Today in Salem: Martha Corey is scooping salve from a wooden jar when the Constable knocks. It’s time. She rubs the salve on her wrist, where it’s been itching since last night. It can’t be nerves. She is a Gospel Woman, and would never do these things they’ve accused her of.
The Meeting house is packed with spectators when the Constable brings her in to face the magistrates, who go straight to the first piece of damning evidence. Two men had visited Martha last week to see whether she and her specter were wearing the same clothes. How did she know about it before they’d even arrived?
Giles crosses his arms and squints. He’s been curious about the same thing. So when Martha says Giles himself had told her, he immediately speaks from the crowd to deny it. More questions and more nervous answers follow until Martha contradicts herself, and the judges are satisfied that they’ve proved the first point.
On to the next piece of evidence: Yesterday, after services, when she was walking toward her husband Giles: His son-in-law heard her say that neither the afflicted girls nor the Devil could stand before her and that she would open the eyes of the magistrates to the truth.
At the mention of “stand before her” the afflicted girls fall, literally unable to stand. Still, Martha denies saying it, and even when several other people say they’d overheard her, she still denies it.
It’s obvious that she’s lying, and the judges decide to move on to the next and most damning charge: Her specter is tormenting the afflicted girls. Even now, when Martha clenches her hands, the girls clench theirs to the point of bruising. When she shifts her feet, the girls stomp loudly. When she bites her lip, they bite their own, hard. The cruel magistrate hammers and hammers, with the afflicted girls shouting their own answers: Did Martha’s specter bring a yellow bird to the services yesterday? Has she brought the Devil’s book for the girls to sign? Is the Devil whispering in her ear right his very minute? No, no, and no Martha says, but the judges again believe she’s lying, and send her to jail for a later trial.