"I don't understand adoptions myself. I wouldn't want to be a father to somebody else's son. But the French and the Indians have run out of children. They love to pretend we're their children."
They aren't pretending, thought Mercy. Annisquam's mother and father were not pretending. Annisquam is their son.
"Do you know this boy Annisquam?" asked Joanna. "Where is he from?"
Ebenezer shook his head. "Nobody will say and he isn't allowed to talk to us. That doesn't surprise me. I'm usually separated from the other captives. We become Indian quicker if we don't have any English around us."
Joseph spoke up.
Mercy had almost forgotten that Joseph was along. Since his encounter with Mr. Williams, Joseph had been unwilling to talk about family. As soon as a captive referred to the past, Joseph melted away. Of all the captives, Mercy thought, Joseph suffered the most from wrestling with past and present.
"Have you become Indian?" said Joseph to Ebenezer.
Ebenezer made a disgusted face. "Absolutely not. I get along with them, but I do not permit a thought in my head to be Indian. It's different for me than it is for the three of you, though. Nobody in my Indian family attacked Deerfield. You and Mercy and Joanna deal with men who actually killed somebody in your family, but I'm just with Indians who bought me. It's easier. I promise you, Joseph, I'm going home one day. They could adopt me a hundred times and I'd still be English. So how's Kahnawake? I've never been there. Is it a trash heap like this?"
"Kahnawake is a beautiful town," said Mercy stiffly.
Ebenezer Sheldon laughed. "Watch your step, Mercy. They've got you by the ankle. Probably planning your adoption next."
Joseph looked away.
Joanna looked excited. thought Mercy.
They aren't pretending, thought Mercy. Annisquam's mother and father were not pretending. Annisquam is their son.
"Do you know this boy Annisquam?" asked Joanna. "Where is he from?"
Ebenezer shook his head. "Nobody will say and he isn't allowed to talk to us. That doesn't surprise me. I'm usually separated from the other captives. We become Indian quicker if we don't have any English around us."
Joseph spoke up.
Mercy had almost forgotten that Joseph was along. Since his encounter with Mr. Williams, Joseph had been unwilling to talk about family. As soon as a captive referred to the past, Joseph melted away. Of all the captives, Mercy thought, Joseph suffered the most from wrestling with past and present.
"Have you become Indian?" said Joseph to Ebenezer.
Ebenezer made a disgusted face. "Absolutely not. I get along with them, but I do not permit a thought in my head to be Indian. It's different for me than it is for the three of you, though. Nobody in my Indian family attacked Deerfield. You and Mercy and Joanna deal with men who actually killed somebody in your family, but I'm just with Indians who bought me. It's easier. I promise you, Joseph, I'm going home one day. They could adopt me a hundred times and I'd still be English. So how's Kahnawake? I've never been there. Is it a trash heap like this?"
"Kahnawake is a beautiful town," said Mercy stiffly.
Ebenezer Sheldon laughed. "Watch your step, Mercy. They've got you by the ankle. Probably planning your adoption next."
Joseph looked away.
Joanna looked excited. thought Mercy.
( Caroline B. Cooney )
[ The Ransom of Mercy Carter ]
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