Katie broke from the tall summer weeds populated mostly by my favorite Queen Anne's Lace and galloped down the entranceway road toward the plantation. I leaned forward in the saddle, holding my head low over Katie's, my pant legs chaffing heavily against her sides.

     "Go, girl! You're the fastest horse in all Baltimore County." Encouraging her with my heals, she fairly flew with her hooves hardly making contact with the ground. On reaching the circular drive, I saw a gathering of mostly slaves near the front plantation entrance. Sitting up and staring, I pulled back on Katie's reins as I approached-until I saw what our overseer was up to.

     I dug in my heals and lowered my head over Katie's again. Nearly there, I lifted my left leg around Katie to the other side and held fast to her. As she passed within feet of Mr. Jarvis, I let go, flung myself on his back, and wrapped one arm around his neck. We tumbled to the ground breaking into two entities as we rolled over and over.

     I had concentrated on the whip with my free hand and managed to tear it from his hand sending it flying several feet from us. I rolled over several times and then into a head first roll that landed me on my feet again. I ran to the whip, snatched it up, and darted to stand over Mr. Jarvis.

     As a rage ran through me, and one I knew could make me capable of killing the filthy pig before me, my eye caught Mr. Jarvis's target. Annie, the kitchen slave, whom he so gracious stripped naked to the waist before licking her with the whip, knelt on the ground hunched over, clutching herself with her arms.

     "Stay down, Mr. Jarvis." I pointed to Annie kneeling on the ground. The deep tears in her back, bloodied like a gutted deer. "Someone get her covered up. There's been enough whipping for one day."

     "Yes, Miss Samantha," Lucas, the stable slave, said. He walked over to Annie with several other slaves joining him. They helped her up and pulled her torn dress top up so she could secure it with her hands.

     Mr. Jarvis looked up at me. "I don't think your father is going to approve of your interference."

     "He's not here at the moment. You have to answer to his daughter now, you filthy scum."

     "And we'll see just how long you do interfere … after I've had a jaw with him."

     I whipped the ground just inches from his face. "I don't care! I see you do this again, and I'll have your hide, you disgusting, despicable, piece of pasture dung."

     "Miss Lee?" He pulled his arms around and sat up. She whipped the ground and nicked his behind. He jumped. "Yeow! Now, take it easy, Miss Lee. You ain't never interfered on any other day. Why now?"

     I bent over. "Because it is this day … the day I decided I can't take it anymore." I walked a quarter of the way around him. "I've seen you, you worthless toadstool. You look for any reason to whip the slaves." I reached a point directly behind him. He started to turn. "Stop! Don't turn around." He stopped. "I've got you where I want you." I started whipping him and enjoyed watching him flail to ward off the blows. I hit him a few times across the back and split his shirt open twice, drawing his blood out to splatter across the rest of it.

     He spun and reached out toward me. Eventually he grabbed the whip and yanked me forward, separating me from it. Climbing to his feet, he threw the whip aside and stepped toward me rolling up his sleeves.

     I smiled. "Going to thrash me within an inch of my life, Mr. Jarvis?"

     "I ought to, but instead I'll ruffle you up a little. I can at least explain that as self defense."

     As he approached I let a booted-foot fly, caught him in his manly place, and watched as he doubled over. I balled up my left fist and smashed it across his face, and he plopped over.

     Ignoring the pain running up and down my left arm, I stepped over him. "Next time, Mr. Jarvis, when you go to abuse the helpless, don't lead with your manhood."

     I walked to Katie, grabbed her reins, and started walking her toward the livery stable. "If I have anything to say about it, your newly found unemployment will necessitate you to leave early tomorrow morning to procure a new position elsewhere."

     Lucas jumped in front of me. "Here, Miss Samantha, I'll take Katie for you."

     I held an arm between his reach and Katie. "It's all right, Lucas. I need a moment to regain my Southern, aristocratic composure."

     By that time Annie had joined us. "Thank you, Miss Samantha. I'll never forget your kindness." She held out one hand. "Here, let me look at your hand. It must hurt right smart."

     "Not as much as Mr. Jarvis is hurting. His pain sort of helps it feel better."

     The Negroes broke up and left Mr. Jarvis to recover on his own. Lucas and Annie walked off toward the slave quarters. I reached the stables, led Katie inside, and backed her into her stall. I had removed the saddle and started brushing her when I heard it-a faint, muffled moaning.

