Chapter 11

Susana awoke the next morning with a start. It was suddenly silent upstairs in the attic above her, and the dog had stopped barking.

It had been chaos in the house the night before. The ghost in the attic had been banging up a storm, sounding as though he were throwing furniture across the floor and then stomping about for good measure. The spectre of Tic kept walking through the house, over and over again, though thankfully had avoided her bedroom. Had he been looking for something, or just killing time? Baird had followed the ghost happily through the hallways, wagging his tail and dancing around, but the rustling in the hedges outside had soon grabbed his attention, and he was a nonstop barking machine from that point forward.

What the hell was in the hedges? Lily made some off-hand comment about Yankee soldiers staking out the house, and Susana had been too tired to protest. Whatever it was, though, it had only further aggravated Johnny Reb in the attic.

Susana wasn't sure how she had managed to fall asleep in the midst of all of this. It must have been pure exhaustion. She stared up at the ceiling, tracing the lace-pattern of the white wall-paper with her eyes. Why did people put wallpaper on the ceiling? The sunlight was already streaming in through her windows. Susana reached to the night stand to look at her watch. It was nearly 10am already. Good thing Bitsy wasn't expecting her in church, she told herself.

By the time Susana dragged herself downstairs, Roy had already arrived and had sat down to a simple brunch with Lily. The smell of hot coffee perked Susana's senses as she stepped into the room, greeting the others with a large yawn.

"Why, if it isn't sleeping beauty," Lily teased her. Roy seemed engrossed in a story deep in the metro section of the newspaper.

"Uh-huh," Susana grunted, pulling a mug down from one of the cabinets. She reached for the glass pot of the coffee maker and poured the last bit of coffee into her mug. It was just enough.

"Actually, I'm surprised you managed to get any sleep last night." Lily buttered a piece of toast and put it on Susana's plate for her.

Susana sat down at the table and reached for one of the pears in the fruit bowl. "What was all of that? I mean, I know some weird stuff goes on around here, but really." She bit into her pear and dabbed a napkin at the tiny rivulet of juice that ran down her chin.

Lily pushed the last bit of toast into her mouth and shook her head. "Maybe something with Maimie?"

Susana shot her a look.

"Ella," Lily corrected herself. "I meant Ella. It was about that time, maybe an hour or so after, that the craziness started, right?"

Roy put down the paper and looked at Susana and Lily. "It wasn't just here."

"What do you mean?" Susana put the ear down on her plate and reached for her piece of toast.

"I mean," Roy sighed, "that what you ladies had going on here last night, was also going on all around town."

Susana frowned and reached for the newspaper he had been reading. Pages six through eight of the Times-Dispatch's metro Richmond section were filled with stories of strange knocking sounds, ghostly appearances, mysterious vandalism, and general spectral chaos in the city's older neighborhoods and warehouses. "What could have cause such a thing?" she asked Roy.

He finished off the last of his orange juice. "Balance," he responded simply. "Equilibrium."

Lily reached across the table for the newspaper and leaned back in her chair. "So all of this was because of Ma-, Ella, then?"

"Probably."

"Great." Susana was exasperated. With Ella's release the previous evening, she had finally felt as though some of the madness of the past month was finally beginning to make sense, and that she had some vague understanding of how she fit into the equation. And now, all hell had broken loose. Literally. "So what do we do now? Bring Ella back. conjure up some ghostie to take her place, so the rest of the supernatural world will calm down a bit?"

Roy smiled across the table at her. "What do you think we should do?"

Susana stared down at the table in front of her. "I don't know," she said quietly. She grabbed her half-eaten pear by the stem and turned it over and over on the plate. "Maybe..." She took a deep breath and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "We could just stop everything. Or..." She leaned back in the chair and glanced between Lily and Roy and pointed at the newspaper in Lily's hands. "Or, maybe we could take these stories, load up the car with our little witches' brew, and hit every one of those spots."

Lily's eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile grew on her face. "Damn straight! I like that plan, cuz."

"Right." Roy got up from the table, dropping his napkin on top of his plate. He turned to Lily. "How much tincture is available?"

"Wait." Susana held onto the side of the table. "You're serious?"

"We've got about two gallons, total. Day and night combined." Lily did the math in her head. "But I figure that we really only need a couple of drops per pint, cutting it with water." She waved her hand at Susana. "I think what she did last night, using the whole bottle, was probably overkill."

Roy nodded. Baird trotted happily into the kitchen. He jumped up, resting his front paws on the breakfast table and barked. Susana smiled and reached out to pat his head.

"Baird says you're right." Susana wanted nothing more than to run out of the house and go on a week-long drinking binge. Was she actually a part of this?

Lily got up from the table and cross the kitchen floor. She started going through the cabinets, looking for any container with a lid on it. Pulling out thermoses and tupperware, she called over her shoulder to Roy, "How much do you think we'll need?"

