The Dust of 100 Dogs - A. S. King [33]
Outside the front door there was a horse and cart waiting to take them to the docks in Cork. Her packed case was on the back, alongside a few large jugs of the magic brew her uncle could no longer live without. Martin grabbed Emer roughly and pushed her up into the front of the cart. With a length of sturdy rope, he bound her feet and then tied her to the wooden frame.
As they trotted from the encampment, Emer cried, mostly. But then she saw a group of six or seven little girls playing by the side of the road, and yelled to them.
“Do you see this, girls? Do you see what you’re worth? Look at me here, tied like a slab of meat to this cart! Remember me, girls! Remember me!”
Seanie came around that night and talked to Mary. He couldn’t hide the fact that he was heartbroken, and Mary tried not to look directly at him. How many years? she asked herself. How many years have I let Martin ruin my life? And my children’s!
“My mother told me he tied her to the cart and took off like a man on fire for water,” he said.
“She’s exaggerating. You know Martin wouldn’t do that.”
“She saw him.”
“Well, you know how Emer is.”
“Yes, I do. I know how she is. She’s in love with me, that’s how she is.”
Why am I defending him? Mary asked herself. “You’re just a boy,” she said.
“But I love her.”
“Then you should be happy for her new life. She won’t have to suffer like we do.”
“Is that all you want for her?”
Mary looked at her raw hands. “It’s enough.”
They stared at each other. Seanie sighed.
“It won’t be enough to make her stop loving me,” he said. “And I promise you now, as I stand here, I will find her and bring her back where she belongs.”
“Here, into this squalor? Why would you wish such a thing for a girl you love?”
“Because this is her home. Because we’re the only family she has left!”
He made his way back to the well, then walked to their hillside cave, curled up in himself, and sobbed. For all his confident talking and promising, he felt paralyzed and helpless and doubted he would ever see Emer again. During the night, he gathered as many things as he could and started his journey east, toward the sea. Toward Paris.
A month passed before Martin returned on the cart. He arrived at midday and the first news he heard was the news of Seanie’s disappearance. Mary told him as he ruminated over a mug of fresh brew.
“There’s no way he’ll find her now. She’s chained to that boat until it reaches France, and she’ll be met at the dock by her husband. He’s just a stupid boy. He hasn’t a clue about the real world.”
“He went the same day you did. He could have followed you.”
“The girl has no way of escaping. I’m sure of it.”
Mary heard him say this and nearly choked. What sort of man was this? How many times would she listen as he went on like some sort of hero?
“It’s a shame,” she said.
“A shame we couldn’t do it sooner!”
“Martin, stop acting as if she was any trouble. She wasn’t.”
“Shut up, woman.”
“There were plenty of men here who were smitten with her. You could have at least not sold her off like a slave to a foreigner. The poor thing.”
“Mary, did you hear me? I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
She paced, her arms crossed, then turned to him. “You don’t like talking about anything that has a bit of truth in it, do you? For years, I let you treat us all like nothing. Like nothing! But now? I won’t have you telling me my business! You could never handle the truth, and it’s caused you to do a great many stupid things in your time!”
“Woman, I’m warning you.”
“Oh, do! And then what?” she crossed her arms again and cocked her head. “Will you tie me up like a common animal and send me off to Europe, too? Will you give me to your English friends to slave in the islands? What is it I should fear from you but a mouthful of hateful rubbish?”
He looked over at her and smiled an evil flash of teeth. “How about we go to bed?” he asked.
“What?”
“Oh, come on, Mary. I’ve been away a whole month and