road narrowed and darkened,a granite cliff pressing close on the left side.On the right, willows linedthe river, their branches leaning low overhead.The road slanted down-ward and the stars vanished.Rachel stopped walking, too fevered to be sure where she was.It cameto her that she d taken a wrong turn and entered a covered woodenbridge, though she didn t understand how there could be a wrong turn ifthere was only one road
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