Two Wings to Fly Away
Page 26
William introduced the only man who was a stranger to them—the lawyer who was there to explain in detail the ramifications of the Dred Scott decision handed down by the Supreme Court barely a week ago. However, even without his scholarly discourse, it was clear that every person in the room understood the gravity of the situation, and the peril their lives were in. The lawyer spoke clearly and quietly, but with great sadness: He, too, was in as much danger as was every Colored person in the room. As was every Colored person in the United States of America. “One of the things this decision does is nullify the Missouri Compromise. That means there no longer is such a thing as Free States and Slave States. We are citizens in no states. We have no rights in any state, in any place in this country.” The lawyer held up a sheaf of papers. “This now is the law of the land. We are not citizens. We have no rights.”
The silence was frightening in its heaviness. How much did despair and hopelessness weigh? Maggie couldn’t see her husband in his position as guardian of the front door but she addressed him anyway. “You were right, Jack. We should leave for Canada immediately.”
“Can Colored people be citizens in Canada, sir?” Abby inquired of the lawyer.
“There is no law against it,” the lawyer replied. “Nothing like this,” he said, holding up the copy of the Scott decision. “And slavery was abolished in Canada more than thirty years ago.”
More silence, into which Ezra said, “I have heard much talk of war, sir, as a result of this awful decision. Is war possible?”
The lawyer rubbed his side whiskers then nodded. “The Northern states hate this decision as much as the Southern states love it. Even here in Philadelphia there is a resistance building.”
“So . . . should we wait a little while to see if changes are possible?” Maggie asked.
“There are those who think . . .” Abby hesitated, unsure whether to complete the thought. “I have heard it said that war is imminent and inevitable, that it is the only way to resolve the conflict over slavery.”
“I, too, have heard as much,” Ezra said. “Already some of the southern states talk of withdrawing from the Union.”
“How would they do that? Just declare that they no longer belong to the United States?”
“They would go to war against the United States,” Ezra said, “and if they won, they could make slavery legal everywhere.”
“But they’re part of the United States!” William exclaimed.
“They would call themselves something else,” Ezra said. “The Southern States of America. Or something like that.”
Genie was quiet and thoughtful for a while. Then she said, “Then certainly if there is a war we will go to Canada.”
“Will we wait to see who wins?” Abby asked.
Genie shook her head. “That’s a chance I would not want to take. If we’re on the losing side, then it would be too late.”
“If this war happens,” Donald said, standing at attention, “I will fight on the side that is fighting slavery.” Then he looked at the lawyer. “And I’m not an American citizen, either.”
“I am,” Ezra said, “and I, too, will fight against slavery.”
“As will I!” Jack Juniper exclaimed. “If our side wins, then maybe we’ll be citizens.”
“Me, too!” Eli said.
William, Peter Blanding and the lawyer stood and went to shake the hands of the four men who had vowed to fight against slavery—three of them too old to join any army but who would continue to support the cause in any way possible. Arthur, who would not be accepted into any army because of his physical impairment, also shook the hands of the men who would risk their lives if there was war to secure his freedom. He looked from Maggie Juniper to Eugenia Oliver to Abigail Read. Somebody would have to make certain that these women traveled safely to Canada. That, then, would be his task, one he would die for if necessary.
“Wings,” Abby said.
“To fly away,” Genie said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Penny Mickelbury is a pioneering newspaper, radio and television journalist, a career spent primarily in Washington, D.C. She is a teacher of both children (at a Los Angeles Charter Middle School) and adults (in the Los Angeles Public Library’s Adult Literacy Program). And, she is an award-winning playwright and a co-founder of Alchemy: Theatre of Change, a New York-based young people’s acting company. She is the recipient of the Audre Lorde Estate Grant, and she was a resident writer at the Hedgebrook Women Writers Retreat.
Penny loves mystery and history in equal measures. She is the author of The Mimi Patterson/Gianna Maglione Mystery Series (twice short-listed for the Lambda Literary Award), the Carole Ann Gibson Mysteries (winner of a Gold Pen Award by the Black Writers Alliance), and the Phil Rodriquez Mysteries. She has also authored the historical fiction novels, Belle City and Two Wings to Fly Away. Penny has contributed short stories to several mystery collections, including Spooks, Spies and Private Eyes, The Mysterious Naiad, and Send My Love and a Molotov Cocktail!. And, in March 2019, BLF Press published her short story collection, God’s Will and Other Lies.
The love of history and mystery combine to keep Penny busy at her computer: She is well into Book #6 of The Mimi Patterson/Gianna Maglione Mystery Series, and will follow that with a sequel to Two Wings to Fly Away.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing a novel is a solitary pursuit, one that is made so much more comfortable, however, when the writer can feel the support at her back. I write knowing that the women of Bywater Books have my back. Thank you Salem West, Marianne K. Martin, Ann McMan, Kelly Smith, Fay Jacobs, Nancy Squires, and Elizabeth Andersen for your constant presence.
Bywater Books
Copyright © 2019 Penny Mickelbury
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Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61294-150-9
Bywater Books First Edition: May 2019
Cover designer: Ann McMan, TreeHouse Studio
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This novel is a work of fiction. All characters and events described by the author are fictitious. No resemblance to real persons, dead or alive, is intended.
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