Ottaline's foot rolled over and she stumbled forward, catching herself on the dresser. She bit into her lip and focused her intentions on her sister who stood with her arms out. She felt each time she tried to walk that her mind went blank and refused to let her legs work.

"Maybe that is enough for today," Providence said.

"Let's try one last time," Idris said. "Ottaline turn around and walk toward me. Look straight ahead and don't focus on anything else."

Ottaline nodded and used the dresser to bout face. She stood upright on wobbling legs but kept her focus, not on her feet, but on her destination. She slowly raised her arms as she shuffled toward Idris. One foot and then the other, one foot and then the other, one foot— she wobbled but stubbornly forced her knees straight. She had spent enough time on the ground.

"Almost," Idris encouraged. "Almost." As she neared he raised his arms under her elbows and let her take hold of his upper arm. "Good job!" he said.

Ottaline smiled, breathing heavily. She had made it to one of them without falling. She turned herself around and started toward Providence.

"You can rest now," Providence said but her sister was determined.

Ottaline felt the gears turning in her mind like a locomotive starting. One foot and then the other, one foot and then the other. She reached Providence but immediately turned back to Idris who slowly took a step back as she came near him. When she reached him she stopped only to catch her breath then she turned back to Providence who had copied Idris and stepped back further. She reached her sister who caught her by the hands.

"You did it Ottaline!" Providence explained, pulling her into a hug and smiling at Idris over her shoulder. "You walked." She could feel her sister's pounding heart on her own chest. There was a light tap on the door frame and Granville stood there sprinkled with rain.

"What's going on?"

Ottaline gave her sister a sly smile and with her head held up she started for the door. Granville immediately moved to catch her but Idris stopped him. Little by little Ottaline made her way toward Granville who stood in shock.

Ottaline stopped just short of him and smiled. "Will you grade me well, Mr. Heritage?"

Granville thought he would fall to his knees. He opened his arms and embraced her when she reached him.

When she was free of his arms Ottaline turned to her sister and gave her another hug. She then held her at arms' length. "No more waiting on me," she said wiping her tears away.

Providence shrugged. "You're my sister." she said. "I didn't mind at all."

Ottaline smiled then turned to Granville. "Might we go for a walk?"

Granville and Idris laughed. "It's raining," Granville said. "And I still think you should take it slowly. You'll need to build up the strength in your legs again."

"I know how to do that," Ottaline said. "Dancing." She and Providence joined hands and turned in a slow circle.

/

Idris read over the letter to his brother Jessop once more. Not getting a response the first time had not blighted his determination. He took the walk down to the post with Ottaline and Providence so that the former could stretch her legs.

"I wonder if Ishmael Richmond is missing his dog yet," Ottaline said on the way back.

Idris scoffed. "He has probably already had it replaced. He looked up toward the house and halted the girls in their steps when he saw a figure in black coming down the porch. The figure caught sight of them then bolted toward the woods.

"Hey!" Idris shouted after the person and gave chase. Just up the lane the person mounted an appaloosa and pushed the horse into a fast gallop leaving him in the dust. Idris watched the person put distance between them as they jumped the fence into the old cotton patch and storm into the wood.

Providence and Ottaline soon joined him.

"What was that?" Ottaline asked. "Could it be the person from the balcony?"

"No, they were much bigger." Providence said.

Ottaline looked down at the hoof prints and her eyes caught something shiny. She squatted down it picked it up from the dirt and dusted it off. "It's a pin," she said holding it out to Idris. "EAK, what does that mean?"

Idris looked down at the circled silver letters. "I'm not sure," he said. "We'll ask Granville." They left the lane and went up to the porch each still trying to look at the strange pin.

It's was Providence's foot that kicked the envelope across the porch. She quickly picked it up. "This must be why he was up here," she said. "Whoever wrote this needs to work on their hand." She read the script and felt a chill run down her spine. "It has all our names on it."

Inside the three showed their findings to Granville who opened the letter. Everyone closed in around him as he unfolded the paper in the kitchen light.

"Dear, Granville Heritage, Idris St. Cloud, Ottaline and Providence Sabbath," he read. A chill passed through the room.

We hope this letter finds you well. I know you are all very busy but I would like for one of you to come to the enclosed address immediately. The time is fast approaching for us and you will need our help and we yours. With this letter you will find something you have been looking for.

at your service Thomas Thomason."

Granville put down the letter. "Thomas Thomason."

"You know him?" Idris asked.

"We went to medical school together," Granville laughed. "It was funny; Tommy was always mixing things in the back of the class. The teacher said he should be a chemist."

"That must have been embarrassing," Ottaline said.

Granville laughed again. "He quit the class and took chemistry instead," he said. "The last I heard from him he was living in Europe. Then my world fell apart."

"But how would he know to contact you now?" Ottaline asked.

"How does he know all of us by name?" Providence asked.

"The letter says we not I." Idris said. "He is speaking for more than one person."

Granville looked at the pin. "The way you described the person who left this it couldn't have been Thomas. He was over six feet," he said, "so maybe he is a part of the we mentioned in the letter."

Idris picked up the envelope and pulled out another sheet of folded paper. He quickly opened it and felt his throat go tight. "Impossible."

"What is it?" Ottaline asked.

"A list," Idris said. He turned the paper toward them. "A list of ships and ports in the area. Look at number nine."

"SS Kitsune." Providence said.

Granville took the paper. "It's the only one sailing directly to Laurie...and this month too. I've never heard of that ship for as long as I've lived. My father would sometimes take me to Laurie to watch the big steamers come in, I can even recognize some of the names on the list!" He shook his head.

Idris held up a finger. "Or you were too young to remember." he said. "and...Kitsune never made it to Laurie. She wrecked here at False Light Peak." He looked at each face that stared back at him. "Where she was looted. Her wares carried secretly away under the cover of darkness through the tunnels where a little girl saw the devil underground."

Granville gasped. "Rebecca Arnold.  I don't believe it." He looked down at the scheduled date then looked at the calendar by the door. "We don't have much time." He looked at the letter. "I'll go meet Thomas in Illinois. We have to stop that ship."

"Worse than that," Idris said. "If we stop the ship from coming the Richmonds will just plan again. We need to catch them this time."

"Set traps?" Providence questioned.

"Whatever it takes," Granville said. "The letter says the time is approaching. This may be our only chance. But we can't get caught! We all know the consequences of that."

Everyone looked down sadly. A wind blew over the house having passed over the sleepy town of Drinking Water, it's church and cemetery before running off over Richmond Wood to Laurie.

That night the girls lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. It was so quiet they could hear the ticking of a clock form elsewhere in the house. Providence laid there writing a letter in her mind to God. Ottaline lay beside her making plans of her own.