“How can you ask such a question? He’s done everything, simply everything! He’s set an example, for one thing, he’s given the boys someone to look up to and emulate. Why, wherever they go from here they will take the memory of Reece Hartsig with them.”
Fritz’s shoulders lifted, then drooped. “Let me just say this, please: I consider it just as well for Camp Friend-Indeed that your son should not be back next year. This place does not need men like him among its counselors, no matter how long he has been coming here.”
Joy stopped dabbing at her melting mascara and stared at him. “What nonsense are you talking now, Mr Auerbach?” “He’s thoughtless, your Reece, he’s careless of other people’s feelings. No matter what some may find to admire in his character, flaws are also evident. I would not like to think of campers’ emulating those as well.”
“Everyone has flaws!” Joy retorted, her mouth pulled down in an angry bow, her pale cheeks bedizened with two flaming spots of color. “I’m sure you have your share,
Mr Fritz Auerbach! You should think of that before you go around saying nasty things behind people’s backs!”
“I will be glad to say them to Reece’s face if you wish me to,” Fritz replied with icy formality. “I have said nothing but the truth.”
“What truth?”
“The truth that it is wrong to blame Leo Joaquim for an act he had no part in.”
“If you mean Tiger’s death I suggest you remember that it was Leo’s spider that inflicted the fatal bite.”
“Pardon, dear madame, but that is also untrue.”
“Say, wait a minute, Fritzy,” demanded Rolfe, lunging into the group. “You calling my wife a liar?”
“I am merely trying to point out that Leo is in no way to be held responsible for the tragedy that has happened here. And to. wrongfully blame him is not to be tolerated. I will be leaving tomorrow morning and-”
Rolfe hiked his chin. “Running away, are you?”
Fritz colored. “I assure you, sir, I am not running away at all. I am going to Washington to talk with some Red Cross people who may have knowledge concerning the fate of my family. But while I am gone from this place…”
“Yes? Go on.”
“If upon my return I should learn that Leo has been mistreated or persecuted for any imagined sins, I would then be obliged to go to Dr Dunbar and inform him of the facts.” “What facts would those be?” demanded Rolfe, his heavy arm cradling his wife’s small form against his side.
“For one, the fact that if it weren’t for an act of carelessness on the part of your son it is highly likely that Tiger Abernathy would be alive today.”
Rolfe blinked; the muscles in his face began to work. “What the hell are you talking about? What act?”
“Leo knows. It happened here in this very cabin one afternoon. Reece insisted on inspecting the bite Tiger had from the spider.”
“Leo’s spider, let’s remember,” said Rolfe.
Fritz shot him a look. “That has nothing to do with it, since the spider was not venomous.”
“Then why did the boy get sick?”
Wanda spoke up. “Because the bite became infected. Reece used a soiled needle to open up his wound.”
“I don’t believe it,” Rolfe protested. “Reece would never do such a thing. He’d sterilize it. A good camper knows that.”
Fritz shrugged. “He did sterilize it-”
“There!” Joy cried. “Didn’t we say so?”
“But then he dropped it on the floor and forgot – he just-”
“Hey, where’d you get a story like that?”
Again Wanda spoke. “From Leo. He was there.”
Rolfe snorted with contempt. “Who do you think is going to believe anything he says? You’re all in cahoots.” “Is that what you think, sir?” Fritz said.
“No!” Joy’s chin quivered and tears came to her eyes as she spoke. “Reece had nothing to do with Tiger Abernathy’s dy- Oh, I can’t say the terrible word! It was an accident, that’s all! Just an accident!”
Fritz spoke quietly but firmly. “Yes, Mrs Hartsig, that is so. But now Leo is being blamed. And he is innocent. Do you think that is fair?”
Joy’s eyes snapped with hostility. “What does that matter? What my husband says is true, you and this -this-!” Without warning she whirled like a demon and rushed at Leo. “Oh, you naughty, vindictive boy! This is all your doing! To tell a story like that! Reece is right, you never should have been brought here. They had no business sending you. You’ve caused nothing but trouble from the day you arrived in camp. You’re the one who’s responsible! You killed Tiger with your nasty spider! You’re the killer if anybody is!”
She rushed out of the cabin onto the line-path, taking pittering little steps up and down, moaning and clawing at the air. Appalled, Rolfe went lumbering after her, making helpless, chastening gestures around her pathetic, bird-like, fluttering form. As the others watched in embarrassed silence, he managed to get her into the car and drove quickly away.
When the field had once more fallen quiet, Leo left the cabin and walked across the line-path into the pine grove, where the tall, silent trees rose beside the lake, and the light filtering down through the boughs was made visible in the dust stirred among the fallen needles by many pairs of feet. In his mind the place seemed just the same as it had been on the evening of his arrivaclass="underline" at a glance nothing had changed, yet now all was changed. He felt intensely the presence of his lost friend, as if Tiger Abernathy stood here beside him as he had on that first evening.
Mr Ives's jitney leaves a lot to be desired. I suggested he call it Bellerophon.
What a show-off Leo had been, a real spud. It was a wonder Tiger had put up with him for a minute, let alone taken him in hand and been his friend. He leaned back on his palms and sighted up to the top of the Methuselah Tree, where the owl still kept its eyrie among the topmost branches. Icarus the flyer.
Icarus.
Icarus?
That might be a good name for the owl. What do you think?
Fingering the hilt of the Bowie knife, Leo thought of the promise Tiger had made him give, to never say die. No matter what, he must, would, stay at camp to the end. As he watched, the owl spread its wings and sailed from its perch. From somewhere over in Indian Woods the dog began to howl again.
That evening a memorial torchlight parade was held, vividly recalling to Leo his first evening in camp. Again the lines of boys bearing their flickering brands wound through the pine grove and along the tiers of the council fire, but tonight the trembling flames were in token of a fallen comrade, prayers for a lost friend. And as, holding their torches, the campers joined voices in the old songs, each was suffused with his own personal memories of their dead companion, each in his heart had the hope that somehow at any moment he might come trotting in from a ball game, whistling between his teeth.
The service lasted no more than a half hour, and afterward, Reece in the lead, the boys wended their way silently back to the line-path, to gather in front of Jeremiah for the benediction. A breeze had arisen, making the torches flicker. From the White House came intermittent gusts of music – Leo, unwelcome among the Jeremians, was there with Fritz and Wanda.
Afterward, people blamed what happened next on moon madness compounded by grief. But in truth there was no explanation for the hot dry wind of excitement that rushed lightly but noticeably among the campers, inciting them to movement and agitation, and more.
Through the window, Leo observed them as they held aloft their torches, the flames flickering in the darkness. Among them he was able to make out Reece and the Jeremians; Hap Holliday was there, too, and some of the bullies from High Endeavor. A dance began, an Indian toe-heel step, and they uttered savage Indian war cries behind their palms – ooooh-woo-wooo, ooooh-wooo-woo – bending low, leaping high, wilder and wilder they danced. Then, some six or eight of them broke free and went racing toward the cottage, where silhouetted in the open doorway stood Leo and Fritz, with Wanda at his side. The boys began yawing and japing at them, poking and lunging with their torches; Leo spotted Hap again, standing on the sidelines, entertained by the mischief.