"Bring him here." "In the time of our ancestors the cycle of our people lay in the hands of the children." "A child's position in the tribe was left to the maker." "Children bearing marks were brought before the elders." "There, they were given titles titles that would last a lifetime." "Wisdom... courage... vision." "This boy holds the holy marks of our ancestors." "He is a leader." "He is a prophet." "We should listen to him." "We should listen to him." "I see you!" "Nat?" "Nat!" "All right, you win again." "Come on out!" "Sam?" "You come on in here for supper!" "Yessum." "Bye, Nat." "Bye." "You so much as bat an eye," "I'm gonna blow you from here to Hell." "What you doin' out here, boy?" "Pickin' up some food for my master," "Benjamin Turner." "In the middle of the night?" "Turn around." "Where your pass at?" "Bring it on." "C'mon!" "Bring it!" "Get back." "You think you're smarter than me, don't you, boy?" "No, sir." "Jesse, who do we call a nigger who done think he can outsmart a white man?" "A dead nigger." "Turn around." "On your knees." "You done this to yourself, boy." "What happened?" "Go on to bed." "I got caught stealing food." "I killed a slave catcher." "I gotta go." "You take care of your mom and nana, you hear?" "You a child of God." "You got purpose." "It's in you." "The Lord put it there, and there ain't nothing nobody can do to take it away." "You hear?" "Yes, sir." "Now you go ahead on and go to bed." "I'll be back for y'all as soon as I can." "Go on back to bed." "Go on to bed, girl!" "We sleep!" "Bridget!" "Nancy!" "Y'all wake up!" "Isaac's in a lot of trouble." "I need one of y'all to tell me where he is." "Don't know where he is, massa." "We ain't seen him all night." "You sure?" "Ben, I'm gonna ask you to leave." "Huh?" "A white man has lost his life tonight." "You know like I do what that mean." "Get!" "Now, any harm done to these people," "I'm gonna call the sheriff!" "I'm serious!" "None of y'all know where he is, huh?" "No, sir." "Goddamnit." "What about you, boy?" "He don't know nothing, either." "Where's your daddy at?" "Now listen, you don't tell me where he's at... someone else is gonna find him, and they gonna kill him." "You tell me, I'll go get him." "I'll bring him back here safe." "All right?" "Tell me where daddy's at." "Say it." "Spit something outta that mouth!" "Say it!" "Tell me where he's at!" "Goddamnit." "You that nigger's boy, all right." "If I find out y'all's been lying..." "I'm gonna come back here, I ain't gonna be so nice..." "Oh, massa, please!" "Please!" "Massa, please!" "Oh, Lord!" "All right, that's..." "That's enough!" "Stop!" "You best teach that boy some manners." "Next time he look me in the eye, you gonna get the same thing what waiting' for his pa." "Mind if I help you?" "No, ma'am." "Samuel told me something this morning" "I wanted to ask you about." "He said..." "Nat knows how to read." "Nat don't not know how to read." "Part of me couldn't believe it myself." "So I tested him." "Sure enough... there he was sounding out letters." "You have him come by the house tomorrow after lunch." "He don't mean no harm." "I'ma whip him good the next time I see him." "Whip him?" "Nonsense." "I'm gonna teach him." "If the good Lord gave that boy a gift to read... we'd be remiss to let it go to waste." "And don't expect him back anytime soon." "He'll be living with us in the main house for a while." "Lessons best not be disturbed in the beginning." "Yes, ma'am." "It's okay, baby." "It's okay." "It ain't real." "It ain't real." "It's all right." "It's in your mind." "It's in your mind." "Momma's here now." "Want my poppa." "Me too, baby." "Me too." "Put your arms through." "How handsome." "He'll be all right." "These books are for white folks." "They're full of things your kind wouldn't understand." "But I do have a special one just for you." "And guess what?" "It's the best book ever written." "You're a special boy, Nathaniel." "Study hard and heed my instructions, hear?" "Your life... it'll never be the same." "I'll see to that." "Yes, missus." ""Genesis." "In the beginning..."" "In the beginning..." "Here, this word here, "The."" "That's tricky." "Now, these letters "T-H."" "Whenever you see them..." ""...cleanse your hands, ye sinners..." ""and purify your hearts, ye double-minded." ""Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep." ""Let