The following day, she and Lovely were interviewed by The Washington Post, whose Book World had raved about The Passage. Its legendary editor, Jonathan Yardley, stepped out of retirement to do the interview and the three had a delightful time.
From Washington, Mercer and Thomas took the train to Philadelphia. Diane managed to get Lovely home to Santa Rosa, where, once back on her porch with a glass of sugary iced tea, she declared that she would never again set foot on an airplane. It was obvious to Diane and Miss Naomi, though, that Lovely rather liked being onstage.
4
Dr. Sargent could not attend the book event at the Howard Theatre, though he had been invited and asked to introduce Diane and Marlo. He had his hands full of bones on Dark Isle. By late June, their second dig was well underway.
During the first one a month earlier, the team had recovered thirty-eight graves. With each find, they carefully lifted out whatever they found, usually bones and sections of the decomposed wooden caskets. The remains of each were cleaned, photographed, indexed, and placed into a small metal coffin that was then sealed tight. The grave was dug deeper, wider, and longer until it was four feet by two and exactly fifty inches deep. The metal coffin was then lowered and buried.
As always, it was hard, tedious work, and by late June the Florida heat was pushing ninety-five degrees. The team had set up camp near the cemetery, on a patch of land that had been cleared by bulldozers, and some of them preferred to cook and sleep in the wild. The panthers often made the nights interesting, but no one was injured. Indeed, halfway through the second dig, no one had yet to actually see one. The pontoon boat arrived each morning with water and supplies, and it returned late in the day to collect those who needed a hot shower and some air-conditioning. Each team member had the option of sleeping in a hotel in Santa Rosa, and as the days wore on, more and more left the island at night.
On two occasions, Diane escorted Lovely to the island to check on things. The temporary pier made their arrival much easier. The gravel drive through the woods seemed like a luxury. They rode in a John Deere Gator driven by a student at Howard, who was thrilled to finally meet Lovely.
The cemetery was changing dramatically. The overgrown vegetation and brush were gone, the entire area had been cleared. Rows of string and yellow tape marked the graves that had been found but not yet unburied. Small, neat mounds of dirt were piled beside other graves. Most of the working area was covered by large canopies to shield against the sun. Lovely sat in the shade, sipped cold water, and chatted with the archaeologists and students, who were in awe of her. The bleached bones they were touching and handling so carefully belonged to her ancestors.
Everyone wanted a photo with Lovely.
During the second visit, as they were on the pontoon boat and headed back to Santa Rosa, Lovely asked Diane, “Can I be buried with my people, here on Dark Isle?”
“Well, the state of Florida doesn’t really care. It allows a person to be buried on private property. However, Camino County passed an ordinance years ago requiring all burials to be in registered cemeteries.”
“How do you know so much?”
“I’ve read too many old newspapers.”
5
The Passage debuted at #4 on the nonfiction bestseller list, prompting Viking to push the print button for another 25,000 copies. Mercer’s book tour took her to New York, Boston, New Haven, Syracuse, Buffalo, then back down to Baltimore, and Philadelphia again. At each stop she did as many print interviews as her PR team could schedule, went to as many bookstores as humanly possible, and even managed some radio and local television. The third week after publication, the book moved up to #2.
She and Thomas went to the beach for the July Fourth holiday and caught up with Lovely, Diane, and Bruce. After three days of rest, she took off again, without Thomas, for a swing through the Midwest, stopping in Louisville, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Chicago. For the most part book tours were relics from the past, but Viking was willing to fund as much as Mercer could stand. With Bruce’s constant encouragement, she had agreed to forty cities in fifty days.
On July 18, some five weeks after publication, The Passage hit #1 on the list. Mercer was leaving a hotel room in Wichita when she got the call from Etta Shuttleworth in New York. “You made it, girl! Number one!”
Mercer sat on the edge of her bed, tried not to cry, and called Thomas. He promised to meet her in Denver. After that, she called Bruce, who, of course, already knew. Etta called back with the news that Viking was printing another 50,000 copies.
6
In an author’s note at the end of The Passage, Mercer thanked the many people who had helped with her research. She wrote a wonderful tribute to Lovely Jackson, a friend who had lived the life she had just described and who had unselfishly allowed Mercer to “borrow” her story. Mercer also made a pitch for money. She described the Nalla Foundation and its plans for a memorial on Dark Isle, finishing with: “It’s a small nonprofit, just barely getting started, so if you have a spare buck, send them a check.”
The checks were arriving, and not all of them were from spare funds. Almost all were individuals who read and were inspired by the book. By the time The Passage hit #1, its admirers had sent checks totaling almost $90,000.
7
When the phone buzzed at 2:34 in the morning, Mercer found it, knocked it to the floor, picked it up, saw that it was from Diane, and knew immediately something had happened to Lovely.
“Mercer, where are you?”
A helluva question. She looked around the dark room as if the furniture or curtains might hold a clue to the city. “Portland, I think. What’s wrong.”
“Miss Naomi found Lovely on the floor tonight. She couldn’t get up. We’re at the hospital now and she’s doing okay, resting, probably another stroke. I hate to bother you in the middle of the night but you told me to call.”
“That’s okay, Diane. No worries. Can she say anything?”
“Don’t know. She’s sedated but it doesn’t appear to be that severe.”
“I can’t get home right now.”
“Don’t even think about it. There’s nothing to do. The doctors will watch her for a day or two. We should know more tomorrow. How’s the book tour?”
“Up and down. The crowds are nice but it’s beginning to get old.”
“Hey girl, you’re number one. Savor the moment.”
“Thanks.”
“We’re all very proud of you, Mercer. The entire island is enjoying your big moment. Including Lovely. It’s all she talks about.”
“Give her a hug and tell her I’m sending prayers.”
“Will do.”
8
The damage was not slight, the stroke was neither a “mini” nor a “mild.” After two days in the hospital, Lovely realized that her left leg and arm were not working too well. Physical therapists gently pulled and stretched, with little success. They put her in a wheelchair for the first time in her life and rolled her down the hall to lunch. Diane and Miss Naomi checked on her every day. They were told that she would no longer be able to live alone. She had to have care.