SIXTEEN

Ben, Adam and Joe came down the stairs to see Percy sitting in Ben's red leather chair. The table had been moved so that he could put up his booted feet while he sipped tea, an empty plate on the table.

"Well," Ben said when they reached the bottom of the stairs, "you're up early this morning."

Joe, standing behind his father, cleared his throat. Ben turned to see both Adam and Hoss looking at him expectantly. He knew what they wanted.

"And take your feet off the table," Ben bellowed. Joe and Adam looked at each other with amusement and satisfaction.

But instead of reacting sheepishly as Joe did when he was caught lolling on the settee, his feet on the table, Percy, with mock respect, stood up, ramrod straight, and clicked his heels together. "Sir, yes, sir," Percy said. Then he sat back down, picked up his teacup and saucer and continued to sip his tea.

Adam and Joe walked over to the dining room table and stared at the emptiness of its surface. Then they looked up as Hoss came heavily down the stairs, glowering as he saw Percy's smug face.

"Good morning, brother," Percy said and Hoss grunted in response. Percy smiled; he was delighted. To Percy, Hoss was a simpleton, having a basic good nature that responded instinctively to praise and admonishment like a dumb animal. But it wasn't like that; not being manipulative himself, Hoss couldn't recognize it in others and that made him the perfect stooge, easily exploited.

"Hey," Hoss said, still in a foul mood, "where's breakfast? Hop Sing?" Hoss headed into the kitchen.

"He's not there," Percy trilled.

"Well, where is he?" Adam asked and Hoss stopped in his tracks to hear.

"I really don't know. He made me this pot of tea and some toast and jam and then with a ridiculous hat on his head, something atrocious that resembled a shrunken stovepipe hat, left with two bags, one tucked under each arm. He muttered something about going back to China-Hop Sing quit-things like that. I fear, Father, that he may have stolen one of your horses as I heard him ride away. Don't they hang horse thieves out here? You could hang him by his own queue. Wouldn't that be amusing?" Percy leaned forward and poured more tea from the squat, china teapot.

"What do you mean he quit?" Ben asked angrily.

"He quit," Percy said. "I assume that the word means the same here as it does it England. It means to stop doing the thing that one was doing. To leave one's place of employment for all time. To quit. He walked out, as I said, muttering. I don't think it was anything I said that ran him off as I barely spoke to him."

"I just bet it weren't," Hoss grumbled. "I'm bettin' you run him off and iffen you did…"

Ben headed angrily toward Percy but Adam grabbed his arm. "Pa, Pa, I'll find Hop Sing and talk to him when I go to town this afternoon to see the Jeffers. I'll find out what the problem is, okay."

"I can tell you what the problem is," Joe spat out.

"All right," Ben said. "We've been on our own before when Hop Sing's gone to visit his relatives so we'll just do what we've done before. Who's up for fixing breakfast?"

"I'll do it," Hoss volunteered. "Eggs and bacon okay with everyone?'

They all nodded in agreement.

"Don't forget to wash your hands, Hoss," Percy called out. "I'm sure you used the chamber pot before you came down-I smelled the most atrocious warm, sour smell of urine just before you descended the royal staircase. The odor followed you and it was no odor of sanctity."

Hoss began to react but Ben put his hand on Hoss' shoulder. "Just go start breakfast. I'll start the coffee." And Hoss and Ben walked into the kitchen.

Joe opened the drawers of the sideboard and took out napkins and silverware to set the table while Adam sauntered over to Percy, his hands in his back pockets.

"And why are you up so early today? According to what I've heard, this past week you've been sleeping 'til noon or longer."

"Oh, I'm very excited about today," Percy said, "and about getting to know my oldest brother better. I do think that you and I could become more than mere brothers-we could actually become friends."

"Somehow I doubt that," Adam said drolly.

"Why you have stabbed me through the heart," Percy cried, dramatically placing one hand on his chest.

"If only…" Joe mumbled as he noisily set the table, the silverware clattering.

Percy glanced back at Joe and then continued. "I was hoping that I could go to town with you, Adam. You see, I have been stuck out here on this farm for so long that I do believe that my health is suffering and I also need to learn the way to town and back. Can't very well drop breadcrumbs to mark my path now, can I? I suppose I could drop silver coins though." Percy shifted uncomfortably in his chair and placed the cup and saucer on the table.

"Anything wrong?" Adam asked. Percy had an odd look on his face.

"No, just a little dyspepsia, I'm sure, from all the Chinese slop I've been eating. A bit more tea ought to settle it." Percy poured the rest of the tea in his cup and added a slip of cream and then, began to sip the now cool liquid.

"I'm afraid," Adam continued, "that I can't take you to town this afternoon. You're going to be needed at the rental property to help with any repairs and to clean up the place."

"My hands are far too tender for any hard work. Have some mercy on me. I do deal cards well with them though-the finger pads are so sensitive."

"Then wear gloves," Adam stated. He stared again at Percy; something was definitely wrong. Percy's face went pale and he suddenly stood up.

"That damnable heathen; he's poisoned me!" Percy ran to the front door, threw it open, and ran out. Joe rushed over to stare out the door with Adam. Percy barely made it to the dirt before he dropped to his knees and retched once and then spewed tea and toast onto the dirt. He heaved again and again until nothing but bile was left and then he rolled backwards to lay on the boards of the walkway into the house.

"Adam," Joe said, "you don't think Hop Sing really poisoned him, do you?"