Roy picked up the newspaper and scanned the stories. "Let's put together a couple dozen treatments, for now." He looked down sympathetically at the incredulous expression on Susana's face. "We'll also want to harvest more of the honshawe, to make more. It's a big city, with a big history."

"Right." Susana reached forward to play with her pear again. "A city that burnt itself to the ground."

Lily stopped her activity at the kitchen counter. "What did you say?"

"At the close of the Civil War," Susana explained. "Richmond burnt itself down."

Lily leaned back against the counter. "Wait. The Yankees did that."

"No. " Roy interjected. "Susana is right."

Susana turned in her chair to face her cousin. "The Confederate government fled the city as the Union Army was approaching. The area had been pretty much under siege for most of the war, so there wasn't much in the ways of food or supplies to claim. And even though it had been the Confederate capital, the people in Richmond were pretty desperate, nearly starving. But the Confederates didn't want there to be anything for the Yankees to claim. So they put torches to the warehouses and granaries."

"I'd never heard that." Lily was dumbfounded.

"Yeah." Susana stood up and stretched her arms over her head. "Richmond likes to think it was a victim, but it lit its own pyre."

"See," Lily wagged a finger at her cousin. "I told you you went to better schools. St. Catherine's, right?"

* * * * *

Susana and Lily stood together on Simone Carver's front porch, while Roy waited in the sidewalk. Susana balanced the glass jug of tea as she reached to ring the door bell a second time.

"Look, maybe she's not home," Susana said nervously. "Besides we don't know what this witches' brew might do to her."

"Stop calling it that!" Lily cocked her head and heard footsteps approaching from inside. "It's just lemonade iced tea, with a little herbal kick. The worst it can do is that nothing happens."

The heavy wooden door swung open, and Susana smiled at Simone through the screen door. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Carver! I hope we're not disturbing you."

"Why, no, dear." Simone pushed open the screen door and stepped into the doorway. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, ma'am." Susana gestured toward Lily. "This is my third-cousin, Lily Frye Scott."

Simone clasped her hands together and smiled. "Oh, lovely. Another Frye girl. I am Simone Carmichael Carver," she introduced herself to Lily. "However, I must insist you call me Simone. This one seems stuck in formalities," she added with a nod toward Susana. "What may I do for you two ladies?"

Susana raised the bottle she was carrying. "We were making some tea yesterday. Lemonade iced tea. We wanted to bring some to you, since you were so kind in your assistance yesterday at the library."

Simone's face lit up, and she stepped aside to let the girls pass into the house. "My gracious, how kind of you. Do please come in, young ladies. But what about your friend?" Simone studied the dark-skinned man watching from the sidewalk.

"Oh, he's okay..." Lily's voice trailed off. You could just never tell, with these old Southern families -- which ones accepted people of color, and which ones didn't.

"Young man!" Simone called out to Roy. "You come right on in here, too."

Roy jogged up the sidewalk and mounted the steps with a good-natured laugh.

"Any friend of the Frye girls is most welcome in my house." Simone held the door for him and led her visitors inside.

Simone settled her guests into generous rocking chairs on her screened in back porch. She had refused all help in the kitchen, and soon appeared with a tray carrying four tall glasses filled with ice and the lemonade iced tea. She handed a glass to each of her guests, taking the last one herself. Simone sat down and smiled at her visitors.

"It does an old lady good to have such pleasant company," she told them, before taking her first sip of tea. Her entire face lit up with the taste of it. "Susana!" she exclaimed. "This is marvelous tea. You said you made this yourself?"

Susana switched her glass nervously from one hand to the other. "It was Lily who made it."

Simone took another sip while the others watched her. "Well, it is just delightful."

"It's an herbal tea," Lily offered. Neither she nor the other two had touched their tea, while Simone was half-way through with her glass.

"I hope I didn't alarm you, dear," Simone confided to Susana, "with the family stories I passed along to you."

Susana smiled graciously. "No, ma'am. My time with you was actually quite enlightening."

Simone looked around, noticing that no one else was drinking. Before she could say a word, however, Roy lifted his glass and drained it all at once. He swallowed and smiled at Lily. "Yes, this tea is quite good. You'll have to give me the recipe."

Susana and Lily looked at him in alarm at first, then reluctantly followed suit. They each sipped sparingly at their tea.

"And how do you know the young ladies?" Simone turned to Roy.

"I am a neighbor. I'm in Richmond temporarily, from out of town."

"Out of town!" Simone exclaimed. "You have the most charming accent. I would venture to guess that you are from, somewhere in the islands?"

"A bit further away than that," Lily commented under her breath. Susana would have smacked her if she had been sitting close enough.

