clothes. Frankie'd brought home half a pint of gin someone had donated to her, and we'd all had Tom Collinses. The children were so busy stuffing themselves that they couldn't start anything, and-well, everything was swell. I had a week's work behind me, and Roberta's thigh was pressing against mine, and she was laughing at some joke Frankie was telling, and Mom was getting off some wisecracks of her own. And-it was simply swell. I felt so good that tears came into my eyes.
Then Jo said, "Will you please transmit the tubers?" Roberta looked at her and stopped smiling. "Now none of your smartness," she said. "If you want something, ask for it right."
Jo stopped smiling also. "I want some potatoes, please."
"Why don't you ask for them, then?"
"All right, Mother," said Jo. "Please pass the potatoes."
I passed them. I was mad, but I wanted to get over it, and I thought I'd better pass it off as a joke. Jo can take a lot if you give her a joke to chase it with.
"We don't allow foreign languages around here," I said. "Absolutely no English."
She grinned half-heartedly, watching Roberta out of the corner of her eyes.
"That's right," said Roberta. "Go ahead and laugh. You and your daddy think you're awfully smart, don't you?"
"Leave her alone, honey," I said. "Let's finish one meal in peace."
"Jo didn't mean anything, did you, Jo?" said Mom.
"I meant what I said," said Jo.
"I know what she meant," snapped Roberta. "She can just stay in after dinner and do the dishes. That'lI take some of the smartness out of her."
"May I go out afterwards?" asked Jo. "I'm supposed to practice a play with-"
"No, you may not go out afterwards! You'll go to bed. I'm getting tired of you gadding around all hours of the night."
"Mama mean to Jo," Mack observed wisely. Roberta whirled and slapped him, and his fat face puckered and he bawled. Shannon's eyes flickered dangerously. She will beat the stuffing out of Mack herself, but it infuriates her to see anyone else touch him. She slid under the table. Roberta knew what was coming, and she tried to kick her chair back; she even kicked Shannon. But, of course, that wouldn't stop her. In a split second Shannon had buried her teeth in Roberta's leg.
Roberta let out a scream that they must have heard down on the waterfront. She got to her feet-or rather foot-stumbled, and fell backward. And Shannon slid out from under the table, following her, and there was blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.
I grabbed her by the legs and pulled, and Roberta screamed louder than ever. She dropped down on the floor, shrieking hysterically, and began striking Shannon in the face. Shaking her by the hair. Clawing, and scratching, and screaming. Screaming for us to do something. To stop standing around and do-OoooooOOO! JIMMIE!
I got Shannon by the nose, and shut off her wind. But she merely held on with her middle teeth, and began to breathe out of the corners of her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking, and there was a fiendish animal joy in them. I could have choked her loose of course. Or, rather, some people could. I couldn't.
Jo tried tickling her. Mom poured ice water on her until the floor was covered an inch deep. We all threatened-and tried-to blister her. It was useless. It looked as though we were settled there for the night-Roberta sobbing and pleading; Shannon, jaws set, laughing hilariously inside her tiny body.
It was Frankie who got her loose.
"All right, Shannon," she said. "The next time I bring any boys home, just don't expect to be introduced."
Shannon looked at her, hesitated, and opened her mouth. And Roberta jerked free. She had been bitten badly. I know it must have hurt a great deal.
"You've got to spank her, Jimmie," she wailed. "You've just got to take her in hand!"
"Dammit," I said. "I can't spank her!"
And I certainly couldn't have by that time. Shannon had got to the open door and was standing with her back to it.
"Why won't you introduce me, Frankie?" she
Then Jo said, "Will you please transmit the tubers?" Roberta looked at her and stopped smiling. "Now none of your smartness," she said. "If you want something, ask for it right."
Jo stopped smiling also. "I want some potatoes, please."
"Why don't you ask for them, then?"
"All right, Mother," said Jo. "Please pass the potatoes."
I passed them. I was mad, but I wanted to get over it, and I thought I'd better pass it off as a joke. Jo can take a lot if you give her a joke to chase it with.
"We don't allow foreign languages around here," I said. "Absolutely no English."
She grinned half-heartedly, watching Roberta out of the corner of her eyes.
"That's right," said Roberta. "Go ahead and laugh. You and your daddy think you're awfully smart, don't you?"
"Leave her alone, honey," I said. "Let's finish one meal in peace."
"Jo didn't mean anything, did you, Jo?" said Mom.
"I meant what I said," said Jo.
"I know what she meant," snapped Roberta. "She can just stay in after dinner and do the dishes. That'lI take some of the smartness out of her."
"May I go out afterwards?" asked Jo. "I'm supposed to practice a play with-"
"No, you may not go out afterwards! You'll go to bed. I'm getting tired of you gadding around all hours of the night."
"Mama mean to Jo," Mack observed wisely. Roberta whirled and slapped him, and his fat face puckered and he bawled. Shannon's eyes flickered dangerously. She will beat the stuffing out of Mack herself, but it infuriates her to see anyone else touch him. She slid under the table. Roberta knew what was coming, and she tried to kick her chair back; she even kicked Shannon. But, of course, that wouldn't stop her. In a split second Shannon had buried her teeth in Roberta's leg.
Roberta let out a scream that they must have heard down on the waterfront. She got to her feet-or rather foot-stumbled, and fell backward. And Shannon slid out from under the table, following her, and there was blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.
I grabbed her by the legs and pulled, and Roberta screamed louder than ever. She dropped down on the floor, shrieking hysterically, and began striking Shannon in the face. Shaking her by the hair. Clawing, and scratching, and screaming. Screaming for us to do something. To stop standing around and do-OoooooOOO! JIMMIE!
I got Shannon by the nose, and shut off her wind. But she merely held on with her middle teeth, and began to breathe out of the corners of her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking, and there was a fiendish animal joy in them. I could have choked her loose of course. Or, rather, some people could. I couldn't.
Jo tried tickling her. Mom poured ice water on her until the floor was covered an inch deep. We all threatened-and tried-to blister her. It was useless. It looked as though we were settled there for the night-Roberta sobbing and pleading; Shannon, jaws set, laughing hilariously inside her tiny body.
It was Frankie who got her loose.
"All right, Shannon," she said. "The next time I bring any boys home, just don't expect to be introduced."
Shannon looked at her, hesitated, and opened her mouth. And Roberta jerked free. She had been bitten badly. I know it must have hurt a great deal.
"You've got to spank her, Jimmie," she wailed. "You've just got to take her in hand!"
"Dammit," I said. "I can't spank her!"
And I certainly couldn't have by that time. Shannon had got to the open door and was standing with her back to it.
"Why won't you introduce me, Frankie?" she
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