Damnation Spring

Chub finds himself stranded at school, waiting for a lift along with Luke. His mother Helen is in ill-health after the complications surrounding the birth of the baby who would have been Luke’s younger sibling. The sore subject has made Luke the target of bullies at school. Chub does his best to reassure him that his mother isn’t going to die. Neither Rich nor Luke’s ride appear, so Gail Porter scoops the children into her car to take them home.

At the time, Colleen is delivering a casserole to Helen and Carl, who sprays for Sanderson. She is surprised to find Daniel leaving the house as she arrives. Gail Porter arrives and drops off both Chub and Luke. Colleen is surprised to see Chub; it is not like Rich to forget to pick him up.

Inside, Carl reveals Daniel tried to get the pair to sign his petition. Carl admits he sprayed near the house during Helen’s pregnancy and even caught her with the herbicide once. But Carl remains skeptical of Daniel’s motives: “Guy cares more about fish than people,” he tells Colleen. “Kill a town to save some trees? Something wrong with that picture” (215).

Despite her loss, Helen tells Colleen she and Carl won’t be signing Daniel’s petition, “If anybody asks” (216).