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man's got no hope to find no Red in these woods； specially not farmers and such like us。 No； it was Shaw…Nee and Otty…Wa who found him two hours after the boy turned up missing。 And do you think it was White men punished that whisky…Red？ Reckon not； they set that Wee…Aw down and said； 'You want to show brave？' and when he said yes； they took six hours killing him。〃
〃Very kind；〃 said Lolla…Wossiky。
〃Kind？ I reckon not；〃 said Armor…of…God。
〃Red man kills White boy for whisky； I never let him show brave； he die uh！ Like that； quick like rattlesnake； no man him。〃
〃I got to say you Reds think real strange；〃 said Armor。 〃You mean it's a favor when you torture somebody to death？〃
〃Not somebody。 Enemy。 Catch enemy； he shows brave before he die so then his spirit flies back to home。 Tell his mother and sisters he died brave； they sing songs and scream for him。 He doesn't show brave； then his spirit falls flat on the dirt and you step on him； grind him in； he never goes home； nobody remembers his name。〃
〃It's a good thing Thrower's out at the privy right now； or I reckon he'd wet his pants over that doctrine。〃 Thrower squinted at Lolla…Wossiky。 〃You mean they honored that Wee…Aw who killed that little boy？〃
〃Very bad thing； killing little boy。 But maybe Red man knows about whisky…Red； very thirsty； making crazy。 Not like killing man to take his house or his woman or his land； like White man all the time。〃
〃I got to say； the more I learn about you Reds； the more it kind of starts to make sense。 I better read the Bible more every night before I turn Red myself。〃
Lolla…Wossiky laughed and laughed。
〃What's so funny？〃
〃Many Red men turn White and then die。 But never does a White man turn Red。 I have to tell this story； everybody laugh。〃
〃You Reds have a sense of humor like I just don't understand。〃 Armor patted the map。 〃Here's us； right here just downriver from where the Tippy…Canoe flows into the Wobbish。 All these dots； they're White man's farms。 And these circles； they're Red villages。 This one's Shaw…Nee； this one's Winny…Baygo； see how it goes？〃
〃White Murderer Harrison tells Reds that you make this land…face picture so you can find Red villages。 Killing everybody； he says。〃
〃Well； that's just the kind of lie I'd expect him to tell。 So you heard about me afore you came up here； did you？ Well； I hope you don't believe his lies。〃
〃Oh； no。 Nobody believes White Murderer Harrison。 〃
〃Good thing。〃
〃Nobody believes any White man。 All lies。〃
〃Well； not me； you understand that？ Not me。 Harrison wants to be governor so bad that he'll tell any lie he can to get power and keep it。〃
〃He says you want to be governor； too。〃
Armor paused at that。 Looked at the map。 Looked at the door to the kitchen； where his wife was washing up。 〃Well； I reckon he didn't lie about that。 But my idea of what it means to be governor and his are two different things。 I want to be governor so Red men and White men can live together in peace here； farming the land side by side； going to the same schools so someday there ain't no difference between Red and White。 But Harrison； he wants to get rid of the Red man altogether。〃
If you make the Red man just like the White man； then he won't be Red no more。 Harrison's way or Armor's way； you end up with no Red men at the end。 Lolla…Wossiky thought of this； but he didn't say it。 He knew that even though turning all the Red men White would be very bad； killing them all with likker the way Harrison planned； or killing them and driving them off the land the way Jackson planned； those were even worse。 Harrison was a very bad man。 Armor wanted to be a good man； he just didn't know how。 Lolla…Wossiky understood this； so he didn't argue with Armor…of…God。
Armor went on showing him the map。 〃Down here's Fort Carthage； it's got a square； cause it's a town。 I put a square for us； too； even though we're not rightly a town yet。 We're calling it Vigor Church； on account of that church we're building。〃
〃Church for building。 Why Vigor？〃
〃Oh； the first folks settled here； the ones who cut the road and made the bridges； the Miller family。 They live on up behind the church； way along the road there。 My wife is their oldest girl； in fact。 They named this place Vigor on account of their oldest son was named Vigor。 He drowned in the Hatrack River clear back near Suskwahenny； on their way ing here。 So they named the place after him。〃
〃Your wife； very pretty；〃 said Lolla…Wossiky。
It took Armor just a few seconds to answer that； he looked so surprised。 And in the shop in back； where they ate the meal； his wife Eleanor must have been listening； cause she was suddenly standing there in the doorway。
〃Nobody ever called me pretty；〃 she said softly。
Lolla…Wossiky was baffled。 Most White women had narrow faces； no cheekbones； sick…looking skin。 Eleanor was darker； wide…faced； high cheekbones。
〃I think you're pretty；〃 said Armor。 〃I really do。〃
Lolla…Wossiky didn't believe him； and neither did Eleanor； though she smiled and went away from the door。 He never had thought she was pretty； that was plain。 And after a moment； Lolla…Wossiky understood why。 She was pretty like a Red woman。 So naturally White men who never saw straight thought her pretty was very ugly。
This also meant that Armor…of…God was married to a woman he thought was ugly。 But he didn't shout at her or hit her； like a Red man with an ugly squaw。 This was a good thing； Lolla…Wossiky decided。
〃You very happy；〃 said Lolla…Wossiky。
〃That's because we're Christians；〃 said Armor…of…God。 〃You'd be happy； too； if you was Christian。〃
〃I won't never be happy； 〃 said Lolla…Wossiky。 He meant to say； 〃Till I hear green silence again； till black noise goes away。〃 But no use saying that to a White man； they didn't know that half the things going on in the world were plain invisible to them。
〃Yes； you will；〃 said Thrower。 He strode into the room with all kinds of energy； ready to tackle this heathen all over again。 〃You accept Jesus Christ as your savior； and you will have true happiness。〃
Now； that was a promise worth looking into。 That was a good reason to talk about this Jesus Christ。 Maybe Jesus Christ was Lolla…Wossiky's dream beast。 Maybe he would make the black noise go away and make Lolla…Wossiky happy again like he was before White Murderer Harrison blew up the world with black noise from his gun。
〃Jesus Christ makes me wake up？〃 asked Lolla…Wossiky。
〃e follow me； he said； and I will make you fishers of men；〃 answered Thrower。
〃He waking me up？ He making me happy？〃
〃Eternal joy； in the bosom of the Heavenly Father；〃 said Thrower。
None of this made any sense； but Lolla…Wossiky decided to go ahead anyway on the chance that it would wake him up and then he'd understand what Thrower was talking about。 Even though Thrower made the black noise louder； maybe he also had the cure for it。
So that night Lolla…Wossiky slept out in the woods； took his four swallows of whisky in the morning； and staggered on up to the church。 Thrower was annoyed that Lolla…Wossiky was drunk； and Armor once again insisted on knowin