(more conversation and tea-drinking here)

Simone held her hand over her heart and smiled, closing her eyes for a moment. "You all have brought such cheer to my heart today." She opened her eyes and turned to Susana. "I don't know if there is some magic in this tea, or in the pleasure of your company, but you have definitely brought the sunshine with you into my home today." She reached out and patted Susana on the hand. "Bless you, child."

Simone put her empty glass down on a side table and slowly worked her way up to standing. "Now, I know you young people must be running along, so I'm going to shoo you out of the house before you feel like you're stuck here."

After waving a final farewell to Simone, still standing in the doorway, Lily, Susana, and Roy walked back to the car.

"What next?" Lily asked.

Roy pulled the list from his pocket and handed it to Susana. "This is your show," he said to her.

"Yeah? When did that happen?" she nearly laughed.

"Just trust your gut and go with it." Roy advised.

Susana glanced at the list of locations Roy had jotted down around the breakfast table. "I say we hit the Manchester Docks. Might as well start at the top."

* * * * *

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Susana looked around at the tour groups surrounding them. The pint-sized bottle of "tea" concealed in the inside pocket of her jacket seemed to grow heavier with each passing minute.

"We could try coming back again after dark, I guess." Lily shielded her eyes against the bright sun. The humidity was vicious today, and she felt every inch of her cotton shift sticking to her.

Susana looked to Roy for his opinion. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think there's any law against spilling tea on the ground. Might as well give it a shot, while we're here."

Glancing around for the best spot, Susana side-stepped an approaching group of tourists, all overdressed for the heat but at least wearing comfortable shoes.

"The Manchester Docks have a long history here in Richmond, dating back tot he founding of the city in the 1600s," the guide shouted over the tops of the tour group's heads. "It was here that slave ships were unloaded during the African slave trade. Some days, when several ships came into port, there were literally hundreds of new slaves that were marched in on these docks, and then taken to the block for auction."

Susana edged her way over to where the docks met land. Roy and Lily followed her. "If they came off of the boats," she whispered to them, "then they had to step on to land right about here, right? Every single one of them."

"Of course, the importation of slaves into the United States was officially banned in the early 1800s," the guide continued. "And this boosted the importance of the domestic slave trade."

Susana pulled the old honey jar from her jacket and slowly unscrewed the lid. She kept her eyes on the tour guide and the sights he was pointing out, doing her best to blend in with the group. Roy and Lily moved to stand in front of her as she leaned down slightly. Before she poured anything onto the ground, Susana tapped Lily on the shoulder. "Is there anything I should say?" she whispered.

Lily turned her head. "What do you mean?"

"You know," Susana replied, slightly embarrassed. "Like an incantation or something."

Lily was unable to suppress a smile. "No," she said at last. "If you want to say something, then just say what's in your heart. That's what it's all really about, anyway."

Susana bent closer to the ground and closed her eyes. After a moment of quiet reflection, she opened her eyes again and slowly began pouring the brew onto the ground. "For all those who have tread this path," she whispered, so that only she could hear. "I offer this humble gift, to relieve your pain, to end your suffering, to release your souls." She took a few steps, to make sure she was covering the entire area. "May this healing seep deep into the roots of this place -- past, present, and future -- that hearts, minds, and spirits might be mended, for the greatest good."

She shook the last few drops out of the jar, then screwed the lid back on. Tucking the empty jar back into her jacket, she nudged Roy and Lily. "Okay, it's done."

They quietly separated themselves from the tour group and walked back to the car.

"Flooding from the James River has left sediment and debris here over the years, and the area had become overgrown," the guide droned on. "but various volunteer and student groups have given their time to clean up the docks, cut back the encroaching vegetation, and clear away litter."

They had gotten no more than a couple of yard away when a sudden wind kicked up. Newspapers and fliers bustled by, and men chased their hats down the street. Scarves blew off into the river while ladies planted their hands on their thighs in an effort to keep their skirts down.

"What's happening?" Susana cried out over the whirlwind.

Roy braced himself against a lamp post and held onto both Lily and Susana. "Just some old ghosts, kicking up dust, I guess."

A deep, guttural howl spiraled up from underneath the pavement and cobblestones. Susana could hear the vibration of the desperate moan under her feet. She gripped Roy's arm tighter and glanced up the street toward downtown. Just three blocks away, people stood and stared at what was happening below.

The anguished cry broke the surface and cracked the pavement, shooting up clouds of steam and dirt. The air filled with wail of thousands of souls as the wind whipped with ferocious velocity. The tourists were screaming, down on their knees and clinging to park benches to keep from being blown away. Those who could covered their ears against the horrific sound.

The, just as suddenly and violently as it had arisen. the whirlwind dissipated. The wind slackened to a gentle breeze, then fell still. The massive voice that had threatened to burst ear drums fell silent.

Lily, Susana, and Roy released each other and straightened their clothes. "Well!" Lily exclaimed with a smile. "That was entertaining. Mission accomplished, I guess."