your laughter be turned to mourning..." ""and your joy to heaviness."" "James 4, Chapter 8 and 9." "Turn with me, if you would, to James 1." "Holding on to the goodness of the Lord." "I spoke to Ben before he went on to be with the Lord." "He felt you'd be more useful to our family as a field hand." "I'm sorry, Nat." "Now, you gonna start here, and you're gonna work your way down yonder." "And I'll be right over here." "You hear?" "Ah!" "Thank you, brother." "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see... the goodness of the Lord... in the land of the living." "Wait on the Lord... be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart." "Wait, I say... on the Lord." "Let us bow our heads." "Sam, that sister of yours... gonna make a fine wife indeed." "It's been a true blessing seeing her develop into the woman that she is." "It'd be an even better blessing seeing' her and Momma... put their feet under his table instead of mine." "I gotta say..." "Sam, your slaves sure do know how to behave." "I'm impressed with them every time I come around." "Well, they God fearin'." "One of them's a preacher." "No one's gotta tell you the times are tough with the drought." "It's gettin' harder for the whites in this county... to clothe and feed their niggers good." "Talks of insurrection got folks scared." "I think people might pay good money to have them calm down a bit." "Especially by one of their own." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "You seen a nigger run past here?" "Naw." "Then again I doze off for a few." "What about you, boy?" "Best not lie now." "I know when y'all's lyin'." "No, sir." "Couple of niggers went missin' off Bill Johnson's place this mornin'." "Say they raised up on an overseer before they took off." "All right, you see somethin' let us know." "Will do." "Giddyup." "You finish up here, I'll go square up inside." "Yes, sir." "Ma'am." "The youngin', he dropped this a step back." "Thank ya." "Whatcha think you're doin'?" "He was just tryin'..." "You spoke to my wife." "Where's your owner, boy?" "I asked you a question." "You best goin' to put that stick down now!" "I want the Sheriff." "This boy assaulted me!" "He assaulted my wife!" "And I'm bringin' charges!" "Sheriff Floyd?" "All right, you fetch him if you like." "But in the meantime I will give you to the count of three to put your stick down... before I give you some real charges to give him when he gets here." "You threatnin' me?" "One." "Two." "C'mon, get the boy." "Let's get home." "We got sweet corn!" "C'mon now!" "Get your grits!" "We got sweet corn here." "Here you go." "And this one here!" "Strong as an ox!" "Nothin' but good seed flowin' from this here buck." "Look at them teeth." "Huh?" "I'll start him out at... 200." "150?" "C'mon now, I gotta make a living here, gents." "100?" "75?" "Sold!" "Get outta here." "Put a yoke on him." "Bring her up here." "Now, consider this comely wench." "Not a day over 18." "All right, I'll start her off at 175." "I got 175." "Do I hear two?" "Now we're talkin'!" "Do I got 225?" "Massa, that wench there sure would make a good wedding' gift for Miss Catherine." "225!" "You keep sayin' she been askin'." "Do I hear 250?" "She looks right young, if you ask me." "C'mon now." " You right, sir, she young." " Gimme 250." " C'mon." " But with the right teacher, a wench like that?" "250." "Could be workin' a long time." "There it is!" "275?" "Massa, sure would be a shame to watch her go to waste for such a low price." "And what the hell would you know about what's a little and what's a lot, huh?" "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but whatever it is, you better quit." "Are you seein' what I'm seein'?" "You take this one home, you know, clean her up... won't be long before you find yourself happier than a dog with three balls!" "Smile, bitch." "That's 250 goin' once." "250 goin' twice." "275." "We got 275!" "275 goin' once." "275 goin' twice." "Sold to that fine gentleman in the back!" "Whoa." "She be fine, sir." "I sure hope you're right." "Have your momma get her cleaned and fed." "Start breaking' her in." "Yes, sir." "You and Hark can start on the north fence" " first thing in the morning." " Yes, sir." "I ain't gonna hurt you." "Just gonna climb up and help you out." "It's all right." "Who is this child?" "What