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"Oh, that’s it," he said, realizing

"What’s it?"

"This" He waved a hand round the snug sanctuary, rapidly filling with pungent stea in my cot, with a blanket over my head My mother put this stuff in hot water--smelled just like this That’s why it seeht seemed to reassure her "Did you have croup when you were little?"

"I suppose so, though I don’t remember it Just the smell" Steaent He drew a deep breath, pulling in a penetrating lungful, then patted Brianna’s leg

"Don’t worry; this’ll do the trick," he said

Jeuts out withnow Whether it was the darkness, the smell, or simply the homely racket of the renewed kitchen noises outside the tent, things seemed calmer He heard Bree take in a deep breath, too, and let it out, and felt rather than saw the subtle shift of her body as she relaxed a little, patting Je to Jeh, and finally catch his breath, hiccupping slightly He’d stopped whi soothed by the proxier had dropped the cork to the camphor jar; he patted round on the floor until he found it, then pushed it firs?" he said, looking for some easy subject of conversation to break the stea with them?" Brianna brushed back a lock of hair; she’d had it put up for the evening, but it was slipping out of its pins, clinging daave me the stuff" He nodded at the camphor jar, set out of harm’s way near the wall He had a clear , white, and bare; they’d struck hiold and silver rings

"Are you sure? She never takes theled, a nervous, unexpected sound "The last time I remember hen Jeave a brief snort of amusement A baas any sort of s the iron ring--originallycattle by the nose--that Jem liked to chew on It was his favorite toy, and he didn’t like to go to bed without it

"Ba-ba?" Je thickly, but beginning to display an interest in so besides his own discomfort "Ba-ba!"

"Oops, shouldn’t have an to sing softly, half under her breath, to distract hi for a h-ter, Cleer of so of peaceful enclosure that the bench beneath the s had had, though the tent was a lot hotter The linen of his shirt was already li down his back froed Bree’s leg "D’ye o up and take off your new dress? It’ll be spoilt if ye stay in here for long"

"Oh Well" She hesitated, biting her lip "No, I’ll stay, it’s okay"

He got up, stooping under the quilts, and gathered Je

"Go," he said firmly "You can fetch his b--his you-knohat And don’t worry Ye can tell it’s helping, the steauer sat down on the vacated stool, Jemmy cuddled in the crook of his arm The pressure of the wooden seat reestion frohtly to ease the disco harirl; they’ll tell ye"

Je with "Ba--?" and coughed again, but only briefly Roger put the back of his hand against the soft round cheek He thought it was cooler Hard to tell, war freely down his face, and he wiped it with a sleeve

"Ba-ba?" asked a froggy little voice against his chest

"Aye, in a bit Hush, now"

"Ba-ba Ba-ba!"

"Shhhh"