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turning to page one
Epps delivers his slaves to JUDGE TURNER, a distinguished man and extensive planter whose large estate is situated on Bayou Salle within a few miles of the gulf. Epps and Turner stand off to one side engaged in bargaining as Henry, Bob, Edward and Solomon wait and watch.
As they wait, playing in the near background, another group of SLAVES near a wagon are being divvied up. Among them are a MALE SLAVE, and a FEMALE SLAVE. She is perhaps his wife, or his sister... Some relation. For whatever capricious reason, the Male Slave is herded back to the wagon while the Female is forced to stay. Clearly the pair are being split up, AS WE HAVE SEEN FAR TO OFTEN WITH BLACK FAMILIES TO THIS POINT. This time, the Male Slave will not remain idle as his relation is taken from him. He tries to claw past the OVERSEERS screaming for her.
The Overseers beat the man down, beat him back to wagon. Despite this, the man continues to yell after the woman as the wagon pulls away.
The woman is comforted by another female slave, ANNA, who herself seems traumatized by both the physical and psychological violence of the events..
Seemingly oblivious to what has just transpired, Epps returns to his slaves and gives a parting salutation.
EPPS
Yer Judge Turner's for the season.
For more if need be, until my crop
return. It's my little fortune
he'll even have yah. Every
planter in the bayou is trying to
unload his niggers on 'em. So
yah'll bring no disrespect to me,
and yah'll bring no biblical
plagues to him. Be decent, ere I
will return to deliver an ungodly
whippin'.