The Titans (16 page)

The Titans231 He dashed out of the kitchen, leaving Bertha staring after him in bewilderment. She kicked at the litter of dish fragments, then shook her head. Jephtha Kent grinning like a fool and capering like a schoolboy was just one more symptom of the craziness infecting Washington City like a disease. He stole into the dark of Molly's bedroom. Smelled the familiar, warm scent of her. Slipped to the edge of the bed and sat down carefully. He found her temple; brushed his palm across her unbound hair: "Molly? Molly, I'm back-was She sat up with violent suddenness. "Who is it? Bertha-to " He pressed a hand over her mouth. "Sssh! Nobody's come to rob you." "Jephtha?" Some of the sleepiness was gone from her voice. "It's me. Safe and whole. Molly, I saw her! She's going to let me talk to the boys. Jeremiah's right in the hotel-he was asleep. Gideon's in Richmond, hoping to enlist on the other side. But he'll be back. She's going to send a note around when he-was "Jephtha, wait!" "What?" "First you wake me up and then you talk so fast I can't make sense of it-was Molly pressed against his arm as she sat up straighter. The warm feel of her soft breast heightened his exhilaration. "I've been scared to death all day. And it's your fault." "Why?" "Right after you left, I discovered my gun was gone. 232The Bait I thought-I thought you might be planning to use it on-was She stopped. "On Fan?" He laughed. "Never. I took it because I thought I should be prepared in case there was a row at the theater. I should have told you, but I was in a hurry-was It was not quite the truth, he admitted to himself. If things had worked out differently, his anger might have driven him to use the Sharps to force Fan to- Don't think that way. You were wrong about her. "You're damn right you should have told me!" Molly leaned her cheek against his. "I fretted the whole day-was More quietly: "You had no trouble with her?" "None. She's changed, Molly. Mellowed. Oh, she's still partisan. But we had a cordial visit-was He slipped off his coat and let it fall on the floor, then put his arm around her. "Of course I paved the way by helping her husband out of a little scrape. I suppose you heard about what happened at the Canterbury-?" He felt her head nod against his stubbled cheek. He needed to wash up. He felt filthy. The aches caused by the fight were hurting again. "One of the boarders-Mr. Fly-was there," she said. "And white as milk when he got back. He said he didn't show favoritism to either side. But someone nearly bashed his head in anyway. I want you to tell me about it. Right from the beginning." "Of course. But the most important part relates to what you said last night. About looking for the goodness in Fan. It's there, Molly. It's really there." Tenderly: "You sound as if you're ready to cry." "Damn near am-was He sniffed; cleared his throat. Then he described the evening's events, including the encounter with Dorn, The Titans233 though he minimized the severity of the figfct She reached for the lamp: "I want to see how badly he hurt you. Jephtha, let go of my wrist!" "Molly, I'm fine. Couldn't be better-believe me." She stopped struggling. His voice dropped to a near whisper: "When I knocked on the door at the National, I still didn't have much hope. But some things do come out right after all-was He finished telling her about the talk with Fan. She didn't speak immediately. He thumped his boots down beside the bed, unbuttoned his shirt and trousers and slid them off. He added his singlet and underdrawers to the pile and negotiated his way to the washstand. The water was tepid, but he felt better after scrubbing and drying his face and hands. As he was hanging the damp towel on its peg, she said: "Jephtha?" "Mmm?" "I'm thankful you'll get to visit with your boys." "You? How do you think I feel!" "I can hear it in your voice. I'm happy for you for another reason, too. Lately, you haven't seen much of-was She sounded hesitant. "comof God's handiwork in anything." "I know." Naked, he stretched out beside her, holding back a groan. He worked his left arm under her shoulder, kissed her cheek. "I know," he repeated. "I'd like to think it was God's work and not just luck." Hugging her, he pulled up the cover with the other hand. "Whichever it was, I haven't felt so good in years." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "With everyone in Washington so angry and afraid, finding a little goodness in the world is almost a miracle." 