"Justice," Jacob tried to stand, but he had been badly beaten. He laughed, "Is that what you're telling yourself? You're more like Diana than you think."

"I'm nothing like her," he scowled.

"I'm no Confederate. Both of you love the old grudges. It's like some curse passed through blood," he shook his head.

"Sure," the Sheriff kneeled down, glanced towards Lear Mountain, "but you've certainly benefited from it."

"I tried to leave!"

"Yet, here you are," he rose, "and you will dance out the last moments of your cowardly, murderous slaver life."

"I didn't kill anyone!"

"Why are you doing this?" Marie asked, but tried to get free of the briar.

The Sheriff looked around the blackberries, willow, and to the dark water. Rutger looked at Jacob, "Even if he is innocent of killing my boy, he killed those girls."

Jacob looked up at him, "I didn't—"

"Shut up," he kicked him back onto the ground, "when we came to set your family slaves free, Lance killed them out of spite."

"I'm not the General!" he pleaded, but thought of Diana.

"Well, boy, you're his Blood, and you carry his name," Rutger pulled the noose open. "You can pray, if such as you even have a god, besides power."

"You Feds think you're innocent! You think you're angels! What do you think Scorched Earth means?" Jacob laughed, "The Lieutenant's men raped and pillaged. I guess any who wanted nothing to stay out of it were Confederate sympathizers! So, did your Blood talk about how glorious it was to kill children soldiers? You Feds killed their fathers, uncles, and brothers. Your family came where you were never wanted and destroyed everything!"

"You can't kill him," Marie screamed. If you kill him," she turned to see Tim stood beside her, "Diana will kill us!"

Rutger frowned, "What are you talking about?" He dismissed Marie to focus on the Van Lear. "You had slaves," Rutger countered.

Another laugh bubbled out of Jacob, "Confederate soldiers were conscripts. They didn't have slaves. You destroyed their lives!"

"I'm sick of your mouth."

"You love the New Money so much," Jacob breathed out, spit blood, "they talk about this town like trash. Those Carpet Baggers think money makes them nobles."

"After the Van Lear family is gone, the town will survive," the Sheriff said, but spoke to the dark water. "Your time is up," he looked at Jacob, "no more talk."

"Diana gave me money to exonerate Jacob," she tried to pull the briar free, but the thorns bit into her skin.

"You took her money," Rutger said dazed.

"Yes," Tim said, though it was sour, "they sent for us, and…she gave Marie a lot of money."

The Sheriff nodded, face fell, and raised the revolver. "Tim, son, drop the shotgun," he commanded though softly.

"What," he blinked, and looked at the gun as if he forgot it was there.

"Drop the shotgun," he repeated, face hardened, and Tim dropped the weapon. "Good man," he looked at Marie, "and you are a disgrace. I don't care what a bunch of trash said about you mother! You think you're better than her? DO YOU think an education makes you superior?! Bethany destroyed herself to save you, ungrateful little girl."

"You're not the one, who'll go crazy!" she countered.

"Your mother went crazy, so you'd have the life you wanted," he turned away, mouth worked as if he tasted something nasty. "Marie, you never cared about anyone," he looked down at Jacob, "so I guess that you fooled us all. Take your money, and run until Diana runs you down."

Marie's large, lush green eyes, flecked with gold, filled with tears. "There was someone else with Jacob," she held her chin up, but lovely lips quivered.

The Sheriff pulled the rope tight around Jacob's neck, paused, "Pardon me."

"It's true," Tim said looked at Marie, who smiled at him, "I saw…someone."

"Who did you see?" the Sheriff turned back to them.

"Who was it, Jacob?" she looked at him.

He jerked; eyes widened, but he composed himself. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, but the Sheriff looked at him.

"Who is helping you?" Rutger looked at him.

"No one," he looked around, "that…place was filled with, uh, people." Color drained from his face at the memory.

The big revolver aimed at Jacob, "Death can be quick, merciful."

Jacob looked at the Sheriff and the verdict in his eyes. He closed his eyes, "Jesse squealed like a piece of cowardly trash; you crazy hillbilly."

"What," Rutger's face hardened.

"You heard me," Jacob looked at him, shivered, "your boy cried…when I shot him."

The gun boomed in the Sheriff's hand, and his knee disappeared. Jacob screamed. "I'm coming for the rest of your family," Rutger's said tone full of ice.

He wept out a laugh, "You'll never live on top of Lear Mountain, and Carol will run from you!" He held his leg, "All the New Money of Duncannon thinks you're just a hick, and they wish they were us." Jacob forced a smile, "Your Blood died with Jesse!"

The Sheriff grabbed the rope and heaved. Jacob scrabbled at the noose around his neck, but it was tight. With another pull, Rutger pulled him into the dark water. "You'll rot with all the people your family murdered!" he barked. Each tug on the rope took Jacob farther away.

Blackberry briars let go of Marie. They walked over to the Sheriff hands up. Rutger pulled the rope until Jacob was at the middle, but kept the gun on them.

"Sheriff, you're killing him!" Marie pleaded.

"This is wrong," Tim blinked, "come on, Sir."

"I'm not killing him," Rutger turned the gun on Jacob, and it boomed in his hand. Marie screamed, jerked away. Tim looked at Jacob, who went limp with a small whimper.

"My god, Sheriff," Tim looked at him, "It's going to be a blood bath."

"What have you done?" she looked at Jacob. She thought of a fox caught in a trap, whose thrashing had tightened it, till it killed him.

The earth at their feet thrummed, and began to shake. Thick bolts of lightning crashed to the earth, and blinded the people spread throughout Ashless Hollow. Thunder crashed, deafened, and left a shrill ringing in the ears. With the rot that clogged the air, a smell of ozone flowed throughout. They felt the thunderous boom, yet unease crept into their hearts. All of Hemlock Hurst grew still, silent, and looked around with religious terror. Deep in Lear Mountain, the tones shifted like a casket that had grown decayed. Cracks formed in Swannanoa. They raced through the plantation house, and the gardens. Poorly maintained road broke open, houses collapsed, and the gunfire stopped. No one laughed. Each man and woman looked at the sky.

Marie's eyes rolled up. Ashless Hollow's heart quivered, dark waters rippled. Jacob was devoured by the muck. Tim caught her. Rain fell in a steady beat, drops slipped through the canopy above.