As Meat Loves Salt (47 page)

Botts went on, ‘All I could do was pour wine down. We marched the next day.' He shook his head, as if to say it was a bad business, yet his face gleamed. 'I've seen men cut in pieces, and some half burnt to death - there's this smell—'

'I beg of you, no more,' said Ferris, whose upper lip was sweating.

Ah well, that's it with you civilians,' said Botts contemptuously.

'Civilians? I was at Naseby and Basing-House.'

'Then you'll know I speak nothing but the plain truth. You'll have seen it.'

'It is
because
I've seen it—' my friend turned away, understanding that here was a man devoid of imagination, and consequently incapable of mercy. Botts seemed not at all offended, and made his way over to the Domremys, who backed off a little as he approached.

'I wouldn't let him lay hand on a dog,' Ferris whispered to me. 'Who's missing? Apart from Jane Seabright.'

'The one with the thumb?'

'With no thumb. Nathaniel Buckler.'

He called the guests to order and requested everyone to sit round the table. There was much scraping of chairs. I observed that Mistress Walker had attached herself to Keats, and that none wished to sit by Botts. Hathersage interposed himself between that gentleman and the dairymaids, for which I liked him the better, for I was sure he relished Botts no more than I did myself. Hepsibah Tunstall was on my right, and Ferris on my left. On Ferris's left was Jack Wilkinson, staring anxiously at my friend as if afraid he might be Beelzebub in disguise. His wife's eyes roamed about the table, noting the disposition of the company and the alliances which had formed in this short space of time.

Ferris stood. 'Well, friends,’ he began, 'not all of us are here present, but it seems best to proceed. Please to take one of these pamphlets,’ he laid his hand on a pile of our best efforts, 'and read to see if we are at least in some sort of agreement. Will that suit?'

Keats put up his hand. 'It behoves us to start so great an undertaking with a prayer.'

Hathersage and the Domremys nodded.

'You do right to remind me,' said Ferris smoothly. 'Be so kind as to lead us, Mister Keats.'

The tailor stumbled through a lengthy plea for mercy, which I was sure must irritate Ferris, and just as we seemed got to the end he announced time for each of us here to search his heart and put out any worldly or unclean thought. The result of this pious wish, for me, was that the prayer time was filled with unclean thoughts, and again I wondered how we could possibly live with these people, doing as we did.

At last we were done praying. I handed each guest a pamphlet,

and, since some of the company were unlettered, Ferris read
The Rules of the Community
aloud.

1. Every man to be considered as equal to every other man, women not excepted: none is to be considered the servant or inferior of another unless by some wrong or shameful action he do forfeit his freedom, and even in that case he must first be given warning and only deprived of freedom after repeated warnings and for a limited time, unless the act that he has committed be so grave (such as
rapine
or
murder)
as to render him a danger unto others.

2. All property to be held in common, including Harvest, which is to be kept in common storehouses.

3. Women to be free to choose their husbands, as men to choose their wives. None, man or woman, to be forced into an unwished marriage, and in place of dowries the common storehouse.

Ferris was still looking after his Joanna.

4.
 
Children being the jewels of a community, all must keep them safe.

5. No force to be used in our commonwealth. Nor should violence be offered to oppressors, for to strike back is to sink to their level, and at worst will but furnish them with a pretence that they must needs defend themselves; under which they will do us greater injury.

'And if they be sent by the landlord,' added Ferris, 'why, we know which way that battle will go. Best not engage.' He laid down the paper. 'This is rough, and not as well expressed as it might be. More follows, but shall we talk over this first part now?'

They bade him read it again. All the men looked happy at the first rule, glad to be the equals of their one-time betters, until they understood that they were also to lose their inferiors, and more especially the women.

'The Bible says woman is subject unto man,' said Jeremiah. Harry, closely watched by Elizabeth, maintained silence.

"Their bodies are frail because their minds are likewise,' said Botts. 'Women lack full reason and have only a shallow imitative cunning.'

'My aunt is as clever as anyone here,' Ferris said. 'Has an ox more wit than a man, only because it is bigger and heavier?'

Jeremiah frowned. 'Given freedom, they may run wild.'

'Begging your pardons, I've as much liberty now as I'd have digging the land,' put in Susannah Domremy. 'Catherine and I earn our own bread and are as chaste as married women — nay, chaster than many.'

Fleming sniggered.

"This will be a life of hardship, not dissipation,' Ferris said. "There will scarce be time for running wild. What is more, if our sisters wish to embrace that life, and we oppose them, it may be that we oppose a working of the spirit. Shall we give direction to the Lord God where He must pour His Grace?'

This, for the time being, settled the matter. I admired Ferris's adroitness.

'Shall we have tobacco?' asked Fleming.

'I had not thought to forbid anything,' Ferris answered. 'But there will be little opportunity to obtain it. Our time shall be spent working, not sitting about.'

'What about strong drink?' asked Tunstall.

Keats glanced at him nervously. 'Do you fear intemperance and disorder?'

'Where wine, Hollands and suchlike are permitted there will be drinking to excess,'Tunstall said. 'I had rather we did not allow them.'

'Wine is a useful medicine,' put in Susannah Domremy.

'Is there anyone here,' asked Ferris, 'who holds wine an absolute necessity of life?'

No hands were raised.

"Then we are unlikely to quarrel,' he concluded. 'We can settle on wine, or no wine, later.'

I smiled, thinking that the person most likely to feel pinched for lack of wine was Ferris himself.