happened?" "Burnin' up." "This mine!" "This my dress!" "My dress!" "This my dress!" "Go now!" "Get out, ya!" "We're not gonna hurt you." "We're not gonna hurt you." "Don't take it away." "You just smile and let them do the talkin'." "All right?" "Yessum." "Afternoon, massa." "This here Cherry-Ann." "Massa." "Catherine!" "Catherine, this here is Cherry-Ann." "Missus." "Oh, thank you!" "Come on, I want you to meet Momma." "Momma." "Thank you." "For what?" "For gettin' her better." "For makin' her so beautiful." "I didn't do nothin'." "That girl was brought into this world as beautiful as she could be." "It sure is sad to see you and the missus go." "We'll be just down the road." "When we get all good and settled, we'll come back and visit." "On Sundays for church and that." "Well, there's no rush." "Oh." "I'm foolin'." "Come here." "If y'all need anything, or he ain't treating' you right, you let me know." "Yes, big brother." "I love you." "Love you, too." "Momma, you ready?" "I'm worried about you, Sam." "This a big place to be out here all by yourself." "I'll be fine." "You take care now." " All right." " Hmm." "Massa." "For the horses." "Just one." "Yes, sir." "Hi." "Hi." "I'm Nat." "I know." "Sorry for... fightin' you." "Oh, that's fine." "Um..." "They're pretty." "Found them 'round here." "Thank you." "Bye." "You got a right, you got a right" "You got a right, you got a right" "You got a right to the Tree of Life" "You got a right to the Tree of Life" "You got a right, you got a right" "You got a right, you got a right" "You gotta right to the Tree of Life" "You gotta right to the Tree of Life" " Hold on!" " Hold on!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" " Hold on!" " Hold on!" "Okay, hold on!" "Oh, yeah, hold on!" "Just as the planted crop is harvested in its own time... so too has the Lord planted us." "Good Lord." "The good Lord, the good Lord... will finish His work in us." "So, in closing, I urge you all to take heart... for God is at work in your life, and He will not stop until his job is done." "Amen?" " Amen." " Dismissed!" "It seems like it's been forever since I last seen you." "There were a few miles between us." "Just feels like so many more." "How is it there?" "It's fine." "Not like what I come from 'fore here." "Most days I'm just tending to Miss Elizabeth or fetching this-that for Miss Catherine." "You know if y'all coming back next week for church?" "I know as much as you." "I suppose if missus is suggesting it..." "Master Reese don't mind the trip." "I sure wouldn't wanna wait another season to see ya." "Me, neither." "My nana got it from my grandaddy." "She brought it with her when she was taken from Africa." "Said it was the only thing that kept her mind free." "It's pretty." "I want you to have it." "In case I don't see you for a while, you... have something that reminds you of me." "I don't know if it's right I take it." "'Sides, I don't have nothing to give you to remind you of me." "I spend all my time thinkin' about you already." "Cherry?" "Come help with Momma." "It's time to go." "Who there?" "Nat?" "What are you doin'?" "I shoulda done that earlier." "You came here to kiss me?" "No, no, no." "I ain't got much." "My faith, Momma, Nana." "Up until now, enough." "Cherry, I'd feel right honored if you'd be my wife." "I'd treat ya right." "Protect ya with my life." "If you'd have me." "Yes." "Yes, I will." "What now?" "Uh..." "I talk it over with Samuel." "Get us a cabin set up when y'all visit." "All right." "Heavenly Father." "We are gathered here today... to join together these two children, who have found the love that exists in You." "The love that surrounds all of us all the time." "We bless these children together with our hands... that the love that flows through our hands..." "Well, hello, Reverend." "I wasn't expecting to see you around these parts 'till Sunday." "What brings you around the middle of the week?" "Never a wrong time... to bring a blessing to a brother in Christ." "Oh, Lord." "Is this blessing gonna cost me money?" "Not a penny." "To the contrary, in fact." "Isaiah, run us out a water." "Gin, if you please." "So, I put the word out about your preacher." "Got a couple of farmers willing to turn a good coin." " Is that right?" " Mmm-hmm." "Every bit counts these days." "Oh." "Ah!" "Mmm." "If your boy does to