The Masked Family

Chapter 5

Chapter 5Lilly, Pennsylvania - Saturday, April 5, 1924, 8:30 PMThe white-robed men of the Ku Klux Klan looked more menacing than ever as they marched by torchlight through the streets of Lilly. Olenka Pankowski shivered as she watched the firelight flicker over them, picking out their pale forms like ghosts in the night.

"They had it all planned out, didn't they?" said Renata Petrilli, squeezing Olenka's hand almost hard enough to crush it.

Olenka nodded. The Klansmen had brought the torches with them from the trains and had been ready to light them just as soon as the blackout hit. Moments after all the electric lights in town had gone out, the Klansmen had ignited the torches and held them high without missing a step of the march.

"This is different from the other times they were here." Renata's voice was a frightened whimper. "What happens now?"

Olenka pointed at the river of white flowing down the street. A huge wooden cross glided past, carried overhead by the ranks of robed men.

"They didn't bring that to donate to the church," said Olenka. "That's for sure."

Old Father Stanislavski was standing behind her. "The cross is just part of it," he said. "They brought other supplies, too."

Olenka watched the white-robed men marching past. Some of them carried crates and cartons. Many toted sacks over their shoulders, sacks bulging with unidentifiable, heavy-looking shapes.

"This is a big night for them," said Father Stanislavski. "Their idea of Christmas."

Just then, Dominick Campitelli pushed out of the crowd. He shouted at the passing Klansmen just a few feet away. "You think we're afraid of the dark? Turn off the lights and we'll turn tail?"

The Klansmen must have heard him, but they gave no sign. They kept their eyes straight ahead and their faces without expression, as if their hoods deflected all noise.

"We are the dark," said Dominick. "We live in the dark. We're miners, you idiots!"

Some of the men in the crowd clapped and shouted encouragement. Olenka just watched, her heart pounding as Dominick took another step closer to the marching columns.

"Death is our best friend," said Dominick. "You boys don't know what you've got yourselves into here."

Olenka heard scattered cheers and applause. Grinning, Dominick hawked something up from deep in his throat and leaned forward.

Before he could spit it out, however, Father Stanislavski shot from the crowd and grabbed him by the arm. Dominick stumbled but didn't fall as Father Stanislavski yanked him back away from the river of white robes.

"Hey!" said Dominick. "What'd you do that for?"

"You almost gave them the best gift they could ask for." Father Stanislavski glared at him. "An excuse."

Dominick shook his arm free of Father Stanislavski's grip. "How much longer are we gonna wait? Are we gonna let these strangers wreck our town?"

"Hell no!" said Dominick's best friend, Nicolo Genovese.

Father Stanislavski stood his ground, staring down at Dominick. Though Father was in his seventies, with wispy white hair and wrinkles, he was seven feet tall and could still be an intimidating presence when he wanted. "Please be patient. Don't give them what they want."

"I'm talkin' about givin' 'em what I want." As the end of the long parade of Klansmen passed by, Dominick ran out to stand in the street behind them. "I wanna get rid of these morons for good."

Nicolo trotted out after him. "This is our town." He shook a fist in the air. "I say we run 'em out on the same rail they came in on!"

At that moment, a pair of headlights flared from the darkness as a car turned a corner down the street. Olenka looked toward it, as did the rest of the townspeople. Everyone squinted as their eyes adjusted to the brightness. It was the first electric light they'd seen since the power had been cut.

"Is that more of 'em?" said a man in the crowd.

"I bet it is," said another man.

"Well they ain't invited." With his hands held out in front of him, Dominick marched straight toward the headlights. "They'll have to go have their picnic somewhere else."

Nicolo followed Dominick, and other men trickled out of the crowd after them. The approaching car drifted a little closer, then stopped.

Through the windshield, Olenka saw a middle-aged, dark-haired man at the wheel. A big dog sat beside him and barked its head off as Dominick and Nicolo drew up to the driver's side window.

"Hey, buddy," said Dominick. "What brings you to Lilly this fine evening?"

"There's another one!" said one of the other men, Stefan Volta. He broke away from the first car and headed down the street. Three men went with him, aiming for a car that had just turned onto the main drag.

As the rest of the crowd filtered into the street, Father Stanislavski turned to Olenka and Renata. "You girls should go home," he said. "If the Klan doesn't get you, your neighbors might."

"Yes, Father." Renata pulled Olenka by the hand as Father Stanislavski walked away. "Come on, Olenka."

Olenka resisted. "You go." She watched as Father Stanislavski approached Dominick and Nicolo and joined the conversation with the man with the barking dog.

Renata pulled Olenka's hand harder. "It's not safe."

"I can't just leave." Olenka wrenched her hand free. "I have to help."

"But this is bad." Renata's voice trembled. "It's like the end of the world."

"That's just what they want us to think," said Olenka.

At that moment, a roar of voices surged up from the direction of Piper's Field on the edge of town. Looking that way between buildings, Olenka saw the top of the giant cross that the Klansmen had carried through town, erect now and burning with yellow flame.

The crowd of townspeople fell silent for a moment, all staring at the fiery cross. Then, an angry murmur began to build among them.

Dominick and Nicolo abandoned the driver they'd been interrogating and turned toward the firelight. "Well ain't that pretty?" said Dominick.

"Nice of them to light things up some," said Nicolo.

"Know what I'd really like to see, though?" Dominick raised his voice to a shout. "A couple a' Ku Klux Klannies burnin' like that."

The crowd clapped and cheered. Dominick waved, and almost everyone followed him and Nicolo down the street.

Olenka had to hurry to keep up with Father Stanislavski, who stayed near the front of the crowd. She was glad, when he spotted her, that he didn't reprimand her for not going home like he'd told her to.

"These are good people, aren't they?" he said to her.

"Yes, Father," said Olenka.

"Then if I were you," said Father Stanislavski, "I'd say a prayer that they stay that way."

"I will, Father," said Olenka, and she did.