"Hey, Ada."
"Rufus, tek this."
"Where is dat Miss Beryl?"
"Under de bed, m'm."
"Beryl...."
"Yassum...."
Unweeping, Beryl, barely saving her skull, shot up from underneath the bed. Over Ada's obstreperous toes, over Rufus' by the side of Coggins, she had to pass to get the proffered dish.
"Take it quick!"
Saying not a word, Beryl took it and, sliding down beside it, deposited it upon the floor beside Coggins.