would take place today, when the half-Sauk
mongrel, whose presence was an affront to Helene, was thrown off this
land.

It gave Raoul an uneasy feeling to be working with Auguste, lifting
Pierre's coffin off the wagon. It might be bad luck. But the time to
strike had not yet come, so he had to walk beside Auguste carrying the
coffin to the newly dug grave. There, crouching in unison, the six
pallbearers laid the coffin on a cradle of two ropes, each end held by
two servants, over the oblong pit. Bending to let his burden down hurt
Raoul's back, and he glanced over at Auguste, hoping to see him having
trouble. But the mongrel's dark face was impassive.

When Raoul saw Elysee shuffling through the gate, leaning on his
silver-headed walking stick, he felt a new tingle of dread. How would
his father greet the move he was going to make? Except for a few brief
and bitter meetings at which he and Papa and Pierre had tried and failed
to settle their differences, he had not spoken to his father in six
years. Armand often brought infuriating news of the old man's growing
fondness for the mongrel, making Raoul hate the redskinned bastard all
the more. Elysee would hardly be happy with what he did today, of
course. But would Papa try to fight his only surviving son? If he did,
Raoul would have to fight back, and then he might be punished by God.

_Nonsense. God doesn't side with Indians. What I am doing is right,
because Pierre was seduced and deluded._

But it wouldn't hurt to try to get in good with the old man. Raoul
walked quickly over to him.

"Take my arm, Papa."

Elysee looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed, his face
blank, his skin wrinkled parchment.

_The old man's had his share of grief. Too bad he couldn't find reason
to be happy with me. But that's his fault._

In a low, hoarse voice Elysee said, "Thank you, son. It was good of you
to come today."

Raoul sensed an accusation.

"Why wouldn't I come to my own brother's funeral?"

"Because you hated him," Elysee said softly.

At least the old man didn't seem to suspect that he had another reason
for being here today. Containing his anger, Raoul helped his father walk
to the grave. There he left Elysee with Guichard and went around to
stand facing north, where he could see the chateau.

His nagging fear eased a little. So far he had seen no sign that he
would meet with any opposition. It was hard to believe that the mongrel
and his supporter