"That's three, thank the Lawd." Roskus said. "I told you two years ago.
They aint no luck on this place."
"Whyn't you get out, then." Dilsey said.
She was undressing me. "Your bad luck talk got them Memphis notions into Versh.
That ought to satisfy you.
"If that all the bad luck Versh have." Roskus said.
Frony came in.
"You all done." Dilsey said.
"T.P. finishing up." Frony said. "Miss Cabline want you to put Quentin to bed."
"I'm coming just as fast as I can." Dilsey said. "She ought to know by this time I aint got no wings."
"That's what I tell you." Roskus said. "They aint no luck going be on no place where one of they own chillen's name aint never spoke."
"Hush." Dilsey said. "Do you want to get him started."
"Raising a child not to know its own mammy's name." Roskus said.
"Dont you bother your head about her." Dilsey said. "I raised all of them and I reckon I can raise one more.
Hush, now.
Let him get to sleep if he will."
"Saying a name." Frony said. "He dont know nobody's name."
"You just say it and see if he dont." Dilsey said. "You say it to him while he sleeping and I bet he hear you.
"He know lot more than folks thinks." Roskus said. "He knowed they time was coming, like that pointer done.
He could tell you when hisn coming, if he could talk.
Or yours.
Or mine."
"You take Luster outen that bed, mammy." Frony said. "That boy conjure him."
"Hush your mouth." Dilsey said. "Aint you got no better sense than that.
What you want to listen to Roskus for, anyway.
Get in, Benjy."
Dilsey pushed me and I got in the bed, where Luster already was. He was asleep.
Dilsey took a long piece of wood and laid it between Luster and me.
"Stay on your side now." Dilsey said. "Luster little, and you dont want to hurt him."
You cant go yet, T.P. said.
Wait.
We looked around the corner of the house and watched the carriages go away.
"Now." T.P. said.
He took Quentin up and we ran down to the corner of the fence and watched them pass. "There he go." T.P. said. "See that one with the glass in it.
Look at him.
He laying in there.
See him."
Come on, Luster said, I going to take this here ball down home, where I wont lose it.
Naw, sir, you cant have it.
If them men sees you with it, they'll say you stole it.
Hush up, now.
You cant have it.
What business you got with it.
You cant play no ball.
Frony and T.P. were playing in the dirt by the door.
T.P. had lightning bugs in a bottle.
"How did you all get back out." Frony said.
"We've got company." Caddy said. "Father said for us to mind me tonight.
I expect you and T.P. will have to mind me too."
"I'm not going to mind you." Jason said. "Frony and T.P. dont have to either.""They will if I say so." Caddy said. "Maybe I wont say for them to."