their liking, you could get outta debt." "Save your farm." "And all I gotta do is let Nat preach." "That's it." "Now, I'm not vouching for the character of these fellas." "What business they runnin' or how." "I'm just here to tell you that there's an opportunity there." "One you got the means to capitalize on." "Whereabouts we talkin'?" "In Southampton, at the start." "Well, sounds good enough." "I'll send you the details." "Names, locations, and dates, I'd say by tomorrow." "You already booked the dates." "I figured you'd say yes." "What's in it for you?" "The pure joy of knowing that I'm helping a brother." "And, uh..." "Oh, here it comes." "Well, if I was to receive a gift offering..." "I certainly wouldn't object." "You are caution, Reverend." "I am but a servant." "Here's some salt pork and some tomatoes for when you get hungry." "Thank you, Momma." "Don't y'all go getting' worried now." "I'll be back directly." "I know." "Pray the Lord brings you back safe." "You Massa Turner's nigger?" "I'm Nat." "Massa Turner's in here." "Come on." " We're here?" " Yes, sir." "Sam Turner." "Made it right on time." "Joseph Randall." "This here's Abner." "This little one?" "Jasper." " This the preacher?" " Yes, sir." "Nat?" "Evening, sir." "He's a little young, ain't he?" "Why, he's old enough." "You've been studying the Word awhile, haven't you?" "Studyin'?" "I can barely train my niggers to learn their own names." "Come on!" "It's hard times for small farmers like you and myself." "Breakin' even's hard enough, but getting ahead's impossible." "So to save some," "I cut them back to a meal a day per head now." "A few of them started getting' fidgety, so I had Abner come down on 'em." "Abner, here..." "he's my only real protection." "Now, they needs to mind me." "You speak on that." "They treasure in Heaven from submitting' and all." "If they gets to moaning' or carrying' on, you don't pay 'em no mind... because they lazy as all hell." "They do anything to get outta work." "You ready, boy?" "Listen up!" "Got a preacher here tonight." "Come here, boy." "Now, he's a nigger here like y'all... and he's here to talk to you about the Lord." "So you listen to him and you might just make it into Heaven, you hear?" "Brothers and sisters." "I lead you to..." "Peter 2:18." ""Slaves, submit yourselves..." ""to your masters with all respect."" ""Not only to those who are good and considerate..." ""but also to those... who are harsh."" "You sure you don't wanna stay the night?" "Got some fine brandy and a couple of choice wenches in the cellar." "Get Abner here to strike out the fiddle and... sit around the fire, tell some old lies, huh?" "No." "We best be gettin' back before sun go down." "All right." "Suit yourself." "Would take a bottle of that brandy, if you could spare it." "Oh, sure thing." "Abner?" "I got a chocolate one here that does it right every time." "You sure you don't wanna stay?" "No, they expecting' us back." "You know how it is." "All right." "You's a smart man, Sam." "Man make a fortune with that boy." "Great doin' business with you." "Let's go." "You all right?" "Yeah." "The dress there." "That the one you were wearing that day?" "Yes." "Momma offered you one of hers?" "She did." ""Abigail Hayne."" "My momma." ""Madison Hayne." Who was that?" "That's me." "My momma... she put this dress on me... the day they took me from her." "Showed me this here patch." "Told me to never forget who I was... and that I had a momma." "And that she was somewhere... missing me and loving me." "I was 13." "I can call ya Madison, if ya like." "You can call me whatever you want." "I'll call you Queen." "What's wrong?" "We're gonna have a baby." "A baby?" "You sure?" "You mad?" "Mad?" "No." "No." "I ain't mad." ""...as the eyes of the servants look unto the hand of their masters..." ""and the eyes of a maid" ""look unto the hand of her mistress..."" ""...and Noah awoke from his wine" ""and knew what his youngest son" ""had done unto him." ""And he said, 'Cursed be Canaan."'" ""...servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." ""And he said, Blessed be the Lord," ""God of Shem, and Canaan..."" "Wait here." "I'll go check 'round back." "Yessum." "Whatcha doin' on my land?" "Hey!" "Call off your dog!" "Whatcha doin' on my land?" "No!" "He's with me!" "Who the hell are you?" "I'm Samuel Turner." "Reverend