My friend now produced a clean sheet of paper and asked the company to say when they could come away and begin digging, and what they could bring into the community. Hathersage promised ten pounds and some seeds from his master's kitchen garden, the Domremys a milch-cow, in calf, and some four or five large cheeses. The Tunstalls thought they could persuade their master, who was kind, to give them some turving and drainage spades, hoes and flails packed up by accident and still kept at home but never used since the family came to live in London. Fleming suggested a small anvil and hammers, Botts his surgical instruments (I shuddered) and
materia medica.
In addition, everyone was to bring clothing and bedding for themselves and any extra that they could spare. Eunice Walker said she was unsure what she could contribute, and would think about it. I was convinced we would not see her again. Keats promised to bring all the stuffs he could fetch away, and particularly the heavier ones such as wool for cloaks and canvas for tents. The Wilkinsons were silent, considering.

Over the date of their setting off, the company were much less forthcoming, and here methought I smelt duplicity. Our best chances were the Tunstalls, the Domremys, Hathersage and Keats. Hathersage thought he could come in a month, that is, in mid-March; the man and wife said perhaps six weeks. The young women and Keats, being masterless, thought they could manage it soonest. Some of the others, like Fleming and Botts, were so vague that I felt they did not mean to come at all, and I rejoiced at it.

Ferris, quick to learn, anticipated Keats by saying Grace before we had our pasties and cabbage. Afterwards we drank toasts to fraternity, and to the future under God's guidance. I was bored with the food, the company, and the whole idea of the colony, and grew increasingly silent as they chattered on. Ferris glanced at me from time to time. The cabbage was oversalted, and I left it on my plate.

When they were all gone I took up the list from the table. 'What's it worth, think you?' my friend asked. 'Nothing, most of it.' He nodded wearily. 'Some few are honest and able, the rest—'

'You need not go,' I risked.

Ferris stared away from me out of the window.

'Have you thought,' I pursued, 'what will happen to us - to
us -
among so many? Are we going to lie in the fields?'

'Men did in the army.'

I bit back the question that at once rose on my lips, and instead replied, 'We'll live side by side with them for months, years.’ Bitterness rose in me. "That
was
the army, never alone with you.'

'You were too jealous,' Ferris said. 'Too harsh with the men.'

I put my hands on his shoulders and turned him about so I could look him in the eye. 'You knew what ailed me.'

Ferris returned my look. 'Aye, but did you?'

'You let me suffer.'

'Unjust,' he said. 'Had I offered myself, you would have despised—

'You didn't want me — you had Nathan—'

'But now we understand—'

'Ferris,’I was exasperated; I forced myself to lower my voice. 'We've had three nights and you want to throw it away.'

'No, Jacob! I—'

'It will never be as you hope! You saw what came of such things in the army - you see these people, how they are -
will you not give the thing up?'

'Call it pride if you like.' His face was grown noble. He terrified me, for I perceived that, thought being painful, he had ceased thinking.

'Isn't pride a sin?' I urged.

"There's pride and pride. You and I are different kinds of men.'

I was offended and left him.

During the next two weeks he began putting in order his lists of things needed for working the soil, lists made long before and often looked over, but never finished. I was sent on errands to bring home various tools, and to bespeak an ox-cart and plough to be collected nearer the time. All this time I was utterly sick of soul. He called me

into his chamber one morning and showed me a small box full of gold.

"This is a part of my savings,' he said. "The rest will stay home with Aunt.'

'If Hathersage is putting in all he has, should you not do like wise?' I asked unkindly.

'We don't know it is all he has,' responded Ferris. 'This is still more than anyone else is putting in, and is not just for me but for all of us. To be buried and kept secret in case of dire need.'

'What need?'

'O, supposing you were hurt,' and he looked at me so lovingly that I was ashamed. What right had I, eating his bread and living like a lord, to say anything at all?

Ferris said, 'I had a key made for you. Here, take it.' He held out a ribbon and I ducked my head; Ferris pushed the key inside the neck of my shirt where I felt it slip down my breast like a drop of cold water.

'I'll be out this evening,' he announced. 'Dan and his wife have invited me to dine and rest there the night.'

'I'm not invited, then?'

'The house is tiny and the babe fractious. They entertain none but old friends.'

I felt that if invited, I would hardly enjoy it. Yet the prospect of dining with Aunt brought no pleasure neither. The more Ferris sent me out for boxes, vessels, skins or seeds, the more she seemed to blame me for the whole affair.

In the afternoon, Ferris poring over his lists again, I took a walk down by the river to kill time. The wind was bitter, and so strong as to almost push me over.

'I have told you already.' Ferris stood up and rubbed the small of his back. 'Let's not quarrel. I leave in half an hour for Daniel's.'

'Where's Aunt?' I suddenly realised I had not seen her since the day before, and then only briefly.

'She keeps her room.'

'That makes two of us miserable on account of your colony.'

He went back to scribbling his latest list. I paced up and down, unable to settle.

'Now you are jealous of Dan,' said Ferris. 'I knew this was coming.'

I snorted. 'What's it to me if you drink yourself sick?'

'Peace! I won't be sick. You shall see.' He folded up the list. 'Do you think you could learn to sew tents, if I got you a pattern?'

I considered. The idea interested me, but I was not to be so easily won over. 'Let me practise on some cheap stuff,' I said at last.

'That's the way!' He rose, spat in his hand and clapped it to mine to seal the bargain. 'I may get a pattern tonight. There's a man coming who put up tents in the army.'

'Pity we never got under any,' I said. 'You won't stay longer than tomorrow?'

'For shame, Jacob. What did I say to you last night?' He cocked his head to one side, smiling, teasing me. 'Does a man who says that want to stay away?'

The memory of his praises and pleadings made me flush up. Looking at him, I thought how much more beautiful is a man's smile than a woman's: more force and fire. He left the room unopposed, my kisses drying on his mouth.