     Peeking my head out of Katie's stall, I looked down the line of stall doors on both sides. "Anyone there?"

     I set the brush down, stepped into the throughway, and closed Katie's door. "I'll be right back, sweetheart."

     Walking down the line of doors I heard a muffled scream-like someone had a hand over their mouth when they did it. I broke into a jog until I heard it again and stopped by the stall that had produced the noise.

     I shoved the door open and found no horse inside. Instead, my eldest brother Marcus jumped off a naked slave girl and pulled up his pants.

     "What in the …?" I blurted.

     "Sam," Marcus said. "Weren't you out riding?"

     I stepped in and glared at the slave girl. "My God, Marcus. Have you been doing this all along? Celia's only fourteen. What kind of perversion are you practicing?"

     Marcus fastened his belt. "Sam, I-I-I-"

     "Never mind," I waved for Cellia to come. "Where are your clothes, girl?"

     She looked at the ground. "Massa Marcus, he makes me take them off and walks me in here. He likes to see me walk naked."

     "Do you know you can get pregnant?"

     "No, ma'am."

     "Does your mother know what you're doing?"

     "Yes, ma'am. She says it comes with being a slave girl. What the massa' wants, the massa' always gets."

     I shoved her out the stable door. "Go on. Get out of here. Put your clothes back on and go home to your mother. If my brother comes after you again, you tell me about it." She ran for the back stable door.

     I turned and watched Marcus still trying to compose himself. "You like to call them animals. Congratulations, brother, you just fornicated with a cow. Does that make you feel moral and righteous now?"

     Marcus spread his arms and looked up. "Sam, they're just slaves. Besides it saves us money if we can breed them instead of buying them."

     I nodded. "Great logic, brother. Please tell me what part of the Bible says that's all right. You do have the chapter and verse on that, don't you?" I stepped up to him and ripped the front of my shirt exposing my undergarments. "Brother, why don't you fornicate with me? I'm your sister. Incest is a step up from bestiality."

     He backed away. "Sam, don't start."

     I stopped advancing. "Oh? Did you suddenly grow a set of morals?" I studied him trying to think of more insults, and then I flipped a hand. "You're not worth it. This place makes me ill."

     I walked back to Katie and finished rubbing her down.

     "Katie, I've got to get away from here. The war's been going on for over a year now, and I can't stand this Southern mentality." Visions of Papa coming home and finding out about Mr. Jarvis swam through my head. "What am I going to say to Papa? Mr. Jarvis is right. After he and his father have had their little jaw, my father will continue letting him do as he pleases." I stopped brushing her and leaned my head against hers. "But, Katie … I had to do something. I just can't take it anymore. All my brothers and my father embrace the slavery of other people, and they call God in to give them cause. I just can't stand by anymore and let it continue … I just can't. It's eating me alive." I stood up straight and continued brushing her. "So, today, Katie, I've decided that I'll do whatever I have to do, and if I get thrown out on my behind penniless … then so be it."

     "And you will."

     I turned to see my brother, John, standing in the doorway.

     He didn't wait for a response, but stepped up to Katie, grabbing her head and stroking it. "What in the hell has gotten into my little sister? Do you know the significance of what you did to Mr. Jarvis?"

     "It was no less so than what I just did to our perverted older brother, Marcus."

     "Oh, you found out about that."

     I stepped up to Katie's head and forced his arm off her. "Just walked in on him with young Celia. Did you know she's only fourteen?"

     John stepped back. "It comes with the institution. It's strictly an economic necessity."

     "Is it a practice of yours as well?"

     He walked to the other side of Katie's head and stroked her again. "Me? I don't have the stomach for it."

     I jumped back. "This whole place makes me sick!" I hurled the brush at him, but he caught it with one hand. I ran out of the stall.

     "Brother George taught you too well to take care of yourself." John stepped out the stable door and yelled at me running for the main door. "If he hadn't, you wouldn't have so thoroughly thrashed Mr. Jarvis; and you wouldn't be in so much trouble."

     I disappeared through the door and ran for the house; but I still caught his last remark.

     "Sam, you've got to accept the world you're in."

     No I don't, I thought, running now with all my might.