【Barn-Burning】

1BarnBurningWilliamFaulknerThestoreinwhichthejusticeofthePeace'scourtwassitting1smelledofcheese.Theboy,crouchedonhisnailkegatthebackofthecrowdedroom,knewhesmelledcheese,andmore:fromwherehesathecouldseetherankedshelvesclose-packedwiththesolid,squat,dynamicshapesoftincanswhoselabelshisstomachread,notfromtheletteringwhichmeantnothingtohismindbutfromthescarletdevilsandthesilvercurveoffish-this,thecheesewhichheknewhesmelledandthehermetic2meatwhichhisintestinesbelievedhesmelledcominginintermittentgustsmomentaryandbriefbetweentheotherconstantone,thesmellandsensejustalittleoffearbecausemostlyofdespairandgrief,theoldfiercepullofblood.HecouldnotseethetablewheretheJusticesatandbeforewhichhisfatherandhisfather'senemy(ourenemyhethoughtinthatdespair;ourn!mineandhisnboth!He'smyfather!)stood,buthecouldhearthem,thetwoofthemthatis,becausehisfatherhadsaidnowordyet:Butwhatproofhaveyou,Mr.Harris?Itoldyou.Thehoggotintomycorn.Icaughtitupandsentitbacktohim.Hehadnofencethatwouldholdit.Itoldhimso,warnedhim.ThenexttimeIputthehoginmypen.WhenhecametogetitIgavehimenoughwiretopatchuphispen.ThenexttimeIputthehogupandkeptit.IrodedowntohishouseandsawthewireIgavehimstillrolledontothespoolinhisyard.Itoldhimhecouldhavethehogwhenhepaidmeadollarpoundfee.Thateveninganiggercamewiththedollarandgotthehog.Hewasastrangenigger.Hesaid,'Hesaytotellyouwoodandhaykinburn3.'Isaid,'What?''Thatwhuthesaytotellyou,'theniggersaid.'Woodandhaykinburn.'Thatnightmybarnburned.IgotthestockoutbutIlostthebarn.Whereisthenigger?Haveyougothim?Hewasastrangenigger,Itellyou.Idon'tknowwhatbecameofhim.Butthat'snotproof.Don'tyouseethat'snotproof?Getthatboyuphere.Heknows.ForamomenttheboythoughttoothatthemanmeanthisolderbrotheruntilHarrissaid,Nothim.Thelittleone.Theboy,and,crouching,smallforhisage,smallandwiry4likehisfather,inpatchedandfadedjeanseventoosmallforhim,withstraight,uncombed,brownhairandeyesgrayandwildasstormscud5,hesawthemenbetweenhimselfandthetablepartandbecomealaneofgrimfaces,attheendofwhichhesawthejustice,ashabby,collarless,grayingmaninspectacles,beckoninghim.Hefeltnofloorunderhisbarefeet;heseemedtowalkbeneaththepalpable6weightofthegrimturningfaces.Hisfather,stiffinhisblackSundaycoat7donned8notforthetrialbutforthemoving,didnotevenlookathim.Heaimsformetolie,hethought,againwiththatfranticgriefanddespair.AndIwillhavetodohit.What'syourname,boy?thejusticesaid.ColonelSartorisSnopes9,theboywhispered.Hey?theJusticesaid.Talklouder.ColonelSartoris?IreckonanybodynamedforColonelSartorisinthiscountrycan'thelpbuttellthetruth,canthey?Theboysaidnothing.Enemy!Enemy!hethought;foramomenthecouldnotevensee,couldnotseethatthejustice'sfacewaskindlynordiscernthathisvoicewastroubledwhenhespoketothemannamedHarris:Doyouwantmetoquestionthisboy?Buthecouldhear,andduringthosesubsequentlongsecondswhiletherewasabsolutelynosoundinthecrowdedlittleroomsavethatofquietandintentbreathingitwasasifhehadswungoutwardattheendofagrapevine,overaravine,andatthetopoftheswinghadbeencaughtinaprolongedinstantofmesmerized10gravity,weightlessintime.No!Harrissaidviolently,explosively.Damnation!Sendhimoutofhere!Nowtime,thefluidworld,rushedbeneathhimagain,thevoicescomingtohimagainthroughthesmellofcheeseandsealedmeat,thefearanddespairandtheoldgriefofblood:Thiscaseisclosed.Ican'tfindagainstyou,Snopes,butIcangiveyouadvice.Leavethiscountryanddon'tcomebacktoit.Hisfatherspokeforthefirsttime,hisvoicecoldandharsh,level11,withoutemphasis:Iaimto.Idon'tfiguretostayinacountryamongpeoplewho…hesaidsomethingunprintable12andvile,addressedtonoone.That'lldo,theJusticesaid.Takeyourwagonandgetoutofthiscountrybeforedark.Casedismissed.Hisfatherturned,andhefollowedthestiffblackcoat,thewiryfigurewalkingalittlestiffly13fromwhereaConfederate14provost's15man'smusketballhadtakenhimintheheelonastolenhorsethirtyyearsago16,followedthetwobacksnow,sincebetweenthetwolinesofgrim-facedmenandoutofthestoreandacrosstheworngalleryanddownthesaggingstepsandamongthedogsandhalf-grownboysinthemildMaydust17,whereashepassedavoicehissed:Barnburner!Againhecouldnotsee,whirling;therewasafaceinaredhaze,moonlike,biggerthanthefull2moon,theownerofithalfagainitssize,heleapingintheredhazetowardtheface,feelingnoblow,feelingnoshockwhenhisheadstrucktheearth,scrabblingupandleapingagain,feelingnoblowthistimeeitherandtastingnoblood,scrabblinguptoseetheotherboyinfullflightandhimselfalreadyleapingintopursuitashisfather'shandjerkedhimback,theharsh,coldvoicespeakingabovehim:Gogetinthewagon.Itstoodinagroveoflocustsandmulberriesacrosstheroad.HistwohulkingsistersintheirSundaydressesandhismotherandhersisterincalico18andsunbonnetswerealreadyinit,sittingonandamongthesorryresidueofthedozenandmoremovingswhicheventheboycouldrememberthebatteredstove,thebrokenbedsandchairs,theclock19inlaidwithmother-of-pearl,whichwouldnotrun,stoppedatsomefourteenminutespasttwoo'clockofadeadandforgottendayandtime,whichhadbeenhismother'sdowry.Shewascrying,thoughwhenshesawhimshedrewhersleeveacrossherfaceandbegantodescendfromthewagon.Getback,thefathersaid.He'shurt.Igottogetsomewaterandwashhis…Hisolderbrotherhadappeared