Underground

Previously on Underground...

I ain't been more than two steps

off this plantation in my life.

I found it... the way to the promised land.

- Tell me what this say. - This is my birthday.

Not some campaign rally for Daddy to be mayor.

Senator, sweetie pie.

This money goes to the slave catcher

- who brought her in. - Who's that, exactly?

That'd be me, Jim.

I swear I heard her

call him "Saint."

She called me an angel.

A man came to see me at the capital.

The one that aids the runaway slaves?

We can make a real difference.

It's gonna be the slaves left behind that gonna pay the price.

That's why I don't mean to be left behind.

I been a slave all my life.

25 years.

That's 300 months.

9,000 odd days of waitin'

to die, to live, or for a miracle.

But I'm done waitin'.

It's time to act, but I can't do it alone.

Now, them words I found, tell me they what I think they are.

Tell me they the map to freedom.

In its own way.

It's-it's a song.

The map may be hidden in the words.

Each verse be a code for a signpost that lead north.

- Hot damn, you was right. - Oh, hold up now.

- What you... what you mean by "code?" - It speaks of

followin' "the drinkin' gourd"

to ascend into the... the-the "blue haze"

where you'll meet a wolf who will, uh,

pull you and drag you into the "underworld."

Now, the only part I can make sense of is...

is that last verse where it speaks of

crossin' the River Jordan.

- I done heard some call the Ohio River by that name. - Yeah.

You go in a slave, but you come out the other side a free man.

All right, so we figure out the rest of these verses,

we one step closer to the promised land.

Just 'cause we might know the way

don't mean that we gonna get there.

I done heard the massa say it's over 600 miles.

We gonna have to fight for every step.

But I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think we could do it.

You talkin' real big, but I ain't heard no plan yet.

The plan is simple.

We figure a way off of massa's land.

We protect each other on the run.

Then we make it so once we get north,

ain't no one has no cause to bring us back.

Mm. I ain't gettin' no stripes on my back for this.

- Hey. - What?

We can't do this without you.

Without any of you.

Now you know we got to do this,

or you wouldn't have come down. Now I need to know now

who's in and who's out.

I'm in.

Well, God ain't never said we was gonna be free in heaven.

Okay.

- Mr. Cato, I was just... - Oh, let me guess.

Talkin' about runnin'.

Hey, it's okay.

He ain't gonna say nothin'.

He comin' with us.

All right, what couldn't wait?

Well, massa, we just wanted to tell you we found your wagon.

It was right where this one told us it would be.

Well, I find it hard to believe a man who would whip his own,

now he wants to run with 'em!

I find it hard to believe that there's a white man in the sky

with a plan for all of us, but to each his own.

He had a chance to turn me in, and he didn't.

That's right, 'cause I had my mind set on runnin'.

What you talking about, "had?"

Looking at this sorry group,

I might have to reconsider.

I don't know when it begun,

but ever since I can remember,

all the boys courtin' wear flowers,

and all the girls wear ribbons.

This one's real pretty.

You ought to let me borrow it.

Well, I would, but Solomon loves blue.

Ooh.

I bet you he asks me to dance at Miss Shaw's tonight.

Morning.

She don't ever go to them dances.

Think she too good for all that.

When I first set foot on this plantation,

I swear I'd died and gone to heaven.

Of course, Suzanna's old man... he made sure I knew who God was.

Old Earl... God rest his soul...

he could scare the moss off a rock.

You ain't tellin' a lie.

When Suzanna brought me home, he near disowned her.

I mean, what business did a Northerner have to all of this?

He was right. So I learned what I could about three things.

Growing cotton, managing slaves,

and how to be an honorable man of the South.

The end result of the first two is this plantation.

I'm still working on the third.

Now, I imagine when y'all heard I was considering a Senate run,

you had some of the same thoughts Earl Macon did.

Today, if you'll allow me,

I want to start earning your trust.

Well, I heard D.C. is a shit-hole, Tom.

I mean, you got a nice piece of land here.

Why in God's name would anybody want to leave it?

How the hell we gonna get off Macon land?

Over the mountains?

Oh, yeah, it's too steep to climb.

The swamp is too slow moving.

Them rollers'll find us stuck in the mud before we find

a way out.

That just leaves the river.

That bridge is guarded day and night by them rollers.

Six of us. Why don't we just overpower 'em?

No, we can't risk a fight while we still on Macon land.

All right, we got to slip away without no one knowin'.

Get us a lead on them dogs.

Hey, can you swim?

No, neither can I.

What about those longboats from Miss Mary's party?

Oh, no, they was chopped up for this morning's firewood.

You think the blue haze talkin' about that lake

on the other side of the city?

No, the thing dried up two summers ago.

Could you build us a boat?

What about the swamps on the other side

of the Callaway plantation?

No, no, no, no, no. They much more green in there.

Forget about the song. Can you build us a boat?

Fit for five without nobody noticing?

Shoot, even if I could, it don't matter much,

'cause we don't know where we runnin' to.

"Wolf," "Underworld," "Angel."

Don't none of that sound like freedom to me.

Sound like death.

Hey, you let me worry about the song.

You worry about getting us over that river.

The bridge. Yes, sir.

Already thought on that with Zeke.

Ain't no way over it.

No, there ain't.

But I think I might be able to fashion a way under it.

- That's good. - I don't even know.

I'm not sure we're in the right place.

We have an appointment with Mr. Still?

- This is my wife... - Close the door behind you.

Still isn't here yet.

Find a seat. I'm sure he'll arrive soon.

We're gonna have to have something to eat.

He's not even here.

He must be held up with something important.

Get back.

John!

Oh.

Help me.

Your son's up there at that cabin

thinking you upset with him.

- Why would he think that? - He supposes

he left the gate open last night.

How that wolf got in,

killed all those chickens.

What are these tracks here?

One's the wolf, the other's human.

You keep reminding me how Ben's growing up,

but his feet ain't nearly that big.

Someone else was in here.

Someone who wasn't wearing shoes.

May I speak frankly?

No sense in asking.

You've been doing it all my life.

Boy's of an age onto becoming a man.

Now would be a good time for his father to be here,

teach him a few things.

I'm here right now.

No, you ain't.

You already going after them bare feet.

You could use a spell of time with your boy.

That sort of solitude,

manner of work... it can change a man.

How many bank notices we get while I was gone?

Four.

Some of that money you brought back

for catching that runaway is gonna help.

If we could find something of value to sell,

that would be better.

Ain't nothing of value around here.

There is somethin'. You ain't gonna like it.

Miss Charlotte's ring.

She can't wear it in the hospital.

She's gonna wear it when she comes back here to this house.

And none of this talk is useful. You want to be some help to me?