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Author's Note:
If you are offended by race play, please do not read this story!
THE ADVENTURES OF CUCKLEBERRY FINN: Black Magic
Chapter One: Jim's Harem
"I don't got nothing against a man bein' a man, but he oughtn't yell at his woman that way. And I hear he beats on her. What if she were pregnant, Jim," said Jeremiah Snodgrass.
"What you goin' do 'bout it, Mister Snodgrass?" Jim asked.
"Oh, I don't know, Jim. I don't want to deal with the backlash that son-bitch would give. Hey, I know. Why don't you go talk to him? I'm sure that will go over real nice. Go on, then, see to it. Get that bastard Clayton to treat his woman like a lady."
"Oh, I-I don' know, Mister Snodgrass. I don' want to be messin' with another man's marriage."
"Just do it, Jim. Big guy like you oughtn't be worried about a little guy like Clayton Pritchett."
Jim went back home and sat down and thought about the situation. He reckoned Clayton would love the opportunity to mistreat him for interferin'. Clayton didn't like other opinions, let alone correction, and let alone by a black man. But Jim thought ain't nobody else goin' help that poor lady. The best way to deal with this was to be direct, man to man.
"How do you do, Mrs. Pritchett? So Mister Snodgrass asked me to check on you and maybe see hows I can help Mr. Pritchett so's he's not a'yellin' at you so much. Is he 'round?"
Emmaline Pritchett said, "No. He ain't here right now. Whatta you plan to say? Clayton don't like people in his business. Everybody knows that. You'd be better off to just skedaddle on back home before he knows you was here. I won't say nothing."
"Oh, alright then. Well, you have youself a nice day then, Mrs. Pritchett."
"Just call me Emmaline, Jim. Okay. Bye." She was sad and watched him leave. Clayton wanted her to stay at home. Got awful lonesome, I'm sure of it. Anyways, ain't no matter. It all works out, you'll see.
Jim went back home. He figured he would just explain to Snodgrass that Emmaline didn't want any help and everything was fine. At least that's what he wanted to be true.
One Week Later
"Lo and behold! If it ain't Jim the marriage counselor!" Clayton said with a wicked smile on his face.
Jim couldn't believe that Emmaline would betray him that way. "Look, I was just doin' what Mister Snodgrass said to do. I don't know nothing about marriage between white people."
"Well, hell, I know that, Jim, but you see, Jeremiah is a friend a'mine and he told me it was your idea to come interfere with my wife and I's relations. I asked Emmaline about that, too, and she tried to say you didn't come there, but I knew she was lyin'. So, guess what, Jim, stupid Jim, I taught her a lesson and I'm goin' to teach you the same lesson now. Get over here!"
"No suh, I's figured I done what I was asked to do, even though I didn't have to. Mister Snodgrass is who you ought'n be upset by. I'll be stayin' right here."
"Maybe you's deaf, as it is. I said, get over here, boy."
"No suh. I ain't goin' to."
Well, by this time, Jim had already been set free by the law, so he weren't under no obligation to obey any man. Those two men russled around for a minute or so before Clayton got pinned and once he quit squirmin' and submitted, Jim let him go. He gave up and spouted off and went home in a tizzy. Jim went home too. He worried about what was goin' happen to Emmaline at home, and rightly so. That Clayton was consummate ass who had something comin' to him.
One Week Later
"Misses Emmaline, you ought'nt be here like this. You's married to Clayton."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go. Everyone here seems to be on Clayton's side of things. Can't I just stay here for tonight? I'll leave first thing in the mornin' when Clayton's booze's all filtered through his body."
"You's goin' to get me killed, Emmaline. I ain't supposed to be with a white woman and you know that."
"I ain't got nowhere else to go, Jim. Please."
Jim relented to the beautiful young wife. Her white skin and greenish eyes were exotic and excitin'. He ain't never seen a white woman up that close before. So's he took her in.
The night was uneventful. Clayton passed out lookin' for his wife around the house, not knowin' she was a mile away in a cabin with a freed slave.
'Bout a week later, she came back to Jim's, then again another several days later, and then again on 'nother occasion. Before long, she had her own damn bed. He gave her the bed when she came over, and he slept all worried-like on some straw on the floor.
Along about the fifth or so time she come over, Clayton come a'knockin' on Jim's door. He had been drinkin' again and he followed Emmaline without her knowin'. Clayton made a big scene and threatened Jim mightily, but in the end it weren't no use. He couldn't whoop Jim, and his wife didn't obey him anymore from then on. She became part of Jim's household. I guess Clayton never went any further with it, out of his own shame, havin' his bride leave him and possibly for a black man, it seemed.
It was rough on the young, wayward bride. She couldn't go into town because people would be too mean to her. They would say and do some awfully reddish things to the poor woman if she were brazen enough to flaunt her betrayal and new allegiance in front of people. Weren't no wonder she just hanged out at Jim's as much as she could and stayed by him for protection.