The Diviners

“No, ma’am. Nothing else.”

Sister Walker nodded slowly. “All right, then. Memphis, how old are you, again?”

“Seventeen.”

“Seventeen,” Sister Walker said, as if it meant something, though Memphis couldn’t imagine what that would be. “And have you ever been able to read cards like Isaiah? Anything like that?”

Memphis wasn’t sure if Sister Walker knew about his past as a healer. They’d never discussed it, and he couldn’t see the sense in telling her now. It wasn’t the same as Isaiah’s talents, and besides, it was gone. “No, ma’am. I guess all the gifts went to Isaiah,” he said without bitterness, just as a statement of fact. “Thank you for the cookie.”

Sister Walker laughed. “Memphis, it doesn’t take a Diviner to tell me you didn’t like that cookie one bit.”

“Just not very hungry, ma’am. That’s all.” Memphis gave her the smile even though he was pretty sure Sister Walker could see through that, too.

Back in the dining room, Memphis rubbed the top of Isaiah’s head and said, “Time to get going, Shrimpy.”

“Isaiah,” Sister Walker called. “You been having any interesting dreams lately?” She gave Memphis a surreptitious wink.

“Yes, ma’am! I dreamed I caught a frog. It was the biggest frog you ever seen, and it let me ride on its back—just me and nobody else!”

Sister Walker gave Memphis a look as if to say, You see? Nothing to worry about. “Well, it’s a shame that frog isn’t here to give you a ride home. Oh, don’t forget your book, now.”

She handed Isaiah the book and gave his narrow shoulders a gentle squeeze. Isaiah took her hands in his and looked up at her in worry. “You should be careful with that chair, Sister.”

“What chair is that?”

“The kitchen chair.”

“Isaiah, let’s go.” Memphis yanked on his brother’s sleeve.

“All right, then. I’ll be careful. You go on home now, before you get us into trouble with your auntie.”

Sister Walker waved in farewell as she watched the boys walking away, arguing about silly things the way brothers do. Memphis was hiding something from her; she could sense it. The old Margaret would’ve been able to find out what it was without too much trouble. But that was the past, and she was concerned with the future. When she’d come to Harlem six months ago, hunting for Memphis Campbell, she’d thought he was that future. Funny how things worked out. But now she had Isaiah. And if she was right about what lay ahead, she needed to prepare him for what was coming.

Much later, she went to retrieve a dish she needed from the tall cabinet, pulling the kitchen chair over so that she could reach it. As she stood reaching, the leg gave way and she crashed to the kitchen floor, banging her shoulder and knee. She was fine—just shaky and sore—but the chair was ruined. And with a chill, she remembered Isaiah’s words to her: You should be careful with that chair, Sister.

THE GOOD CITIZEN

The Pillar of Fire Church was situated on eighty bucolic acres of former farmland in Zarephath, New Jersey. Evangelist Alma Bridwell White had established a community there along the Millstone River, far from what she saw as the corrupting influence of the world. Her followers had all they needed—communal living, a college, and a church. Outsiders were discouraged.

Sam drove up a long dirt driveway bordered by neat, fat rows of firs, which gave way to a cluster of white two-story buildings on a pretty, parklike campus. Men and women in modest clothing walked about, greeting one another with pleasant smiles.

“They don’t look much like killers,” Evie remarked.

“They never do,” Sam muttered.

They were met at the administration building by a Mr. Adkins, a beefy, balding man with a square jaw and a very firm handshake. “The Pillar of Fire Church welcomes you.” Jericho and Evie introduced themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and Sam was Mr. Smith, Jericho’s cousin who had graciously offered to drive them in his car.

“What a fine family,” Mr. Adkins said. “Just our sort of people.”

He led them briefly around the grounds and took them through the church with its enormous pipe organ. Back in the administration building, they passed through a dining hall, where several ladies in identical blue skirts and white blouses sat at a long table assembling pamphlets. They smiled and waved as if it were a church supper and Evie, Sam, and Jericho were their invited guests, and Evie couldn’t help imagining those same welcoming faces illuminated by the flames of a burning cross in the night. A bead of sweat trickled down her back under her dress.