The Water Dancer

Howell welcomes Hiram home with a surprising amount of warmth. Hiram finds that Howell and Lockless are greatly diminished. The plantation is deeply saddled with debt. Nathaniel is spending most of his time in Tennessee, closer to the West. Howell begs Hiram to be his eyes among the Tasked, but Hiram cannot go back to being content as his father’s helper. He feels deep anger about the destruction of the Tasked and their community, “all stolen, so that men like [his] father might live as gods” (325).

Hiram quickly reunites with Thena and apologizes for his harsh words the last time they saw each other. Hiram is hesitant to reconnect with Sophia. She lives on the Street now instead of in the house and, according to Thena, has some sort of arrangement with the Walkers and Corrine. When Hiram finally works up the nerve to visit her, he discovers that she has a daughter—Caroline—with whom she must have been pregnant when she agreed to run away with Hiram, based on the baby’s age. He assumes Caroline must be Nathaniel’s child because of her coloring. Hiram believes that Sophia’s keeping up this secret is somehow dishonest. Thena and Sophia point out that Hiram must have secrets of his own: His story of where he was while away from Lockless is spotty.