234The Bait "Yes. And you helped it happen. Without you, I'd never have been able to go to her. Or keep my temper." He was troubled that he still wasn't admitting everything. He remembered his rage over Fan's first confused accusations about hurting Lamont. But he didn't mention it, whispering instead: "I thank you." "Well-was She was only half teasing. "comsaving a good man from a bad impulse is more important than saving string or butcher's paper." He wrapped her in his arms and drew her tight against him, reveling in the feel of her supple body and soft hair against his face. He found her mouth; kissed her- Molly murmured. The tension seemed to drain from her. The lovemaking that followed was a celebration; an outpouring of their mutual relief and happiness, and a temporary escape from the anguish of a city and a land growing darker by the hour. Afterward, they fell asleep in each other's arms. m Next morning-Wednesday-Jephtha rose at sunup. He ignored Molly's plea that he let her treat the purpling marks on his face, snatched a slice of bread for breakfast and went directly to the Evening Star office. He spent two hours completing a dispatch describing the riot at Canterbury Hall, pausing only to light a cigar, say good morning to the Negro sweep or fend off sarcastic or bawdy questions about his distinctly unclerical bruises. As he was gathering up his copy to take it to the telegraph office, one of the Star's reporters, a likable chap named Van Dyne, arrived at his desk across the aisle. "Abe's gag order isn't holding fast, Jephtha." Van The Titans235 Dyne waggled a fist full of notes. "I've been to State and War. A few loose tongues are getting looser." Jephtha stuffed his dispatch in his pocket. "What have you got?" He and Van Dyne had shared sources and information before. "Yirst, a general impression. The town is unprotected. Panic's setting in. For specifics, I picked up these-was He spread the notes on the desk top. "Snippets of some of the telegraph messages from governors who said no to the appeal for troops. Listen to old John Letcher down in Richmond-was Van Dyne read aloud: "Militia of Virginia will not be furnished to the powers at Washington-so on and so on-your object is to subjugate the Southern states-so on-an object, in my judgment, not within the purview of the Constitution- now here's the gut of it. You have chosen to inaugurate civil war, and having done so, we will meet it in a spirit as determined as the Administration has exhibited toward the South" Jephtha whistled. "Pretty stiff." "But predictable. And mild in comparison to some of the rest-was He picked out another sheet. "Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister Southern states." "Lincoln was hoping Kentucky'd support him." "Well, Magoffin's a stubborn old bastard. That's probably his final word. It gets worse. Here's Isham Harris. Tennessee will not furnish a single man for purposes of coercion, but fifty thousand if necessary for the defense of our rights and those of our Southern brethren. He turned the paper over. "Governor Jackson of Missouri. Note his admirable restraint-was He pointed to the phrases one by one. "Unholy crusade. Illegal, unconstitutional, and revolutionary in its object, inhuman and diabolical . . . Oh, yes. One more-was Van Dyne smiled wearily. "Cannot be complied with." 236The Bait Jephtha shook his head. "If Lincoln loses all the border states, the situation's worse than ever." "Correct. I'm beginning to wonder if Abe's as smart as they say. Maybe he shouldn't have requested troops from men like Magoffin and Jackson." "I suppose he was gambling they'd at least stay neutral." "If he was, he lost the throw. Virginia's the key, though. The state everyone's waiting for-was He spun in his chair and shouted, "Mr. Wallach? Anything from Dennis in Richmond?" "Not yet, Mr. Van Dyne." The Star's editor was a salty, paradoxical little man. He was a Democrat; strongly sympathetic to the South, yet insistent on the preservation of the Union. He added, "Either the secession convention's still sitting, or the young whelp's malingering in some saloon. Knowing Mr. Dennis, it could be both." Jephtha said to Van Dyne, "I talked to your man who covers the depot. He said there's still no word on when the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts troops will arnve." "If they don't get here, we're in bad straits." Van Dyne rubbed his eyes. "I should have stayed in Louisville. I thought working on a Washington paper would promote my career. Instead, I've promoted myself onto a sinking ship. Without lifeboats." He gathered up his notes and started to write. Jephtha set off for the telegraph office in the glowing sunlight. He wasn't cheered by what he'd learned from Van Dyne. More and more, Washington City had the feel of an enclave surrounded by enemies. Enemies who would strike soon, and hard. The Titans237 iv The city's situation deteriorated even further during the rest of the day. Jephtha spent the late morning and early afternoon visiting government departments in search of usable material. Van Dyne hadn't exaggerated. The mood was the same everywhere: anxiety bordering on outright panic. Talking off the record, a contact at the War Department spoke of two major dangers. First, for communication with the rest of the country, Washington was completely dependent on the telegraph wires and the single BandO line from Baltimore, Second, Federal facilities in the area stood a good chance of being