Uncertain: Day 10

Word Count: 60,036

Summary of Events:

The search party was split in half before entering the mountains, with half going by the main road to see if they could get to Santa Fe faster than the half Hazel went with through the mountains following tracks Hazel was sure Joseph had left behind. Arriving in Santa Fe, Joseph sought the help of the sheriff in town to inquire after whether anyone had seen a trapper and two little kids in town somewhere in the last two days. Camped in the mountains for the last night before they'd reach Santa Fe, Hazel waited for the others with her and Mr. Andrews around the fire to go to bed so that she could talk privately with Mr. Andrews . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Hazel and Mr. Andrews bid goodnight to the Mortons and Hazel watched silently as Mr. Morton removed his boots and climbed into his bedroll underneath the wagon, while Mrs. Morton climbed up into the wagon.

She turned and looked at Mr. Andrews.

“Do you mean to bid good night as well?” Mr. Andrews asked.

“No,” Hazel replied. “I have another question for you that I hadn’t realised I’d neglected to ask of you until earlier today.”

“Oh,” Mr. Andrews said. “And what were you wanting to ask me?”

“I was wanting to ask you how exactly you would know that Mr. Sheldon would accuse you of serving in the Confederate Army with him if he was merely your pursuer until earlier this week,” Hazel replied.

“Well I am an excellent judge of character,” Mr. Andrews replied. “And I could tell by the evil glint in his eyes and the savagery with which he pursued me that Private Sheldon was the most nefarious and devious of all the Confederates.”

“And you can ascertain that all Confederates are nefarious and devious?” Hazel asked.

“Well why else would the war have happened?” Mr. Andrews asked.

“It isn’t always evil people who begin conflicts,” Hazel said. “I am sure it can be purely misguided individuals who do so.”

“But the worst of wars are started by the worst of people,” Mr. Andrews said. “And that war was the worst of wars.”

“Really?” Hazel asked.

“Any war that tears a nation in half is worse than a war between two nations that never were unified in the first place,” Mr. Andrews replied. “And as this is the first such war to do so since the creation of guns and cannons, it was the most devastating.”

“Do you necessarily think the Confederates wanted to tear the nation in half?” Hazel asked. “Don’t you think they were just afraid of what would happen to everything they’d ever known if they conceded to the demands that they pay their labourers a fair and living wage?”

“That’s what they want you to think,” Mr. Andrews said. “They want you to think it was fear and desperation, selfishness, greed . . .”

“And what was it really then?” Hazel asked.

“An evil plot,” Mr. Andrews replied. “An evil plot concocted by devious men like Joseph Sheldon meant to ruin lives, families, economies, and much more.”

“But the Confederacy lost,” Hazel said. “And they were ravaged and indebted and ill-prepared, weren’t they?”

“Yes,” Mr. Andrews replied.

“That proves the superiority of the Union, does it not?” Hazel asked.

“Yes,” Mr. Andrews replied.

“If that is the case then your comment comes across to suggest that it was the Union who concocted the evil plot to ruin the Confederacy,” Hazel said.

Mr. Andrews opened his mouth like he meant to speak, but then closed it and turned his gaze toward the fire, which was growing down to just glowing coals.

“I must be tired Mrs. Chalmers,” Mr. Andrews said. “Can’t even speak straight.”