Cornelius had never told Caroline of the nights after Jacques -Louis first
arrived at Everlea. The many times he had found him wanderi ng the barn
distressed and disorientated. He would call Cornelius ‘Maman’ and grasp
Cornelius’ s hand and ask him was it true? Did he really live? And he would
ask, ‘Where is Hannah? Where is Hannah?’
Cornelius had soothed him, sh epherded him back to bed, resting his
hand upon Jacques-Louis’ brow as he pulled up the covers. And he would
wait there, soothing him, until at last Jacques-Louis dropped into sle ep, his
breath becoming a light snore.
There were other nights when Cornelius woke to screaming and it was
hard to know at first who screamed, for on occasion it was Jacques-Louis in
the loft beyond, and sometimes it was his own frenzied voice calling for his
children who were being pulled away from him. The man imprisoned night
after night by his dreams, Cornelius knew. That was a perpetu al sentence.
No notice in the weekly gazette declaring your emancipation.
After the events that followed Swanston’ s party, it was Jacques-Louis
who had tended to Cornelius. Made a salve when the burns on his chest
became infected . Washed his clothes and made his food. Cared for him as if
he were a child.
Cornelius had languished from a fever that took weeks to ease. He saw
over and over the light going out of El Diablo’ s eyes. He remembered the
weight of the man’s body as he and Jacques-Louis had carried him far into
the forest. He remembered Caroline in the moonlight carrying shovels. He
remembered the pain of digging , the fervour as they made the hole de eper
and de eper, so that no man or woman would ever come across it in years to
come. No bones would be washed to the surface after a heavy rain or be
unearthed by dogs.
It was Caroline who had thought of the items left in Clementi’ s room in
Hobart. She had suggested Jacques-Louis wear the man’s frock coat and
hat, and take a horse. How strange his resemblance to El Diablo as he rode
away.
When Jacques-Louis reappeared at the forge, all Clementi’ s things of
cloth, leather and paper were added to the fire. The things of metal,
including money, buttons and the knife, were melted down until they
became brittle. Then Cornelius had pounded them into dust.