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the sailors snatched up the bucket that still had water and dashed it onto the back of the last child. This was uproariously funny to the White stevedores. While they laughed, the waterboy knelt, scooped everything out of the other bucket, and tucked it into the small basket he carried.

He wasn't home free, though. The foreman stopped him just as he started away from the dock. "What you got in that?" he demanded, pointing at the basket.

"I don't know what my master put there," said the waterboy.

"I know one thing he better put there," said the foreman.

The two men looked at each other in grim silence for a long time, until finally the waterboy grinned and rolled his eyes and reached into the basket. "I so stupid, boss, I so stupid, I plumb forget." He took out a coin and offered it to the foreman.

"Where's the rest?" asked the foreman.

"That all he give me," said the waterboy.

"Come on, Denmark," said the foreman.

"Ah," whispered Honor‚. "We have learned his name."

"Better be his name," said Calvin. "He sure as hell ain't no Scandinavian."

"Tell you what," said the foreman. "I'll tell him you give me one penny and see what he says."

"But I give you a shilling," said Denmark.

"You think he'll believe that, if I tell him otherwise?"

"You get me a whipping, that don't get you no more money," said Denmark.

"Get the hell off my dock," said the foreman.

"You a kind man, boss," said Denmark, bowing and nodding as he backed away. Then he turned his back and picked up the buckets again, but before he could stand up the foreman planted a foot on his backside and sent him sprawling on the dock. The stevedores and sailors laughed. But the slaves lined up for inspection by the customs officers, they didn't laugh. And Denmark himself, when he got up from the dock his face didn't show much amusement. But Calvin and Honor‚ could see how he composed himself, putting on a silly grin before he turned around. "You a funny man, boss," said Denmark. "You always make me laugh."

With exaggerated care, Denmark picked up the buckets without turning his back to the foreman. And he made a show of stopping and looking behind him a couple of times to make sure no one had snuck up to kick him again. His clowning kept the White man laughing even after he was gone.

Through it all, the newly arrived slaves didn't take their eyes off him.

"He is showing them how to survive here," said Honor‚.

"You mean get a White man mad? That's smart."

"He is not a stupid man," said Honor‚. "He is a clever man. He shows the others that they must act stupid and make the White man laugh. They must make the White man feel amusement and contempt, for this will keep Whites from feeling fear and anger."

"Probably," said Calvin. "Or maybe he just gets his butt kicked now and then."

"No," said Honor‚. "I tell you I am the authority on human nature. He does this on purpose. After all, he is the one who gathers up their souls."

"I thought you said these weren't their souls at all."

"I changed my mind," said Honor‚. "Look at them. The soul is missing now."

They looked at the Blacks in their chains and ropes, while the customs inspectors prodded them, stripped them, checked their body orifices, as if they were animals. They bore it easily. The looks of fear that they had worn as they emerged into sunlight were gone now. Gone also was the intensity with which they had gazed after Denmark as he carried away their tokens, or whatever they were. They really did seem like animals now.

"They been emptied, all right," said Calvin. "They all had heartfires getting off the boat, strong ones, but now they're all slacked back like a fire settled down to coals."

"They knew," said Honor‚. "The were ready before they got off the boat. How did they know?"

"Maybe that's one of the things Margaret can tell us later," said Calvin.

"If she ever speaks to us again," said Honor‚.

"She'll speak to us," said Calvin. "She's a nice person. So she'll start feeling guilty about sticking us for the price of the meal last night."

"They knew," said Honor‚. "And they all consented. They gave away their souls into his hands."

"What I want to know," said Calvin, "is where he keeps them and what he does with them."

"Then we must go to your sister-in-law and ask her, since you are certain she