The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters Page B

although hand, heart, and brain itched to assist my child, I could not apply remedies until I had ascertained the cause of his condition. Percy's distress was manfullycontrolled; he stood with shoulders straight and hands clenched, his eyes never leaving my face. "It was my fault, Aunt Amelia. I cannot tell a lie. Beat me, strap me, flog me—or perhaps Uncle Radcliffe should do it, he is stronger. I deserve to be punished. I am at fault, I ought to have known better ..."
    I seized him and shook him. "What did you do?"
    "The cricket ball struck him square in the stomach, Aunt Amelia. I was trying to show Ramses how to bat, and—"
    I turned back to Ramses. To my relief I saw his eyes had rolled back into place, though they were not yet well focused, and his breathing was less difficult. A hard blow in the solar plexus can be painful and terrifying, but it is seldom fatal, at least in the young; I well remembered having suffered such an injury in childhood, after James had hit me with a rock of considerable size. (He told Papa I had tripped and fallen.)
    "He'll be all right," I said, with a long breath of relief. "Take him upstairs to bed, John. Percy, how could you be so careless?"
    Percy's lips quivered, but he answered in a low, steady voice. "I take full responsibility, Aunt Amelia. My hands slipped . . . but that is no excuse."
    From behind me came a weird, wheezing murmur. "The ability . . . to direct the path ... of a projectile hurled ... or struck with a bat ... is not always within the powers ..."
    "Quite right, Ramses," I said, brushing the hair from my son's perspiring brow. "It was an accident, and I was unjust to Percy. But why the devil couldn't you say so, instead of beginning a long, tedious peroration? Considering that you are still short of breath—"
    "However, under some circumstances ..." Ramses wheezed.
    "Enough, Ramses! Upstairs with him, John. I will follow directly."
    John obeyed, Rose led the sobbing Violet away, and I turned my attention to Percy, who stood straight as a little soldier awaiting punishment. He flinched visibly when I placed my hand on his shoulder, and I hastened to reassure him.
    "No one is flogged or beaten in this house, Percy—not people, not animals, not even children. What happened was an unfortunate accident, and it was courageous of you to take all the blame on yourself."
    The boy's astonished look told me he was unaccustomed to kindly, reasonable treatment from adults. It made me all the more determined to demonstrate the superiority of our methods of child-rearing over those of his parents.
    Toward the end of the week I began to be less optimistic about the good effects of well-behaved children on Ramses. Percy took to mopingaround the house; when pressed he admitted he was lonely, not only for "dearest Mama and Papa" but for his playmates. Ramses would not play with him. Ramses—said Percy sadly—did not like him.
    I took Ramses aside and gave him a little lecture about courtesy to guests. "Percy misses his Mama and Papa, Ramses, which is only natural. You must put yourself out a little; give up your own hobbies for a while and join in the things that amuse Percy."
    Ramses replied that Percy's ideas of amusement were not to his taste and that, to judge by Percy's remarks about his papa, he did not at all miss him. Since I abhor gossip of all kinds, especially from the mouths of young children, I cut Ramses off rather sharply. "Percy says you don't like him."
    "He is quite correct," said Ramses. "I don't."
    "Perhaps you would, if you would try to know him better."
    "I doubt that very much. I am busy, Mama, with my work. My study of mummification—"
    Again my retort was prompt and sharp; for Ramses' study of mummification had already prompted one unpleasant incident, when he attempted to impress Violet by showing her some of his better specimens. The ensuing fit of hysterics had brought Emerson raging out of the library.
    Before long I had the opportunity to discuss my