THIRTY-ONE
THE WEIGHT OF HER BELLY made it possible to sleep for only a couple of hours at a time. When she finally gave up on sleep it was five a.m., twelve hours until her train left Moosonee for the journey south. She lifted a maternity smock over her head and ran a brush through her hair. All that she intended to take with her fit into a small suitcase and she left that on the floor beside her bed. She’d be back for it later.
She approached the bottom stairs and listened for signs of life. Silence, and the kitchen was empty. Too early for even Ruth, who rose without fail to put the coffee on at six. She put a handful of saltines in her pocket and filled her canteen with water. Outside she was immediately aware of distant voices and the clunk of one object against another. Men were at
