Peace Like a River: Boy Ready Summary & Analysis

Reuben tells the reader that his breathing overall is getting much worse at this point in the tale. One night, Swede tells Reuben to go upstairs and not help with dishes. Reuben tries to distract Swede by asking about Sunny Sundown, but she sends him upstairs anyway. Reuben struggles to climb the stairs and sits on the landing to catch his breath. Swede wakes him up some time later—he'd fallen asleep. Swede is worried and settles Reuben upstairs with a pan of steam.

Swede sits with Reuben reading Psalms. She tells Reuben that Dad is off courting Roxanna, and Reuben realizes that his family hadn't experienced a miracle since they arrived at Roxanna's house. He thinks he has no chance if Dad can't work a miracle.

Reuben decides to tell Swede about Davy, but when he opens his eyes Swede is reading her newest Sunny Sundown poem out loud. Sunny, still waiting in his valley for his wife, sees her approaching with a posse some distance behind her. Reuben tells Swede that nothing seems to go right for poor Sunny, and asks if Swede can make something turn out right for him. Swede, alarmed at Reuben's emotion, tells him what happens—Sunny, of course, sweeps up his bride, fights the posse, and detonates his stick of dynamite, sealing the valley off against any more intruders.

Reuben still doesn't feel any better. All he can think of is Davy in the shack, and Reuben feels convinced that his lungs won't get better. As he asks Swede if she'll get mad if he tells her something, they hear Dad come through the door. Dad enters Reuben's bedroom with a doctor, Dr. Nickles. Dr. Nickles examines Reuben and deems the steam treatment wholly ineffective. He says he'd hospitalize Reuben if the hospital weren't full of flu patients, and instead gives Reuben a shot of adrenaline.

After Dr. Nickles leaves, Dad comes upstairs and asks Reuben if the steam helps. Reuben insists it does. Dad asks how the adrenaline is working, and Reuben tells the reader that it's a strange sensation of alertness. Reuben is unable to truly sleep that night because of the adrenaline, and suffers noisy, scattered dreams.

The next morning, Reuben goes down to the kitchen to find Mr. Andreeson sitting at the table drinking coffee with Dad. Reuben wants to hate Andreeson, but can't quite bring himself to feel that way. Andreeson tells Reuben that people have sighted Davy. He promises Reuben they won't hurt Davy. Reuben thinks he wants nothing from Andreeson, and tells him, "you can't hurt what you can't find." Andreeson smiles and leaves.

Reuben prays throughout the day and sneaks outside several times, hoping to see Davy. Finally, in the evening he hears a horse neigh. Reuben goes with Davy to the shack that night and tells Mr. Waltzer that Andreeson is closing in. Mr. Waltzer is shoeing a horse and seems unconcerned. He shifts Reuben's attention to the coals of the forge and shows him how to work the bellows and shape the horseshoe. Reuben drives several nails into the horse's hoof.

Over dinner, Mr. Waltzer refuses to speak of Andreeson. Mr. Waltzer tells the table about his own amazing sense of taste. He asks Reuben to describe what he tastes in their pork (Reuben declares it dull), and then Mr. Waltzer describes the taste of the pig's diet. As Davy saddles his horse later, Mr. Waltzer points out constellations to Reuben. Reuben has never heard of the constellation "Boy Ready," and Mr. Waltzer tells Reuben the accompanying legend. It has a sickening plot twist, and as Reuben listens to other legends he finds that all of Mr. Waltzer's stories have similarly horrifying outcomes.

Mr. Andreeson calls Roxanna's house the next morning with news that the man who was supposed to accompany him to Davy never showed. Dad suggests prayer. When Dad hangs up, he asks Reuben if there's something he needs to share. Reuben nervously says there isn't. Dad goes to the trailer to pray for Davy.

For two days, the Lands hear nothing from Andreeson. A chilling wind picks up outside, and Reuben, thinking of Davy and Sara, wonders out loud to Swede how long it'd take to freeze in the wind. Swede launches into several gruesome descriptions of what happens to the human body in the cold. She mentions cannibalism, which Reuben finds especially disconcerting, since Mr. Waltzer also once mentioned cannibalism. Reuben wonders if Mr. Waltzer would eat Davy or Sara first. Reuben finally goes to the Airstream to find Dad.

Reuben sits outside the trailer and listens to Dad plucking away on the guitar and singing. Reuben then goes back inside, where Roxanna is making dinner and Swede is writing Sunny Sundown's happy ending.

When the wind finally ends, Dad, Swede, and Roxanna go outside to shovel and Reuben is tasked with waiting by the phone. Reuben continues to worry about Davy in the cold. Dad calls Andreeson's motel in the afternoon. The desk clerk tells Dad that he took a note for Andreeson several days ago, from a man waiting for Andreeson in a café. Andreeson left to meet the man and hasn't yet returned.

A horrible thought grips Reuben. Dad asks Reuben what's wrong, and Reuben says that Andreeson is in trouble. He thinks of Mr. Waltzer's lack of concern at hearing about Andreeson, and Andreeson's happiness that he'd found someone who'd seen Davy. Reuben tells Dad that Andreeson's man is called Jape Waltzer, he's with Davy, and he’s surely going to kill Andreeson.