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"Don't apologize for anything, Gabriel. I don't love you any less than I did a minute ago."

I ran up the steps and threw my arms around her. She held me for a moment and kissed my hair, stroking it gently.

"You're a very special girl, very special," she whispered.

Suddenly the screen door was thrown open behind us and we parted.

Daddy stood there, his hair wild, his eyes so bright they looked filled with fireflies.

"I heard it all," he said. His lips twisted between his overgrown mustache and his beard to form in a cold, hard smile. "So this is why you wouldn't marry Nicolas Paxton, huh?"

I started to shake my head, but he turned to Mama. "Don't you worry, Catherine. Don't you worry 'bout nothin'. I'll fix 'im.I'll fix 'im good," he threatened, and pulled out his long, serrated fishing knife.

My legs turned into two sticks of freshly made butter. Mama screamed as I sunk to the gallery floor.

14

Up in Smoke

.

I woke on the sofa in the living room. Mama

had a cold washcloth on my forehead and a glass of water ready for me. I groaned and sat up confused. "What happened, Mama? Why am I on the sofa?"

"You fainted, honey. You'll be all right. Here, drink this," she said, bringing the glass to my lips. I took a few sips and she told me to follow that with a deep breath. As my senses returned, so did my memory.

"Daddy!" I cried, gazing frantically about the room. "He's not here. I chased him away for frightening you," Mama said.

"Where's he gone?" I asked, a twilight gloom pervading my entire being as I recalled the things he had vowed.

"Off to blow some steam at one of his hangouts, I'm sure," she said with a smirk.

"I've got to warn Pierre about him," I said, standing. I wobbled for a moment and Mama steadied me.

"You can't go anywhere just yet, Gabriel. Just rest," Mama insisted. She forced me to sit and lie back on the sofa. "I'll mix up something to help give you strength. You're going to need extra nutrition, as you know," she added.

I swallowed hard, nodded, and closed my eyes. Mama went into the kitchen, but she was there only a moment before I heard her shout, "Oh, mon Dieu!"

I rose as quickly as I could and went to her.

"What's wrong, Mama?"

"There's a fire someplace," she announced, nodding toward the window.

Looking south over the tops of the cypress and willows, I saw where the sky was turning from pink to a darker red, and black smoke was billowing. A flock of rice birds was in a frenzy, madly circling. My heart stopped. It looked like the smoke was coming from the direction of the old Daisy shack. The blood that had been restored drained from my face again.

"Pierre!" I gasped, and turned to run out of the house. "Gabriel! Gabriel, where are you going?"

I didn't wait to reply. Instead, I nearly tripped over the steps, but caught myself on the railing as I whipped around the corner and down the pathway to the dock.

"Gabriel! Come back!" Mama shouted behind me.

I broke into a run. As soon as I stepped into my pirogue, I gathered all the-strength I could muster and pushed away from the dock. My chest felt as if I had swallowed a ball of pins, all sticking into my lungs, but I didn't pause even though the pole felt ten times as heavy. My shoulders ached with the strain. I grew dizzy again and feared falling over into the water. I could pass out and drown, I thought, but I took a deep breath and continued, determined. This was a very big fire! I had to see if Pierre was all right.

More of my strength returned as I gazed ahead and saw the sparks floating skyward on the shoulders of the smoke. Minutes later I could see the actual flames licking at the darkness. Their glow illuminated the water. Alligators, frogs, snakes, and even the fish retreated deeper into the swamp. By the time I reached the dock, the entire shack

was engulfed, its walls crumbling, the roof collapsed. Despite the distance, I could feel the heat on my face.