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they have done something to arouse his ire. Or I have, and he is holding them responsible.
    Pa has a few iron rules for his sons. One is no dueling. The practice is outdated, yes, but there still is an occasional duel in Texas.
    Another is to reverence Mama and their sisters and, indeed, all women. Which means they must never go to the quarters for their pleasure with women.
    Pa is hard on the boys. Nevertheless, Gabe always tells me: "Listen to him, he's been around a long time. His advice is valuable. And don't ever sass him or you'll hear from me."
    Now this visit to Pa's study was in preparation for my just-before-Christmas visit to Aunt Sophie's with Sis Goose. As if the matter had not been discussed and beaten to death already by Amelia and my brothers.
    "You're a diplomat," Gabe told me about the visit, before he left to go back to Fort Belknap. "It's up to you to keep things even between Aunt Sophie and us, or we'll lose Sis Goose."
    He stood before me. "That's what I'm supposed to tell you. What I
am
telling you is to remember that Aunt Sophie is a vulture in a hoopskirt. A black buffalo pawing
the ground and getting ready to attack me. Remember that."

    "Mama says she's planning a trip to England and wants to take Sis Goose along."
    Gabriel gripped my arm then. "Don't let her, Luli. We can't allow that to happen. Say Sis Goose is sickly."
    "But that would be lying."
    His brown eyes bored into mine. "Then lie," he said.

    I KNEW THAT Pa's ire was aroused by the subject of Aunt Sophie, too. Pa was too independent to allow a woman to push him around. Still, he respected the fact that in all legality Aunt Sophie
owned
Sis Goose, even though all the slaves were really free. Like the man in the barn had tried to tell us. Like we already knew.
    "I'd try to convince her to free the girl, except that free negroes are considered a threat in Texas," he said to me once. "She'd be in more danger than she is now."
    I never really thought of Sis Goose as being in danger. But she was, it seemed, no matter which way she turned.
    "So this will be the Christmas visit then, hey?" Pa had asked me.
    "Yes, sir," I said.
    I got the impression that he was a little uncomfortable around me lately.
    "You're growing up," he said, and it was almost an accusation.
    "Yes, sir." I called him "sir" because the boys did. And
because it was Southern tradition. I don't know what Amelia called him and I didn't care.

    Amelia was his pet, his first little girl, and he doted on her. The fact that I was a girl mattered, yes. But he seemed to expect more from me than from Amelia. It was as if he did not want the second girl to be a pet but a responsible woman.
    "No more romping in the hayloft with Sis Goose, is it?" His eyes went over me. I was wearing my best calico and my boots were shined to perfection. Pa liked perfection.
    "No, sir, we don't do that anymore."
    He scowled. "You don't let that woman and her husband treat Sis Goose like a no-account servant," he said to me. "You know what I mean by that."
    "Yes, sir."
    "She's nothing but a grungy Comanche in disguise."
    "Yes, sir." Inside I was laughing. I was pulling up weeds and throwing stones.
    "If they try, you have my permission to take the girl and go out into the stable and get your horses and come home. It's a day's trip. You can do it. Take your gun."
    "Yes, Pa, I will."
    He looked at me again, studying on me, trying to figure out just what kind of a person I was. And was I up to his standards. Pa had high standards.
    "Good then. You know what I want. If Gabe were here he'd take you and fetch you home. But he's off fighting
Indians again. Damned rascals won't stay put and mind the rules. I have no patience with anyone who won't mind the rules."

    "Yes, Pa."
    "As it is, your mother has made arrangements to have someone meet you at Shelby's Corners and escort you from there."
    "Who?"
    "All in good time. She'll tell you. Off with you now. Go on."
    I was standing there stupidly, waiting. For what?