Tuck Everlasting: Chapters 12–19

The water slipped past it, out between clumps of reeds and brambles, and gurgled down a narrow bed, over stones and pebbles, foaming a little, moving swiftly now after its slow trip between the pond’s wide banks.

Winnie, struggling with the anguish of all these things, could only sit hunched and numb, the sound of the water rolling in her ears.

And how pleasant to have neighbors like yourselves! Now, understand, I wouldn’t cut down many of the trees. I’m no barbarian, you can see that.

You go for your local constable, and he and I ride out and bring back the child and the criminals.

Your terrible ordeal is as good as over, isn’t it?

“Might as well relax,” he wheezed, suddenly companionable.

We got a brand-new jailhouse, did you notice? Listen, it’s a dandy! Give those folks nice clean accommodations.

“Well,” said the constable grudgingly, “all right, if you’re in such a ding-danged hurry. But don’t do nothing till I get there. Those folks are likely dangerous. I’ll try to keep up, but this horse of mine, she’s none too strong. Don’t see as how I could get her to a gallop, even if I tried.”

He explained the route carefully, then dug his heels into the flanks of the fat old horse, cantering off into the darkness where just a hint of dawn glowed on the edges of the hills far ahead.

Winnie remembered then that he worked sometimes as a blacksmith, and indeed his shoulders, under his threadbare shirt, were broad and muscled.

“If you think on it, you come to see there’d be so many creatures, including people, we’d all be squeezed in right up next to each other before long.”
Winnie squinted at her fishing line and tried to picture a teeming world.

“Now, this is real nice,” she said, her fork poised above her plate.

And she answered, “Just fine,” and wished, for a fleeting moment, that she could stay with them forever in that sunny, untidy little house by the pond.

I went to school, I went to a university, I studied philosophy, metaphysics, even a little medicine.

The man in the yellow suit raised his eyebrows and a nervous petulance came into his voice.