everything was in keeping: rusted-through, brick-red tin roof; rotted sills and window
frames; broken panes; a door that wouldn't close, and a path leading out from that door to
the turn-around.
Although the house had been the Adams' summer and weekend place until the new house
was finished, it had gone back downhill afterward. It was allowed to stand now because it
did no one any harm and because-in Dr. Adams' mind-it was a rich source of 212
oak "barn wood" that was becoming unavailable anywhere else. Also, it had always been
there.
Taken purely as a scenic object, it could be viewed two ways. Because of its age,
abandonment, weathered condition, and isolation in the field, it could appear-particularly
under a gathering squall-rather mournful, sad, and even ominous. Approached in another
way, it could-under similar conditions-be peaceful in the peculiar way that cemeteries are
peaceful, a reminder of the rural and distant past, of the simple virtues, of the quiet life
and the acquiescing, accepting of death.
These things were not lost on Freedom Five.
Though they could not express themselves on the subject-to them it was merely spooky
and sometimes "neat"-they felt the presence of time there. It was an old place; it lent
authority to their discussions. This, too, was one of the influences that contributed to its
becoming the obvious and "fitting" place to conclude the whole thing with Barbara. It was
right.
But Barbara did not go willingly.
Though they wrapped her in enough rope and clothesline to hold several hostages, the
children were nonetheless forced to leave her the writhing, twisting movements of a snake.
A number of purely practical things-her weight, going around corners, clearances
prevented them from carrying her on some sort of litter. And Barbara, desperate, was still
strong.
The struggle .began in the workshop-rec room and proceeded out the door, up the stairs,
into the carport, back over the cement to the rear of the gaping station wagon, and then
up into the rear of the car itself. John and Dianne began by carrying the weight of her body
by the shoulders: the three smaller youngsters carried her legs. Her convolutions and
twistings overpowered them all, however, so that Dianne had to trade places with Paul and
Cindy and let everything begin again. Several times they dropped her, and after a while
she was obviously skinned up and bruised.
"It's OK," Dianne said on the second occasion.
213
"When the rapist dragged her out of the house, the same thing happened."
"What do you mean?" The change in verb tense and levels of reality was confusing.
Bobby was clearly panting. "She means," he said, "that from now on, any marks on her
body would have happened anyhow. I mean ... "
"It fits the story." John was pale. Both the exertion and the obvious erotic influence of the
journey made his voice shake.
"The coroner's report," Bobby said.
"Oh." They did not understand-Paul and Cindy-but they weren't going to admit it.
"OK, let's go."
Beneath the pile-on of the kids, Barbara made sounds one does not hear in everyday life,
or at least not often. The various tones could be taken as sobbing, embarrassingly so.
Freedom Five, however, was becoming used to such things. Dianne found it rewarding; John
found it arousing (as, indeed, everything about Barbara was arousing); Bobby found it
unbearable; and Paul and Cindy found it irritating, they wanted to smack her one, anything
to shut her up.
"Come on."
Once again the kids untangled and tackled their squirming burden. Now they moved back
along the country-dusted sides of the wagon, bumping and sliding along its metal panels.
"Don't let her touch it. ••• " "We can't help it."
"Keep going. . .. "
"We'll have to wash the car." "Leave it out in the rain." "If it rains."
"It'll rain, all right." They looked up. "Hurry!"
"Get her around the corner now."
At the lowered rear gate of the station wagon, the major battle occurred. Barbara would
not be put in. 214
She kicked and squirmed; she tried to roll under the car; she butted with her head. She
could not be grabbed nor held, and the fight continued until at last, John, losing his
temper, hit her with all his might. He intended to wind her, but instead be hit up near
the joining of the rib cage, and Barbara went limp.
"What happened?" "John hit her."
"Oh, no." Bobby had seen it. He looked sick. "Oh, no, what? What could we do?"
"You don't ever hit anybody there." "Why?"
Bobby went quickly over the unconscious girt "Because," he said, "because you can
rupture their heart."
"Aw-w-w .... "
"Is she dead?"
"Let me see." Dianne knelt beside Bobby. John
went red. "Can you feel her pulse?"
"With her hands tied up that way?', "Her heart then."
Dianne inclined her ear and touched Barbara's naked chest. "Be quiet."
They all strained to hear what only she could hear.
"It's beating,'' she said. "Listen."
Bobby, who did not like to touch Barbara at all, found nowhere to avert his eyes and not
see her at the moment of touching. Instead he shut his eyes and put his ear to her
body.
More silence.
After a moment or two lie said, "Yeah." "Boy"-John was relieved.
"Why?" Cindy said. "You're going to kill her anyway."
"Not like this," Dianne said. "That'd min everything." She straightened up. "OK, let's get
her in. Everything's all right."
They got her legs up on the tailgate, and then, 215
with them to support part of her body, they all got together and packed her up and in any
old way.
"She's all dirty now," Cindy said as if in criticism of their work.
"Not really."
"Yes, she is." Cindy bad her standards. "And her hair is all messed up."
Dianne looked at Cindy woman-to-woman, a first-time event, and agreed. "We'll have to
wash her."
"And brush her hair. That's what you make me do."
Bobby bad paid neither one of them any attention. "I'm going to take off her gag," he said.
"And let her start screaming all over the place
here?"
"We got to. She's not breathing very well." "No!"
"She won't scream," Bobby said.
"OK, then you do it. It'll be your fault."
"You want "her to die here? Now?" He needed help, and he got it. They straightened her out
in the back of the wagon, rolled her up on her side, and held her while Bobby removed tape
and cloth.
"Here, I'll take it." Dianne reached over. "Cindy, go get some more tape, the whole roll."