“That’s right, you did, young man. You were the one who went to a party on a weeknight and then lied about it. What happens to boys who lie in my house, Randy?”
“That get … pu … punished” Randy whispered again, this time even more faintly.
“I can’t hear you, young man.”
“Thay get punished” he repeated in a slightly louder whisper.
“That’s right, they get punished. If you give me even the slightest bit of trouble right now, I won’t bother to take you into the den. We can just take care of your punishment right out here in the parlor. I’m sure we wouldn’t want that, would we, young man.”
Randy said nothing, his face a mask of misery and shame. Already tears were welling up mysteriously in his eyes despite his attempts to fight them back.