"When they reached the river, he turned left. " , Blue Water River. You call it the Brazos, eh?" He pointed ahead of them. " , upstream." Jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, he said, " , downstream. You will listen good, Blue Eyes, and learn. talk is dirt in my mouth." His tone set Loretta off balance. Dirt in his mouth? If he hated the whites so much, why on earth had he taken her? Upstream, downstream, she couldn't remember the words. She didn't want to. The language of murderers. All she wanted was to be free of the whole filthy lot of them."