Walthall sent us." "Fella with the nigger preacher." "Come on!" "Let's go find Earl." "You all right?" "Come on." "Niggers is niggers here." "Now, we don't treat none no different than another." "We got rules." "Cost of breakin' 'em, stealing', sassin'... or any other thing that Earl and I think worth dealing' with, will be paid for in skin." "You interfere with that... we'll shoot you where you stand." "Got any problem with that, you can stop right now and go on back where you came from." "Come on now!" "Come on!" "Earl!" "This here is Sam Turner, fella with the nigger preacher." "Where you say you come from?" "We from here." "Southampton County." "Just south of Nottoway." "Mmm." "Lotta Yankees makin' their way down that way." "Rabble-rousin', stirring shit on our way of life." "They're pullin' that same shit." "Earl." "Got a little problem." "Which one?" "This one." "How long?" "Mmm." "About a day or so." "You ain't gonna eat, hmm?" "You gonna eat?" "Come on." "You ain't gonna eat?" "Hmm?" "Hmm?" "Hmm?" "All right." "If it ain't one thing, it's another." "You wonderin' why we could use that nigger of yours?" "You're seein' it firsthand." "All right, get his mouth open." "Well, if it ain't the Yanks... it's the drought." "If not the drought... it's goddamn mutiny." "Get a funnel in there." "Truth is, even the meanest nigger's fearful of the Gospel." "Maybe a good word from your boy there... discipline word, go a lot further than my pistol would." "Nat's a... good preacher." "I don't right care how good he is... long as he say what he's supposed to." "Brethren." "I pray you sing to the Lord... a new song." "Sing praise in assembly of the righteous." "Let the saints be joyful in glory." "Let them sing aloud on their beds." "Let the high praise of God be on the mouths of the saints... and a two-edge sword in their hand to execute vengeance on the demonic nations... and punishment on those peoples to bind their kings with chains... and their nobles with fetters of iron" "to execute on them this written judgment." "This honor hath all his saints!" "Praise the Lord!" "Praise the Lord!" "Sing to him a new song!" "Praise the Lord!" "Praise the Lord!" "Don't suppose you got a pass anywhere underneath that pretty dress." "No, sir." "I belongs to Massa Guiles and this here his property." "You sassin' me, girl?" "No, sir." "Anybody that knows nothin' knows that state law says... that if a nigger's less than 10 paces from a tree line... that nigger need a pass." "Well, sir, I can get one." "You ain't goin' nowhere." "Either you gonna show me a pass, or you gonna show me somethin' else." "What?" "I'm sorry to disturb ya, but Nat's gotta talk to you." "Somethin' awful had happened." "Whatever it is, just tell him I'll get to it in the mornin'." "Massa, if you could just see Nat for just a moment, I..." "Goddamnit, Isaiah." "All right, tell him I'll meet him on the front porch." "I'm right here, sir." "Might as well come in then." "Sir, I am awfully sorry about all this." "I..." "What is it, Nat?" "Cherry... she's been hurt real bad." "Whatcha mean hurt?" "A group of men... sir." "Isaiah, fetch me some paper." "Yeah." "All right, you should go down there." "Take Jupiter, but don't start no trouble." "Stay the night, come back first thing in the morning." "Yes, sir." "Thank you, sir." "God's gonna punish whoever did this." "Monsters." "Nat?" "I'm right here." "I'm right here." "It's me now." "I'm right here." "I'm sorry." "No, no." "You don't apologize." "You don't owe that to nobody." "You need to tell me who done this to you." "'Cause I'm gonna take care of it, you hear?" "On my soul." "I need you to tell me now." ""Put up again thy sword into His place." ""For all they that take the sword..." ""shall pass with the sword."" "You taught me that." "I need you here." "Joanna, too." "Leave this to the Lord." "You wanted to see me, sir?" "Yeah." "How's Cherry?" "I'm believin' she'll be fine." "Good." "Good." "Not many woulda let you go like I did." " Thank you, sir." " Mmm." "We're having a big get-together tonight with a lot of very important people." "Kind of like when Daddy was alive." "So I'm gonna need you and a couple of others in the house." "Anyone who's had experience serving' and being respectable help." "Yes, sir." "Can't tell ya how important this is for all of us." "If we get