Answer:
In Act I of Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," when Abigail says, "And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" she is using a combination of rhetoric, manipulation, and fear tactics to intimidate and silence those who might reveal the truth about what happened in the woods and her involvement in "witchcraft."
In this passage, Abigail is making a veiled threat to the other girls present, warning them not to confess or reveal the true events of the night in the forest. She uses vivid and terrifying imagery, such as the mention of Indians smashing her parents' heads and the threat of a "pointy reckoning," to create fear and manipulate the girls into compliance. Her reference to the "reddish work done at night" suggests the violence and darkness she is capable of.
Abigail is essentially employing emotional manipulation and intimidation to keep the other girls from speaking the truth and to maintain control over the situation. This manipulation and fear tactics are central to her character throughout the play as she seeks to avoid punishment and consequences for her actions.