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"Stop it!" I snapped.

"Stop it? That's exactly what I intend to do,' Betsy fired back at me with her hands on her hips.

"I don't know what you're up to now. Betsy, but you have put yourself back months with this behavior. I couldn't justify giving you a single penny of your father's trust," Mama told her.

Betsy held her smile. "Oh, you're going to give me a lot more than that, Sarah. Isn't she. Noble? Or should I say. Celeste? What should I call you? Sarah, what should I call her?'

Mama gasped audibly as her hands lifted and fluttered like baby birds to the base of her throat. She took a step back and shook her head.

"What are you saying? What is she saying?" Mama asked me. "Tell her what Im saying."

"Stop, please," I begged. "I'm doing what you asked me to do."

"It's not enough anymore. I haven't got the patience for any of it. You listen to me. Sarah." Betsy continued, heartened, encouraged, and strengthened by Mama's signs of retreat, "The whole world is going to find out what a sick thing you did here, making her behave and act like a boy. And the whole world's going to know about your precious Baby Celeste, who is just as sick as the two of you.

"Unless," she continued, now merely a foot or so from Mama. "you turn over all my money to me immediately. You go to that locked-up phone and you call the attorney and tell him to have my check ready tomorrow. Hear me?"

Mama shook her head. She couldn't speak.

Betsy smiled. "What actually happened here, Sarah? If that's really Celeste, where's Noble?... Well? Tell me!" she screamed into Mama's face.

"No!" I cried, and lunged forward to pull Betsy away.

Baby Celeste started to cry and that woke Panther, who joined her in a chorus of screams and wails while I struggled to pull Betsy away from Mama.

"You go make that call. Sarah. You go do it now. I'm warning you!" Betsy continued. waving her fist at her face.

Mama continued to shake her head, then she hurried to the stairway.

"Where are you going. Sarah? You better be going to make that phone call," Betsy shouted after her.

Mama didn't look back. She climbed the stairs, pausing at one point to steady herself with the rickety balustrade. She looked about to faint.

"Mama?" I cried up at her.

She turned and stared down at me with such hateful accusation in her face. I felt my heart shatter like brittle china under my breast. It brought tears to my eyes. I shook my head and whispered, "Mama. please."

"Call!" Betsy screamed. "I want to get out of here tomorrow!" Mama continued up and

disappeared.

"How could you do that? I was doing everything you wanted," I bawled.

"Oh, stop it. You should be grateful and thanking me on your hands and knees. You won't have to pretend to be a boy anymore, but you better see to it that she does what I asked her to do. You go impress her with my determination, hear me? And I want some money and the keys to the car right away, give you ten minutes. Go up and get it and come right down. Do it!" Betsy ordered, pointing her finger at the stairway.

I looked at Baby Celeste, who was clutching herself and sitting on the sofa. Tears streaked down her cheeks almost as fast as Panther's had. Panther was crying so hard as well that the bassinet rocked.

The children." I said.

"Oh, they'll live. Just do what I said." Betsy gave me a shove toward the stairway. "Now."

I started up the stairs slowly.

"Move it. Noble Celeste. You were a freak after all. I was sure you were gay. Maybe you are." She laughed, then turned and shouted at the children, "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

I hurried the rest of the way, hoping to act the money and the keys and get her out of the house as quickly as I could. At the moment that seemed to be the only solution there was. Mama's bedroom door was open. I stopped in the doorway and watched her clearing off the vanity table slowly and putting things away. She moved as if she were walking in her sleep. Betsy had thrown garments all over the room.

"Mama. I'm sorry', She came in on me at night... Mama..."