watched in horrified fascination, Elizabeth found the remains of the dead cat, its doll’s clothes now covered with the cave slime, and propped it up carefully on one of the rocks that sat like stools around the table-rock. She discovered the head of the cat, now eyeless, but still wearing its grotesque bonnet, and tried to balance it on top of the torso. When she couldn’t make it stay, she grasped the head firmly and ground it into the torso like an orange onto a juicer. The rotting flesh of the torso gave way, and the end of the spine protruded upward into the foramen magnum. The head held, squatting deeply between the cat’s shoulders.
“Come to the table,” Elizabeth said softly, beckoning Jimmy Tyler to leave the security of the cavern wall and join the cat at the strange table. He shook his head.
“Come to the table,” Elizabeth repeated, her voice becoming menacing. Jimmy Tyler pulled his knees up to his chest, and tightened his grip on Kathy Burton’s hand.
Elizabeth moved toward him, and her hand drew back to strike him. Just before the blow was delivered, Jimmy scuttled away from Kathy and crouched, shivering, on one of the small rocks.
Elizabeth turned to Kathy.
“You too,” she ordered. Kathy didn’t move, but her eyes flickered open a little, and her mouth worked as if she was trying to speak.
“Now,” Elizabeth demanded. This time the blow fell, and Jimmy Tyler cringed at the sound of the sharp slap against Kathy’s face. Still Kathy didn’t move. Instead, a small gurgling sound escaped her lips.
Elizabeth glared down at the inert child for a moment, then began dragging her toward the center of the cavern by her feet. Weakly Kathy Burton tried to kick loose, but Elizabeth’s grasp was firm. In seconds Elizabeth was setting Kathy on the third stool. When she stepped away Kathy slumped back to the floor, and Elizabeth kicked her.
“Sit up when you’re at the table,” she snapped. Kathy seemed to become slightly conscious of what was going on, and managed to pull herself upright “That’s nice,” Elizabeth said. She stepped back and looked over the strange tableau.
“Now,” she said. “Kathy, you’re the mother. And Jimmy’s the father. And Cecil is your baby. Your crazy baby. Feed your baby, Mother.”
Kathy sat quietly, barely able to keep herself upright.
“I said to feed your baby!” Elizabeth demanded. When Kathy still made no move toward the cat, Elizabeth raised her fist and brought it down hard on Kathy’s back, driving her face first into the center of the table. “You do what I tell you,” Elizabeth snarled through her teeth.
“K Mother can’t feed the baby, you do it,” Elizabeth said to Jimmy. He looked at her, puzzled, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. He saw her fist closing again, and decided the best thing to do was to pretend. He quickly mimed putting a bottle in the baby’s mouth.
“She’s too old for a bottle,” Elizabeth hissed. “She eats real food.”
Jimmy quickly pretended to pick up a spoon and shovel some food toward the cat.
“Talk to her,” Elizabeth commanded. “Talk to your baby.”
Jimmy froze for a moment, then found his tongue.
“Nice baby,” he said. “Here’s some nice food for the nice baby.”
“Her name’s Sarah!” Elizabeth screamed. “Don’t you even know your baby’s name? What kind of a father are you?”
“Sarah,” Jimmy repeated quickly. “Here’s some food for nice little Sarah.”
He continued pretending to shove food into the dead cat’s mouth, and kept babbling at it, not knowing what he was saying but being careful to call the cat Sarah every few seconds.
“She doesn’t answer, does she?” Elizabeth said softly. Jimmy shook his head.
“Do you know why she doesn’t answer?” Elizabeth asked smoothly.
Jimmy shook his head again.
“Because she’s crazy!” Elizabeth screamed. “But children are supposed to answer when they’re spoken to, aren’t they?”
Jimmy nodded dumbly.
“Then she’s a bad child,” Elizabeth said. “She’s crazy and she’s bad. Punish her.” Jimmy didn’t move. “Punish her!”
His eyes fixed on Elizabeth, and on the hand that was flexing rhythmically into a fist Jimmy slowly picked up the dead cat The head tumbled from the body and rolled into the shadows. Shuddering, he put the corpse over his knee and began spanking it.
Elizabeth smiled.
Kathy still huddled over the table, cradling her head in her arms, and she must have moved slightly, for Elizabeth’s attention was suddenly drawn to her.
“Don’t sleep at the table,” she said menacingly. Jimmy, afraid that Kathy was about to receive another of Elizabeth’s