The Bolt brothers were in town Saturday. The first few hours were used up in a flurry of activity, mostly involving in rehemming Jeremy's suit pants, that had become noticeably too short. Jason was glad he'd taught himself that skill, early on. Although he had got out of practice and was more used to wielding an axe these days. He just wished he'd taught Jeremy a little more patience!

"On. Off. On. Off. On again. Off again. C-can't you just fix 'em while they're on?"

"No. Although the idea of repeatedly sticking you with the needle becomes more appealing every time we have this conversation."

Jeremy laughed. "Worser than spruce?"

"You tell me." Jason stabbed Jeremy with the business end of a needle.

Jeremy jumped, and considered the matter. " 'Bout the s-same."

Jason laughed. "Good to know. Off again, boy. Hopefully this will be the last time."

"Nope. I'll have to p-put 'em on again so you can be sure, and then I'll have to take 'em off again."

"True enough. You can't sleep in 'em, especially not for two days. I mean nights. After all this, you're not appearing in front of the judge in wrinkled trousers."

"C-can't you sew 'em while I'm wearing them?"

"I don't think you could stand on this chair long enough to get the job done."

"I could sit down." Jeremy demonstrated.
"I believe that was the cause of our first or second failure. They have to – um – hang right."

"Here c-comes Josh ag-gain. D'you s'pose he's running in and out b-because we c-can't."

"Probably."

"Of course I am," Josh answered, tossing a small bundle Jeremy's way. "Are you complaining?"

Jeremy couldn't answer because his mouth was full with the cookies Josh had just given him. He shook his head.

Josh lifted Jeremy's feet and slid his pants off. "You want me to try the sewing this time?" he asked Jason.

"Sure, I'll run in and out and around town a few times."

"Really, you should teach him to do this for himself."

"I c-can fix my sh-shirts," Jeremy protested.

"Can, but won't," Jason said pointedly. To Josh, he explained, "And that is why he isn't doing this."

"You've got a point." Josh finished threading a needle and turned the material up to start work.

"You two have fun," Jason said, and strode out the door.

As the door closed behind him, Jeremy giggled. "Ya think he's at the dock yet?"

Josh laughed. "Maybe, but if so, he's gone on by now."

"Yeah. Is he m-more worried than he wants us to kn-now?"

"Worried, no. Concerned, yes. Even when everything is right, it can go wrong. And just maybe he's concerned about first impressions and all. How you present yourself to the court can – I don't know how to say it, exactly – but it can affect the way Jason is seen by the public –as in public record – because he's held responsible for you. It doesn't matter so much here, but if he's seen as negligent to details, it could slow our business from expanding out of the immediate area."

"Oh." Jeremy thought that over. "I didn't know that."

"No reason why you should. It's not come up before."

"How do you know so m-much?"

Josh grinned. "I learned the same way you do. Listening to people. Heard Stempel discussing it with Harold and Ben."

"Oh. I'll t-try to make a g-good 'mpression. If I c-can."

"It's more than how you talk," Josh said. "You'll make your first impression by how you look and how you act before you ever open your mouth." Josh concentrated on his sewing for a moment. "Unless you've already made an impression by having your mouth hanging open and drooling."

Jeremy had to laugh at that, and Josh laughed with him.

Monday morning came too quickly while still taking a long time to happen. The brothers walked together to Lottie's where court would be held after they breakfasted at home. Jeremy didn't want to breakfast there because he was afraid of looking sloppy. Eggs on his shirt wouldn't be impressive. (Or would be very impressive, Josh said solemnly.)

Also in case he felt like getting sick once he ate. It would be awful to do that anywhere a judge could see and think he was a silly kid or had something wrong with him.

Jason indulged him, but told Joshua, in an aside, that Jeremy had taken his advice about first impressions a little bit too much to heart.

"Maybe we should have practiced THAT situation yesterday," Josh cracked.

Jason laughed heartily.

Jeremy glared, but smiled. They had done several rehearsals yesterday after church, and he would have done more, but Jason and Josh had decided to do a song contest, which turned out to be a lot of fun.

They were ushered into one of the back rooms at Lottie's, where the judge was waiting for them.

