By seven his sons were already at the table.
"Morning, Pa."
"Morning, Joe, Hoss. Jamie up yet?"
"Nope, no sign of him," said Hoss.
"Well, go and get him, would you? He's had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours. The boy'll collapse before the end of the day if we're not careful."
"Pa, what did I tell you?"
"What, Little Joe?"
"Ignore him. Worrying about him is the worst thing you can do."
"I hope you're right, boy. Mind you, he must have calmed down by now. Hi, Hop Sing, why hasn't Jamie's place been set up?"
"He gone."
"What do you mean, he's gone?"
"He come and go."
"When?"
" 'Bout half n'hour ago."
"Where did he go?"
"Why ask Hop Sing? What Hop Sing know? Not know anything, too busy - "
"Hop Sing, it's important. Did he eat?"
"Not hungry."
"What?"
"L'il boy say not hungry. He no like Hop Sing's cooking? His cooking no good?"
"It's got nothing to do with your cooking, Hop Sing," said Joe. "He's trying to teach us a lesson. Well, good luck with that. Eh, Pa?"
"Mm." It was obvious he did not have the same confidence as his son.
The young men found Jamie by the side of the barn when they went outside. They said nothing about the missed meal. When they told him to clean the barn he answered icily, "Yes, Joseph, yes, Eric."
"Boy, no-one's called me Eric for thirty years," Hoss said.
"Oh, forget about him. Stupid baby. The sooner he realizes he can't get to us the sooner he'll stop."
Jamie worked stolidly and uncomplainingly. He neither spoke nor smiled. He would disappear for periods after he had finished yet always seemed to be there when needed again. When either of the brothers made friendly overtures he would look at them with such hatred it would freeze their blood. He coldly rebuffed them and merely asked them what they wanted done next.
"I'll say something," said Joe. "He certainly can work. Considering he's not used to it."
"But what's the matter with him? Is he touched in the head?"
"Beats me."
They did not see him when his legs trembled so much he fell or when he clung to the wall and wept with hunger. He disappeared at lunch and again at dinner that evening. Finally Ben crashed his knife and fork down on his plate, making everyone jump.
"Well, this idea of yours doesn't seem to be working, Joe!"
"Give it time, Pa, it's only been a day."
"It's been two days!"
"Two days won't kill him."
"But he's working like an ox out there. He's got to eat."
"And he will. He'll have to eat soon."
"Don't tell me you're not concerned!"
"I'm not. He needs two people to play his game, Pa, and if we don't play he can't do it on his own. If we pretend we don't notice he'll know he's not having the effect he wants."
"I don't believe you're not worried, Joseph."
Joe laughed. "Honestly, Pa, I'm not. What makes you think I am?"
"Perhaps I know you better than you think, son."
"I know what Joe means, Pa," said Hoss. "Jamie's a spoilt little brat. You tanned his hide and he didn't like it, that's all it amounts to. Obviously no-one's ever put him over their knee before and it gave him a bit of a shock, so he's trying to get back at you. Joe's right."
"By hurting himself?"
Joe shrugged. "Perhaps that's all he thinks he can do."
"Well, I don't like it!" Ben declared. He glared at his food as if angry with it before pushing his plate away in disgust.
Joe and Hoss glanced at each other.
"This is what he wants, Pa," said Joe. "Don't give it to him. He wants you to fret and feel sorry for what you did. You're not sorry, are you?"
"No, I'm not sorry."
"You'd have done the same to us," said Hoss. "And a lot sooner too."
"You wouldn't have done it. You'd been brought up better. Matthew wasn't even around half the time..." He trailed off. "In fact, Jamie had no parents, did he? Mother dead, only seeing his father a couple of times a year."
"No, cousin Matthew doesn't seem the paternal type," Joe mused. He had stopped eating too and was playing with the salt cellar.
"Now, don't you go regretting it, Pa."
"I don't. I don't regret it. I had to do something. Busting that calf's leg was the last straw. That's why you're so angry, Joe."
"Yep," he admitted, nodding his head.
"Stay firm, like you were with us. We played you up sometimes - "
"I told you, it's not the same, Hoss!" He looked at Hoss's hurt face. "I'm sorry, boy, I'm irritable and moody."
"Not surprised with that kid acting like a lunatic," said Joe.
"I've lost my appetite. Hoss, you'd better eat this before Hop Sing packs his bags and catches the next boat to China."
"I'm not really that hungry either."
The other two stared at each other in amazement as Hoss pushed away his plate in his turn.
"Things must be bad," Joe murmured.