"Jesus," Susana cursed under her breath. "What the hell was that?"

Roy looked down at her and smiled. "You were the one who wanted to start at the top, remember?" He winked at her, then turned around and headed toward the car.

Susana's knees were shaking. Lily grabbed her elbow to help steady her. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Susana held a hand to her forehead, then turned to watch the tour group recovering. Astonishingly, they were all back on their feet already, slowly moving along to the next step on the tour as though nothing had happened.

"Amnesia," Lily commented. "That's convenient. Not uncommon here, though."

Susana turned to her cousin, wanting to ask a question, but having no idea what it might be.

"Come on," Lily nudged her along. "You said you wanted to head over to Hollywood Cemetery next, right?"

* * * * *

It was late afternoon, and it wouldn't be long before the mosquitoes were out in full force. They had stopped off at Stuffy's Subs on Harrison Street to pick up a couple of sandwiches and drinks -- a picnic was the perfect disguise, Roy pointed out, for bringing a jar of brew with them into the cemetery.

Susana parked the car outside the cemetery gate, and they walked in, slowly, careful not to arouse suspicion by hurrying along too quickly.

"This is creepy," Lily commented as they strolled past so many headstones, elaborate stone crosses, and mausoleums.

Susan was surprised. "I thought you held a more enlightened view of death. From the way you handled Tic's passing, with that thing you did, the little ceremony in the garden...?"

"That was different. What I meant was, it's creepy to see so many monuments commemorating death, cluttering up the gardens with useless rocks." Lily shuddered. "It's like a death cult. How can life go on if you let death clutter up a place like this? You keep burying and memorializing everybody, eventually you run out of room. Your whole city becomes a cemetery."

The paved pathway curved left and right, snaking through clusters of worn headstones.

"Cemeteries are for the living," Roy commented as he walked on. "It gives them something to hold onto, when they're not quite ready to let go."

"But who really needs headstones from the 1860s!" Lily complained, pointing to a few stone crosses as they passed by.

"Richmond loves its history," Susana offered in explanation, but Lily ignored her. They rounded another bend and the great pyramid came into view. Ninety feet tall and built of granite stones, the monument to the "Lost Cause" had always given Susana the creeps. She clutched her bag lunch tighter.

"See, this makes more sense to me." Lily gestured toward the pyramid. "Eighteen thousand guys, and one big pile of rocks. It makes its point without taking up a lot of space."

Roy shook his head and laughed. He turned to Susana. "What do you want to do first? Have something to eat, or do what we came here to do?"

Susana smiled anxiously. "I think I'm too nervous to eat anything, right now," she apologized. "But I'm not too sure about this. Is it going to be the same as it was down at the docks?"

Lily walked away and settled down under a nearby tree. Listening to the conversation, she unwrapped her sandwich and started eating.

"I don't think so." Roy looked up to the top of the pyramid. "Eighteen thousand soldiers, eh?"

"Yeah, it's a lot."

"That's nothing compared to the number of people who had come into town by way of those docks, down on the river." Roy uncapped his bottle of lemonade and took a healthy gulp. "That was more than just slaves back there, who had crossed that threshold. You released everyone who had set foot there, at one time or another, and their children, generations of souls, of bonds to this place."

Susana looked at him in wonder. "How, how do you know all this?"

Roy smiled at her sideways, then looked back toward the pyramid. "It's not so much something you know." He tapped the side of his temple. "It's something you feel. Plus, that little commotion by the water? That wasn't the only whirlwind that blew through town."

Susana laughed nervously. "Okay. I can't think about that right now."

Lily called out from under the tree. "Spoken like a true Scarlet O'Hara!"

Susana frowned. "I guess I should just get on with this." After pulling the old spaghetti jar full of potion from her bag, she handed her bag lunch to Roy and walked up toward the base of the pyramid. She was about to call back to them to ask what she was supposed to do, but she knew they would just tell her to go with her gut.

"Hmm." Susana reached out and touched the granite stones, some of which were surprisingly cool in the summer sun. She knew what that meant. "Yes, someone is holding on here.... Several someones." She walked around the base of the monument, running her hand along the stones as she passed. After making a full circuit, she stopped and looked up the length of the structure. She uncapped the jar. "Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself.

She poured out the contents of the jar in a steady stream as she again circled the pyramid. "Release, release," she chanted with each slow step. Coming back to the place she had started, she shook out the remaining drops of liquid and screwed the cap back on the jar. Then she waited.

There was no wind, no earth-shaking howl. Just a gentle song from a chorus of birds in the nearby trees.

Susana blinked at the stones in relief, then turned and walked back to Lily and Roy with a smile. Behind her, she felt -- rather than heard -- a single sigh. She slowed her pace for a moment, then continued on and joined the others for late lunch beneath the shady trees.