Calling the Shots

I managed to catch the second fellow by his ankle before he could escape through the skylight, and took a great deal of satisfaction out of reducing him to a lump of whining misery on the floorboards.

"Leave off, mister!" he cried. "We didn't take nothin'!"

"Because what you were sent for isn't here," I countered. "I'm not a fool. But you frightened my servants, and that I won't abide. Crawl back to your master, and make it clear to him that I will consider any further threats against the 'women or children' to be a violation of the terms."

Calling the Shots

I managed to catch the second fellow by his ankle before he could escape through the skylight, and took a great deal of satisfaction out of reducing him to a lump of whining misery on the floorboards.

"Leave off, mister!" he cried. "We didn't take nothin'!"

"Because what you were sent for isn't here," I countered. "I'm not a fool. But you frightened my servants, and that I won't abide. Crawl back to your master, and make it clear to him that I will consider any further threats against the 'women or children' to be a violation of the terms."