After introductions, the judge gestured for them to sit down, and took up his papers. He addressed Jeremy directly. "Tell me about this fight."

Jeremy wanted to groan, but didn't. He was tired of talking about it. He wished he'd just let Billy beat him up until he wasn't anymore. That had worked pretty well when he was a little kid, before Josh taught him how to fight.

"Take your time," the judge said. He sounded like Jason.

Jeremy took a deep breath and started talking. This was something they had rehearsed. He knew the words he needed to use, and how to say them quietly and calmly. He spoke slowly but were a few times when he hesitated and had to start over with what he was specifically saying, but he managed to do that well enough.

The judge had questions. None that hadn't been foreseen and practiced, and thank god, none of the silly questions his brothers had thought up like how many days since he'd changed his underclothes and were his boots too tight after his lunch.

Josh saw Jeremy's lips twitch as he thought of those things and elbowed Jason, who warned him with a look. That made Josh really want to laugh, but he didn't. Jeremy would have been so embarrassed.

Next the judge asked Josh what he knew of the fight, which wasn't much. He was the last man there and had got cheated of all the fun. He was completely serious.

Jeremy gasped, and Jason hid his smile behind his hand, while the judge quickly looked down and began shuffling his papers.

When he was through, he started talking to Jason about what had happened. Jason answered promptly and in great detail, with poetic description thrown in from time to time. Josh wanted to roll his eyes – Jason could sure get carried away listening to himself. Jeremy listened with awe, wishing he knew that many words and could use them that way.

The judge listened but was unmoved by the verbosity.

Judge Cleary asked if anyone had any questions.

Jeremy timidly raised his hand.

"Go ahead," the judge said.

"How c-come – how come we're doing this? Why c-couldn't we just make him leave?"

"Because this has happened too often. If something doesn't stop him, that young man will be killing someone. That's a lot to put on a young man who could be taught better."

"Nobody ain't – isn't g-going to hang him? I heard some t-talk."

"If he kills someone for no good reason, they probably will. I'm trying to prevent that."

"How?"

"We had him set up doing a job where he could pay for the hospital of the last man he fought. He wasn't supposed to leave that job, but he did. I'm afraid he may have to do some time in jail."

"Will that help?"

"It will give him some discipline that he needs. Jail is harsh imposed discipline. The hope is that when he gets out, he'll be able to discipline himself so that no one else will do it for him."

"Does it w-work?"

"Not always, but we're running out of things to try."

Josh whispered to Jason," Will you just listen to him? Him and his questions!"

"That's how most of us get answers, Josh," Jason 'whispered' back. (Jason was not a good whisperer, and Jeremy glanced his way.)

"Anything else?" Judge Cleary asked Jeremy.

"Nosir."

"I have a question for you. If it becomes necessary, will you testify in open court?"

"If it becomes nec-ess-s-sary, I'll have to. That's what it means."

"Thank you. You may leave. Mr. Bolt, a word with you?"

"Of course," Jason agreed. "Go on, you two. Find us seats."

"You think you get it bad," Josh complained to Jeremy while they were finding seats. Don't you think I'm old enough to be a 'Mr. Bolt', too?"

"You prob'ly are when you're not here."

"That doesn't count. I wonder what he wanted to say to Jason?"
Jeremy looked worried. "I h-hope it's not ab-bout me."

"Might be about if you need to testify. Just in case."

Jeremy looked directly at Josh. "That isn't what I m-meant, and you know it."

"You did very well. It's not about any lack of upbringing."

"You don' know that."

"Yes, I do." I hope I do, anyway, Josh thought.

Jeremy sighed, as the door to the back room opened as Jason and Judge Cleary entered the room and headed in different directions for their seats.

"It's alright," Jason assured his brothers as he sat between them, hoping to prevent whatever disagreement it looked like they were having.

"Told ya," Josh said, leaning around Jason to speak to Jeremy.

"Huh." Jeremy sat back to where Josh couldn't see him through Jason. He was glad, for once, that Josh was right, but Josh didn't need to know that.

Court was called to attention.

Jason didn't tell his brothers that the judge had wanted to tell him what a fine job he had done with his brothers and was doing with the business until bedtime when Josh threatened to pour coffee on his head instead of in his cup if he didn't.