this right, the Turner name will mean something again." "Isaiah." "Yes, sir." "As you all know, this annual dinner was a tradition of our daddy many years ago." "And for all he believed, he placed family, faith, and tradition at the top of his priority list." "Twenty years later, those same priorities have kept this property afloat." "That and the cash down from your colored preacher." " Yeah!" " That, too." "May God continue to bless all of us for many generations to come." "Hear, hear." "Nat, would you please lead us in prayer?" "Reverend, I trust you wouldn't mind." "I guess not." "Heavenly Father." "We come to thank You for Your word and Your will." "We pray for and thank You for Your protection and Your promise." "And in our obedience," "You will be an enemy to our enemies." "That you will oppose those who oppose us." "Continue to guide us, O Lord... and we will continue to follow." "Through fine tribulation we will push forward... recognizing only You as our source and strength." "In Your holy name we pray." "Amen." "Bon appétit." "Daddy always said," ""Three black peppercorns in a glass of port..." ""and you got yourself a excellent digestif."" "Well, black is always tasty." "Especially a nice piece of black meat." "Sweet." "Juicy." "I ain't doin' it, all right?" "Naw, naw." "I need you to get out of here!" "Ain't gonna happen, man." "You just come out here..." "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" "Ho, ho, ho!" "What's goin' on, huh?" " I ain't doin' it." " Huh?" " I ain't doin' it, Nat." " Doin' what?" "He'd have to lynch me first." "Lynch ya?" "What are we talkin' about?" "One of Samuel's guests..." "What?" "One of Samuel's guests requested Esther, and, uh..." "Just go and talk to Samuel." "Just tell him what happened." "Tell him what it was and he'll straighten this out." "But Samuel sent me over here personally, Nat." "I can't do it, Nat." "I won't." "Brother Hark..." "But, what..." "Who are you?" "Brother Hark, do you think that I wanna come over here for this?" "You here, ain't ya?" "Nat!" "Where is she?" "Samuel, sir." "Please, you can't do this." "Everything all right?" "Oh, it's just fine." "I'll be inside directly." "I hope you won't be alone." "I assure you, I will not be." "If you mess this up for me, my hand to God..." "I will lynch every one of you come mornin!" "Do you understand me?" "Fetch her." "Yes, sir." "It's okay." "Where is He, Nat?" "Where's God now?" "Hark." "Excuse me." "I'm looking for a preacher named Nat." "He's been banned from every church in the county for his sins." "He's lucky that's all he got for what he done." "The world has its way with dealing with the immoral." "Above all those who cast that immorality on the children as he has." "But no one is without sin, Miss Elizabeth." "And this man wants to repent and be delivered." "As a Shepherd of the Lord, it's my duty to serve." "So..." "I'd like to baptize him." "The hell you will!" "Jethro, you will mind your mouth." "With respect, Miss Elizabeth, a nigger can't baptize no white man." "I just think we should wait for Mr. Samuel to get back." "Jethro, go wait in the front yard." "Mr. Samuel gets back, he'll have both of us!" "I won't ask you again." "Boy, you gonna get it." "Are you sure you want to do this, Nat?" "Samuel may not like it." "Nor will a lot of other folks around here." "Don't got too much choice, missus." "This man still belongs to God." "When you stand between the Lord and his people... it's a dangerous place to be." "We've been good to you." "My whole family has." "And you go on and do something like this to me." "A nigger baptizing a white man on my property!" "Do you know how this makes us look?" "This could ruin everything we worked for!" "Boy, you better say something and quick!" ""Take heed therefore unto yourselves..." ""and to all the flock over which" ""the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." ""To feed the church of God" ""which He has purchased with his own blood."" "Ex..." ""Exhort servants" ""to be obedient to thy own masters..." ""and to please them well in all things not answering again..."" ""You were bought with a price, do not become slaves of men."" ""He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost" ""hath never forgiveness, but is in danger..."" ""Beware of false prophets who come dressed in sheep's