"Looks like the devil," said Amy. "But you made it down here, Jesus, Lu made it through. That's because of me. I'm good at sick things. Canyou walk, you think?"
"I have to let my water some kind of way."
"Let's see you walk on em."
It was not good, but it was possible, so Sethe limped, holding on first to Amy, then to a sapling.
"Was me did it. I'm good at sick things ain't I?"
"Yeah," said Sethe, "you good."
"We got to get off this here hill. Come on. I'll take you down to the river. That ought to suit , I'm going to the Pike. Take me straight to Boston. What's that all over your dress?"
"Milk."
"You one mess."
Sethe looked down at her stomach and touched it. The baby was dead. She had not died in thenight, but the baby had. If that was the case, then there was no stopping now. She would get thatmilk to her baby girl if she had to swim.
"Ain't you hungry?" Amy asked her.
"I ain't nothing but in a hurry, miss."
"Whoa. Slow down. Want some shoes?"
"Say what?"
"I figured how," said Amy and so she had. She tore two pieces from Sethe's shawl, filled them withleaves and tied them over her feet, chattering all the while.
"How old are you, Lu? I been bleeding for four years but I ain't having nobody's baby. Won't catch me sweating milk cause..."
"I know," said Sethe. "You going to Boston."
At noon they saw it; then they were near enough to hear it. By late afternoon they could drink fromit if they wanted to. Four stars were visible by the time they found, not a riverboat to stow Setheaway on, or a ferryman willing to take on a fugitive passenger — nothing like that — but a wholeboat to steal. It had one oar, lots of holes and two bird nests.
"There you go, Lu. Jesus looking at you."
“看起来糟透了，”爱弥说，“不过你挺过来了。来瞧瞧吧，耶稣，露挺过来了。那是因为我。我多会治病啊。你觉得能走吗？”
“怎么着我也得去放点水。”
“咱们来瞧瞧你的脚走路吧。”
并不太好，却已经可能了，于是塞丝一瘸一拐地走起来，先是扶着爱弥，然后是拄着一棵小树。
“是我干的。我治病挺在行，是不是？”
“是的，”塞丝说，“你真棒。”
“我们得下山了。走吧。我把你带到山下的河边。那就跟你对路了。我嘛，我得到派克去。那里直通波士顿。你这满身都是些什么呀？”
“奶水。”
“你真是一塌糊涂。”
塞丝低头看着自己的肚子，摸了摸。孩子死了。她没死在夜里，可孩子死了。如果真是那样，现在就更不能停下来了。就是游过去，她也得把奶水带给她的小女儿。
“你不饿吗？”爱弥问她。
“我只想赶路，小姐。”
“哇。慢点。想穿鞋吗？”
“你说什么？”
“我想想办法。”爱弥说着，然后就想出了个主意。她从塞丝的披肩上撕下两片，包上树叶，绑在她的脚上，同时一直说个不停。
“你多大了，露？我都流了四年血了，可还没怀上谁的孩子。你根本看不见我淌奶水，因为……”
“我知道，”塞丝说，“你要去波士顿。”
正午时分她们看见了那条河；然后她们走得更近，听见了奔流的水声。到傍晚她们就能喝上它的水了，如果愿意的话。四颗星星在空中闪现；这时候她们发现没有一条船能把塞丝运走，也没有一个摆渡的愿意搭载一个逃犯———没有比那更要命的了———可是有一整条船可以偷。这条船有一支桨、许多窟窿，以及两个鸟巢。
“你可以走了，露。耶稣瞧着你呢。”