captured if, as reliable sources said, Virginia militiamen were already massing in the state capital. Of chief concern were Fort Monroe guarding the entrance to Chesapeake Bay; Harper's Ferry with its store of arms and valuable tools for the manufacture of rifles; and the huge Cos- port Navy Yard down at Norfolk. An three were vulnerable to a swift thrust from Richmond. Back at the Star in the late afternoon, Jephtha described the danger in his second dispatch of the day. While he was writing, a boy brought him a telegraph message from Theo Payne. The editor again demanded the Lee interview. Jephtha threw Payne's message on the floor and kept writing. Moments later, a reporter dropped a small envelope on his paper-strewn desk: "Nigger kid just delivered this to the front door." Jephtha laid his pen aside. The envelope was addressed to Mr. J. Kent, Esq., csto Evening Star Offices. The handwriting was beautiful but unmistakably masculine. 238The Bait He opened the envelope. When he noted the signature, his brows shot up in surprise. My dear Kent: Feeling much better this morning. Thus I am moved to thank you again for your brave action on my behalf. Though you and I, of necessity, can never share the same political views, I respect and admire your courage. I have been comwishing I could express my gratitude in a more tangible manner. A new development suggests that perhaps I can. Although information I receive from my fellow Southerners is sketchy in the extreme, one visitor this morning did offer a tidbit you might find useful. I was led to understand that when Union troops bound for this city attempt to pass through Baltimore, certain combinations of men will make the passage difficult if not impossible. I have no idea whether the information is reliable; very possibly not. But if it is reliable, and circulating to a person such as myself, with no official connections whatsoever, it is not precisely secret. Therefore I need not feel guilty about relaying it to you for your professional use. Last evening I saw proof that you are a man of probity. Therefore, I trust you will not reveal the source of the above information, but only utilize it as you see fit. Tendering once again my most sincere thanks for your help, I remain Yours obediently, Edw. Lamont Jephtha stared at the large, ostentatious signature. He tried to detect any hint of spaciousness in the letter. He couldn't; Washington was indeed flooded with rumors that the divided citizenry of Maryland might interfere The Titans239 with the soldiers headed for the capital. Lamont had done little more than provide a confirmation-though a prettv strong one. The tip might be worth a follow-up. There was one problem. As he'd told Van Dyne, no one knew exactly when the relief regiments would be coming through Baltimore. He decided to ignore the lead temporarily. He laid the letter on the desk. It was probably wiser to stay in Washington than go chasing up to Baltimore after a story that might or might not materialize. On Thursday the mail trains began to run late. The Star's man assigned to the depot reported stories of mobs wandering the Baltimore streets after dark. That same morning, Jephtha learned, Colonel Lee rode in across Long Bridge, bound on some mysterious errand. The clerks and assistant secretaries taking a late breakfast at Willard's had haggard faces. In the government offices, the lamps had burned until sunrise. The pattern would continue, as more and more men with Southern loyalties resigned their posts and left shrinking staffs to handle increasingly heavier work loads. Defense planning was made more difficult by a lack of information, weary men complained to Jephtha. Additional troops were said to be coming from Rhode Island. The elegant and prestigious Seventh New York was also on the way. But when would the troops arrive? Where would they be housed? How would they be fed? No one seemed to know- Just as no one seemed prepared to answer the most crucial question: Would they come in tinie? 240The Bait By late afternoon, Jephtha was starved. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. And he was worn out from rushing between the hotels and President's Park. But the effort had finally yielded one piece of important news. John Nicolay had told him that, the preceding evening, the Virginia convention had finally voted eighty-eight to fifty-five in favor of an ordinance of secession. Governor Letcher had alerted all of the state's volunteer regiments to be prepared for immediate service. Jephtha raced back to the Star to write his copy. A sense of obligation made him stop at Wallach's desk and pass along the information. Instantly, Wallach yelled a stop-press order. Reporters streamed toward the editor. Jephtha repeated his news and Wallach began issuing assignments. Men ran for the door. Others dashed for pens and copy paper. In the pandemonium, Jephtha went to his own desk, where he discovered another sealed envelope. It too bore a man's handwriting. But