clothing..." ""but inwardly are ravening wolves!"" " You black bastard!" " Nat!" ""He that stealeth a man and selleth him..."" "Don't you eyeball me, boy!" ""...or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely" ""be put to death!"" "Get him to the post." "Hey, boy." "If you make it out of this alive..." "I'm gonna ride you harder than hogs on slop." "Die." "You learned your lesson, boy?" "Oh, yes, sir, I've learned." "Go on, get him off." "You're done preaching' for a little while." "And I don't want you runnin' off with any groups, unless me and Jethro are there, you understand?" "Yes, sir." "All right, go and get yourself cleaned up." "Be back in the field come morning." "Brother, you all right?" "Hey!" "Hey!" "I watched your grandfather die... in old land." "Saw him give up the ghost with my own eyes." "And he saw me." "He harnessed the Holy Spirit that day." "Yes, he did." "I was proud of him." "So proud." "I still thank God... that he died that day." "That he didn't live to see the things I seen." "To watch a strong man broken down... is a terrible thing." "Hey, Nana." "The stitches held up good." "Nana?" "You all right?" "Mostly." "I need you to round up a few men you trust." "Have them meet us at the big cypress at Cabin Pond night after next." "Hark." "He's still here, brother." "Even now." "This is Simon." "Samuel bought him a month back in Norfolk." "I remember." "Welcome, brother." "And you knew Nelson." "Welcome." "This is Will." "Word travels fast." "Welcome." "Hey!" "This grown folk's business!" "Get!" "Get!" "Hold on." "Come on over here." "Come from Randall's?" "Yes, sir." "He's just a boy." "So was David." "Come on." "Have a seat." "I've been following the Lord a long time." "Preachin', citing scripture... sharing the Gospel from the few pages and sections I've been allowed." "But I've gone back through this Word, all of it." "With new eyes." "I see now, for every verse they use to support our bondage... there's another demanding our freedom." "Every verse they use to justify our torture... there's another damning them to Hell for those actions." "Lord has spoken to me." "Visions of what's to come." "A rise of good against evil." "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first." "Brothers, we've been chosen." "What are we gonna do?" "Same as David and Gideon... and Joshua and Samson." " We'll fight." " The six of us?" "At first." "But once it begins, our brothers and sisters will join." "There's a whole lot of whites." "How many slaves you think there are in the county?" "On all the plantations?" "How many whites?" "But they got guns." "We'll take the armory in Jerusalem." "We'll have guns, too." "Jerusalem?" "That's right." "It's only 10 miles north." "We'll start right here at Turner's and fight our way there." "By then we'll number in the hundreds, thousands even." "The grapevine's ablaze with talks of fighting'." "Slaves all over havin' meetins'." "They waiting' on something." "They waiting' on us." "We make a stop at Fowler place?" "We will." "I'm with you." "Me, too." " When we fight?" " Soon." "The Lord will give us a sign." "Until then we remain steadfast, ready to strike at the moment of the Lord's call." "With the strength of our Father, we'll cut the head from the serpent." "We'll destroy them all." "Somethin' wrong?" "There was a meeting a few nights ago." "And although I was not privy to what was said..." "I can only assume... by the secrecy that it was not altogether productive." "Now, I don't know what ideas is floating' around in your head... but I been around here long enough to know... that the result of certain ideas is not gonna get you what you want." "All I want..." "I want for the oppressed people of God." "You want death for them?" "For your wife?" "For your daughter?" "If it be God's will." "God's will?" "And who determined you to be the instrument of such a thing?" "He has." "You just make sure that" "He's the one doin' the ordering'." "Man of God is called to lead in love." "Anything else will leave us all worse off." "He is a god of love, Nat." "Don't you forget that." "I won't." "Nor will I forget He's a god of wrath." "Mmm..." "The Lord's calling me." "To stand and fight." "I knew this day would come." "I told myself I wouldn't be scared." "All my life..." "I've been praying for the Lord to help us... or to send