"Nah. Maybe just a little purgative, you know, a little bit of who knows what steeped into the tea. But who can say. Let's go have breakfast." Adam partially shut the door, leaving Percy outside and putting his arm around his brother's shoulder, they went to their places at the table. Ben came out with the coffee pot, not even bothering to transfer the contents to the carafe, and sat it on a pad he had brought from the kitchen.

"Where's Percy?" he asked as he sat down.

"Outside," Adam said matter-of-factly pouring himself some coffee, "getting some fresh air. Looks as if his breakfast didn't agree with him."

"What?" Ben said.

"See for yourself, Pa," Joe said in all innocence. "Just watch where you step." And Ben, looking at Adam and Joe who seemed unconcerned, went out onto the porch where Adam and Joe could hear Percy again accuse Hop Sing of trying to poison him and Ben doing his best to defend the absent cook. Joe giggled, barely able to control himself, and Adam suppressed an evil grin as he sipped his coffee.

The Cartwrights rode in two buckboards to the property on which the Jefferses were going to move. Percy reclined alongside Adam while Joe sat in the back with the tool chest and shingles and boards. He told Adam that he preferred the bed of the buckboard rather than sitting by Percy, especially if Percy hadn't yet vomited all of his breakfast. Hoss and Ben followed in another buckboard with supplies of food, potatoes, beets, and onions from their own pantry and root cellar. Hoss had given up the last three cans of peaches to the married couple, an act of selfless generosity, Adam had called it. They also had five buckets of white paint.

"Pa," Hoss said as the buckboard rocked and dipped along the uneven road, "how long you think Percy's gonna stay?"

"I don't really know. After all, he's a member of the family and can stay as long as he likes."

"You know he run off Hop Sing."

"Now, Hoss," Ben said with a heavy sigh, "until Adam talks to Hop Sing, we don't really know why he left."

"Yeah, we do and to be honest, Pa, I'm thinkin' that I might pack up and take off for a while too. I can't live with him."

"Hoss, you've only spent one day with him."

"One day too many, Pa. Now old Adam, he don't let Percy get to him-at least not yet-but I ain't got the same mind that Adam does. When Percy sets in on me, Pa, I feel like that bear did last year when Hanson's dogs got hold of 'im. I just want to swing out and swipe him away like that bear did them dogs, but no matter what, them dogs just came back at 'im, over and over until he just couldn't handle no more and they done dragged him down and tore out his throat. Much as that bear did to us, killing our beeves and such, I felt sorry for 'im when them dogs were at 'im. And Pa, Percy's always gonna keep at me and keep at me 'til I do somethin' 'bout it. Or one of us leaves, and I'd rather it be him that up and leaves and not me but I'll go iffen I have to."

"Things will get better, Hoss. Once Percy gets used to the work around here, once he becomes a part of the Ponderosa, things will change." Hoss looked darkly at his father. "They have to, Hoss."

Father and son rode along in silence for a distance and then Hoss began again. ""Bout this Mr. and Mrs. Jeffers, it was my idea they rent the place. They was goin' on to Sacramento but I talked Mr. Jeffers into takin' this place. But now I ain't sure it was such a good idea."

"Why do you say that?" Ben tried his best not to reveal too much with his voice or face.

"Well, I got a notion from what was said on the stage and all, that Mrs. Jeffers and Adam might know each other from way back, from when they was both in Boston. Her father was one of Adam's professors. I got a bad feelin', Pa, a real bad feelin'."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Ben said. "You brother can take care of himself."

"I hope so, Pa. I sure hope so. We got enough trouble with that bastard…" Hoss stopped himself when he realized what he had said. "Pa, I didn't mean nothin'..."

Ben smiled. "It's okay, Hoss. Don't give it another thought."

In the buckboard ahead, Percy groaned and complained all the way because he said the rocking of the buckboard and the rough ride made his stomach lurch each time the "contraption" did.

"Get used to it," Adam said. "Besides, we're almost there and the hard work'll clear your head and settle your stomach. When you're up on the roof with Joe, nailing down those shingles, well, the cool breeze won't be blocked by the trees and it's a beautiful view. You'll enjoy being up there working."

"What? Nailing shingles? What are shingles?" Percy sat upright; this was unwelcome news to him. He had planned on malingering, thinking that he would be given some picayune chore.

These," Joe said, leaning forward and shoving a shingle in Percy's face. He had pulled a shingle from the tied stack. "They're what keeps the rain out of your tea when you're entertaining in the parlor."

"Get that damnable thing out of my face," Percy said and Joe giggled. "I am not a manual laborer."

"Well, you will be today," Adam said as a matter of fact.

"And are you going to make a real man out of me?" Percy asked Adam in a low voice as he leaned toward him. "Are you going to create me in your own image?"

Adam turned to look at him. Percy sat, smirking. "If I hurt myself, will you kiss it and make it better, big brother? Will you hold me next to you and stroke my hair to comfort me?"

Adam didn't answer, just snapped the reins on the horse's back and Percy grabbed the side of the buckboard to maintain his balance as the ride became bumpier. Joe, who had heard what Percy had said and the way he had said it, felt cold chills. He wasn't sure exactly what Percy was doing except that in some way, Percy was attempting to get at Adam, to make Adam angry and lose his equanimity. Percy had started last night with his suggestive comments.

But Adam knew. He knew that Percy was trying to make him feel unsure about himself, to make him so uncomfortable that he wouldn't want to come home where Percy was. Percy also wanted to make Adam wonder what in him had attracted Percy. Then Adam would fall apart, not be so confident about his masculinity. But all that Adam felt was revulsion toward Percy and he drove the horse even faster until he saw the house ahead of them, the grass overgrown and the boards needing a coat of paint.