someone who could." "We all have." "Just wasn't expecting it to be my own husband." "If the Lord's called you to fight... you fight." "You fight for me... and Joanna." "You fight for us all." "Hmm?" "Who's there?" "Nat?" "Yes." "Wait, goddamnit!" "Damn it!" "Momma?" "Momma." "Nat?" "Oh, Lord, I slept too late." "No, no..." "Momma." "You won't have to work today." "You free." "The battle's begun, Ma." "Simon." "Simon will take you to Reese's." "And I need you to take care of Cherry and Joanna 'till I get back, you hear?" "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "I'm proud of you." "What did you do, boy?" "Huh?" "Huh?" "You killed them, boy?" "Is that what you did?" "You kill them and you kill us!" "You killed all of us." "We already dead." "We already dead!" "You dead." "We already dead." "We dead now!" "Your... earthly master is gone." "You're now free men and women... servants of only the Lord." "As the sword of the Lord bears down on our enemies... our ancestors and unborn children rejoice." "Are we dead?" "No." "I say we are now alive... seeing through eyes that have been denied us... since being born into the darkness of bondage." "Stand with us." "Let your other captive brothers and sisters also know freedom." "Stand that our children for generations to come will know... that with the supernatural power of God... we straightened our backs against the works of the evil one!" "Stand with us." "Can I do this myself?" "The boy!" "He gone!" "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "Get down!" "Hey, preacher!" "Hark!" "Are you out there?" "Tell the men to fall back." "What?" "If we have a gun battle now, we'll never make it to Jerusalem." "Me and my boys is ready!" "I want my revenge!" "This ain't about revenge, Hark!" "You all gonna hang!" "You hear me?" "All of ya!" "The root... not the branch." "We must stay focused, brother." "Will!" "Fall back!" "C'mon!" "C'mon, y'all." "C'mon." "Let's fall back, y'all!" "You all right?" "It's all of us." "This it?" "Hark, what time you think it is?" "5:30, 5:35." "What?" "By now I'd be two rows down... half a bag full." "I'd be headed to the barn... gettin' ready to feed the stock." "I'd be boiling water in the smokehouse, thinkin' 'bout dumping on massa's head." "I'd be tying the barrels, sealing' cracks." "Checkin' the leaves and straw." "Packin' and stacking' 'em up." "Dodgin' that cracker's lash." "Not today." "No, sir." "Not today." "On to Jerusalem?" "On to Jerusalem." "On to Jerusalem!" "All right, this is how this is gonna work." "You're gonna throw the weapons to the ground, then you're gonna lie down." "Do it." "The Lord is our light and our salvation." "Of whom we shall fear?" "Throw your weapons to the ground!" "The Lord is the strength of our lives." "Of whom shall we be afraid?" "When the wicked, even our enemies and our foes came upon us... to eat up our flesh, they stumbled and fell!" "Goddamn, niggers." "Though a host shall encamp against us, our hearts will not fear!" "Ready!" "Though war shall rise against us, in this we will be confident!" "Aim!" "Rebel!" "Come on!" "Get down!" "Will!" "Get back!" "I'm all right." "Southern trees" "Bearing strange fruit" "Blood on the leaves" "And blood at the root" "Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze" "Strange fruit hanging" "From the poplar trees" "Pastoral scene" "Of the gallant south" "Them big, bulging eyes" "And the twisted mouth" "Scent of magnolia" "Clean and fresh" "Here is a fruit" "Cherry." "It's Nat, love." "Keep on workin'." "They lookin' for you." "They hurt you?" "No." "How's Joanna?" "She fine." "Momma?" "She fine, too." "Keep on workin' now." "Any word on the other men?" "They been hanged." "All of them." "They killing' people everywhere for no reason at all but being black." "They say the killin' won't stop... 'till they get you." "All these months..." "I thought..." "I thought you were dead, too." "I'm here, love." "I'll always be." "I miss you so much." "Cherry?" "Who you talkin' to?" "I's just talkin' to myself." "Wishin' things was different." "Hey!" "That's him right there!" "Kill that nigger!" "I know you're angry." "Trust me, I am too." "This boy committed mass murder and will hang for all to see." "Get him up." "Go to Hell!" "Animal!" "Hang him!" "Is there something you wanna say to these good people?" "I'm ready."